US 7,443,965 B2Granted

Integrated voice and data interoperability platform

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsKent L. Blossom, George Forshay, Louis Charles Foss, Paul E. Leuba, Tapas K. Som, John C. Wyatt

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Disclosed is a communication server that includes a message transfer unit that transfers messages sent between a first user communicating under a first communication system and a second user communicating under a second communication system. For example, the communication systems could each comprise a plurality of mobile wireless transceivers and a plurality of land-based transceivers that are used by emergency-response organizations. These communication systems may be incapable of communicating directly with each other. The communication server also includes a translator connected to the message transfer unit. The translator translates messages sent from the first communication system into a format compatible with the second communication system and vice versa. The communication server also has a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) unit connected to the message transfer unit, so that messages are transmitted through the communication server in a VoIP format. Thus, messages are transferred between the communication systems using discrete Internet protocol addresses.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An interoperable data and voice communication system that supports simultaneous, multi-party communication between incompatible communication systems, said interoperable data and voice communication system comprising:

a first communication system that communicates with first users by a first addressing scheme and a first communication format for any of data and voice, each of said first users having a first unique Internet Protocol (IP) address;
a second communication system that communicates with second users by a second addressing scheme and a second communication format for any of data and voice, each of said second users having a second unique Internet Protocol (IP) address;
and
an interoperable communication server, comprising:
a message transfer unit that transfers any of data and voice messages between a first user at said first unique IP address and a second user at said second unique IP address;
wherein said first addressing scheme is incompatible with said second addressing scheme;
and
wherein a global directory, using a common hierarchical addressing scheme for said first unique IP address and said second unique IP address, connects a first user at said first unique IP address to a second user at said second unique IP address;
a translator connected to said message transfer unit, said translator translating any of data and voice messages sent from said first communication system into said second communication format compatible with said second communication system and from said second communication system into said first communication format compatible with said first communication system;
a voice/data converter that converts voice messages into data messages and data messages into voice messages;
and
a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) unit connected to said message transfer unit, wherein said voice messages transmitted through said interoperable communication server are converted to a VoIP format.

9 more elements

a first communication system that communicates with first users by a first addressing scheme and a first communication format for any of data and voice, each of said first users having a first unique Internet Protocol (IP) address;
a second communication system that communicates with second users by a second addressing scheme and a second communication format for any of data and voice, each of said second users having a second unique Internet Protocol (IP) address;
and
an interoperable communication server, comprising:
a message transfer unit that transfers any of data and voice messages between a first user at said first unique IP address and a second user at said second unique IP address;
wherein said first addressing scheme is incompatible with said second addressing scheme;
and
wherein a global directory, using a common hierarchical addressing scheme for said first unique IP address and said second unique IP address, connects a first user at said first unique IP address to a second user at said second unique IP address;
a translator connected to said message transfer unit, said translator translating any of data and voice messages sent from said first communication system into said second communication format compatible with said second communication system and from said second communication system into said communication format compatible with said first communication system;
and
a voice/data converter that converts voice messages into data messages and data messages into voice messages.

8 more elements

An interoperable communication server comprising:

a message transfer unit that transfers any of data and voice messages between first users of a first communication system and second users of a second communication system;
wherein said first communication system communicates with said first users by a first addressing scheme and a first communication format for any of data and voice, each of said first users having a first unique Internet Protocol (IP) address;
wherein said second communication system communicates with said second users by a second addressing scheme and a second communication format for any of data and voice, each of said second users having a second unique IP address;
wherein said first addressing scheme is incompatible with said second addressing scheme;
and
wherein a global directory, using a common hierarchical addressing scheme for said first unique IP address and said second unique IP address, connects a first user at said first unique IP address to a second user at said second unique IP address;
a translator connected to said message transfer unit, said translator translating any of data and voice messages sent from said first communication system into a second communication format compatible with said second communication system and from said second communication system into said first communication format compatible with said first communication system;
and
a voice/data converter that converts voice messages into data messages and data messages into voice messages.

6 more elements

A method of providing interoperable data and voice communications that supports simultaneous, multi-party communications between incompatible communication systems, said method comprising:

transferring any of data and voice messages between first users of a first communication system and second users of a second communication system via an interoperable communication server,
wherein said first communication system communicates with said first users by a first addressing scheme and a first communication format for any of data and voice, each of said first users having a first unique Internet Protocol (IP) address;
wherein said second communication system communicates with said second users by a second addressing scheme and a second communication format for any of data and voice, each of said second users having a second unique IP address;
wherein said first addressing scheme is incompatible with said second addressing scheme;
and
wherein a global directory, using a common hierarchical addressing scheme for said first unique IP address and said second unique IP address, connects a first user at said first unique IP address to a second user at said second unique IP address;
translating any of data and voice messages sent from said first communication system into said second communication format compatible with said second communication system and from said second communication system into said first communication format compatible with said first communication system, using said interoperable communication server;
converting voice messages into data messages and data messages into voice messages, using said interoperable communication server;
and
converting voice messages transmitted through said interoperable communication server, to a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) format.

7 more elements

A method of providing interoperable data and voice communications that supports simultaneous, multi-party communications between incompatible communication systems of different emergency response agencies, said method comprising:

identifying an incident;
associating a first communication system with said incident;
associating a second communication system with said incident;
transferring any of data and voice messages between first users of said first communication system and second users of said second communication system via an interoperable communication server
wherein said first communication system communicates with said first users by a first addressing scheme and a first communication format for any of data and voice, each of said first users having a first unique Internet Protocol (IP) address;
wherein said second communication system communicates with said second users by a second addressing scheme and a second communication format for any of data and voice, each of said second users having a second unique IP address;
wherein said first addressing scheme is incompatible with said second addressing scheme;
and
wherein a global directory, using a common hierarchical addressing scheme for said first unique IP address and said second unique IP address, connects a first user at said first unique IP address to a second user at said second unique IP address;
translating any of data and voice messages sent from said first communication system into said second communication format compatible with said second communication system and from said second communication system into said first communication format compatible with said first communication system, using said interoperable communication server;
converting voice messages into data messages and data messages into voice messages, using said interoperable communication server;
and
restricting communications between said first communication system and said second communication system to said incident.

10 more elements

A method of providing interoperable data and voice communications that supports simultaneous, multi-party communications between incompatible communication systems, said method comprising:

transferring any of data and voice messages between first users of a first communication system and second users of a second communication system via an interoperable communication server;
wherein said first communication system communicates with said first users by a first addressing scheme and a first communication format for any of data and voice, each of said first users having a first unique Internet Protocol (IP) address;
wherein said second communication system communicates with said second users by a second addressing scheme and a second communication format for any of data and voice, each of said second users having a second unique IP address;
wherein said first addressing scheme is incompatible with said second addressing scheme;
and
wherein a global directory, using a common hierarchical addressing scheme for said first unique IP address and said second unique IP address, connects a first user at said first unique IP address to a second user at said second unique IP address;
translating any of data and voice messages sent from said first communication system into said second communication format compatible with said second communication system and from said second communication system into said first communication format compatible with said first communication system, using said interoperable communication server;
and
converting voice messages into data messages and data messages into voice messages, using said interoperable communication server.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.