Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for selecting an internet/PSTN changeover server for a packet based phone call

US5889774A · kind A · utility

306Cited by
12References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 14, 1997
Grant dateMar 30, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 14, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L45/00
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing a voice call to a PSTN extension on behalf of a networked client computer, and routing the voice call off of the network, is provided. In a first embodiment, the apparatus comprises a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions for implementing a set of communication services for facilitating establishment of the voice call to the PSTN extension, and an execution unit, coupled to the storage medium, for executing the plurality of programming instructions. The set of communication services include services for soliciting inputs from one or more other apparatuses on one or more operating characteristics associated with the establishment and support of the voice call to the PSTN extension, and selecting either the apparatus itself or one of the other apparatuses to place the voice call to the PSTN extension.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.