Multi-service communication system and method

US6654456B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Baiju D. Mandalia · Boca Raton, US
• Ann-Marie W. Hoher · Weston, US
• Scott S. Joffe · Highland Beach, US
• Tommy R. Alcendor · Boynton Beach, US
• Ran Cohen · Petah Tikva, IL
• Uzi Shvadron · Mitzpe Aviv, IL

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 8, 2000
• Grant date: Nov 25, 2003
• Expiry date: Mar 8, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M3/56
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A multi-service communication system and method is disclosed which permits the integration of traditional PSTN functions and voice-over-IP/voice-over-data (VOIP/VOD) functions within the same communication system. The extension of scripting functions to support these features in general simultaneously permits the script to interact with PSTN and IP telephones within the context of the same services, to share the same service logic for both PSTN and IP media, to conference participants on both PSTN and IP, to store and forward information between the two media, to play on-hold media to the interface, and/or to monitor information between the two media. In general the disclosed invention is amenable to the integration of PSTN and VOIP networks, but other service functions may be integrated with no loss of generality.