Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for accessing a telephone network from the internet

US7447193B1 · kind B1 · utility

3Cited by
3References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 18, 2003
Grant dateNov 4, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 9, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L67/02
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A subscriber in communication with an IP network (12) such as the Internet, though a terminal (14) may launch an application on a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) (16) by entering a data packet that takes the format of a telephone number that identifies the PSTN application. An IP gateway (22) couples the IP network (12) to the PSTN (16) and serves to recognize the data packet in the format of the PSTN application telephone number as well as translate the packet yield a stream of DTMF or other signals corresponding to the PSTN application telephone number. The IP gateway (22) then launches the stream of signals to dial the telephone number of the PSTN application. The gateway may also request information or control PSTN calls via the signaling/data channel between the gateway and the PSTN.

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