JP2001339435A - Internet telephone connecting destination specifying method and speech device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently and exactly specify the connecting destination and communication environment of the opposite party regardless of the communication environment of the opposite party when performing speech while utilizing an Internet speech device. SOLUTION: The transmitting/receiving means of the speech device transmits information containing telephone number information and user side information inputted by an input means through an Internet line to a connecting destination retrieval database device provided on that Internet line, and while referring to the telephone number information, the connecting destination retrieval database device retrieves the connecting destination and returns the information of the retrieved connecting destination through the Internet line to the transmitting/receiving means on the basis of the user side information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An environment that allows constant connection to the Internet is becoming widespread even in ordinary households. However, at present, the Internet line and the general telephone line are charged separately, so that the user is burdened with payment. . Therefore, at least with regard to voice communication, an "Internet telephone" has already been devised for making a telephone call using an Internet line using VOIP (voice over IP) technology. Since an Internet telephone needs to be able to receive calls at all times as long as it is a telephone, it is desirable to operate using not a personal computer but a BOX-type independent terminal having a terminal for connecting a conventional telephone. Have been. By using such an Internet telephone device, it can be used like a conventional telephone,
In addition, since the user only needs to pay the Internet line fee, the cost burden is reduced.

[0003]

When a telephone call is made by an Internet telephone device, the communication process differs depending on the communication environment of the other party to be called. In other words, when the communication environment of the other party is an environment in which a call via the Internet can be used (Internet telephone device user), it is possible to make a direct call through the Internet line, while the communication environment of the other party is In the case of a normal telephone line only (non-user of the Internet telephone device), the connection is made after passing through the access point closest to the other party among the access points that convert between the Internet telephone line and the normal telephone line. Becomes possible. Therefore, when making a call, it is necessary to always identify the other party and recognize its communication environment.

[0004] In order to specify the other party in this way, it is most appropriate to use a telephone number in a usual telephone line which has been conventionally used. However, when the other party uses an Internet telephone device, it takes a lot of trouble and information to specify an Internet telephone connection destination from the telephone number, convert the connection destination to the Internet telephone connection destination, and connect.
If the other party does not use the Internet telephone device, it is necessary to search for and specify the access point. In this case, too, much labor and information are required.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to specify a connection destination and a communication environment of the other party efficiently and accurately, regardless of the communication environment of the other party, when making a call using the Internet telephone device. is there.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To solve the above-mentioned problems, an Internet telephone connection destination specifying method of the present invention comprises:
(1) the user inputs the telephone number of the other party using the input means of the communication device; and (2) the transmission / reception means of the communication device transmits the information including the telephone number information and the user side information input by the input means. Transmitting to a connection destination search database device provided on the Internet line via the Internet line; and (3) the connection destination search database device searches for a connection destination with reference to the telephone number information; Returning the searched connection destination information to the transmission / reception means via the Internet line based on the user side information; and (4) the transmission / reception means recognizes the returned connection destination information. And connecting to the connection destination through an Internet line. Thereby, when trying to make a call using the Internet telephone device, the connection destination of the other party can be efficiently specified. Further, a telephone call can be established via the Internet only by performing the same operation as a general telephone.

In the method for specifying an Internet telephone connection destination according to the present invention, in the connection destination search database device,
The telephone number of the Internet telephone device user and the Internet telephone connection destination are recorded in advance in association with each other, and a plurality of Internet telephone line / general telephone line conversion access points are recorded in advance and transmitted from the transmitting / receiving device. If a search is performed based on the received telephone number information and there is a corresponding Internet telephone connection destination, it is recognized that the other party is an Internet telephone device user, and information on the other party's Internet telephone connection destination is found. Is returned to the transmitting / receiving means, and if there is no corresponding Internet telephone connection destination, it is recognized that the other party is a non-user of the Internet telephone device, and based on the telephone number information, the location of the telephone number is determined. Search for the nearest Internet telephone line / general telephone line conversion access point The connection target information, characterized in that reply to the transmitting means. Thus, when trying to make a call using the Internet telephone device, the connection destination can be efficiently specified and the call can be started regardless of the communication environment of the other party.

[0008]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart.

Referring to FIG. 1, there are an Internet telephone device 10, an Internet telephone connection destination search database device 30, and an Internet 100 for interconnecting these devices as a configuration for implementing the present invention. The Internet 100 is further connected to a destination Internet telephone device 20 and an access point 40 for converting between an Internet telephone line and a general telephone line. The Internet telephone device 10 further includes a conventional telephone device 11 and a VOIP (voice over IP) -BOX 12 connecting the telephone device 11. Similarly, the other party's Internet telephone device 20 also uses a conventional telephone device 21 and a VOIP (voice over I
P) -BOX 22. VOIP-B
The OXs 12 and 22 are also connected to a general telephone line, and when a call is received from a conventional telephone device other than the Internet telephone device, a call is established through the general telephone line.

The Internet telephone connection destination search database device 30 stores information on the telephone number of the general telephone and the Internet telephone connection destination of the user of the Internet telephone device in association with each other. In addition, connection destination information is stored for many conversion access points that exist in various places.

Next, a procedure up to the probability of making a call using the Internet telephone device 10 will be described step by step with reference to FIG. First, the user who is going to talk is on the telephone 1
The user inputs the telephone number of the other party in step 1 (step 1).
The entered telephone number is sent to VOIP-BOX 12,
From here, it is transmitted to the Internet telephone connection destination search database device 30 via the Internet 100 (step 2). At this time, it is possible to simultaneously transmit information on the user side such as connection destination information of the Internet telephone device 10 and other information as needed.

The Internet telephone connection destination search database device 30 retrieves whether or not there is an Internet telephone connection destination corresponding to the telephone number, based on the transmitted destination telephone number information (step 3). . If it exists, it means that the other party has the Internet telephone device 20.
Reply to BOX 12 (step 5).

On the other hand, if there is no Internet telephone connection destination corresponding to the telephone number, it means that the other party does not have the Internet telephone device 20 but uses a general telephone device. At this time, the Internet telephone connection destination search database device 30 specifies the location from the telephone number, and then specifies the conversion access point closest to the location from among a large number of recorded conversion access points ( Step 4), and return the connection destination information of the conversion access point to the VOIP-BOX 12 (Step 5). In step 5, VOI
When returning information to the P-BOX 12, the Internet telephone device 1 previously transmitted in step 2
Reference the connection destination of 0.

The VOIP-BOX 12 makes a connection based on the transmitted connection destination information (step 6). When the other party has the Internet telephone device 20, a direct call is established through the Internet 100. At this time, there is no charge other than the Internet connection fee. If the user does not have the Internet telephone device 20, a telephone call is established in the order of Internet 100-conversion access point-general telephone line. In this case, a separate charge is incurred for the general telephone line, but since the conversion access point is set in the immediate vicinity of the other party's location, the charge is minimally necessary for the user.

If the Internet telephone device 10 receives an incoming call, a brief description will be given. When the other party has the Internet telephone device 20, a direct telephone call is established through the Internet 100. If the user does not have the Internet telephone device 20, a call is established from a general telephone line via the VOIP-BOX 12.

The above is the method of specifying a connection destination when making a call via the Internet. When providing such a connection destination search service to a user, a pay service can be provided. At this time, a fee can be set for each search or for each content of the search, and the fee can be charged according to the usage status of the user. At this time, when the telephone number information of the other party is transmitted from the VOIP-BOX 12 to the Internet telephone connection destination search database device 30, the connection destination information of the Internet telephone device 10 transmitted at the same time is provided for each user. In the data storage location, the status of search use by the user is stored as information each time, and billing can be performed at regular intervals. Alternatively, the user may register an identification number in advance, and the VOIP-BOX 12 may simultaneously transmit the identification number to determine the data storage location in the same manner. Further, a method of charging a fixed amount every fixed period may be adopted.

In this embodiment, the Internet telephone device 10 is constituted by the telephone 11 and the VOPI-BOX 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
It is good also as a telephone which has the function of P-BOX12,
Also, the telephone 11 and the VOIP-
The function of the BOX 12 may be provided and used.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, when making a call using the Internet telephone device, regardless of the communication environment of the other party, the connection destination and the communication environment of the other party can be efficiently and accurately. Can be specified and a call can be established.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration for realizing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Internet telephone apparatus 11 Telephone 12 VOIP-BOX 20 Other party's Internet telephone apparatus 21 Other party's telephone 22 Other party's VOIP-BOX 30 Internet telephone connection destination search database apparatus 40 Conversion access point 100 Internet

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) the user inputs a telephone number of the other party using the input means of the telephone device; and (2) the transmission / reception means of the telephone device transmits the telephone number information input by the input means and the user side. Transmitting the information including the information to the connection destination search database device provided on the Internet line via the Internet line; and (3) the connection destination search database device connects with reference to the telephone number information. Searching for a destination, and returning the searched connection destination information to the transmitting / receiving means via the Internet line based on the user side information,
(4) the transmission / reception means recognizing the returned connection destination information and connecting to the connection destination via an Internet line. 2. In the connection destination search database device, a telephone number of an Internet telephone device user and an Internet telephone connection destination are recorded in advance in association with each other, and conversion between a plurality of Internet telephone lines / general telephone lines is performed. If points are recorded in advance and a search is performed based on the telephone number information transmitted from the transmitting / receiving means, and there is a corresponding Internet telephone connection destination, it is determined that the other party is an Internet telephone device user. Recognize and return the information of the other party's Internet telephone connection destination to the transmitting / receiving means, and when there is no corresponding Internet telephone connection destination, recognize that the other party is an Internet telephone device non-user, The most recent Internet phone call to the location of the telephone number based on the telephone number information 2. The Internet telephone connection destination specifying method according to claim 1, wherein a search is made for a line / general telephone line conversion access point and the connection destination information is returned to the transmitting means.