JP2002252655A - Connection system from telephone network to ip network and connection service method from telephone network to ip network using this system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connection system from a telephone network to an IP network and a connection service method from a telephone network to an IP network using this system, which can connect a telephone connected to a telephone network with an IP telephone connected to an IP network using a telephone number. SOLUTION: A conversion device 7 having a function to conduct routing for a connection request from a telephone network 1 into an IP network 11 is provided between the telephone network 1 and the IP network 11, and an address server 12 having a function to convert a connection destination telephone number at the telephone network 1 into a connection destination IP address at the IP network 11 is provided in the IP network 11. According to this arrangement, a telephone 6 connected to the telephone network 1 can also be connected with an IP telephone 13 connected to the IP network 11 by the same way as connection with a telephone connected to other telephone network, namely, a telephone number.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication network integrating a telephone network and a network using an Internet protocol represented by the Internet (hereinafter referred to as an IP network). A connection system from a telephone network to an IP network for connecting a connected terminal (hereinafter, referred to as a telephone terminal) to a terminal (hereinafter, referred to as an IP telephone) connected to an IP network, and a telephone network to an IP network using the connection system It relates to the connection service method to the Internet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, telephone communication has been performed via a telephone network. Thereafter, as the IP network has been expanded and the technology has been developed, an IP telephone which packetizes voice and communicates via the IP network has been developed as is well known. In addition, a telephone network, ie, a network that provides a communication path for a telephone call substantially at all times, and an IP network that performs a communication by packetizing information to be communicated and transmitting the information using an available path time are used. A connecting device has also been developed, and as a result, a telephone call between a telephone terminal connected to a telephone network and an IP telephone connected to an IP network has become possible.

However, in this case, the telephone network and I
Since both P-networks have been developed independently,
The terminal (connection destination) identification method used for the connection is different, and a telephone number is used in a telephone network, and an IP address is used in an IP network. Therefore, when replacing a telephone connected to an existing telephone network with an IP telephone connected to a newly developed IP network, there has been a major problem that the telephone number used in the telephone cannot be used as it is.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances.
A connection from a telephone network to an IP network, which solves the above-described problems in the conventional technology and enables a telephone connected to the IP network to connect to an IP telephone connected to the IP network using a telephone number. It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and a connection service method from a telephone network to an IP network using the connection system.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a telephone network to IP network connection system according to the present invention connects a telephone connected to a telephone network to an IP telephone connected to an IP network. In the communication system, between the telephone network and the IP network, a conversion device having a function of routing a connection request from the telephone network to the IP network is provided, and the IP network includes a communication device in the telephone network. An address server having a function of converting a connection destination telephone number to a connection destination IP address in the IP network is provided, and the connection destination telephone number is connected to the conversion device via a number translation device existing in the telephone network. Notifying the receiving side exchange, the conversion device sends the notified connection destination telephone number to the address server, and the address server corresponds to the connection destination telephone number. Is converted to the IP address of the IP telephone (connected IP address) and sent back to the converter,
The conversion device performs a conversion between the communication mode of the telephone network and the communication mode of the IP network, and communicates with the IP telephone using the connection destination IP address returned from the address server.

In the connection system for connecting a telephone network to an IP network according to the present invention, the number translation device and the address server are preferably controlled by a common management center.

[0007] Further, a connection service method from a telephone network to an IP network according to the present invention uses the above-described conversion device provided between the telephone network and the IP network and an address server connected to the IP network. A connection method in a system for connecting a telephone connected to the telephone network to an IP telephone connected to the IP network, wherein the conversion destination telephone number is converted via a translation device existing in the telephone network. Is notified to the receiving side exchange connected, the conversion device sends the notified connection destination telephone number to the address server, and the address server converts the connection destination telephone number to the IP address of the corresponding IP telephone. The conversion device converts the communication format of the telephone network and the communication format of the IP network between each other, and returns the I-mode returned from the address server.
It communicates with the IP telephone using a P address.

According to the present invention, a method for connecting an IP telephone connected to an IP network from a telephone connected to the telephone network to a telephone connected to another telephone network is the same. , That is, by telephone number.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the drawings.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration showing a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1
Is a telephone network, 2 is a signal network inherent in the telephone network 1, 3 is a number translation device also in the telephone network 1, 4 is the same communication network, 5 is the same exchange, and the subscript identifies a plurality of exchanges. This is an identifier for performing Reference numeral 6 denotes a telephone as a calling source, and the telephone 6 is connected to the converter 5-1 and performs outgoing connection when making a call, as described later. Reference numeral 7 denotes a conversion device having a function of routing a connection request from the telephone network to the IP network.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an IP network which is a network using the Internet protocol, 12 denotes an address server having a function of converting a connection destination telephone number in a telephone network to a connection destination IP address in an IP network, and 13 denotes an IP telephone. ing. 21 to 28 represent signals and the like.
1 is an outgoing connection, 22 is connection destination telephone number information, 23 is translation information, 24 is a telephone network connection, 25 is an incoming connection, 26 is an IP
Address inquiry, 27 is IP address information, 28 is I
P network connection.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the connection system from the telephone network to the IP network according to the present embodiment configured as described above. The operation of the connection system from the telephone network to the IP network according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

When making a call, the telephone 6 connected to the exchange 5-1 makes an outgoing connection 21 (FIG. 2: step 101). This outgoing connection 21 is performed as an off-hook operation on the telephone and a subsequent dial operation,
By this dialing operation, the telephone number of the connection destination is changed to the exchange 5
-1 is notified. The exchange 5-1 transmits the telephone number of the connection destination received from the telephone 6 as the connection destination telephone number information 22 to the number translation device 3 via the signal network 2 (FIG. 2: step 102).

The number translating device 3 is based on the destination telephone number information 22 received from the exchange 5-1 and provides information necessary for the connection of the telephone network 4 and the connection of the receiving side, for example, the destination exchange of the destination telephone number. 5-2, or the access number to the IP network, for example, the access number to the conversion device 7, is edited and transmitted as translation information 23 to the device related to the connection via the signal network 2 (FIG. 2: Step 103).

Each device (not shown) in the telephone network 1
In response to the translation information 23, a telephone network connection 24 is formed (FIG. 2: step 104). At this time, the destination exchange 5
-2 is also notified of a connection destination telephone number or an access number to the IP network, for example, an access number to the conversion device 7 (hereinafter, represented by a connection telephone number). The receiving side exchange 5-2 performs the incoming connection 25 (FIG. 2: step 105). The incoming connection 25 includes the connection destination telephone number, so that the conversion device 7 can know the connection destination telephone number.

The method of notifying a telephone number to a destination as described above is known, and an example in which the content of the notified telephone number is the telephone number of the caller is provided by a company affiliated with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation. A known "number display" service is known. The technical conditions are described in detail in the technical reference document "Telephone Service Interface Fifth Edition" (published on September 30, 1998), edited by the company and published by the Telecommunications Association of Japan.

The conversion device 7 converts between the communication mode of the telephone network (fixed allocation of communication paths) and the communication mode of the IP network (IP packet), and sends the received connection destination telephone number to the address server. IP address inquiry 2
6 is performed, and an IP address corresponding to the connection destination telephone number, that is, IP address information 27 is received from the address server 12 as a response (FIG. 2: Step 106). Then, using the received IP address information 27, conversion device 7 performs communication with IP telephone 13 via IP network 11. That is, an IP network connection 28 is formed (FIG. 2:
Step 107).

By the above operation, the telephone network connection 24 and the IP network connection 28 are formed, and the telephone 6 and the IP telephone 13 can communicate with each other via the conversion device 7. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the telephone 6 connected to the telephone network is similar to the telephone connected to the ordinary telephone network without being aware that the connection destination is an IP telephone. IP method using telephone number
It is possible to connect to a telephone.

In other words, the telephone 6 connected to the telephone network
Can be changed to an IP telephone connected to the IP network without changing the telephone number. Note that the telephone network in the present embodiment is not limited to a wired network, but also includes a network connected from a mobile body by using wireless communication. Further, in the translation operation in the number translation device 3, that is, in editing the number corresponding to the notification instruction, it is possible to change the connection destination telephone number to another number.

[Embodiment 2] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention and is a diagram for explaining that various modes can be applied to an IP telephone directly connected to an IP network. . FIG. 3 shows only the main part thereof.
41 is a provider equipment (for example, a dial-up server), 42 is an IP cordless telephone base unit, 43 is an IP cordless telephone subunit, and the subscripts are identifiers of a plurality of IP cordless subunits.

Reference numeral 44 denotes an IP cordless wireless communication channel, subscripts are identifiers of a plurality of existing IP cordless wireless communication channels, and other parts and symbols indicate the same components as in the first embodiment. . This is the same in the following embodiments. FIG. 3 shows at 42, 43 and 44
This shows that an IP home LAN is configured.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. IP cordless telephone base unit 42 and IP cordless telephone handset 4
Reference numeral 3 denotes a telephone which replaces the IP telephone 13 in the first embodiment, and is connected between the IP cordless telephone base unit 42 and the IP cordless telephone 43 by a known method.
The IP cordless telephone base unit 42 is connected to the IP network 11 via the telephone network 1 and the provider equipment 41 by a known method.

These connections are usually made via an ISDN line or an analog line. The information transmission speed of these lines is 64 kb / s in the case of the ISDN line, and the line speed in the case of the analog line. , The maximum transmission rate currently available is 56 kb / s.

In the telephone network, speech is sampled at 8 kHz and then encoded into 8 bits, resulting in 64 kb / s.
This is the information amount of s. On the other hand, in an IP telephone, the encoded voice is compressed to reduce the amount of information from a fraction to about a tenth by using a compression technique. Therefore, even if the number of lines connected to the telephone network 1 is one, the IP cordless telephone base unit 42 can handle several to several tens of calls at the same time.

This is because the IP cordless telephone handset 43
By dialing the telephone numbers of the IP cordless telephone handsets 43-1 to 43-n from a plurality of telephones with respect to -1 to 43-n, a plurality of telephone conversations are possible at the same time.

As described above, according to the present embodiment,
The IP cordless telephone base unit 42 can handle several to several tens of incoming calls from the telephone network 1 per line. This is particularly useful for cordless terminals where the individual has the terminal. In the present embodiment, the cordless system has been described as the terminal of the IP telephone, but it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the cordless system and a wired system may be used.

[Embodiment 3] FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of a connection system from a telephone network to an IP network according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which a management center controls a number translator and an address server. It is a figure for explaining the example made in this way. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 51 denotes a management center, 52 denotes a translator control path, and 53 denotes an address server control path. The management center 51 is connected to the number translator 3 via a translator control path 52 and to the address server 12 via the IP network 11 via an address server control path 53.

Next, the operation will be described as follows. The management center 51 determines whether or not to instruct the number translator 3 to transmit information necessary for the operation in the present embodiment to the information necessary for the operation, for example, to notify the destination exchange 5-2 of the destination telephone number. (In other words, registration information of the connection service from the telephone network to the IP network) or a number corresponding to the information (for example, a conversion table when the connection destination telephone number is changed to another number). .

Further, the management center 51 provides the address server 12 with information necessary for its operation, that is, a conversion table for converting a connection destination telephone number into an IP address corresponding thereto. Thus, the management center 51 can integrate and manage the number translator 3 and the address server 12 necessary for the operation of the present embodiment. In other words, this allows the telephone network and IP
The network can work in concert.

The translation device control path 52 and the address server control path 53 in this embodiment can be configured using any communication means. For example, the translation device control path 52 has an ISDN line, and the address server control path 53 Is preferably exemplified by the Internet.

Each of the above embodiments is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Appropriate changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It goes without saying that improvements may be made.

[0032]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a telephone connected to a telephone network is connected to an ordinary telephone network without being aware that the connection destination is an IP telephone. The advantage is obtained that it is possible to connect to the IP telephone using the same method as for the telephone, ie using the telephone number. Further, there is an advantage that a telephone connected to the telephone network can be changed to an IP telephone without changing its telephone number.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram according to a second embodiment of the present invention, for explaining that various IP telephones can be connected to an IP network.

FIG. 4 is a diagram according to a second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an example in which both a number translation device and an address server are controlled by a common management center.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 telephone network 2 signal network 3 number translation apparatus 4 telephone network 5 exchange 6 telephone 7 switching apparatus 11 IP network 12 address server 13 IP telephone network 21 outgoing connection 22 destination telephone number information 23 translation information 24 telephone network connection 25 incoming connection 26 IP address inquiry 27 IP address information 28 IP network connection 41 Provider equipment 42 IP cordless telephone base unit 43 IP cordless telephone handset 44 IP cordless wireless communication path 51 Management center 52 Translation device control path 53 Address server control path

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A communication system for connecting a telephone connected to a telephone network to an IP telephone connected to an IP network, wherein a connection request from the telephone network is transmitted between the telephone network and the IP network. A conversion device having a function of routing into a network is provided, and the IP network is provided with an address server having a function of converting a connection destination telephone number in the telephone network to a connection destination IP address in the IP network, The destination telephone number is notified to the destination exchange to which the conversion device is connected via a number translation device existing in the telephone network, and the conversion device sends the notified destination telephone number to the address server. The address server sends the connection destination telephone number to the corresponding IP address.
It is converted to the IP address of the telephone (connection destination IP address) and returned to the conversion device. The conversion device converts between the communication mode of the telephone network and the communication mode of the IP network, and the connection returned from the address server. A system for connecting a telephone network to an IP network, wherein the system communicates with the IP telephone using a destination IP address. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the number translation device and the address server are controlled by a common management center. 3. The telephone network and I according to claim 1 or 2,
Connection method in a system for connecting a telephone connected to the telephone network to an IP telephone connected to the IP network using a conversion device provided between the P network and an address server connected to the IP network And notifying the destination exchange number to which the change device is connected via a translation device existing in the telephone network, and the conversion device sends the notified destination telephone number to the address. To the server, the address server converts the connection destination telephone number to the IP address of the corresponding IP telephone, and returns it to the conversion device. The conversion device converts between the communication mode of the telephone network and the communication mode of the IP network. And communicating with the IP telephone using the IP address returned from the address server.
Connection service method to P network.