MXPA99003859A - Device and method for communication between a data network and a telecommunications network - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a service node between Internet networks and a telecommunications network, said node being used to order telephony services by means of HTML pages from a computer having a WWW browser. The invention also relates to a method for calling a B subscriber, in which the call is ordered from the computer but the connection is set up between the telephones of the A and B subscribers'telephones. The service node communicates with computers connected to computer networks using the HTTP protocol. The node stores data related to a subscriber;said data can be used when the user requests a telephony service. The node is centrally located, which enables the use of its services even if the user moves to another location and terminal.

Description

"DEVICE AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A DATA NETWORK AND A TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK" TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a communication node between data networks and networks - public telecommunications.

CURRENT STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE _ = This communication node between data and telecommunications networks is disclosed, for example, in Patent Number WO 94 / -24803. This document describes this node in a multi media communication system. The purpose of the node is to enable communication between users using different types of terminals, such as common phones, personal computers and workstations. The published international patent application number WO 87/078001 describes a node constituting an electronic mailbox. The object is to enable the mailbox to receive and store the email sent from different types of sources, such as telephones, computers and fax machines. The messages may have been translated before they reach the mailbox. Electronic charts can subsequently be retrieved from different types of terminals. Some different types of network architecture to establish a link between data networks and communication networks are comprehensively described in a report of a final thesis at the Luleá Institute of Technology: "Functional Distribution between Co-operating Networks", Bodin and Andreasson. The report briefly describes a design of a node between data networks and telecommunications networks, used to demonstrate the period of telephony services of a computer. A user is enabled to request telephony services presented on the computer screen through the pages in the HTML format. The node consists of - a computer with a software platform "off the shelf.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention attacks - the problem of simplifying the use of telecommunications services for a user, by offering a solution with which these telecommunications services in public and private telecommunications networks can be made accessible through a computer. In particular, this applies to ordering from a computer of the installation - a telecommunications connection between a subscriber A and a subscriber B. The telecommunications services of today are becoming more and more advanced. New services are perceived --- as difficult to use, since conventional telephones are only provided with a primitive numeric keypad, allowing the user to admit commands or provide data. The telephone also has very limited possibilities to provide visual information. With the new services, there is also the need to be able to adapt some of the services in accordance with the wishes of the user. Therefore, the need for several alternative solutions to exchange information with the user is further increased. Another problem is to avoid having to remove the user's computer with special software to enable the user's request for telecommunications services. It may be sufficient that the computer be provided with software-of the prior art for communication, and this software should also be useful for other purposes that are not the order of telephone services. An additional problem is that the user must have access to stored personal information related to telecommunications services even when moving geographically and changing computer and telephone equipment. An object of the present invention is therefore to enable a user to order or request telecommunications services, especially the connection of calls, by means of a computer in a manner that is simple for the user and that provides the subscriber with related data that can be used for this purpose, and give access to these telecommunications services and this user of the related data even when the user moves geographically and to another telephone and / or computer. The service node is provided, which constitutes a link between the data network and the telecommunications network. The service node has an interface with a telephone exchange through which public and private telecommunications networks can be accessed. The service node also has a WWW interface through which a communication connection can be established with a computer through a data network using the HTTP protocol. The computer is equipped with a WWW and receives the data in the HTML format of the service node. The data is presented on a screen connected to the computer, in the form of pages that include, among other things, active fields. A user requests a service using the active fields through the computer. The service node receives the request for a telephony service or programming-of-a data related to the subscriber from the computer so that the data is registered by the service node. The service node performs the requested service and sends the result to the computer in a new HTML page, which is presented to the user on the screen. The service node consists of a server, a personal assistant and a service node selector. The personal assistant is a control and the monitoring part of the service node and communicates with both the selector of the service node and the server. The personal assistant handles several services "the subscriber, the personal assistant controls the service n-odo selector that is connected to the mobile telecommunication and telecommunications networks." The personal assistant can, through the service node selector, exit calls, receive calls to interconnect the incoming and outgoing calls. The personal assistant stores the information associated with a user. The user can retrieve and store personal information through a computer telecommunications terminal of their choice. A user can register at the service node from a computer with a WWW. The server handles the communication with the computer transmitting the WWW pages in the language that constitutes the HTML, these pages being presented on the user's computer. The user can support commands using active fields in the presented HTML page. The commands are transmitted to the server using the HTTP protocol. The commands are sent through the server to the personal assistant. The personal assistant makes sure that the command is executed. The result is then transmitted to the server that generates a new HTML page presenting the result of the command to the user. ---- The invention makes it possible to simplify the user's control of telephony services by means of a computer. The invention can be used by several users since the protocol used for communication with the services node is found in most computers connected to the network. Programs such as WWW are widely deployed on computers connected to the network. The invention enables or allows the storage of data associated with a user in a central node. This data is accessible to the user and can be changed even when the user moves to a different location and uses different terminals. The stored data may be used when establishing a telephone connection with a subscriber B. The invention will be described in more detail below by the preferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a protocol stack known per se used on the Internet. Figure 2 shows a schematic functional diagram of the units included in the communication system of which the invention forms part. Figures 3, 4, 5 are a sequence diagram of signal sending between the parts of the system.

Figure 6 is a flow chart of the connection method.

DESCRIPTION OF -ANEXO The annex contains the complete syntax of the application protocol that is part of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRE-REFERRED MODALITIES The Internet is an important precondition for the applicability of the present invention and will therefore be briefly described herein. The Internet in this context means any data network using a protocol stack that has an Internet Protocol (IP) layer. Another protocol is used in the IP, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). These two protocol layers are shown in Figure 1. The IP protocol can be used in different types of physical data networks, therefore, Figure 1 does not show the protocols below the IP layer. Also, different protocols can be added for different types of applications at the top of the TCP layer. Figure 1 shows the HTTP protocol at the top of TCP, since this protocol is used in the application of the present invention. In the HTTP protocol, the data can be transferred in the known language, such as the Hyper Text Meta (HTML) language. In a PC computer, for example, a personal computer or a macrocomputer with user terminals, with WWW software, for example "Nestscape Navigator" or "Mosaic", the received data is presented according to its HTML format on the screen in the form of pages comprising images, graphics and text The HTML pages presented also comprise the so-called active fields by means of which users can request different types of services Active fields consist of buttons, fields to support the text and hypertext links.The user, for example, can use a mouse connected to the computer, move a cursor through the page to place it on a button or a hypertext link and then press a mouse button. it will be referred to below as pressing a button or a hypertext link, respectively, in this way, one command is transferred to another computer, a so-called server a connected to the data network in the HTTP protocol. The command can cause a new page of HTML to be transmitted to the PC computer - of the user where it is presents, or a search for the information that will start in a database. The result of this search will be presented to the user in a new HTML page. Figure 2 is a total view of the communication system in which the method according to the invention is applied. The apparatus according to the invention consists of a service node SN. The service SN node has a WWW interface for communication in the data networks using the HTTP protocol. The service node SN has another interface to a telephone exchange shown in Figure 2 as a PBX private branch exchange, but may also be another type of telephone exchange. Through the PBX telephone exchange, connections can be established in public or private telecommunications networks. It is also possible to connect the service SN node directly to a telecommunications network without a telephone exchange between them. In the description given below only the case in which the telecommunications network communication is established through a telephone exchange is shown. In Figure 2, two public telecommunications networks are shown: a conventional Public Services Telephone Network (PSTN) and a cellular mobile telecommunications network PLMN. It is also possible connect with other types of telecommunications networks than those shown in Figure 2, such as the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) or private telecommunications networks. In each of the telecommunications networks, a number of telephones, mobile telephones, telefax and other types of telecommunications terminal are connected. Figure 2 shows only an AT telephone and an MSA mobile telephone belonging to an A subscriber, and a BT telephone and an MSB mobile telephone belonging to a subscriber B. The subscriber A also has access to a PC computer. The PC computer can be a personal computer with units for user communication such as a screen, a mouse or a keyboard, or a microcomputer having a user terminal. The computer is provided with a WWW and connects to the data network --- where the TCP / IP and HTTP protocols are used, in a conventional manner. Figure 2 shows this data network as a cloud referred to as co or DN. The service SN node consists of-- three parts: a WS server, a PA personal assistant and an SNS service node selector. The server handles communication with the PC computer generating HTML pages, which are then transferred to the computer through the DN data network. The user requests a service using the active fields described above in three pages. When the A subscriber has accepted the text or has pressed a button or a hypertext link, a command is sent that specifies the requested service from the PC computer to the WS server, using the HTTP protocol. The server transfers the command to the personal assistant PA. The WS server and the personal assistant communicate by means of an application protocol. The application protocol uses TCP / IP for transport, and therefore constitutes a protocol layer on top of TCP / IP. The protocol implies that the commands and other information that is being exchanged between the computers -different use an established syntax to be interpreted in the same way in different computers. This means that computers that have different operating systems and software written in different programming languages can communicate with one another. In this way, the server WS and the personal assistant PA, constituting both parts of the service node present, can be computers of different vendors. The complete syntax of the application protocol is described in the annex- The personal assistant PA is the control unit of the service node. The personal assistant handles the command transmitted from the PC computer and ensures that it is executed. If the command of the computer PC received by the personal assistant PA implies that a service must be carried out in one of the telecommunications networks PSTN, PLMN, the personal assistant PA commands the selector of the service node-SN? that establishes a connection with the appropriate network. The personal assistant then carries out the steps required to carry out the requested service. The command of the PC computer received by the personal assistant PA may also imply that the PA personal assistant must provide or store the information, for example, the programming of the user data. When the personal assistant PA has carried out or "stopped carrying out a requested service, the personal assistant PA transmits the result to the server, and admits the result in an HTML page and sends it to the PC computer, which presents the subscriber A. The service node selector SNS is able to establish connections with the telecommunications networks PSTN.PLMN, by means of the commands of the personal assistant PA.The selector of the service node is also able to connect to existing connections, upon receiving orders from the personal assistant. described below, this function will use the present method. The commands exchanged between the PC computer, the AT telephone of subscriber A, the WS server of the service node, the personal assistant PA of the service node, the selector of the service node SNS of the service node, the private branch exchange PBX , the public network PSTN and the BT telephone of subscriber B, when a service is requested by subscriber A as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. Figure 3 shows the procedure of identification entry to the service SN node. The user has first retrieved a page presenting the SN service node, using his PC computer. In this page, the user admits his identity and password in the fields destined for this information. This data is then transmitted to the WS server with an identification entry request. The request is approved after the server has checked and verified the identity and password through a consultation with the PA personal assistant. The WS server then transmits a new page to the PC computer comprising an Index of available services and data, a so-called index page. In the index page obtained, the user presses a hypertext link to request the user programming in the personal assistant PA. The programming of the user data involves the subscriber A change or add information related to the user, which is stored with the personal assistant PA. The programming of the data of the user is necessary for the personal assistant in order to know which telecommunications terminal the subscriber A intends to use. If the subscriber A wishes to change the telecommunications terminal this is carried out by reprogramming the user's data in the personal assistant Subscriber A can also register the names and identities of other telecommunication subscribers, with photos if it is desired to facilitate or order telephone services. This data can therefore constitute a personal telephone directory for the subscriber A. It is also possible to register the telecommunications controls in the personal assistant to facilitate its use. The names, identities and other registered information can be used as effective hypertext links or field, when presented to the user in an HTML page, to facilitate, make calls or use the data in another way. Figure 4 shows the signal sequences in the user's programming when the subscriber A changes his own AT telephone. The requests transferred through the DN data network to the WS server which in turn sends the request to personal assistant PA. The personal assistant, where the user data is stored, transmits a set of parameters to the WS server. The server supports the parameters in the HTML page and transmits the page to the PC computer. In the present example, subscriber A wishes to change his telephone. If the identity of the new telephone is already stored in the personal assistant PA, and registered in the parameter page, the subscriber A can accept a new telephone, for example, by clicking on the hypertext link of the new telephone. If the telephone to which subscriber A wishes to change is not registered, the identity of the new telephone with number "A" is admitted in a field designated for this information in the parameter page The request for a new number A is received by the WS server that sends the request to the personal assistant PA The personal assistant registers the new number A and then transmits a new data set to the server The WS server supports this data in a new parameter page in the HTML format that is transmitted to the PC computer The telephone with which the serving node SN will connect the calls of the subscriber A then is presented to the subscriber A on the screen of the PC computer.

Subscriber A can retrieve the index page stored on the PC computer after the identification entry. The user requests the establishment - from a telephone connection between your own AT telephone and a subscriber B telephone, for example, by typing the number B in a field on the index page intended for this information. However, it is easier for the user that the number B has already been stored in the personal telephone directory - previously described. The telephone directory can either come with an index page to be retrieved if to the PC computer in the HTML format from the TA helper via the WS server, in the same way as the data page. From the telephone directory, subscriber A requests a call, for example, on his computer, by pressing a hypertext link with the name of subscriber B. Figure 6 shows the procedure when a call is made. In the first block 1, the subscriber A requests that he be called the subscriber-B, from his PC computer, in any of the ways described above. Figure 5 shows the sequence of sending signals when a call is made. The request to call subscriber B is transferred from "the PC computer to the WS server, which sends the request to the personal assistant PA, which is also shown in step 2 in Figure 6. The personal assistant PA commands the node" selector SNS service call the subscriber's AT telephone A. The service node selector calls the AT telephone to through the PBX exchange and the public network PSTN corresponding to step 3 in Figure 6. When you have answered subscriber A, by lifting the hook of your AT telephone, step 4, the connection between the personal assistant and the subscriber is established A - through the public telecommunications network PSTN, the PBX exchange and the SNS service node selector. The PA staff assistant then instructs the service node selector to call the BT telephone of subscriber B. The SNS service node selector establishes the connection with subscriber B's telephone in the same manner as with AT, as shown. by step 5. When subscriber B has answered, in step 6, personal assistant PA commands the SNS service node selector that connects the two connections. "In this way, a connection is established between the two AT telephones and BT, see step 7 in Figure 6. The procedure would have been interrupted after a certain period of time if one of the parties has not answered, see steps 4 and 6. The PA personal assistant transfers the result of the establishment, or establishment failure, to the WS server, which transfers it in the HTML format, to the PC computer, where the subscriber A is presented. This is shown in the final step 8 in Figure 6.

The method for establishing a connection that is described above can also be carried out in modified manners. The establishment of the connections for calling the subscriber A and the subscriber _B, respectively, may be carried out in a different order than the one described above regardless of whether the other party has or has not answered the. call. The interconnection of the two connections can be made even if one of the parties has not answered the call. For example, in a modified embodiment, the connection between the service node and the subscriber B can be set-r regardless of whether the call made to the telephone of the subscriber A has been answered or not. The method can also be modified to allow subscriber B to be called before subscriber A. In "another modified mode, the connection with subscriber A and the connection where the subscriber's telephone is being called B are interconnected. An additional modification , for the case when the subscriber B answers the call first, consists of the service node that interconnects the connection with the subscriber B and the connection where the telephone of the subscriber A is called. For cases when the subscriber B is the first in answer the call, the service node provides a spoken message that is being a call from another subscriber. The service node SN also handles incoming connections to subscriber A if the call has been sent from the called identity to the service node SN. The subscriber A can, in the desired order and after the identity entry in the SN-service node, reprogram the data related to the user or request a telecommunications service, such as a call establishment. Other telecommunications services handled by the SN service node, for example, are e-mail, telefax transmission or reception, whereby the service node functions as a mailbox for e-mail, fax and voice messages-

Claims (14)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. A method for establishing a telecommunications connection between a calling subscriber A and a subscriber B through a telecommunications network (PSTN, PLMN) by means of a computer (PC) available for subscriber A and provided with a WWW , the computer has access to a service node (SN) through a network in which the HTTP protocol is used, receiving and processing the service node the orders for telephony services and for the registration of the subscriber data and subscriber A having access to at least one telecommunications terminal connected to the telecommunications network (PSTN, PLMN,) characterized by the steps of a) transmitting, the computer (PC) of subscriber A through the HTTP protocol , an offer to register the subscriber data in the service node. b) the presentation, in the computer (PC) of the subscriber A, of the offer in the form of an HTML page, through which the subscriber A, through the active fields _in the HTML page, presented on the screen of the computer, sends a registration request of the data, has been provided by the subscriber A, in the service node. c) the transmission of b) the data set by means of the computer (PC) and by means of the HTTP protocol to the service node, whereby the request and the data set are sent inside the service node through of the application protocol (AP) after which the data set is recorded. d) transmit, on request, a data set in the HTML format from the service node (SN) to the computer (PC) of the subscriber A, the data comprises an offer to call the subscriber B by means of the identity of the subscriber B; e) present the data set as an HTML page; f) requesting a call to subscriber B seeking access to said identity; g) transmit the call request via the subscriber's computer A to the service node and through the HTTP protocol, the service node receiving the call request and sending it within the node by means of an application protocol (AP); h) establishing a first connection in response to the call request between the service node (SN) and the telecommunications network (PSTN, PLMN), the service node- requests a call or terminal from telecommunications (AT) used by subscriber A calling; i) establishing a second connection between the service node (SN) and the telecommunications network (P? TN, PI-MN), requesting the service node in the call to the telecommunications terminal of the subscriber B; j) interconnecting the connections established in accordance with h) and i) when at least one of the called subscribers A and B has answered the call, for connection between the subscribers A and B.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second connection according to i) is not established until the subscriber A has answered the call.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized by establishing both connections only after the subscriber B has answered the call.

4. A modified method according to claim 1, characterized in that the establishment of the first connection is effected in accordance with e) but that the call is requested from the subscriber terminal -B and that the establishment of the second "connection" is carried out. performed in accordance with f), but that the call is requested to subscriber terminal A.

5. A method of conformity "with claim 1 to 4, characterized in that the two connections are interconnected only after the call has been answered by the subscriber A.

6. A method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized - - because the command admitted by subscriber A under b) provides an instruction of which telecommunications terminal the subscriber A intends to use

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the identity of the telecommunications terminal has been previously registered in the service node. (SN) during a command of the subscriber A.

8. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the command admitted by the subscriber A under d) comprises data about the identity of the subscriber B.

9. A method according to claim 1, 4 or 6, characterized in that the subscriber A registers in the network SN of service being a password (typing in the time allocated for this information on the HTML page) before the request to call subscriber B or user programming can be processed.

10. A method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the service node (SN) after receiving and processing a request for connection, transfers the result of the installation-procedure to the computer (PC) in an HTML format .

11. A service node (SN) that constitutes a link between a network of the computer where the HTTP protocol is used, and at least one communication network, the service node being used to request a telecommunications service of the computer (PC) of the subscriber A through the data network, characterized in that the service node (SN) comprises: a) a server (WS) for communication with the computer through the network of the computer using the protocol HTTP; b) a service node selector (SNS) connected to at least one telecommunications network (PSTN, PLMN) to establish two separate connections in the telecommunications network, one of which connects a telecommunications terminal belonging to subscriber A and the other connects a telecommunications terminal belonging to a subscriber B, in order to subsequently interconnect the two connections; c) a personal assistant (PA) that has a connection of communication with the server (WS) and a communication connection with the service node selector (SNS), the personal assistant constitutes the unit that handles the request for a communication service and ensures that it is carried out by means of the control of the service node selector (SNS). A service node according to claim 13, characterized in that the personal assistant comprises a memory space for storing the data related to the user. A service node according to claim 14, characterized in that the memory space of the personal assistant is used to store the identity of the terminal of the subscriber A, to enable the establishment of a telecommunications connection with the terminal of the subscriber A. A service node according to claim 13, characterized in that the memory space of the personal assistant is used to store the identity of the subscriber's terminal B, to enable the establishment of a telecommunications connection with the subscriber's terminal B .