WO1999009693A2

WO1999009693A2 - Information transfer method and device

Info

Publication number: WO1999009693A2
Application number: PCT/DE1998/002336
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Hofmann; Plamen Simeonov
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 1997-08-13
Filing date: 1998-08-12
Publication date: 1999-02-25
Also published as: WO1999009693A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for information transfer, wherein information available in different media supports and sent by the communication terminals is converted into a type of media support which can be processed or represented by receiving communication terminals. Said conversion can be carried out automatically after the information has been processed according to the type of media support corresponding to the receiving communication terminal and can be conducted in a central processing unit.

Description

description

Method and arrangement for transmitting information

The invention relates to a method for transmitting information and to an arrangement for carrying out the method. The term "transmission" encompasses the processes during transmission and / or reception.

The role of telecommunications as an indispensable link in today's information society is growing day by day. As long as the direct connection of households to a high-speed fiber optic data network is not profitable and cable and satellite television are not able to provide alternative access to the Internet and other packet networks across the board through interactive television sets and services, this connection will be provided by the traditional telephone network can be realized. It is therefore foreseeable that the conventional circuit-switched communication networks will increasingly transport different information formats or media types or media formats.

However, due to the limited number of local access numbers and the lack of resources, the Internet service providers are unable to guarantee immediate and stable access to the data network at all times. In addition, the packet network is often extremely busy, even during peak times, so that an effective exchange of information or data is not always guaranteed.

The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a method and an arrangement for carrying out the method, with which the access to and exchange of information of different information formats (fax, voice, email, Video, images, data, ...) or different media formats can be done as efficiently as possible. Different information formats also mean different types of media format. For example, in the context of this application, two different email types A and B are two different information formats.

This object is achieved by a method with features according to claim 1.

For the transmission of information between communication terminals that use different information formats, a first information format of transmitted information is converted into a second information format that corresponds to the information format of the receiving communication terminal.

The invention is therefore based on the idea that the information sent by communication terminals of different media types is converted into the media type that can be processed or displayed by the receiving communication terminal. This can be done automatically after processing information via the information format corresponding to the receiving communication terminal and can also be carried out in a central processing device.

The invention enables access to and exchange of information of different information formats.

In a further development of the invention, for the transmission of information between communication terminals which use different information formats, the different information formats of transmitted information are ner processing device converted into a uniform information format, and this uniform information format of the information to be received m converted into different information formats that correspond to the information format of the receiving communication terminals.

The further development is therefore based on the idea that the information of different media types sent or to be received by communication terminals is converted into a uniform information format in a processing unit of a communication network, and the information is converted to the media type before the message is received in the receiving communication terminal can be processed or displayed by this communication terminal.

This enables access to and exchange of multimedia messages and data via a uniform information format, Unified Media Format (UMF).

Another development of the invention provides that the information to be transmitted can optionally be stored in storage devices, authorized subscribers can access it, and the information format of this information is converted into the information format that can be processed or displayed by the communication terminal of the accessing subscriber .

An embodiment variant provides that the information is transmitted via circuit-switched and packet-switched communication networks.

By introducing the invention into the system concept of intelligent networks, access to and exchange of information of different information formats is Different protocols and end devices (telephone, fax, printer, pager, PC, set-top box, TV, etc.) via a common switching node for circuit-switched and packet-switched, the network bridge distributed intelligent network element ( NB-DINE) and a uniform information format

(Unified Media Format, UMF) enables. The NB-DINE can also be implemented by expanding an IN-based service node architecture.

Further developments of the invention result from the subclaims. Arrangements for performing the method are specified in claims 8 to 12.

The figures listed below serve to explain embodiments of the invention.

Show it:

1 shows a schematic representation of a processing device, Network Bridge Distributed Intelligent Network Element (NB-DINE) with RP-distributed media conversion modules in an NB-DINE for the provision of the service: information transfer between communication terminals that use different information formats (Unified Communication Service (UCS)) FIG 2 is a schematic representation of a possible UCS

Realization with RP-distributed media conversion modules in two NB-DINEs

3 shows a schematic representation of a possible UCS implementation with RP-integrated media conversion modules in a NB-DINE using a uniform information format (UMF)

4 shows a schematic representation of a possible UCS implementation with RP-distributed media conversion modules in two NB-DINEs by means of a uniform information format 5 shows a schematic representation of a possible UCS

Realization with RP-distributed media conversion modules in a NB-DINE using a uniform information format.

In the figures:

• solid lines of voice channels

• dotted lines signaling channels (TCP / IP, ISDN-D-Channel, INAP, ...) • dashed lines data channels (X.25, TCP / IP, UDP / IP, XTP, DQDB / AAL, ...)

The invention is described in more detail below on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments and with the aid of the figures.

The function of an intelligent network is based on the basic principle that the intelligence for setting up a telecommunication connection is not entirely in the switching nodes (switches) of the network. It is partly in central processing facilities such as the "Service Control

Point "(SCP) or one or more NB-DINE. The service logic in the SCP or NB-DINE is triggered when the connection is established by the" Service Switching Point "(SSP) or the CMS.

A processing device, the network bridge distributed intelligent network element (NB-DINE) is shown in FIG. 1 in connection with important components (SSP, SCP, INT, WAN / MAN, LAN) of a communication network, in particular a distributed IN, in which the service logic is not centralized, but is distributed across several locations.

The NB-DINE is made up of various components that are located in an integrated NB-DINE or at different physical locations and are connected via suitable interfaces len packet-switched or communicate with each other according to the principle of data communication networks.

The individual components can also be implemented by means of data processing systems by means of software-controlled processors and memory modules. In order to enable the integration of PSTN and Internet services, two interfaces are provided, one interface being available for access via telephone or fax machine, the other via Internet email and web clients. The NB-DINE as a network element within a communication network, in particular a distributed IN, can consist of the following components:

One or more DINE controllers (DINEC, NBG DINEC, BBG

DINEC) are responsible for the execution of the service logic and for the administration of the other DINE components. The DINEC controls the allocation and deallocation of resources in the resource platforms (RP). The services offered by DINE are implemented by Service Logic Programs, which control the interface between RPs and the CMS. Depending on the load and capacity, incoming calls are distributed by the DINEC to the available resource platforms. The service to be activated can partly depend on the number dialed. A service control

Function coordinates all other components of the service that are required to implement the service.

A circuit switch, such as a channel matrix switch (CMS), creates a bridge to ISDN, to a radio network such as a cellular network based on the GSM standard or to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The CMS is controlled by DINEC and routes calls from the PSTN to the corresponding RPs. A packet switch, such as a data packet switch (DPS) or a

Internet gateway (IG) (Figure 3) creates the bridge to the public data network or the Internet.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment variant in which the two switches are arranged outside the NB-DINE and are connected to the NB-DINE via suitable interfaces.

Storage devices (SP) contain the mailboxes of the individual service subscribers. Every service subscriber has a universal mailbox. These storage devices (SP) can be implemented externally (FIGS. 1, 5) or integrated into the RPs (FIG. 3), within the DPS (FIG. 2) or distributed over different components (FIG. 4). A mailbox can be accessed via a number (PGN / SAN) from the telephone network (Unified Communication Number, UCN) or a corresponding address (email, URL) from the data network. This gives a service subscriber direct access to the data network (e.g. the Internet). The mailbox access number, PGN and SAN used by the service subscriber or service user do not have to be identical. They are just two different pointers to a specific mailbox. This concept enables advantageous dynamic memory management.

The resource platforms (RP, RPF, RPE, RPV) implement specific resource functionalities such as fax reception, multi-frequency tone detection, SRF etc. DINEC assigns the incoming calls to the RPs. There can be different resource platforms for the reception of voice (RPV), fax messages (RPF) and emails (RPE), for the interface to Internet telephony, for the configuration of subscriber profiles using multi-frequency tone detection, sound reproduction, IVR, speech recognition , SMS reception and storage, fax / SMS transfer, FSL, SRF, MCM and other specific RP functions. Media conversion modules (MCM, e2f, f2e, v2e, e2v, e2u, u2e, v2u, u2v, f2u, u2f) convert the terminal-specific information formats into one another, or convert them into or from a uniform information format. The media conversions are carried out on the RP component, sometimes with the support of special hardware. A multimedia database (MMDB) and corresponding media conversion modules (MCM) in the NB-DINE ensure that the incoming information may be converted into a uniform information format, Unified Media Format (UMF), and optionally saved in a mailbox (SP) . After processing of information possibly signaled by the communication terminals via DCN or stored in the context of a subscriber profile via the information format which can be represented by the receiving communication terminal, the information to be sent is changed from the original first or the uniform information format (UMF) to the receiving communication terminal appropriate information format converted. Some conversions are explained in more detail below as examples:

Email-to-fax conversion: The incoming email message is either saved in a mailbox for later processing or directly through the e2f. If the corresponding resources are available, the fax is immediately transmitted to the number entered in the subscriber profile. The email message (according to the Internet MIME standard) is broken down into its various multimedia components. Depending on the MIME type, other conversion modules are called, which convert the respective data format into the G3 fax

Convert format. Attachments that cannot be converted (e.g. language) are replaced by text.

E ail-to-voice conversion: The email-to-voice conversion (e2v) allows the caller (subscriber) to a voice menu system (DTMF / IVR, SR) to play and manipulate the incoming messages (delete, send to a certain fax number, etc.). For this purpose, the email header (and, if applicable, the entire email message) is converted into speech (audio data), which is then transferred via a telephone line after a possible buffering. The caller can also have the message body played. If necessary, conversions from the MIME format of the message to speech are necessary again.

Fax-to-email conversion: The incoming fax message is converted into an Internet format by the f2e and sent as an attachment to a MIME message. The email address to which the message is sent is taken from the participant profile. In the subscriber profile, each subscriber is assigned a phone number for incoming fax messages and an email address.

Voice-to-email conversion: The incoming voice message is converted into an Internet format by the v2e and sent as an attachment to a MIME message. The email address to which the message is sent is taken from the participant profile. In the subscriber profile, each subscriber is assigned a phone number for incoming voice messages and an email address.

The email-to-UMF conversion, fax-to-UMF conversion, voice-to-UMF conversion, UMF-to-voice conversion, UMF-to-fax conversion and the UMF-to-email conversion take place accordingly, however in or from a uniform format UMF.

Internet Telephony / PSTN Gateway, Internet Phone Gateway (IPG): The Internet Telephony / PSTN Gateway enables subscribers on the Internet to reach other subscribers who only have a telephone connection and participants with

Telephone connection to reach such from the Internet. The technical implementation is carried out by converting the telephone voice data (which is already available in digital form with an ISDN connection on the gateway side) into the protocol and format used by the Internet telephony software and vice versa. The Internet subscriber is in turn selected by dialing a suitable telephone number that is assigned to the corresponding subscriber. The telephone subscriber is dialed by entering the phone number in a WWW form, via IVR, VR or DTMF.

Internet data is accessed via the telephone network (analog or ISDN) via an Internet data access router (IDAR).

FIGS. 2 and 4 show a division of the NB-DINE into a narrowband NB-DINE (NB-DINE-NBG) with a corresponding narrowband DINE controller (NBG DINEC) and a broadband NB-DINE (NB-DINE-BBG ) with a corresponding broadband DINE controller (BBG DINEC).

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment variant of the invention which also contains the following components:

Service data servers (SDS) contain the subscriber-specific information such as the subscriber profile and the configuration data. An Internet gateway (IG) as a server for mail and Internet telephony protocols allows subscribers to use the service from the Internet. The Internet gateway can save the subscriber's personal mailbox, which is in Unified Media Format (UMF), or at least has access to it. The Internet gateway (IG) is connected to the Internet directly or via a firewall. It enables the subscriber to their mailbox using suitable protocols (POP3 / IMAP4 / SSH, etc), edit their profile via HTTP and use Internet telephony via the RTP protocol. WWW servers (WWW) can be accessed through the Internet gateway

(IG) access the DINEC and thus enable the management of the DINE via the Internet or with Internet tools such as

Web browsers. Specific parameters of a service (personal preferences / profile) can be accessed via the WWW server

Web browsers can be configured. A firewall (FW) protects internal data flows (e.g. between DINEC and RPs) against unauthorized access. A Telecommunication Management Network (TMN) allows access to the corresponding data processing systems of the components of the DINE via remote access sessions (e.g. Telnet, ftp ....) or by standard procedures from the TMN for the purposes of administration and performance tuning. Area (eg CMIP / CMIS) and network management area (SNMP).

With these NB-DINEs described above, a new service Unified Communication Service (UCS) can be provided, which combines known services of the telephone network such as voice and fax service with data network services such as email. For example, emails can be converted into language or facsimile so that they can be listened to over the telephone network or output on a fax machine, faxes can be converted into emails and then retrieved via the Internet using a standard web browser, voice and Fax messages can be transported as data files over the Internet using a standard web browser so that they can be listened to, displayed or printed out on a PC or telephone and conventional telephony can be combined with Internet telephony. The information formats of the information arriving at NB-DINE are automatically recognized by DTMF, voice recognition or fax recognition by NB-DINE, optionally converted into a uniform information format (UMF) and buffered in mailboxes (SP). The Unified Communication Service, which is thus available to the participants, works in two modes: store-and-forward services (off-line, asynchronous), in which no direct communication between the sender and recipient of a message is required, as with email, Fax and answering machine functionality, and on-line services (synchronous), which require a direct communication connection between two participants, such as Internet telephony services, direct audio / video communication (conferencing, computer telephony cooperative work, CTCW etc.).

A service user can access the mailbox from both networks on-line or off-line, taking security aspects into account (no reading rights). With the help of a telephone, the service user can send voice and fax messages to subscribers to the service. For this purpose, each subscriber is assigned a special telephone number (Subscriber Access Number (SAN)) for his mailbox. The only interface that can be accessed by the service user is the selection of the mailbox number. When the service users access the service from the Internet, they can send email messages to service subscribers.

As a mailbox owner / tenant, a service subscriber can access and manage the mailbox from both networks online or offline. The service subscriber has all the options that are also available to the service user. In addition, he has a special telephone number (Personal Gateway Number (PGN)) for his mailbox, which he can use to access his messages via voice menus controlled by DTMF, IVR or voice recognition, or an order (e.g. database Research on the Internet) to his Personal IN Gateway Assistant / Agent (PINGA). A PINGA can be implemented using control programs that are stored in memory devices (SP). The process of such Control program can be triggered by an authorized participant, possibly after the transfer of suitable parameters.

The PINGA is via the mailbox using web, IVR / VR / DTMF

Accessed, activated and programmed. It is a kind of "active" mailbox in a personal network computing area in the service node or the NB-DINE. The PINGA is individually designed by the service subscriber (SC), configured (CSC) and controlled (S-deployment ), for example via scripting technology, in order to possibly carry out certain information services in the heterogeneous network via the IDAR.

The following functions are also possible: Playback of email headlines (text-to-speech conversion). For fax and voice messages received via the PSTN, the time / date and length of the message (pages or seconds) and the telephone number of the caller can be reproduced (if available). An extension to full-text display should be optional if it appears expedient. Optionally, this information can be forwarded to mobile subscribers as a short message service (SMS).

Automatic initiation of fax transmissions of the accumulated email and other messages to a specified fax number according to the configuration by the service subscriber. This service can include the option of selecting specific messages to be recorded in the fax transmission, as well as configuring the email attachments to be transmitted depending on the media type.

Call from Internet telephony subscribers using a telephone. Here the service subscriber will use multi-frequency tone detection to select the Internet telephony subscriber. Call of telephone connections from the Internet using an Internet tele ony application.

Access to Internet data via an Internet data access router (IDAR).

Configuration and query of the participant profile through IVR or voice recognition, e.g. Fax / email number for automatic fax / email transmission / forwarding of new messages, accrued fees etc.

In addition to the services that are available via the PSTN, the service subscriber can also access the service via an Internet-based interface. This enables the following interactions:

Email functions: Access to MIME email with appropriate Internet access software (Internet MUA, Mail User Agent, etc.). The NB-DINE offers internet mail server functionality, i.e. the mailbox can be accessed via the Internet from normal mail user agents (MUA). There are further options for email access via a web-based email interface that can be used using web browsers.

Configuration functions: Service configuration using a web-based interface on the web browser. The subscriber can change certain, approved attributes of his subscriber profile via the WWW from the Internet or via the telephone network (DTMF / IVR, SR).

A person skilled in the art can easily use the present description to transfer, store and convert further information formats or media types such as images, moving images, Integrate SMS, video, data, fax, voice, email or sign language into the concept described above.

Abbreviations used in this application are listed below:

BBG DINEC Broadband Gate Distributed Intelligent Network Element Controller

CMIP Common Management Information Protocol

CMIS Common Management Information Service

CMS Channel Matrix Switch

CSC Customer Service Control CTCW Computer-Telephony Cooperated Work

DCN Data Communications Network

DINE Distributed Intelligent Network Element

DINEC Distributed Intelligent Network Element Controller DPS Data Packet Switch

DT service subscriber

DTMF Dial Tone Multiple Frequency e, f, v2u email, fax, voice to UMF conversion module e2f email-to-fax conversion module e2v email-to-voice conversion module

ECP Enhanced Contents Provisioning f2e fax-to-email conversion module

FW firewall

FSL Flexible Service Logic HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol

IA Intelligent Agent

IDAR Internet data access router

IG Internet Gateway

IMAP Internet Mailbox Access Protocol IN Intelligent Network

INT Internet / intranet

IP Internet Protocol, Intelligent Peripheral

IPG Internet Phone Gate

IVR Interactive Voice Response LAN Local Area Network MAN Metropolitan Area Network MCM Media Conversion Module MMDB MultiMedia Data Base MUA Mail User Agent NB Network Bridge

NB-DINE Network-Bridge Distributed Intelligent Network

element

NB-DINE-BBG Network-Bridge Distributed Intelligent Network

Element Broadband Gate NB-DINE-NBG Network-Bridge Distributed Intelligent Network

Element narrowband gate

NBG DINEC Narrowband Gate Distributed Intelligent Network

Element controller

ONS One Number Service PGN Personal Gateway Number

PINGA Personal IN Gateway Assistant / Agent

POP Post Office Protocol

PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network

RP Resource Platform RPE Resource Platform Email

RPF Resource Platform Fax

RPV Resource Platform Voice

SAN Subscriber Access Number

SC Service Creation SCP Service Control Point

SMS Short Message Service

SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol

SP storage device

SR Speech Recognition SRF Specialized Resource Function

SSH Secure Shell

SSL Secure Socket Layer

SSP service switching point

TMN Telecommunication Management Network u2e, f, v UMF to email, fax, voice conversion module UCN Unified Communication Number

UCS Unified Communication Service

UMF Unified Media Format v2e voice-to-email conversion module WAN Wide Area Network

WWW World Wide Web

Claims

claims

1. A method for transmitting information between communication terminals that process different information formats, in which a) information about the information format corresponding to the receiving communication terminal is processed, and b) the information format of transmitted information is converted into the information format that corresponds to the receiving communication terminal.

2. A method for transmitting information between communication terminals that process different information formats, in which a) different information formats of transmitted information are converted into a uniform information format in a processing device (NB-DINE), b) information about the information format corresponding to the receiving communication terminal is processed and c) the uniform information format of the information to be received is converted into the information format which corresponds to the information format of the receiving communication terminal.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a) the information to be transmitted in storage devices

(SP) are stored, b) authorized subscribers have access to certain information in these storage devices (SP), and c) the information format of this information is converted into an information format which corresponds to the information format of the communication terminal of an accessing subscriber.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which different transmission methods are used for information transmission between communication terminals.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the information transmission between communication terminals via circuit-switched and packet-switched communication networks.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conversion of the information in a service node (NB-DINE) of a distributed intelligent network is realized and controlled by a service node controller (NB-DINEC).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which control programs are stored in memory devices, the execution of which can be triggered by an authorized subscriber.

8. Processing device (NB-DINE) with a) means for receiving information of different information formats, b) means for sending information of different information formats, and c) means for converting (e2f, e2v, v2e, f2e, IPG) of information of different information formats in information formats that correspond to the receiving communication terminals.

9. Processing device (NB-DINE) with a) means for receiving information of different information formats, b) means for sending information of different information formats, c) means (e2u, f2u, v2u) for converting information of different information formats into a uniform information format, and d) means (u2e, u2f, u2v) for converting information of a uniform information format into different information formats that correspond to the receiving communication terminals.

10. Processing device according to one of claims 8 to 9 with a) means for receiving information that is transmitted via different transmission methods, and b) means for transmitting information that is transmitted via different transmission methods.

11. Processing device according to one of claims 8 to

10 with a) a storage device (SP) for storing the information to be transmitted, and b) means which allow certain participants access to certain parts of the storage devices (SP).

12. Processing device according to one of claims 8 to

11 with a) an interface to a circuit-switched switching device (CMS), and b) an interface to a packet-switching switching device (DPS).