JP2004134825A - Ip phone system for automatically selecting ip phone service of inexpensive charge for call - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an IP phone system for automatically selecting an IP phone service of an inexpensive charge for a call by allowing a user to have only to designate a speech opposite party without the need for the user to make any special operation. <P>SOLUTION: When the user designates an address of the speech opposite party at dialing by the user, the user transmits its speech opposite party address and its own address to a server, the user receives information to access an IP phone service enterprise of an inexpensive charge for a call from the server, and the user accesses and makes a call to a gatekeeper of the IP phone service enterprise. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to an IP telephone system that automatically selects an IP telephone company with a low telephone charge.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An IP telephone service using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology has been put to practical use. By packetizing and transmitting voice, it is possible to dramatically increase the line use efficiency and reduce the telephone charge. Many IP telephone operators provide IP telephone services.
[0003]
The user of the IP telephone service makes a service contract with the IP telephone service provider, and accesses a gatekeeper designated by the IP telephone service provider to use the IP telephone service when making a call.
[0004]
Specifically, it is as follows. The user 1 contracts with the IP telephone service provider 1. The IP telephone service provider 1 notifies the user 1 of information necessary for access such as the IP address of the gatekeeper 1 to be accessed at the time of calling. At the time of calling, the user 1 sends an address (IP telephone number, telephone number of a subscribed telephone network, telephone number of a mobile telephone, or e-mail address) to a gatekeeper 1 to call. (IP address and port number). The gatekeeper 1 authenticates whether the user 1 is a legitimate user, converts the address of the call partner into an IP address and a port number, and transmits an incoming notification signal to the call partner. When there is a response from the other party, the gatekeeper 1 notifies the user 1 of a signal indicating that the other party has answered, and a call is started between the user 1 and the other party.
[0005]
There are a plurality of providers that provide the IP telephone service, and the usage fee of the IP telephone service differs depending on the provider. The user 1 may contract with a plurality of IP telephone service providers and select an IP telephone service with the lowest call charge depending on the call partner, the date and time of the call, the day of the week, the length of the call, and the like. In other words, each time a call is made, the charges of a plurality of IP telephone service providers are checked, and a call is made by accessing the gatekeeper of the IP telephone service provider providing the IP telephone service with the lowest telephone charge.
[0006]
However, it is very troublesome for the user himself to check the charges of a plurality of IP telephone service providers and determine the IP telephone service with the lowest telephone charge. The user always obtains the latest price list of the contracted IP phone service provider, and every time a call is made, the rates of multiple IP phone service providers are compared depending on the other party, and the IP phone with the lowest call rate There is a problem that an IP telephone service provider providing a service must be selected, and a call must be originated by designating the gatekeeper of the IP telephone service provider.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, in the conventional method, there is a problem that the procedure for selecting an IP telephone company with a low call charge is very troublesome.
[0008]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an IP telephone which automatically selects a low-cost telephone company by simply designating a party to be called without requiring a special operation of a user. It is to provide a system.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the IP telephone system of the present invention for automatically selecting an inexpensive IP telephone service is provided. The server transmits its own address to the server, receives information from the server for accessing an IP telephone service provider with a low call charge, accesses the gatekeeper of the IP telephone service provider, and makes a call.
[0010]
【Example】
Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an IP telephone system according to the present invention for automatically selecting an IP telephone company having a low telephone charge. 1 is a user, 2 is an IP telephone system, 3 is a telephone, 4 is a personal computer, 5 is an Internet network or an IP network of an IP telephone operator, 6 is a gatekeeper 1 of an IP telephone service provider 1, and 7 is an IP telephone service. The gatekeepers 2 and 8 of the provider 2 are the gatekeepers 3 and 9 of the IP telephone service provider 3 are servers.
[0011]
An IP telephone system according to the present invention for automatically selecting an IP telephone company having a low telephone charge will be described with reference to FIG.
[0012]
The user 1 makes a call using the telephone 3 or the personal computer 4 and designates the IP telephone number of the other party of the call. IP telephone system 2 transmits the specified IP telephone number to server 9. The server 9 selects an IP telephone service provider providing the lowest-priced IP telephone service from the IP telephone service providers available to the user 1, and selects the gate of the selected IP telephone service provider. The information for accessing the keeper is transmitted to the IP telephone system 2. Using the information received from server 9, IP telephone system 2 accesses the gatekeeper, transmits the IP telephone number of the other party, and requests a telephone call. The accessed gatekeeper authenticates the user 1, communicates with the other party according to a predetermined procedure, and sets up a connection for the call.
[0013]
For example, assume that there are three types of IP telephone service providers that can be used by user 1. When the user 1 receives the IP telephone number of the other party to which the user 1 wants to talk from the IP telephone system 2, the server 9 compares the three types of IP telephone service call charges, and talks with the other party, the call start time zone, the day of the week, and the like. , The IP telephone service which provides the cheapest IP telephone service is determined by comparing which IP telephone service has the lowest telephone charge. For example, assuming that the IP telephone service of IP telephone service provider 2 among the three types of IP telephone service providers has the lowest call charges, server 9 transmits information for accessing gatekeeper 2 to the IP telephone system. Send to 2. Using the received information, the IP telephone system 2 accesses the gatekeeper 2 to request a call.
[0014]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the IP telephone system of the present invention for automatically selecting an inexpensive IP telephone company, a user designates a party to which a call is desired using an IP telephone number. According to the second aspect of the present invention, an IP telephone system for automatically selecting an inexpensive IP telephone operator according to the present invention is provided. Specify the person you want to talk to using the telephone number of the network.
[0015]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, an IP telephone system for automatically selecting an IP telephone company having a low telephone charge is provided in place of an IP telephone number when a communication partner is a mobile telephone connected to a mobile telephone network. Specify the person you want to call using the number.
[0016]
An IP telephone system according to the present invention for automatically selecting an IP telephone company having a low telephone charge is provided in the case where a communication partner is a PHS telephone connected to a PHS telephone network, instead of an IP telephone number. Specify the person you want to call using the number.
[0017]
The IP telephone system of the present invention for automatically selecting an inexpensive IP telephone operator according to the present invention specifies a party to which a call is desired using an e-mail address instead of an IP telephone number.
[0018]
The IP telephone system of the present invention for automatically selecting an IP telephone company with a low telephone charge according to the present invention designates a party to which a call is to be made using an IP address and a port number instead of an IP telephone number.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the IP telephone system of the present invention for automatically selecting an inexpensive IP telephone operator does not require any special operation of the user, and simply designates the party to which the call is to be made. It is possible to automatically select an inexpensive IP telephone operator.
[0020]
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an IP for automatically selecting an inexpensive IP telephone operator according to the present invention.
It is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a telephone system.
[Description of Signs] 1 User 2 IP telephone system 3 Telephone 4 Personal computer 5 Internet network or IP network of IP telephone operator 6 Gatekeeper 1 of IP telephone service provider 1
7 IP Phone Service Provider 2 Gatekeeper 2
8 Gatekeeper 3 of IP telephone service provider 3
9 Server

Claims (6)

In the IP telephone system,
Detects the IP telephone number of the other party specified by the user when calling,
Sending the IP phone number to a server,
Receiving, from the server, information for accessing a gatekeeper of an IP telephone service provider providing a low-price IP telephone service;
An IP telephone system for making a call using the gatekeeper. In the IP telephone system,
Detects the subscribed telephone number of the other party specified by the user when calling,
Sending the subscriber telephone number to a server,
Receiving, from the server, information for accessing a gatekeeper of an IP telephone service provider providing a low-price IP telephone service;
An IP telephone system for making a call using the gatekeeper. In the IP telephone system,
Detects the mobile phone number of the other party specified by the user when making a call,
Sending the mobile phone number to a server,
Receiving, from the server, information for accessing a gatekeeper of an IP telephone service provider providing a low-price IP telephone service;
An IP telephone system for making a call using the gatekeeper. In the IP telephone system,
Detects the PHS phone number of the other party specified by the user when calling,
Send the PHS phone number to the server,
Receiving, from the server, information for accessing a gatekeeper of an IP telephone service provider providing a low-price IP telephone service;
An IP telephone system for making a call using the gatekeeper. In the IP telephone system,
Detects the e-mail address of the other party specified by the user when making a call,
Sending the email address to a server,
Receiving, from the server, information for accessing a gatekeeper of an IP telephone service provider providing a low-price IP telephone service;
An IP telephone system for making a call using the gatekeeper. In the IP telephone system,
Detecting the IP address and port number of the other party specified by the user at the time of calling, transmitting the IP address and port number to the server,
Receiving, from the server, information for accessing a gatekeeper of an IP telephone service provider providing a low-price IP telephone service;
An IP telephone system for making a call using the gatekeeper.

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