KR100357476B1 - Wireless Internet Phone Servicing System utilizing Bluetooth-VoIP gateway apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a mobile phone service using a Bluetooth-Internet phone gateway that performs a mutual conversion role between a signal according to a Bluetooth communication protocol and a signal according to a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication protocol. BlueTooth installed in a densely populated area, such as a high-rise building, for subscribers with mobile phones equipped with a Bluetooth modem at far lower rates than the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or mobile phone service. In the vicinity of VoIP gateways, we propose a business model that enhances competitiveness in the existing mobile phone service area by providing additional Internet phone service instead of expensive mobile phone service. In addition, each service provider provides specific methods for service composition and certification procedures that are essential for implementing such a business model. The mobile phone service provider can increase profits by attracting more subscribers by strengthening competitiveness in the original service area through the Internet phone service as an additional service rather than directly generating revenue from the Internet phone service through the present invention. It is possible to drastically reduce the cost of facility investment in building a new service network such as -2000.

Description

Wireless Internet Phone Servicing System Utilizing Bluetooth-VoIP gateway apparatus

The present invention relates to an Internet phone system for providing an Internet phone service, and more particularly to a wireless Internet phone service system using a Bluetooth-Internet phone gateway device.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology has recently been in the spotlight due to the reduction of communication charges through the efficient use of existing network resources and the ease of management through the integration of telephone and data networks. The existing internet phone service can be divided into free service and paid service in terms of billing. Sarom Technology's dialpad is a free service model. This model is a web-to-phone method where a user connects to a web site from a personal computer via the Internet and enters a caller's telephone number. In order to make a call, call signaling and voice data are transmitted through the Internet, and finally, an existing switching circuit network (SCN) connected to the sender must be used. In the present specification, SCN means a public network of a conventional method in which call routing is established by a circuit switching method such as PSTN, cellular network, or ISDN. In such a web-to-phone scheme, someone has to pay for the SCN portion, and the dial pad is paid by an internet phone service provider and generates revenue through banner advertisements on the website. Since this model was free from the service user's point of view, it increased the awareness of Internet telephony service by attracting a large number of subscribers, but skepticism has recently increased that the profit model through banner advertising is not appropriate.

The pay service model is mainly a phone-to-phone method and has a call path of SCN-Internet-SCN. There is a gateway on the interface of different networks to perform signal conversion between both networks. When a subscriber makes a call by using an existing telephone to a call center or gateway of an Internet telephone service provider, the subscriber transmits his / her ID and password as a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal and the service provider authenticates it at the gateway. (authentication), connect the call and charge for it. KT, Narae Telecom, Inet Telecom, Dowha Telecom, etc. provide these services and generate profits through service provision and billing. The user may subscribe to the service separately (including the prepaid card purchase) or pay the sum of the existing PSTN telephone bill and the internet telephone bill. However, this method has a weakness in the business model because it is cumbersome to use the authentication process and someone has to pay the call fee to the call center even if the call is not successful due to busy or absent call. .

Recently, due to the development of the gateway technology for signal conversion between the Internet and the SCN, Internet phones for exclusive use of the Internet phone are commercially available in the form of a gateway directly connected to the Internet by incorporating its own gateway function rather than a phone connected to the PSTN network. The Internet phone dedicated phone is similar to the web-to-phone method in that the user is directly connected to the Internet in terms of a call route, but the user does not use a PC. The difference is that you buy a dedicated phone with a similar interface. In this case, since the sender is directly connected to the Internet, there is no need for a gateway on the side where the sender required in the telephone-to-phone method is connected. However, this method requires not only complicated procedures for authentication and billing that are different from the phone-to-phone method, but also burdens the general user to purchase an Internet-only phone separately. There is a problem to manage the phone.

The present invention is to solve such a problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system that can provide a wireless Internet phone service easy to use procedures.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a system that can provide a wireless Internet phone service does not occur unnecessary call costs.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless Internet phone service system capable of using a good Internet phone service at a minimum equipment purchase cost from a user's point of view.

1 shows an overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 illustrates one embodiment of an Internet access point in FIG.

3 illustrates one embodiment of a database table maintained by a gatorkeeper.

4 is a block diagram of a Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway device employed in the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

11: Mobile Phone Terminal 12: Bluetooth-Internet Phone Gateway

13: Internet Access Point 14: Internet

15: Gatekeeper 16: VoIP-SCN Gateway

17: SCN 18: SCN Phone

21: subscriber modem 22: subscriber network

23: service provider modem 24: Internet service provider

31: subscriber database 32: telephone number-address database

An Internet phone service system of the present invention for achieving the above object comprises: a gateway device for voice communication over an Internet protocol incorporating a wireless digital network function, for example, a Bluetooth modem; A terminal device for wirelessly communicating with the gateway device, for example, a mobile communication terminal incorporating a Bluetooth modem.

Such a gateway device is described in detail in patent application No. 2000-27516 filed on May 22, 2000 by the applicant. This patent specification is incorporated herein as part of this application. The following briefly summarizes this system for reference.

The gateway device for voice communication on the Internet protocol adopted by the present invention is largely composed of a wireless modem module 40 and an Internet telephone gateway 50. The wireless modem module supports the same communication protocol according to a communication protocol such as a cordless telephony profile or a modified headset profile in the Bluetooth standard for transmitting and receiving voice PCM signals and call signals. For example, it connects wirelessly with a mobile terminal equipped with a Bluetooth modem. The wireless modem module 50 transmits and receives a call control signal and a voice PCM signal to the Internet telephone gateway 50, respectively. The Internet telephony gateway 50 performs call setup and release according to the international standard protocol for setting up and releasing multimedia communication through the Internet, for example, H.323 protocol, and compresses the voice PCM signal by a voice compression algorithm. It makes a packet and transmits it to the Internet access point or restores the compressed voice signal transmitted from the Internet access point to the wireless modem module 40.

More specifically, the wireless modem module 40 performs wireless communication in an RF band with at least one wireless voice terminal equipped with a wireless modem, and performs a frequency shift between the RF band and the base band for the wireless communication signal. An RF module 43; A baseband processor (42) for modulating and demodulating a baseband signal to or from the RF module and converting it into a binary signal; and page scanning for the at least one wireless voice terminal through a binary signal transmitted to and received from the baseband processor A link manager 41 for establishing and managing a wireless digital network with the baseband processor; and extracting a call control signal through a communication protocol corresponding to each network layer through a binary signal transmitted and received with the baseband processor. A wireless modem protocol stack processor 44. The Internet telephony gateway 50 may further include a media gateway 53 for compressing and restoring a voice signal communicating with the baseband processor and a compressed voice signal among signals communicating with the media gateway using a first protocol. Packetization / depacketization by converting a signal for call setup / control / release to communicate with the wireless modem protocol stack processor to conform to the Internet telephony protocol. A signaling gateway (52) to perform; and a network adapter (51) for transmitting and receiving a signal of the packetized first or second protocol received from the signaling gateway to the Internet; It includes.

Hereinafter, the present invention using such a gateway device will be described. The present invention provides a wireless Internet phone service system for implementing a service model suitable for providing an Internet phone service as an additional service by a service provider providing an existing business area, for example, a line rental service or a mobile communication service. .

Wireless Internet telephony service system according to the first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is:

A calling-side gateway device for transmitting and receiving wireless voice signals and call control signals with at least one mobile telephone terminal, converting these signals, transmitting and receiving through the Internet, and identified by an identifier;

It locates at any node on the Internet and attempts to authenticate by searching the subscriber database from the identifier received from the gateway device according to the call setup request for each mobile phone terminal from the gateway device. A gatekeeper for retrieving a telephone number-address database from an included telephone number and handing the Internet address of the called gateway device to the calling gateway device;

A signing side gateway device which communicates with the calling side gateway device through the Internet and is connected to a called terminal and a public network;

Characterized in that it comprises a.

In addition, the present invention is the call-side gateway device:

A wireless modem module for forming at least one wireless voice terminal equipped with a wireless modem through paging scanning to form a digital network in an RF band and transmitting and receiving a signal including a voice signal and a call control signal with the wireless voice terminal; ;

Among the signals communicating with the wireless modem module, the voice signal is compressed / restored and packetized / depacketized by the first protocol, and the call control signal is packetized / depacketized by the second protocol and transmitted and received over the Internet. And an internet telephony gateway for packetizing an identifier of the second protocol and transmitting the packetized identifier to the second protocol.

According to a second aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the present invention provides:

Calling gateway device for transmitting and receiving at least one mobile phone terminal and a radio voice signal and call control signal, converts these signals to transmit and receive through the Internet, and receives and transmits an identifier for each mobile phone terminal from the mobile telephone terminals; ;

It locates at any node on the Internet and attempts authentication by retrieving the subscriber database from the identifier for each mobile terminal received from the gateway device according to the call setup request from the gateway device, and if authentication succeeds, it is included in the call setup request. A gatekeeper for retrieving a telephone number-address database from the telephone number and passing the Internet address of the called party gateway device to the called party gateway device;

A signing side gateway device which communicates with the calling side gateway device through the Internet and is connected to a called terminal and a public network;

Characterized in that it comprises a.

In addition, the present invention according to this aspect is the call-side gateway device:

Paging scanning of at least one wireless voice terminal equipped with a wireless modem forms a digital network in the RF band, and transmits and receives a voice signal and a call control signal with the wireless voice terminal. A wireless modem module for receiving a signal comprising an identifier;

Among the signals communicating with the wireless modem module, the voice signal is compressed / restored and packetized / depacketized by the first protocol, and the call control signal is packetized / depacketized by the second protocol and transmitted and received over the Internet. And an internet telephony gateway for packetizing and transmitting the identifier received from the wireless voice terminal to the second protocol.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily understand and reproduce.

1 shows an overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, the wireless Internet telephone service system of the present invention is a mobile phone terminal 11 equipped with a Bluetooth modem, a Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway 12, an Internet access point 13, an Internet network 14, a gatekeeper ( 15), VoIP-SCN gateway 16, SCN 17, SCN telephone 18, and the like. A gatekeeper is a node on the Internet that performs subscriber authentication and address translation between heterogeneous networks (for example, phone number and IP address translation). It is a subscriber based on the Internet Telephony Signaling Protocol (ITSP) layer. It refers to a server managed by a service provider that performs the service, and is also commonly referred to as a call agent or a call server. The mobile phone terminal 11 requests a call to the Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway 12 through the built-in Bluetooth modem. In this case, the Bluetooth communication protocol is sent and the Bluetooth-Internet Phone Gateway 12 converts the message according to the Bluetooth communication standard into a message according to the VoIP communication protocol followed by the ITSP such as H.323, and then passes through the Internet access point 13. Call setup is requested by sending a message to the gatekeeper 15 connected to the Internet.

Here, the Internet Telephony Signaling Protocol (ITSP) defines the signaling and control methods required for call setup and phone calls in VoIP systems such as H.323, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) / Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP), etc. Means the standard protocol.

The Internet Access Point (IAP) may simply be a network connection device (for example, an Ethernet port) when receiving an Internet leased line service, but as shown in FIG. 2, a subscriber modem 21 and a telephone subscriber network provided by NAP. Or a subscriber network 22 such as a cable television network, a carrier modem 22, or an ISP 23.

Here, NAP (Network Access Provider) installs modem (ADSL modem, cable modem) at subscriber end and operator end of subscriber network such as telephone subscriber network or cable television network and physically connects subscriber network to Internet By connecting, a service provider provides a physical layer network for subscribers to access the Internet. An ISP (Internet Service Provider) refers to a connection on a physical layer provided by a dial-up modem or NAP. It refers to an operator that provides all the services necessary for subscribers to access the Internet, such as assigning an IP (Internet Protocol) address based on the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP).

In the case of a service provided by NAP using a telephone subscriber network, an ADSL modem or the like is most widely used at present, and when using a cable TV network, the subscriber modem 21 may be a cable modem. The ISP is an operator that performs Internet access service so that subscribers physically connected by NAP can logically act as a node of the Internet.

The gatekeeper 15 searches the subscriber database 31 to authenticate the user as to whether the user requesting the call is his or her service subscriber, and searches the telephone number-address database 32 to determine the PSTN of the receiver that the sender wants to call. It provides information necessary for call setup, such as transferring the IP address of the gateway 16 to which the receiver is connected from the telephone number to the user who requested the call. After user authentication, call is connected according to the call setup method according to VoIP communication protocol. After the call is established, the voice data converts the voice data into a packet form so as to conform to the VoIP communication protocol, and then transfers the voice data to the receiver gateway 16 through the Internet 14, and the receiver gateway sends a signal conforming to the VoIP communication protocol. The data is then converted back into the appropriate signal to the SCN 17 and connected to the telephone receiver 18 of the final receiver. The gatekeeper charges users based on usage time or amount of data transmitted, if necessary.

Preferred embodiments according to the first aspect of the invention are described below. In the embodiment according to the first aspect of the present invention, authentication and charging is done for the Bluetooth-Internetphone Gateway 12. According to an embodiment according to the first aspect, there is provided a wireless Internet phone service method comprising: receiving a device-specific identifier and a call setup request signal of a wireless voice terminal from a calling gateway device; Attempting authentication by searching a subscriber database from the device-specific identifier; Retrieving a telephone number-address database from a telephone number included in the call setup request and extracting an internet address of a called gateway device if authentication is successful; Passing the called party's Internet address to the calling gateway device; Characterized in that it comprises a.

That is, when the original service area of the Internet phone service provider corresponds to the Internet access point 13, the service provider assigns an authentication number to each device of the Bluetooth-Internet Phone Gateway 12 to supply the equipment, and Allow access only when attempting to make an Internet call through the Bluetooth-Internetphone Gateway. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a database table maintained by the gatorkeeper 15. As shown in FIG. When the Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway requests the gatekeeper 15 to set up or register a call, it transmits its authentication number in the appropriate field of the ITSP message. The operator's gatekeeper 15 stores the authentication numbers of the Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway 12 owned by the subscriber to be serviced in the subscriber database 31. The authentication is performed by reading the authentication number of the device, searching the corresponding authentication number in the subscriber database 31, and determining whether to be a subscriber to serve. In other words, NAP, ISP, leased line provider, etc. will be applied to the business model that provides Bluetooth-Internet phone gateway equipment to their original service subscribers who wish to use this Internet phone service and charges by adding a separate fee to the original service fee. Can be. The authentication number of the device may be different for each device, such as the unique Bluetooth ID of the Bluetooth modem built into the Bluetooth-Internet Phone Gateway, or it may be used to supply the device, such as the Bluetooth vendor's Special Interest Group (SIG) carrier ID. Each device vendor may use a unique number. In case of using the device provider identifier, it is inconvenient to charge in proportion to the usage amount of each user. However, since the database is very simple, it is very advantageous to use the flat rate service. In the case of such a business model, the authentication is performed through the Bluetooth-Internet phone device owned by the subscriber, so authentication is performed regardless of whether the mobile phone performing the actual call is a mobile phone owned by the subscriber.

Next, a preferred embodiment according to the second aspect of the present invention is described. An embodiment according to the second aspect of the present invention is a service system suitable for a business model that can be employed by a provider associated with the mobile telephone terminal 11, for example, a mobile telephone service provider. A wireless Internet phone service method according to this embodiment includes the steps of: outputting a call setup request signal with mobile phone terminal identification information by a mobile phone terminal (11) to a Bluetooth-Internet phone gateway (12); A step in which the gatekeeper 15 searches the subscriber database 31 and attempts to authenticate from the call establishment request and identification information transmitted by the Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway 12; Retrieving the telephone number-address database 32 from the telephone number included in the call setup request information and passing the Internet address of the sign language gateway 16 to the Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway 12 if the authentication is successful; And the mobile telephone terminal 11 talking to the called party terminal via the Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway 12 and the VoIP-SCN gateway 16.

The mobile phone service provider authenticates using a uniquely assigned number for each mobile phone such as the electronic serial number (ESN), the caller ID (CID) of the mobile phone, or the Bluetooth ID of the Bluetooth modem installed or embedded in the mobile phone. Do this. In this case, when the mobile phone terminal requests a call to the Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway, it sends its identifier in the appropriate field of the corresponding message of the Bluetooth specification, and the Bluetooth-Internetphone gateway extracts it and reloads it on the corresponding message of the ITSP. Ask Kipper to call you. The gatekeeper performs authentication similar to that in the embodiment according to the first aspect of the present invention and a fee is charged to the mobile subscriber. In this case, only the subscriber who subscribes to the mobile phone service provider that provides the Internet phone service can receive the Internet phone service.

According to another aspect of the present invention, authentication and billing according to the present invention may be performed using both the identifier of the mobile phone terminal and the identifier of the Bluetooth-Internet phone gateway device. In this case, the service provider provides a mobile phone service provider and an NAP in conjunction with each other to provide an internet phone service. In this case, only the mobile phone service provider and the user who is simultaneously subscribed to the NAP can receive the corresponding internet phone service. Fees may be charged by the mobile operator or may be charged by the NAP.

As described in detail above, the present invention can provide an internet phone service that is easy to use from the user's point of view because the authentication procedure is performed by the mobile phone terminal or the Bluetooth-Internet phone gateway, so that the user does not have to perform any extra effort. have. In addition, since the present invention does not go through a call center or the like, a separate fee does not occur when a call is not made. In addition, according to the present invention, since the billing or authentication subject becomes a mobile phone operator or a line operator, they have an existing main business area, thereby enhancing the competitiveness in the main business area by providing the Internet phone service according to the present invention as an additional service. It is possible to achieve and purchase and distribute the Bluetooth-Internetphone Gateway of the present invention, and users can use the Internetphone service anywhere where the Bluetooth-Internetphone Gateway is installed without equipment purchase.

The internet phone service using the Bluetooth-Internet phone gateway provides a high penetration rate and enables existing users to conveniently use the Internet phone by using a familiar mobile phone terminal. It can be called a very useful and convenient service from the user's point of view. In particular, considering that Qualcomm Co., Ltd., which provides CDMA chipset, announced that Bluetooth chipset will be built into its chipset as a basic specification, the wireless Internet phone service is expected to be competitive with the existing business model. However, as in other phone-to-phone service models, the cost of purchasing Bluetooth-to-Internet phone gateway equipment and the use of SCN to which the receiver is connected in the process of Internet phone service may hinder the spread of such convenient services. The present invention provides a competitive edge in the original service area by additionally providing such a service even if there is no direct profit due to the Bluetooth-Internet phone Internet phone service due to a part of a service provider providing other services to the user. Provide a business model that can be enhanced.

As another effect of the present invention it can be expected to reduce the equipment investment according to the traffic distribution of the mobile phone call. IMT-2000 service, the next generation mobile communication network, should provide high-speed data service according to user's choice. Therefore, in order to guarantee the QoS (Quality of Service) in a call dense area, there is a problem that many more base stations must be established than networks of the current cellular or PCS. In general, high-rise buildings in urban areas where call volume is concentrated can provide distribution of call traffic by providing VoIP service according to the present invention as well as wireless Internet access through Bluetooth, which reduces the number of expensive base station equipment. In constructing the network for the IMT-2000 service, the network construction cost can be reduced.

Claims (4)

A calling-side gateway device for transmitting and receiving wireless voice signals and call control signals with at least one mobile telephone terminal, converting these signals, transmitting and receiving through the Internet, and identified by an identifier; It locates at any node on the Internet and attempts to authenticate by searching the subscriber database from the identifier received from the gateway device according to the call setup request for each mobile phone terminal from the gateway device. A gatekeeper for retrieving a telephone number-address database from an included telephone number and handing the Internet address of the called gateway device to the calling gateway device; A signing side gateway device which communicates with the calling side gateway device through the Internet and is connected to a called terminal and a public network; Wireless Internet telephone service system comprising a. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call-side gateway device is: A wireless modem module for forming at least one wireless voice terminal equipped with a wireless modem through paging scanning to form a digital network in an RF band and transmitting and receiving a signal including a voice signal and a call control signal with the wireless voice terminal; ; Among the signals communicating with the wireless modem module, the voice signal is compressed / restored and packetized / depacketized by the first protocol, and the call control signal is packetized / depacketized by the second protocol and transmitted and received over the Internet. And an Internet telephony gateway for packetizing an identifier of the second protocol and transmitting the packetized identifier to a second protocol. Calling gateway device for transmitting and receiving at least one mobile phone terminal and a radio voice signal and call control signal, converts these signals to transmit and receive through the Internet, and receives and transmits an identifier for each mobile phone terminal from the mobile telephone terminals; ; It locates at any node on the Internet and attempts authentication by retrieving the subscriber database from the identifier for each mobile terminal received from the gateway device according to the call setup request from the gateway device, and if authentication succeeds, it is included in the call setup request. A gatekeeper for retrieving a telephone number-address database from the telephone number and passing the Internet address of the called party gateway device to the called party gateway device; A signing side gateway device which communicates with the calling side gateway device through the Internet and is connected to a called terminal and a public network; Wireless Internet telephone service system comprising a. The device of claim 3, wherein the call side gateway device comprises: Paging scanning of at least one wireless voice terminal equipped with a wireless modem forms a digital network in the RF band, and transmits and receives a voice signal and a call control signal with the wireless voice terminal. A wireless modem module for receiving a signal comprising an identifier; Among the signals communicating with the wireless modem module, the voice signal is compressed / restored and packetized / depacketized by the first protocol, and the call control signal is packetized / depacketized by the second protocol and transmitted and received over the Internet. And an Internet telephony gateway for packetizing and transmitting the identifier received from the wireless voice terminal to the second protocol.