Patent ID: 6266328
Filing Date: 2001-07-24
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A system for communication among a first plurality of conferee stations, said system connectible to the Internet network, said conferee stations including communication apparatus having dial up capability, said system further comprising:a) a dial up communication network providing Common Channel Signalling SS7 compatible telephonic communication interconnections among said conferee stations,b) a second plurality of said conferee stations further comprising digital computer apparatus for receiving and transmitting digital signals over said Internet network, said second plurality equal to or less than said first plurality, andc) a SS7 compatible digitally controlled switch module comprising a switch interface and a switch capable of receipt of telephonic command signals and capable of transmitting telephonic reply control signals, said module having an input and an output, said module connected to said Internet network for receiving and transmitting said digital signals over said Internet network, said switch output connected to said dial up communication network wherein said output of said switch is responsive to digital signals from said digital computer apparatus applied to said switch module input for effecting communication among said stations, whereby said digital computer apparatus contains a stored computer program providing distributed computer supervisory control of said telephonic communication interconnections, andd) said digital computers include at least one program wherein said SS7 commands are mapped to Internet Protocol/Transmission Control Protocol signals in a bi-directional manner, said SS7 commands further comprising commands to an Internet router computer to digitize telephonic communication from at least one of said conferee stations into Internet compatible digitized packets for transmission over said Internet.