Abstract:
The present invention enables a user, logged on to a data network over a traditional telephone line, to place additional outgoing calls over that same line without interruption of the data session. The user is also able to provide communication between the outgoing call and the data session such that, voice over the data session can be conferenced into voice over the newly outgoing telephone session.

Description:
RELATED INVENTIONS 
     IBM application Ser. No. 08/861,295 entitled “A Method and Apparatus for Receiving Conventional Telephone Calls While Connected to the Internet” filed May 21, 1997. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates in general to a communications system establishing additional communications without disrupting any existing communications. In specific, this invention describes a method and apparatus for placing calls on a telephone network while connected to a data transmission device or data service provider and without disrupting existing data communications. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the explosive growth of the Internet, multitudes of users are connecting to the Internet through their phone lines. While many businesses allow for dedicated phone lines to their computers and different dedicated lines for voice communications, many smaller businesses and home users cannot afford the expense of a dedicated phone line. If a user chooses to use their voice phone line for their Internet communications, while the person is logged on to the Internet (or any other form of data communications) the phone will ring busy if anyone tries to call the phone number being used for the outgoing connection. This can be problematic since access to online services and online providers often results in intervals of long duration in which the user is logged on to the communication provider. This means long intervals where the phone line will ring busy if someone is trying to reach the user over a conventional telephone. In addition, using the existing technologies, someone desiring to place a call while logged on to a data network would cause the data portion of the line to time-out due to inactivity while the user toggled to the other session using 3-way calling or similar technology. 
     In theory, this is solved by ‘call waiting’ in that a user who is talking on the phone will hear a tone if someone else is trying to reach them. This is not the case where the initial usage is with a data service provider which sends and receives all messages as tones. Since the data service will receive the ‘call waiting’ tone as part of the message, most applications will terminate with fatal or unrecoverable errors if a ‘call waiting’ interrupt comes in while a data communication session is established causing the workstation to hang-up on the call with the data service provider. While this may allow the user to receive incoming calls, it is not desirable to force the user off the data communications session to be notified of the incoming call. The user should have a choice as to whether they are going to receive the incoming call without disconnecting them from the data communications network to which they are connected. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to allow a user logged onto a data network over a conventional telephone network to place additional outgoing calls without being forced off of their data network. 
     It is yet a further object of the present invention to allow concurrent conversations of the newly established outgoing call and voice and/or data over the existing data communications physical transport (telephone wire or wireless path). 
     It is yet a further objective of the present invention to allow the user to do a multitude of additional telephone functions such as making an outbound call, transferring or forwarding a call, alternating between the calls, and conferencing the calls. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method and system of allowing communication over an existing telephone line (such as a public switched telephone network or PSTN or any voice switch) using a data communications provider and known transmission media, such as traditional analog or digital phone lines or cellular transmission, while enabling a user receiving the communications to be notified if an incoming caller is attempting to reach the user or to establish additional connections over the same physical link. The method comprises the establishment of three channels, the original data service channel, a channel which will be referred to for purposes of this invention as a control channel, and a voice quality channel for incoming and outgoing voice switch calls. All of the channels are routed to a ‘black box’ which could be implemented as a portion of the central office switch or independent of the switch. This ‘black box’ provides a multiplexer/demultiplexer function which allows the user to receive the messages from the caller interspersed with the information being received from the data service provider. This is extremely interesting with respect to the Internet and the Internet service providers. It allows multiplexing of voice, data, video or other information using ATM or IP with RSVP protocols. This results in the ability to merge the PSTN with packet switch technology in a manner controlled by the end user of the workstation or sending terminal. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an overview of a present network configuration. 
     FIG. 2A is a flow diagram of the current flow where the user has a conventional telephone connection and does not have call waiting. 
     FIG. 2B is a flow diagram of the current flow where the user has a conventional telephone connection and does have call waiting. 
     FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of the flow of information between a computer user accessing a remote computer system and an incoming caller using the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a diagram of a system containing an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a diagram of a system comprised of a multitude of connections utilizing the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a graphical representation of the port associations made in the CTI server of the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The detailed description of the preferred embodiment is implemented using the TCP/IP protocol although any packet based protocol can be used without modifying the invention. The preferred embodiment utilizes simultaneous voice and data technology where voice is given precedence over data transmissions, local Internet Protocol (IP) routing, a computer telephony interface (CTI) server connected to the central office switch and a CTI client on an end user&#39;s multimedia workstation with a ‘black-box’ multiplexer/demultiplexer which handles (1) a control channel to the CTI server (2) the original dial-up connection data, (using the i.e. data service channel) and (3) a voice stream containing the PSTN voice (using the i.e. voice quality channel). It provides a peer to peer CTI link carrying control information between a CTI server and workstation applications, through a multiplexer/demultiplexer, herein after referred to as the control channel. While the preferred embodiment differentiates between voice and data, it will be easily understood by one skilled in the art that any information may be sent over the channels, including but not limited to voice, data and video. In addition, the preferred embodiment contains an association between the originating number of the dial-up connection, the corresponding terminating telephone number or port address on the multiplexing device, and a central office telephone line address corresponding to the termination of the external call on the multiplexing device. Utilizing the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a user can be alerted to the fact that they have an incoming call, is given choices as to how to handle the incoming call such as answering the call and using the workstation sound card and microphone as the telephone instrument while remaining connected to the Internet and continuing to simultaneously talk and do work on the world wide web. Likewise, the user of the present invention is able to make an outgoing call while concurrently accessing the Internet, as well as invoking conventional telephone functions such as conference calling and placing a call on hold. The preferred embodiment also refers to only two concurrent sessions. The technology divulged in the present invention makes it obvious to one skilled in the art how to extend this invention to more than two concurrent sessions. 
     FIG. 1 depicts a network configuration in which a computer  103  is connected to a remote computer such as an Internet provider  110  by way of one of a multitude of conventional telephone lines  115  where the telephone lines  115  are connected to a central office or public switch  105  which in turn is connected to the remote computer  110  through a central office switch  107  associated with the remote computer. In this simplified example of data devices using the telephone network, if a traditional telephone user  101  attempts to contact the computer user  103  who, in turn, is accessing the remote computer  110 , the central office switch  105  associated with the computer user  103  will detect that the line to the requested computer  103  is busy. This will result in the central office switch  105  sending a busy signal to the caller  101 . Alternatively, the central office switch  105  might send a call waiting interrupt tone to the requested computer  103  which is an in-band frequency that is interpreted by the requested computer  103  as corrupted data from the remote computer  110  (since the requested computer  103  does not understand the call waiting tone) and the session between the remote computer  110  and the requested computer  103  is terminated due to its perceived corruption. 
     FIG. 2A depicts the prior art flows between the components in the network of FIG. 1 when a caller attempts to call a telephone number which is currently logged on to a data network such as the Internet. The user of the calling computer  103  sends a message  201  to the Data Service provider  110  by way of the central switches for the calling computer  105 , the central switch for the data service provider  107  and any other intermediate switches. The message  201  sent by the calling computer  103  requests the establishment of a session between the calling computer  103  and the data service provider  110 . The data service provider  110  then sends a positive response  205  to the calling computer by way of the central office switch  105  for the calling computer and the central office switch  107  for the data service provider confirming the establishment of the session. From that point information flows freely  209  between the two computers over the session that has been established between them. 
     When an external caller  101  places a call to the requesting computer  103 , a request  211  is made from the external caller&#39;s switch to the central office switch  105  of the requesting computer to establish a session with the requesting computer  103 . The central office switch  105  checks the connection to the requesting computer  103  and detects that the line (or telephone number) is already in use, therefore the central office switch  105  sends a busy indication  213  back to the external caller&#39;s switch. At this point, the external caller  101  is not permitted access to the requesting computer  203 . 
     As is shown in FIG. 2B, the scenario is slightly different if the telephone line which the requesting computer is using supports call waiting. In FIG. 2B, the flows are the same as in FIG. 2A while establishing the session between the requesting computer  103  and the remote computer  110 . Once the session  209  has been established, if the line the requesting computer  103  is using supports call waiting, when the external caller&#39;s switch sends a message  211  to the central office switch for the requesting computer  105  requesting to connect to the requesting computer  103 , the central office switch for the requesting computer  105  sends a call waiting tone  220  to the requesting computer  103 . The requesting computer  103 , responding to what it interprets as a corrupted transmission from the remote computer  110 , hangs up  213  which terminates the session with the remote computer. The requesting computer  103  is then available to answer the call  222  from the external caller  101  and establish a communications session  226  if the requesting computer is equipped to accept an incoming call using call waiting. This is definitely undesirable in that the user did not intend to terminate the session with the data service provider at this time. The user may have taken considerable time and expense to navigate to where he was in the databases of the data service provider and that information may be very difficult to replicate. For that reason, many data service providers strongly urge their users not to subscribe to call waiting. 
     FIG. 3 depicts the flow of information between a computer user accessing a computer data network over a telephone line and an incoming call using the present invention. Using the present invention, a black box  407  (see FIG. 4) is placed either inside of or next to the central office switch and a CTI Server  405  is attached to or part of the Central Office Switch. A communications link is established between the black box  407  and the CTI server  405 . Matching SVD (simultaneous voice and data) technology is present in the workstation  401  and the black box such that multiple channels (3 or more) can be dynamically or statically established over the path between them. This black box, the CTI Server, and the various communications connections will be described further with respect to the following figures. In addition, the devices referenced in the description of FIG. 3 are visually apparent in FIG.  4 . 
     When the computer user at workstation  401  executes a dial  301  to the central switch for connectivity to the data service provider, the central switch  403  issues a request  303  to the CTI server  405  requesting that the CTI server  405  provide the central switch with instructions as to what to do with the dialing request. The CTI server  405 , knowing that this is a request to a service provider  413 , instructs  305  the switch  403  to redirect the call to a telephone number representing a free port on the black box  407 . (Note, there can be a dialog  306  between the CTI Server  405  and the black box  407  to determine the appropriate terminating port and associated telephone number). The black box  407  will then establish the path to the service provider  413  and information will flow freely between the computer workstation  401  and the service provider  413 . Flow  307  represents the flow between the black box  407  and the workstation  401  through the central office switch  403 . Flow  309  represents the flow between the data service provider  413  and the black box  407 . The black box  407  also establishes a control channel  317  and a voice channel  327  with the workstation  401 . 
     When an external caller  411  dials the requesting computer  401 , a request  311  is made from the external caller&#39;s switch to the central office switch  403 . The central office switch  403  sends a request  313  to the CTI server  405  to provide it with instructions on what to do with the dialing request. The CTI server  405 , knowing the status of the workstation  401  connectivity, sends a request  315  through the black box, over the control channel  317 , to the workstation  401  for instructions as to what to do with this call along with information as to who is calling. The end user&#39;s choice of what to do with the call  319 ,  321  is forwarded from the workstation  401  through the black box  407  to the CTI server  405  over the control channel. If the choice is to accept the call, the CTI server  405  instructs  323  the central switch  403  to redirect the call to a specific telephone number or port id on the black box  407  that will terminate the call from the external caller  411 . Either the black box  407  or the CTI server  405  will answer the call on behalf of the computer user  401 . (Note, there can be a dialog between the CTI Server  405  and the black box  407  to determine the appropriate terminating port and associated telephone number). The black box  407  will begin multiplexing the voice over the voice channel  327  together with the current service provider data on the data channel  307 , and the computer user  401  can begin speaking with the external caller  411  using the microphone, speaker and sound card in the workstation  401 , while the computer user  401  simultaneously continues to communicate  307  with the data service provider  413  using the keyboard and display of the workstation  401 . 
     The above example of the preferred embodiment can, using the same methodology, be extended to handle additional incoming and outgoing calls. This is done by multiplexing additional telephone numbers associated with the requesting computer&#39;s telephone number. A graphical representation of two incoming telephone calls and two outgoing data sessions is shown in FIG.  5 . FIG. 6 depicts the organization in the CTI server of the port associations supporting FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 5 depicts a configuration similar to that of FIG. 4 except that additional connections are multiplexed to the workstation through the black box. The computer user  501  executes a dial to the central switch  503  for connection to the data service provider  511 , the central switch  503  for the computer user then issues a request to the CTI server  507  requesting instructions on connecting to the data service provider  511 . The CTI server  507 , recognizing that this is a request to connect to a data service provider, instructs the switch  503  to redirect the call to a telephone number representing an unoccupied port on the black box  509 . The black box  509  will then establish the path (using the i.e. data channel) to the service provider  511  and information will flow freely between the computer user  501  and the service provider  511 . This flow of information from the computer user  501  and the service provider  511  is by way of the central office switch  503  and the black box  509  which have, at that time, established a control channel and a data channel both over the same physical line to the computer user  501 . 
     A request from an external telephone caller  505  then comes in to the computer user  501  by way of the external telephone caller dialing the phone number of the computer user. A request is made from the external caller&#39;s switch  503  (which in this case is the same switch as the computer user&#39;s switch) to establish the connection. The central office switch  503  for the user&#39;s computer  501  sends a request to the CTI server  507  to provide instructions on direction of the dialing request. The CTI server  507 , detecting the status of the workstation connectivity, sends a request through the black box  509 , over the control channel between the black box  509  and the user computer  501  for instructions as to how to handle this call. This dialog over the control channel may also contain data concerning the call such as the caller&#39;s telephone number or caller-id. The end user&#39;s choice of how to handle the call is then forwarded from the workstation  501  through the black box  509  to the CTI server  507 . If the choice is to accept the call, the CTI server  507  instructs the central switch  503  for the user computer  501  to redirect the call to a specific port id on the black box  509  that will terminate the call. At that point either the black box  509  or the CTI server  507  will answer the call on behalf of the computer user  501 . At this point there are three logical channels multiplexed over the connection between the user computer  501  and the black box  509 , one data channel, one voice channel and one control channel. 
     Referring to FIG. 6, the CTI server contains information on the assignment of the ports and associations for the black box. The phone number  601  associated with the user&#39;s computer is associated with the port number associated with the data service provider  603  and also with the port number associated with the external caller  605 . 
     Next, in the present example, the computer user  501  desires an additional connection to a second data service provider  515 . The computer user  501  sends a request to the central office switch  503  requesting a session with a second data service provider  515 . The central office switch  503  issues a request to the CTI server  507  requesting routing instructions for the requested connection. The CTI server  507 , recognizing that the requested connection is with a data service provider, instructs the switch to redirect the call to a telephone number associated with an unoccupied port on the black box  509 . Referring to FIG. 6, the requested connection is then associated with port X″  607 . The black box  509  then establishes a path to the service provider  515  and the information between the computer user and the second data service provider  515  begins to be multiplexed across the physical connection. This results in four logical channels, one between the user computer  501  and the first data service provider  511 , one control channel between the black box  509  and the user computer  501 , one between the user computer  501  and the external telephone caller  505  and another between the computer user  501  and the second data service provider  515 . 
     In the example of FIG. 5, a second external telephone user  513  requests a connection to the computer user  501 . The second external telephone user of this example is associated with a different central office switch  517  than the computer user, therefore, the request for connection comes from the telephone user to the user&#39;s central office switch  517  to the computer user&#39;s central office switch  503  and is then handled by the CTI server  507  as in the prior connection with an external telephone user. This results in one additional association  609  in the CTI server. 
     While there are a limited number of embodiments listed in the application, this invention in conjunction with existing features such as phone mail and conference calling, provide a multitude of means for utilizing existing telephony hardware and software, in conjunction with a multiplexer/demultiplexer and an application program at the user&#39;s workstation, to enhance the productivity and usefulness of the existing telephone line(s) to a user&#39;s computer.