Patent Publication Number: US-2004049583-A1

Title: Internet communication system

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention concerns an Internet communication system in a network for the hospitality industry and which uses the existing telephone system, a dial tone generating device and a server, thereby avoiding the paralysis of the establishment&#39;s telephone system.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] In the hospitality industry, various solutions have been developed in the past to offer Internet services to users located in public places, such as hotels, governmental buildings, hospitals, or convention centers. However, most of these solutions involve high-speed connectivity and are based on cabling, DSL technology, and wireless links. These solutions require important investments to the owner of the establishment, in order to provide each location where the Internet service access is offered with the required equipment and connections.  
       [0003] These technologies, in some cases, do use the establishment&#39;s telephone lines or cabling, but the telephone system equipment that is already installed in the establishment is not completely involved. For instance, a PBX system (private branch exchange), which is commonly found in hotels as part of the telephone system, acts as a telephone central office. The PBX manages call requests between telephone users in each rooms to share a certain number of external telephone lines, which is usually less than the number of rooms in the hotel. In Miron et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,992), the connection system makes use of the existing telephone wiring, but necessitate the addition of an analog front end to the server which provides digital to analog conversion means, in order to maximize the speed of communication. Since no PBX system is involved in the solution, the owner of that system needs to purchase new material. He would also need to install and adapt it to what is kept from his original internal telephone system and computer network, which usually results in a more expensive solution than to use existing in house equipment.  
       [0004] Another alternative to offer Internet access to hospitality establishments consist in using multiple devices, including a Router and a Remote Access Server, which often results in a cumbersome and expensive solution. The above also requires that a computer networking specialist designs, builds and configures the solution.  
       [0005] To get access to the Internet, each user PC must be previously configured with a unique address. A computer wishing to communicate with another computer in the same local area network usually directs a message to a server by using this unique address. The server in the local area network recognizes the address and processes the message to the computer being part of the same local area network, or sends it to the Internet in the case of a foreign address. Slemmer et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,990) proposes a local area network having a server and a plurality of user computers. The system provides a network adaptor address on top of the computer&#39;s unique Internet address which is recognized by the local area network server. However, this invention takes as a premise that the Internet connection is already made between the foreign user computer and the receiving local area network.  
       [0006] This invention provides means to integrate any user PC to a network in a hospitality establishment, requiring no other action from the user than to physically connect his computer to the network and put up a request for the Internet services. The Internet connection is made possible by using the existing telephone system equipment, which contributes in establishing the Internet connection, regardless of the Internet configuration of the user PC. For instance, the user PC may join the hospitality network equipped with a modem or not, may be configured with an Internet analog or digital default set-up. This invention comprises means to connect to the Internet for both analog and digital modes.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an Internet communication system which provides means to integrate any user PC to an in house network destined to offer Internet access to the clients in the hospitality industry.  
       [0008] It is further an object of this invention to offer a transparent solution to the users of the hospitality establishment, requiring no other action from the user than to physically connect his computer to the network and put up a request for the Internet services.  
       [0009] It is further an object of this invention to use the existing telephone system equipment which contributes in establishing the Internet connection, regardless of the Internet configuration of the user PC.  
       [0010] It is further an object of this invention to provide means to allow the user PC to join the hospitality network and to connect to the Internet for both analog and digital modes. The analog mode implicates the use of a modem on the user PC. The digital instance is required in the case of a user PC equipped with a network interface card.  
       [0011] It is further an object of this invention to modify the BARS instructions from the existing PBX telephone system and also to add a dial tone generating device and an off-hook detector circuit to the existing PBX telephone system in the analog mode of operation.  
       [0012] There is therefore provided an improved hospitality communication system for use in a network, which network comprises a first user PC equipped with communication means, a first connector, a first connection interface destined to connect the said first PC to the said network with the use of said first connector, an Internet connectivity line which links said network to the Internet, wherein the improvement comprises:  
       [0013] a remote access server comprising network access means, remote access means and which is directly connected to the Internet;  
       [0014] an operating system software installed on the said server to provide information required for the Internet connection;  
       [0015] an in house switching telephone system comprising means to manage an existing telephone network to provide a communication channel to said first user PC;  
       [0016] a dialtone generating device which is connected to the said in house switching telephone system and the said remote access server.  
       [0017] Other aspects and many of the attendant advantages will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description and considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols designated like elements throughout the figures.  
       [0018] The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0019]FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the connections of each components of the hospitality remote access communication network in accordance with the invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0020] The first embodiment of this invention represents a communication system in a network for use in a public building, like a hotel. The system comprises components that provide Internet access services to clients or users, requiring no other action than to put up a request on a computer. In a preferred embodiment, this invention uses the entire existing telephone network and thereby avoids the telephone system paralysis, caused by users dialing Internet Service Providers during peak period of use of the telephone system.  
     [0021] As seen in FIG. 1, the user PC  110  needs to be connected to the network  100  to have access to the Internet  170 . In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the user brings his own user PC  110 , being configured with its own Internet address that uniquely identifies each sender or receiver of information on the Internet  170 . In another embodiment, the hotel provides some rooms with a computer offering direct Internet services to the client.  
     [0022] Each hotel telephone network  160  usually comprises a telephone  120  in each room which is connected with wires (not shown) and via a data connector (not shown). When a hotel client picks up the telephone  120  and composes a request by dialing a telephone number, a PBX (private branch exchange)  130  acts as a telephone central office which manages call requests between telephone users on internal lines  128  while allowing all users to share a certain number of external telephone lines  180 . The main purpose of a PBX  130  is to save the cost of requiring an external telephone line  180  for each user.  
     [0023] According to this invention, the user PC  110  is connected to the telephone network  160  by the same data connector (not shown) as the hotel telephone  120 , thus enabling the hotel owner to use the PBX  130  managing capabilities and the call accounting system  140  to process the Internet requests and bill the user accordingly.  
     [0024] The Internet access is made possible because a server  150  receives the Internet request from the PBX  130  and redirects it to the Internet  170 , preferably via a high speed connection  152  which is independent from the telephone network  160  and through a firewall protection  158 .  
     [0025] Once a request for the Internet  170  is placed from a user PC  110 , the communication between the server  150  and the PBX  130  is ensured with the help of their computer cards (not shown).  
     [0026] The server  150  is equipped with a remote access card (not shown) which includes both the digital cards (not shown) and the analog cards (not shown). These cards are each configured in a different way to achieve the Internet connection, depending on the method of the Internet request, which comes from the user PC  110 .  
     [0027] The PBX  130  comprises a digital card (not shown) and an analog card (not shown). In the case of an analog request from a user PC  110 , which is equipped with a modem, the PBX  130  redirects the connection request to the server  150  via the analog line (not shown) through a dialtone generating device  132 . The dialtone generating device  132  signals to the modem (not shown) of the user PC  110  the presence of an available line with a steady tone, thus allowing the user PC  110  modem to complete the request.  
     [0028] Both the digital and analog configurations are required in order to allow system flexibility to the owner of the hotel and system transparency to the user of the Internet service, regardless of the mode of operation of his user PC  110 . In the first embodiment, the user connects his user PC to the network  100  and sends a request for Internet services without changing his usual Internet set-up. The user PC  110  is either configured to work in a network with a digital Internet set-up, like in most office buildings, or work in an analog mode when equipped with a modem, for typical personal or home Internet set-up.  
     [0029] In the digital instance, the digital card (not shown) of the PBX  130  and the card on the digital remote access card (not shown) of the server  150  are configured to ensure proper interoperability between the PBX  130  and the server  150 . The cards do not negotiate their settings but remain fixed and communicate digital information from the user PC  110  to the Internet via the PBX  130  and the server  150 . The request to access the Internet  170  gets processed, then a connection to the Internet  170  is obtained via the high speed Internet connectivity  152 .  
     [0030] In case of an analog setting of the user PC  100 , the PBX  130  redirects the connection request through the analog card (not shown) to the dialtone generating device  132 , which emulates a dial tone that is perceived by the modem as a signal to start the the connection process. Once the connection process has begun, the analog card (not shown) in the server  150  completes the connection link procedure. By being connected to the network  100 , each modem of every user PC  110  becomes an extension in a group that can access the Internet  170 .  
     [0031] To avoid any modification to the user PC  110  in case of an analog configuration, the BARS (Automatic Route Selection, not shown) in the PBX  130  is used and modified. The BARS is a list of instructions that are used for the routing of calls. For example, a BARS in a telephone network  160  can be programmed so that if someone dials 555 on an extension, the call would be redirected to an external telephone number such as 1-888-555-2525, and vice-versa.  
     [0032] According to this invention, the BARS in the PBX  130  is programmed to include all the Internet service provider telephone numbers that can be dialed by modems of user PC  110  in analog configurations. However, the BARS features are only available on the trunk side  190  of the PBX  130 . The trunk side  190  of a telephone network  160  comprises the shared lines carrying the voices and data which terminate at the PBX  130 . The other side between the PBX  130  and the external telephone lines  180  is called the public side  195 .  
     [0033] In order to compensate for the lack of dial tone on the trunk side  190  of an internal telephone network  160 , the addition of a dial-tone generating device  132  is necessary. When an Internet request is placed through the PBX  130  in the analog case, an automatic routing system executes this request by opening a line  128  on the trunk side  190  of the telephone network  160 . No dial tone sound is yet sensed by the modem of the user PC  110 , which would eventually results in the failure of the Internet dial-up connection request. The Remote Access card of the server  150  cannot maintain an open line connection for the purpose of “listening” in an analog state before a connection has been established.  
     [0034] The dialtone generating device  132  includes an off-hook detector circuit (not shown) which acts as a bridge by making the connection between the analog card of the PBX  132 , on the trunk side  190  of the telephone system  160 , and the analog remote access card of the server  150 . The off-hook detector circuit (not shown) is activated when the automatic routing system opens a line  128  on the trunk side  190  in the case of an analog Internet request from the user PC  110 . The electronic control circuit of the off-hook detector circuit (not shown), which gives the indication of the off-hook status, thereby generates a dial-tone connection to the Remote Access Card. The modem of the user PC  110  therefore believes that a dial tone is available, which is required to simulate the connection with the Remote Access Server. Upon termination of this link, the off-hook detector circuit (not shown) severs the connection between the analog card of the PBX  130 , on the trunk side  190  of the telephone system  160 , and the analog remote access card of the server  150 , rendering the line back to “listening” mode.  
     [0035] A software (not shown) on the server  150  works as a gateway which allows multiple connections to the network  100  to share one single line to an external network, like a high speed connection line  152  to the Internet  170 . An identification is provided to the first user PC as a temporary member of the communication network  200  to allow incoming and outgoing Internet information to travel through this open communication channel. The network  200  connection to the Internet is ensured with the help of a network card (not shown) on the server  150 .  
     [0036] In a second embodiment, the Internet request can be processed by including in the Internet set-up of the user PC  110  which is equipped with a modem, the particular extension allocated to the room where the user PC  110  is connected to, before the modem dials its usual Internet service provider telephone number. This embodiment could be used in rooms where user PC  1   10  are already provided in the hotel room or with Internet user which are familiar with modifications to the Internet set-up.  
     [0037] Although the invention has been described above with respect with one specific form, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that it may be modified and refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to have it understood that the present invention should not be limited in scope, except by the terms of the following claims.