U.S. patent application number 08/962356 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-22 for apparatus and method of connecting computer network to telephone.
Invention is credited to FUJINO, NOBUTSUGU, IIDA, ICHIRO, NISHIGAYA, TAKASHI, SAITO, TAMIO.
Application Number | 20010043587 08/962356 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18234182 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010043587 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FUJINO, NOBUTSUGU ; et
al. |
November 22, 2001 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONNECTING COMPUTER NETWORK TO
TELEPHONE
Abstract
When a source subscriber activates a voice communications unit
of a computer, an agent process unit in a computer center receives
a data stream transmitted from a voice communications unit. The
agent process unit activates a voice communications unit capable of
communicating with the voice communications unit, and transfers the
data stream from the voice communications unit to the voice
communications unit. A network control unit transmits a telephone
number stored in a telephone number storage unit. Thus,
communications can be established between the computer and a
telephone terminal.
Inventors: |
FUJINO, NOBUTSUGU;
(KAWASAKI-SHI, JP) ; NISHIGAYA, TAKASHI;
(KAWASAKI-SHI, JP) ; SAITO, TAMIO; (KAWASAKI-SHI,
JP) ; IIDA, ICHIRO; (KAWASAKI-SHI, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STAAS & HALSEY LLP
700 11TH STREET, NW
SUITE 500
WASHINGTON
DC
20001
US
|
Family ID: |
18234182 |
Appl. No.: |
08/962356 |
Filed: |
October 31, 1997 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/352 ;
370/401 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 7/1225
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/352 ;
370/401 |
International
Class: |
H04L 012/66 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 11, 1996 |
JP |
08-330574 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of connecting a call from a computer to a telephone in
a system including one or more first computers having a voice
communications ability, a computer center including one or more
second computers connected to the first computers through a
computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to
the computer center and a telephone network, comprising the steps
of: providing, in each of said first computers, first voice
communications means for establishing communications between
computer networks; and first voice/data conversion means
functionally connected to said first voice communications means;
providing, in each of said computer center, one or more second
voice communications means for establishing communications between
computer networks; second voice/data conversion means functionally
connected to said second voice communications means; network
control means connected to said second voice/data conversion means;
agent process means; and a telephone number storage unit
functionally connected to said agent process means; receiving
through said agent process means of the computer center a data
stream transmitted from said first voice communications means when
said first voice communications means is activated in at least one
of the first computers; through said agent process means,
activating said second voice communications means; transferring the
data stream to the activated voice communications means; and
transmitting a telephone number stored in said telephone number
storage unit by said network control means; and establishing
communications between the first computers and the telephone
terminals.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein telephone number
writing means is provided for writing a destination telephone
number to said telephone number storage unit in the computer
center, wherein said destination telephone number is preliminarily
written to said telephone number storage unit at an instruction
from a source subscriber or a destination subscriber.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said destination
telephone number is written to said telephone number storage unit
in the computer center when an online instruction is input by a
source subscriber through the at least one of the first
computers.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said telephone number
storage unit comprises a storage unit for storing a character
string indicating a destination subscriber and a storage unit for
storing a telephone number corresponding to the character string; a
character string indicating a destination subscriber is input
online through the at least one of the first computers; said agent
process means converts the input character string into a
destination telephone number by referring to said telephone number
storage unit when a telephone call is issued; and said network
control means issues a call to the destination telephone
number.
5. The method according to claim 5, wherein said computer center
comprises a telephone number reception means for receiving a
telephone number to be stored in said telephone number storage unit
from said network control means; and said agent process means or
another agent process means preliminarily receives a call through
said network control means and writes the telephone number received
by said telephone number reception means to said telephone number
storage unit.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein user position monitor
means for monitoring a position of a destination subscriber is
provided; the position of the destination subscriber is monitored
by said user position monitor means, and a telephone number
available to the destination subscriber is written to said
telephone number storage unit.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said user position
monitor means writes information indicating a computer being used
by a destination subscriber to said telephone number storage unit
when the destination subscriber uses the computer, and when the
information is written, a call is not issued to a telephone, but
communications are established between computers by transferring a
packet from said first voice communications means to a voice
communications means of a computer of a destination subscriber, or
by activating, by said first agent process means, said first voice
communications means in such a way that said first voice
communications can communicate with the voice communications means
of the destination subscriber.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein when two or more
computer centers are connected to a computer network, said agent
process means in a first computer center connected to the computer
network checks said telephone number storage unit when a connection
request is received from a source subscriber, transfers the
connection request to a second computer center physically close to
an area to which a telephone number of the subscriber belongs, and
connects the at least one of the first computers with said voice
communications means in the second computer center.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first voice
communications means and said second voice communications means
transmit and receive animation data as well as voice data.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said computer center
comprises a plurality of second voice communications means; said
second agent process means recognizes a type of the first voice
communications means from a data stream received from the first
voice communications means of the at least one of the first
computers, selects one of the second voice communications means
capable of communicating with the first voice communications means
from among the plurality of second voice communications means,
activates the selected second voice communications means, and
transfers the data stream to the activated second voice
communications means for communications with the first voice
communications means.
11. A method of connecting a call from a computer to a telephone in
a system including one or more first computers having a voice
communications ability, a computer center including one or more
second computers connected to the first computers through a
computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to
the computer center and a telephone network, comprising the steps
of: providing, in each of said first computers, first voice
communications means for establishing communications between
computer networks; first voice/data conversion means functionally
connected to said first voice communications means; and first agent
process means; providing, in each of said computer center, one or
more second voice communications means for establishing
communications between computer networks; second voice/data
conversion means functionally connected to said second voice
communications means; network control means connected to said
second voice/data conversion means; second agent process means; and
a telephone number storage unit functionally connected to said
second agent process means; activating said first agent process
means in at least one of the first computers, thereby establishing
communications between said first agent process means and said
second agent process means; activating, by said first agent process
means, said first voice communications means in such a way that
said first voice communications means can communicate with said
second voice communications means; activating said second voice
communications means by said second agent process means, and
issuing a call from said network control means to a telephone
number stored in said telephone number storage unit; and
establishing communications between the at least one of the first
computers and the telephone terminals.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein telephone number
writing means is provided for writing a destination telephone
number to said telephone number storage unit in the computer
center, wherein said destination telephone number is preliminarily
written to said telephone number storage unit at an instruction
from a source subscriber or a destination subscriber.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said destination
telephone number is written to said telephone number storage unit
in the computer center when an online instruction is input by a
source subscriber through the at least one of the first
computers.
14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said telephone number
storage unit comprises a storage unit for storing a character
string indicating a destination subscriber and a storage unit for
storing a telephone number corresponding to the character string; a
character string indicating a destination subscriber is input
online through the at least one of the first computers; said agent
process means converts the input character string into a
destination telephone number by referring to said telephone number
storage unit when a telephone call is issued; and said network
control means issues a call to the destination telephone
number.
15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said computer center
comprises a telephone number reception means for receiving a
telephone number to be stored in said telephone number storage unit
from said network control means; and said agent process means or
another agent process means preliminarily receives a call through
said network control means and writes the telephone number received
by said telephone number reception means to said telephone number
storage unit.
16. The method according to claim 11, wherein user position monitor
means for monitoring a position of a destination subscriber is
provided; the position of the destination subscriber is monitored
by said user position monitor means, and a telephone number
available to the destination subscriber is written to said
telephone number storage unit.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said user position
monitor means writes information indicating a computer being used
by a destination subscriber to said telephone number storage unit
when the destination subscriber uses the computer, and when the
information is written, a call is not issued to a telephone, but
communications are established between computers by transferring a
packet from said first voice communications means to a voice
communications means of a computer of a destination subscriber, or
by activating, by said first agent process means, said first voice
communications means in such a way that said first voice
communications can communicate with the voice communications means
of the destination subscriber.
18. The method according to claim 11, wherein when two or more
computer centers are connected to a computer network, said agent
process means in a first computer center connected to the computer
network checks said telephone number storage unit when a connection
request is received from a source subscriber, transfers the
connection request to a second computer center physically close to
an area to which a telephone number of the subscriber belongs, and
connects the at least one of the first computers with said voice
communications means in the second computer center.
19. The method according to claim 11, wherein said first voice
communications means and said second voice communications means
transmit and receive animation data as well as voice data.
20. The method according to claim 11, wherein said computer center
comprises a plurality of second voice communications means; said
second agent process means recognizes a type of the first voice
communications means used by the at least one of the first
computers according to a notification from said first agent process
means of the at least one of the first computers, selects one of
the second voice communications means capable of communicating with
the first voice communications means from among the plurality of
second voice communications means, activates the selected second
voice communications means, thereby establishing communications
between the activated second voice communications means with the
first voice communications means of the at least one of the first
computers.
21. A method of connecting a call from a computer to a telephone in
a system including one or more first computers having a voice
communications ability, a computer center including one or more
second computers connected to the first computers through a
computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to
the computer center and a telephone network, comprising the steps
of: providing, in each of said first computers, first voice
communications means for establishing communications between
computer networks; first voice/data conversion means functionally
connected to said first voice communications means; and browser
means; providing, in each of said computer centers, one or more
second voice communications means for establishing communications
between computer networks; second voice/data conversion means
functionally connected to said second voice communications means;
network control means connected to said second voice/data
conversion means; second agent process means; server means; and a
telephone number storage unit; accessing in at least one of the
first computers from said browser means to said server means,
issuing a specific instruction, transmitting a first agent process
means from said server means to said browser means, and activating
the first agent process means in the at least one of the first
computers; activating said second agent process means in the
computer center by said server means; activating, by said first
agent process means, said first voice communications means in such
a way that said first voice communications means can communicate
with said second voice communications means; activating said second
voice communications means by said second agent process means, and
issuing a call from said network control means to a telephone
number stored in said telephone number storage unit; and
establishing communications between the at least one of the first
computers and the telephone terminals.
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein telephone number
writing means is provided for writing a destination telephone
number to said telephone number storage unit in the computer
center, wherein said destination telephone number is preliminarily
written to said telephone number storage unit at an instruction
from a source subscriber or a destination subscriber.
23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said destination
telephone number is written to said telephone number storage unit
in the computer center when an online instruction is input by a
source subscriber through the at least one of the first
computers.
24. The method according to claim 21, wherein said telephone number
storage unit comprises a storage unit for storing a character
string indicating a destination subscriber and a storage unit for
storing a telephone number corresponding to the character string; a
character string indicating a destination subscriber is input
online through the at least one of the first computers; said agent
process means converts the input character string into a
destination telephone number by referring to said telephone number
storage unit when a telephone call is issued; and said network
control means issues a call to the destination telephone
number.
25. The method according to claim 21, wherein said computer center
comprises a telephone number reception means for receiving a
telephone number to be stored in said telephone number storage unit
from said network control means; and said agent process means or
another agent process means preliminarily receives a call through
said network control means and writes the telephone number received
by said telephone number reception means to said telephone number
storage unit.
26. The method according to claim 21, wherein user position monitor
means for monitoring a position of a destination subscriber is
provided; the position of the destination subscriber is monitored
by said user position monitor means, and a telephone number
available to the destination subscriber is written to said
telephone number storage unit.
27. The method according to claim 26, wherein said user position
monitor means writes information indicating a computer being used
by a destination subscriber to said telephone number storage unit
when the destination subscriber uses the computer, and when the
information is written, a call is not issued to a telephone, but
communications are established between computers by transferring a
packet from said first voice communications means to a voice
communications means of a computer of a destination subscriber, or
by activating, by said first agent process means, said first voice
communications means in such a way that said first voice
communications can communicate with the voice communications means
of the destination subscriber.
28. The method according to claim 21, wherein when two or more
computer centers are connected to a computer network, said agent
process means in a first computer center connected to the computer
network checks said telephone number storage unit when a connection
request is received from a source subscriber, transfers the
connection request to a second computer center physically close to
an area to which a telephone number of the subscriber belongs, and
connects the at least one of the first computers with said voice
communications means in the second computer center.
29. The method according to claim 21, wherein said first voice
communications means and said second voice communications means
transmit and receive animation data as well as voice data.
30. The method according to claim 21, wherein said computer center
comprises a plurality of second voice communications means; said
second agent process means recognizes a type of the first voice
communications means used by the at least one of the first
computers according to a notification from said first agent process
means of the at least one of the first computers, selects one of
the second voice communications means capable of communicating with
the first voice communications means from among the plurality of
second voice communications means, activates the selected second
voice communications means, thereby establishing communications
between the activated second voice communications means with the
first voice communications means of the at least one of the first
computers.
31. A method of connecting a call from a computer to a telephone in
a system including one or more first computers having a voice
communications ability, a computer center including one or more
second computers connected to the first computers through a
computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to
the computer center and a telephone network, comprising the steps
of: providing, in each of said first computers, first voice
communications means for establishing communications between
computer networks; and first voice/data conversion means
functionally connected to said first voice communications means;
and providing, in each of said computer center, one or more second
voice communications means for establishing communications between
computer networks; second voice/data conversion means functionally
connected to said second voice communications means; first network
control means connected to said second voice/data conversion means;
agent process means; server means; a telephone number storage unit;
and first data communications interface means, wherein each of said
telephone terminals comprises second network control means, second
data communications interface means, voice communications interface
means, and second browser means; said second browser means of the
telephone terminal accesses said server means through said data
communications interface means of the computer center, and issues a
specific instruction; said computer center activates said agent
process means; said activated agent process means activates said
second voice communications means in such a way that said second
voice communications means can communicate with said first voice
communications means in at least one of the first computers
connected to the computer network, disconnects communications with
the telephone terminal, switches a connection to said first network
control means from said first data communications interface means
to said first voice/data conversion means, and issues a call to the
telephone terminal; communications are disconnected between the
telephone terminal and the computer center; a connection of said
second network control means is switched from said second data
communications interface means to said voice communications
interface means, a call is awaited, and a call from a telephone
network is answered; and communications are established between the
at least one of the first computers and the telephone terminal.
32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said telephone
terminal comprises third agent process means; browser means of the
telephone terminal accesses a server means of the computer center
through said second data communications interface means of the
telephone terminal and said first data communications interface
means of the computer center, and issues a specific instruction;
said computer center activates said second agent process means;
said activated second agent process means activates said second
voice communications means in such a way that said second voice
communications means can communicate with a first voice
communications means in the at least one of the first computers
connected to the computer network. said second agent process means
disconnects communications with the telephone terminal, switches a
connection to said first network control means from said first data
communications interface means to said second voice/data conversion
means, issues a call to the telephone terminal, switches a
connection to said first network control means from said voice/data
conversion means to said first data communications interface means
when communications terminates, and issues a call or an
acknowledgement answer to the telephone terminal; said third agent
process means of the telephone terminal disconnects communications
with the computer center, switches a connection to said second
network control means from said second data communications
interface means to said voice communications interface means,
answer a call from the computer center, switches a connection to
said second network control means from said voice communications
interface means to said second data communications interface means
when communications terminates, and issues an acknowledgement or a
call to the computer center; and communications are established
between the at least one of the first computers and the telephone
terminal.
33. A method of connecting a call from a computer to a telephone in
a system including one or more first computers having a voice
communications ability, a computer center including one or more
second computers connected to the first computers through a
computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to
the computer center and a telephone network, comprising the steps
of: providing first voice/data conversion means and browser means
in each of the first computers; and providing, in each of said
computer centers, one or more second voice communications means for
establishing communications between computer networks; second
voice/data conversion means functionally connected to said second
voice communications means; network control means connected to said
second voice/data conversion means; server means; and a telephone
number storage unit, wherein said browser means in at least one of
the first computers accesses said server means, a specific
instruction is issued, and said server means transmits a first
voice communications means to the at least one of the first
computers; first voice communications means is activated in the at
least one of the first computers in such a way that said first
voice communications means can communicate with said second voice
communications means; said second voice communications means is
activated in the computer center in such a way that said second
voice communications means can communicate with first voice
communications means; said network control means issues a call to a
telephone number stored in said telephone number storage unit; and
communications can be established between the at least one of the
first computers and the telephone terminal.
34. An apparatus for connecting a computer network to a telephone
and having one or more computers connected to a computer network
and a telephone network, comprising: voice communications means for
establishing communications between computer networks; voice/data
conversion means, functionally connected to said voice
communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal
and vice versa; telephone number storage unit for storing a
destination telephone number; network control means for issuing,
connecting, and disconnecting a call through a telephone network;
and agent process means for receiving a data stream transmitted
from another computer connected to the computer network, activating
said voice communications means, transferring the data stream to
said voice communications means, and instructing said network
control means to issue a call to a telephone number stored in said
telephone number storage unit.
35. An apparatus for connecting a computer network to a telephone
and having one or more computers connected to a computer network
and a telephone network, comprising: voice communications means for
establishing communications between computer networks; voice/data
conversion means, functionally connected to said voice
communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal
and vice versa; telephone number storage unit for storing a
destination telephone number; network control means for issuing,
connecting, and disconnecting a call through a telephone network;
and agent process means for communicating with another agent
process means in another computer of the one or more computers
connected to a computer network, activating said voice
communications means when a voice communications connection request
is received, and instructing said network control means to issue a
call to a telephone number stored in said telephone number storage
unit.
36. An apparatus which has one or more computers connected to a
computer network and a telephone network, and connects a call from
a computer network to a telephone terminal, comprising: voice
communications means for establishing voice communications between
computer networks; voice/data conversion means, functionally
connected to said voice communications means, for converting voice
data into a voice signal and vice versa; telephone number storage
unit for storing a destination telephone number; network control
means for issuing, connecting, and disconnecting a call to a
telephone network; server means for receiving a specific
instruction from browser means of another computer connected
through a computer network and transmitting agent process means
operating in another computer which has issued the instruction; and
agent process means for communicating with another agent process
means in another computer, activating said voice communications
means when a voice communications connection request is received,
and instructing said network control means to issue a call to a
telephone number stored in said telephone number storage unit.
37. An apparatus which has one or more computers connected to a
computer network and a telephone network, and connects a call from
a computer network to a telephone terminal, comprising: network
control means for issuing, connecting, and disconnecting a call to
a telephone network; data communications interface means for
receiving data or a specific instruction transferred from a
telephone terminal capable of communicating data through said
network control means; voice communications means for establishing
voice communications between computer networks; voice/data
conversion means, functionally connected to said voice
communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal
and vice versa; telephone number storage unit for storing a
destination telephone number; agent process means for activating
said voice communications means in such a way that said voice
communications means can communicate with another computer
connected through a computer network, disconnecting communications
with a telephone terminal which issued a specific instruction,
switching a connection to said network control means from said data
communications interface means to said voice/data conversion means,
and instructing said network control means to issue a call to the
telephone terminal; and server means for activating said agent
process means at a specific instruction from said data
communications interface means.
38. An apparatus which has one or more computers connected through
a computer network to a computer center for connection to a
telephone terminal and connects a call from a computer network to a
telephone terminal, comprising: voice communications means for
establishing voice communications between computer networks;
voice/data conversion means, functionally connected to said voice
communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal
and vice versa; and agent process means for communicating with
agent process means in a corresponding computer center, and
activating said voice communications means.
39. An apparatus which has one or more computers connected through
a computer network to a computer center for connection to a
telephone terminal and connects a call from a computer network to a
telephone terminal, comprising: browser means for communicating
with server means of a corresponding computer center, and issuing a
specific instruction; voice communications means for establishing
voice communications through computer networks activated by agent
process means transmitted from the computer center at a specific
instruction; and voice/data conversion means, functionally
connected to said voice communications means, for converting voice
data into a voice signal and vice versa.
40. A telephone terminal for communicating with a computer
connected to a computer network through a computer center connected
to a telephone network and a computer network; comprising: data
communications interface means; voice communications interface
means; browser means for accessing server means of the computer
center through the data communications interface means, and issuing
a specific instruction; and network control means for disconnecting
communications with the computer center after issuing the specific
instruction, switching a connection from said data communications
interface means to said voice communications interface means,
entering a call wait state, and returning an answer in response to
arriving call from a telephone network.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a method, connection
device, transmission device, and telephone terminal for connecting
a computer network to a telephone, and more specifically to a
method and apparatus for connecting a voice communications system
used in a computer network to a telephone connected to a public
telephone network, etc.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Conventionally, a voice communications system is used
between computers having the function of setting voice
communications in a voice communications process using an Internet
phone in the Internet.
[0005] FIG. 1 shows the first conventional technology.
[0006] Conventionally, as in the example shown in FIG. 1, voice
communications are established from a computer 300 connected to a
computer network 2 comprising an optical fiber, an Ether cable,
etc. to another computer 300' dial-up-IP-connected to a telephone
network 4 through a modem 304 using voice communications processes
302 and 302' such as an Internet phone, etc. Voice/data conversion
units 301 and 301' convert a voice signal received through a
microphone into voice data and output the data, or receive
digitalized voice data, convert it into a voice signal, and output
the signal to a speaker, etc.
[0007] However, in the dial-up-IP connection commonly used by
individual users, a line between the user and the Internet is
originally optimized for voice communications. Nevertheless, as
shown in FIG. 1, modulated, demodulated, or coded non-voice data
are transmitted through the line. Additionally, coded voice signals
are transmitted through the same line. As a result, there arises
the problem that this method is inferior in transmission efficiency
and quality to the method of exclusively transmitting voice signals
as in the common telephone systems.
[0008] When a wireless circuit of, for example, a portable
telephone, etc. is used, frequency (line) resources are limited,
thereby wasting line resources and deteriorating transmission
quality. This holds true with a telephone network using a digital
method as well as using an analog method.
[0009] To solve the above described problem, a conversion unit for
converting voice data and voice signals is provided between a
computer network and a user telephone line so that the voice data
transmitted through the computer network can be converted into
voice signals before arriving at the telephone line. It is assumed
that the Net2Phone disclosed by the IDT (International Discount
Telecommunication Co.) corresponds to this system.
[0010] FIG. 2 shows the second conventional technology. In the
example shown in FIG. 2, a gateway unit 305 for converting a voice
data packet into a voice signal for use in the telephone network 4
is provided in the computer network 2 (for example, the Internet)
to transmit a signal to an existing telephone network 4. The
gateway unit 305 comprises the voice communications process 302'
corresponding to the voice communications process 302 of the
computer 300, the voice/data conversion unit 301', and a network
control unit (NCU) 306.
[0011] However, in this method, it is necessary to newly provide an
exclusive voice communications process or improve an existing voice
communications process to transmit a signal to a telephone
line.
[0012] The voice communications process should be improved for each
voice communications process. However, it is not economical to
improve all voice communications processes now in the market.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention aims at solving the problem that the
transmission efficiency and quality are reduced when voice
communications are set through a communications network, and at
allowing a telephone call to be issued from the computer network
through a public telephone network, etc. using an existing voice
communications process.
[0014] The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer
network according to the first aspect of the present invention
includes a computer center having one or more first computers
capable of setting voice communications and one or more second
computers connected to the first computers through the computer
network; and one or more telephone terminals connected to the
computer center through a telephone network. The first computer
includes a first voice communications unit for use between
computers and a first voice/data conversion unit functionally
connected to the first voice communications unit. The computer
center includes one or more second voice/data conversion units, a
network control unit connected to the second voice/data conversion
unit, an agent process unit, and a telephone number storage unit
functionally connected to the agent process unit. When the first
voice communications unit is activated in the first computer, the
data stream transmitted from the first voice communications unit is
received by the agent process unit of the computer center. The
agent process unit activates the second voice communications unit,
transfers the data stream to the activated second voice
communications unit, and sends it to the telephone number stored in
the telephone number storage unit by the network control unit,
thereby establishing communications between the first computer and
the telephone terminal.
[0015] The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer
network according to the second aspect of the present invention
includes a computer center having one or more first computers
capable of setting voice communications and one or more second
computers connected to the first computers through the computer
network; and one or more telephone terminals connected to the
computer center through a telephone network. The first computer
includes a first voice communications unit for use between computer
networks, a first voice/data conversion unit functionally connected
to the first voice communications unit, and a first agent process
unit. The computer center includes one or more second voice
communications unit, a second voice/data conversion unit
functionally connected to the second voice communications unit, a
network control unit connected to the second voice/data conversion
unit, a second agent process unit, and a telephone number storage
unit functionally connected to the second agent process unit. When
the first agent process unit is activated in the first computer,
the first agent process unit communicates with the second agent
process unit and activates the first voice communications unit in
such a way that the first voice communications unit communicates
with the second voice communications unit. The second agent process
unit activates the second voice communications unit, and transmits
a signal to a telephone number stored in the telephone number
storage unit through the network control unit to establish
communications between the first computer and the telephone
terminal.
[0016] The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer
network according to the third aspect of the present invention
includes a computer center having one or more first computers
capable of setting voice communications and one or more second
computers connected to the first computers through the computer
network; and one or more telephone terminals connected to the
computer center through a telephone network. The first computer
includes a first voice communications unit for use between computer
networks, a first voice/data conversion unit functionally connected
to the first voice communications unit, and a browser unit. The
computer center includes one or more second voice communications
unit, a second voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to
the second voice communications unit, a network control unit
connected to the second voice/data conversion unit, a second agent
process unit, a server unit, and a telephone number storage unit.
When the server unit is accessed by the browser unit in the first
computer and a specific instruction is issued, the first agent
process unit is transmitted from the server unit to the browser
unit. The first agent process unit is activated in the first
computer, the server unit activates the second agent process unit
in the computer center, and the first agent process unit activates
the first voice communications unit in a way that the first voice
communications unit can communicate with the second voice
communications unit. The second agent process unit activates the
second voice communications unit, and transmits a signal to the
telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit,
thereby establishing communications between the first computer and
the telephone terminal.
[0017] The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer
network according to the fourth aspect of the present invention
includes a computer center having one or more first computers
capable of setting voice communications and one or more second
computers connected to the first computers through the computer
network; and one or more telephone terminals connected to the
computer center through a telephone network. The first computer
includes a first voice communications unit for use between computer
networks, a first voice/data conversion unit functionally connected
to the first voice communications unit. The computer center
includes one or more second voice communications unit, a second
voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to the second
voice communications unit, a first network control unit connected
to the second voice/data conversion unit, an agent process unit, a
server unit, a telephone number storage unit, and a first data
communications interface unit. The telephone terminal includes a
second network control unit, a second data communications interface
unit, a voice communications interface unit, and a second browser
unit. When the second browser unit of the telephone terminal
accesses the server unit through the data communications interface
unit of the computer center and issues a specific instruction, the
computer center activates the agent process unit. The activated
agent process unit activates the second voice communications unit
in a way that the second voice communications unit can communicates
with the first voice communications unit in the first computer
connected to the computer network, disconnects the communications
with the telephone terminal, switches the connection of the first
network control unit from the first data communications interface
unit to the first voice/data conversion unit, and transmits a
signal to the telephone terminal. The telephone terminal
disconnects the communications with the computer center, switches
the connection to the second network control unit 34 from the
second data communications interface unit to the voice
communications interface unit to enter a call waiting state and
answer the call from the telephone network, thereby establishing
communications between the first computer and the telephone
terminal.
[0018] The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer
network according to the fifth aspect of the present invention
includes a computer center having one or more first computers
capable of setting voice communications and one or more second
computers connected to the first computers through the computer
network; and one or more telephone terminals connected to the
computer center through a telephone network. The first computer
includes a first voice/data conversion unit and a browser unit. The
computer center includes one or more second voice communications
unit for use between computer networks, a second voice/data
conversion unit functionally connected to the second voice
communications unit, a network control unit connected to the second
voice/data conversion unit, a server unit, and a telephone number
storage unit. When the server unit is accessed by the browser unit
in the first computer and a specific instruction is issued, the
first voice communications unit is transmitted to the first
computer by the server unit. The first voice communications unit is
activated in the first computer in a way that the first voice
communications unit can communicate with the second voice
communications unit. The second voice communications unit is
activated in the first computer in a way that the second voice
communications unit can communicate with the first voice
communications unit. The network control unit transmits a signal to
the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit,
thereby establishing the communications between the first computer
and the telephone terminal.
[0019] The connection unit between the computer network and the
telephone according to the first aspect of the present invention is
a connection unit which has one or more computers connected to the
computer network and the telephone network and connects the
computer network with the telephone terminal. The connection unit
includes a voice communications unit for establishing voice
communications between computer networks; a voice/data conversion
unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for
converting a voice data into a voice signal or vice versa; a
telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone
number; and an agent process unit for transferring to the voice
communications unit a data stream transmitted from another computer
connected to the computer network, and instructing the network
control unit to transmit a signal to the telephone number stored in
the telephone number storage unit.
[0020] The connection unit between the computer network and the
telephone according to the second aspect of the present invention
is a connection unit which has one or more computers connected to
the computer network and the telephone network and connects the
computer network with the telephone terminal. The connection unit
includes a voice communications unit for establishing voice
communications between computer networks; a voice/data conversion
unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for
converting a voice data into a voice signal or vice versa; a
telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone
number; a network control unit for issuing, connecting, and
disconnecting a call to a telephone network; an agent process unit
for communicating with another agent process unit in another
computer connected to the computer network, activating the voice
communications unit upon receipt of a voice communications
connection request, and instructing the network control unit to
transmit a signal to the telephone number stored in the telephone
number storage unit.
[0021] The connection unit between the computer network and the
telephone according to the third aspect of the present invention is
a connection unit which has one or more computers connected to the
computer network and the telephone network and connects the
computer network with the telephone terminal. The connection unit
includes a voice communications unit for establishing voice
communications between computer networks; a voice/data conversion
unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for
converting a voice data into a voice signal or vice versa; a
telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone
number; a server unit for transmitting an agent process unit for
operating in another computer, which has issued an instruction,
when the server unit receives a specific instruction from a browser
unit in the other computer connected to the computer network; and
an agent process unit for communicating with the agent process unit
transmitted to the other computer, activating the voice
communications unit upon receipt of a voice communications
connection request, and instructing the network control unit to
transmit a signal to the telephone number stored in the telephone
number storage unit.
[0022] The connection unit between the computer network and the
telephone according to the fourth aspect of the present invention
is a connection unit which has one or more computers connected to
the computer network and the telephone network and connects the
computer network with the telephone terminal. The connection unit
includes a network control unit for issuing, connecting, and
disconnecting a call to a telephone network; a data communications
interface unit for receiving data or a specific instruction
transferred from a telephone terminal capable of establishing data
communications through the network control unit; a voice
communications unit for establishing voice communications between
computer networks; a voice/data conversion unit, functionally
connected to the voice communications unit, for converting a voice
data into a voice signal or vice versa; a telephone number storage
unit for storing a destination telephone number; an agent process
unit for activating the voice communications unit in a way that it
can communicate with another computer connected through a computer
network, disconnecting the communications with the telephone
terminal which has issued the specific instruction, switching the
connection to the network control unit from the data communications
interface unit to the voice/data conversion unit, and instructing
the network control unit to transmit a signal to the telephone
terminal; and a server unit for activating the agent process unit
at the specific instruction from the data communications interface
unit.
[0023] The transmission unit for issuing a call from the computer
network to the telephone according to the first aspect of the
present invention is a transmission unit, for transmission from the
computer network to a telephone terminal, having one or more
computers connected to a computer center through a computer
network. The transmission unit includes a voice communications unit
for establishing voice communications between computer networks; a
voice/data conversion unit, functionally connected to the voice
communications unit, for converting a voice data into a voice
signal or vice versa; and an agent process unit for communicating
with a corresponding agent process unit in the computer center and
activating the voice communications unit.
[0024] The transmission unit for issuing a call from the computer
network to the telephone according to the second aspect of the
present invention is a transmission unit, for transmission from the
computer network to a telephone terminal, having one or more
computers connected to a computer center through a computer
network. The transmission unit includes a browser unit for
communicating with a corresponding server unit of the computer
center and issuing a specific instruction; a voice communications
unit for establishing voice communications between computer
networks activated by an agent process unit from the computer
center at the specific instruction; and a voice/data conversion
unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for
converting a voice data into a voice signal or vice versa.
[0025] The telephone terminal according to the present invention is
a telephone terminal for communicating with a computer connected to
a computer network through a computer center connected to a
telephone network and the computer network. The telephone terminal
includes a data communications interface unit; a voice
communications interface unit; a browser unit for accessing a
server unit in the computer center through the data communications
interface unit and issuing a specific instruction; and a network
control unit for disconnecting the communications with the computer
center after issuing the specific instruction, switching the
connection from the data communications interface unit to the voice
communications interface unit to enter a call waiting state, and
answering the call arriving from the telephone network.
[0026] According to the present invention described above, the
connections of the network control unit of the computer center to
the network control unit of the telephone terminal are switched
from respective data communications interface units to the
voice/data conversion units or the voice communications interface
units. Thus, a telephone call is connected from the computer to the
telephone terminal, thereby establishing the voice
communications.
[0027] After terminating the voice communications, the connections
of the network control units in the computer center and the
telephone terminal are switched back to respective data
communications interfaces, thereby permitting the data
communications through a issue or response from the computer center
or the telephone terminal and continuing the data
communications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] FIGS. 1 and 2 show the prior art;
[0029] FIG. 3 shows the outline of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 4 shows the configuration according to an embodiment of
the first and the thirteenth aspects the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 5 shows the sequence of the operations with the
configuration shown in FIG. 4;
[0032] FIG. 6 shows the configuration according to another
embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the process performed in the
voice communications process of a computer and the agent and the
voice communications process of a computer center according to an
embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-6;
[0034] FIG. 8 shows the configuration according to an embodiment of
the second, fourteenth, and seventeenth aspects of the present
invention;
[0035] FIG. 9 shows the sequence of the operations with the
configuration shown in FIG. 8;
[0036] FIG. 10 shows the configuration according to another
embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention;
[0037] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the process performed in the
agents and the voice communications processes of the computer and
the computer center according to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8
through 10;
[0038] FIG. 12 shows the configuration corresponding to the first
aspect of the present invention for transferring animation data as
well as voice data;
[0039] FIG. 13 shows the configuration capable of transferring
animation data corresponding to the second aspect of the present
invention;
[0040] FIG. 14 shows the configuration of the hardware of the
computer with the configuration shown in FIGS. 12 and 13;
[0041] FIG. 15 is a flowchart (1) of the processes performed by the
computer and the computer center shown in FIG. 12;
[0042] FIG. 16 is a flowchart (2) of the processes performed by the
computer and the computer center shown in FIG. 12;
[0043] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the process of transmitting
and receiving a packet shown in FIG. 16;
[0044] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the communications process
between the computer and the computer center shown in FIG. 13;
[0045] FIG. 19 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the third, fifteenth, and eighteenth aspects of the present
invention;
[0046] FIG. 20 shows the sequence of the operations with the
configuration shown in FIG. 19;
[0047] FIG. 21A is a flowchart showing the processes performed by
the computer and the computer center according to the embodiment
shown in FIG. 19;
[0048] FIG. 21B is a flowchart showing the process of transmitting
and receiving a voice packet according to the above described
embodiments;
[0049] FIG. 22 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the fourth aspect of the present invention;
[0050] FIG. 23 shows the configuration of an embodiment according
to the fifth aspect of the present invention;
[0051] FIG. 24 shows the sequence of the operations with the
configuration shown in FIG. 23;
[0052] FIG. 25 shows an example of the configuration of the
computer center according to an embodiment of the sixth aspect of
the present invention;
[0053] FIG. 26 shows an example of the configuration of the
computer center according to an embodiment of the seventh aspect of
the present invention;
[0054] FIG. 27 shows the configuration of an embodiment according
to the eighth aspect of the present invention;
[0055] FIG. 28 shows the method of monitoring the position of a
user with the configuration shown in FIG. 27;
[0056] FIG. 29 shows the configuration of an embodiment according
to the ninth aspect of the present invention;
[0057] FIG. 30 shows the configuration of an embodiment according
to the tenth aspect of the present invention;
[0058] FIG. 31 shows the configuration of another embodiment
according to the tenth aspect of the present invention;
[0059] FIG. 32 shows the configuration of a further embodiment
according to the tenth aspect of the present invention;
[0060] FIG. 33 shows an example of the configuration of the
database of the telephone numbers according to an embodiment of the
tenth aspect of the present invention;
[0061] FIG. 34 shows another example of the configuration of the
database of the telephone numbers according to an embodiment of the
tenth aspect of the present invention;
[0062] FIG. 35 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the eleventh, sixteenth, and nineteenth aspects of the present
invention;
[0063] FIG. 36 shows the configuration according to another
embodiment of the eleventh aspect of the present invention;
[0064] FIG. 37 shows the sequence of the process flow according to
an embodiment shown in FIGS. 35 and 36;
[0065] FIG. 38 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the twenty-first aspect of the present invention;
[0066] FIG. 39 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the twenty-second aspect of the present invention;
[0067] FIG. 40 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the twenty-third aspect of the present invention;
[0068] FIG. 41 shows the configuration according to another
embodiment of the twenty-third aspect of the present invention;
[0069] FIG. 42 shows the sequence of the process flow corresponding
to an embodiment shown in FIGS. 40 and 41;
[0070] FIG. 43 shows an embodiment of the computer center capable
of communicating between telephones through the Internet;
[0071] FIG. 44 shows the sequence of the process flow according to
the embodiment shown in FIG. 43;
[0072] FIG. 45 shows an example of the configuration of the
hardware according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0073] FIG. 46 shows another example of the configuration of the
hardware according to the present invention;
[0074] FIG. 47 shows an example of the network control unit
according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0075] FIG. 48 shows an example of the configuration of the
voice/data conversion unit provided in the computer according to
the above described embodiments.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0076] FIG. 3 shows the outline of the present invention.
[0077] In FIG. 3, 1 is a computer, 2 is a computer network, 3 is a
computer center, 4 is a telephone network, and 5 is a telephone
terminal. The computer 1 comprises a voice communications unit 11
and a voice/data conversion unit 12. The computer center 3
comprises one or more voice communications units 31, a voice/data
conversion unit 32, an agent process unit 33, a network control
unit 34, and a telephone number storage unit 35.
[0078] The voice communications units 11 and 31 are processes of
mutually establishing voice communications between computer
networks.
[0079] The voice/data conversion units 12 and 32 are functionally
connected to the voice communications units 11 and 31 respectively
to convert voice data into a voice signal and vice versa.
[0080] The agent process unit 33 activates the voice communications
unit 31, receives a data stream transmitted from the voice
communications unit 11 when the source subscriber activates the
voice communications unit 11 in the computer 1, and transmits the
data stream to the voice communications unit 31. In the
descriptions below, an agent process unit or an agent is an
autonomously operating process (program or software) and comprises
an interface for communicating with another process.
[0081] The telephone number storage unit 35 is functionally
connected to the agent process unit 33 and stores the telephone
number of the telephone terminal 5.
[0082] The network control unit 34 transmits a signal to the
telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit 35 at
an instruction from the agent process unit 33 to transmit a signal,
and controls the communications with the telephone terminal 5
through the telephone network 4. Here, transmitting a signal to the
telephone number indicates transmitting a signal to the telephone
terminal specified by the telephone number.
[0083] The first aspect of the present invention is realized by the
computer 1 of a source subscriber and the computer center 3 for
connecting the computer 1 to the telephone terminal 5.
[0084] The computer 1 comprises the voice communications unit 11
and the voice/data conversion unit 12 functionally connected to the
voice communications unit 11. The computer center 3 comprises the
agent process unit 33; the voice communications unit 31; the
voice/data conversion unit 32 functionally connected to the voice
communications unit 31, the network control unit 34 connected to
the voice/data conversion unit 32; and the telephone number storage
unit 35 functionally connected to the agent process unit 33.
[0085] When a source subscriber activates the voice communications
unit 11, the agent process unit 33 receives a data stream
transmitted from the voice communications unit 11. The agent
process unit 33 activates the voice communications unit 31 and
transmits the received data stream to the voice communications unit
31. The network control unit 34 transmits a signal to the telephone
number stored in the telephone number storage unit 35. Thus, the
computer 1 can communicate with the telephone terminal 5.
[0086] The voice data packet is converted back to a voice signal by
the voice/data conversion unit 32 and transferred to the network
control unit 34, and then transmitted through the telephone network
4 by the network control unit 34.
[0087] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the
data stream from the voice communications unit 11 of the computer 1
on the source subscriber side is received by the agent process unit
33 of the computer center 3 on the destination subscriber side.
Therefore, the data format and the protocol should be compatible
with those of the voice communications unit 11 of the computer 1.
Accordingly, the system cannot be flexibly extended, and it is not
economical to improve various voice communications processes now in
the market.
[0088] The second aspect of the present invention aims at solving
the above described problem, and isolating the communications
between agents from the communications between voice communications
processes, improving the flexibility in the communications between
a source subscriber and a destination subscriber, and easily
improving various voice communications processes by providing
agents on both of the source and destination subscriber sides.
[0089] Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present
invention, the computer 1 on the source subscriber side comprises
the voice communications unit 11; the voice/data conversion unit 12
functionally connected to the voice communications unit 11; and the
agent process unit (not shown in the attached drawings) for
communicating with the agent process unit 33 of the computer center
3.
[0090] When a source subscriber activates the first agent process
unit of the computer 1, the first agent process unit communicates
with the agent process unit 33 of the computer center 3. The first
agent process unit activates the voice communications unit 11 in
such a way that the voice communications unit 11 can communicate
with the voice communications unit 31 of the computer center 3. In
the computer center 3, the agent process unit 33 activates the
voice communications unit 31 and transmits a signal to the
telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit 35
through the network control unit 34.
[0091] The voice data packet is converted back to a voice signal by
the voice/data conversion unit 32, transferred to the network
control unit 34, and transmitted through the telephone network 4 by
the network control unit 34.
[0092] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the
computer 1 on the source subscriber side should be preliminarily
provided with the first agent process unit. Accordingly, there is
the problem that the present invention cannot be applied to a
computer without this agent process unit.
[0093] The third aspect of the present invention aims at solving
the above described problem and allowing a computer not originally
provided with an agent process unit to communicate with the
telephone terminal 5.
[0094] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the
computer 1 on the source subscriber side comprises the voice
communications unit 11 for communication through computer networks;
the voice/data conversion unit 12 functionally connected to the
voice communications unit 11; and a WWW (World Wide Web) browser
(not shown in the attached drawings). The computer center 3
comprises one or more voice communications units 31 for
communication through computer networks; the voice/data conversion
unit 32 functionally connected to the voice communications unit 31;
the network control unit 34 connected to the voice/data conversion
unit 32; and a WWW server (not shown in the attached drawings).
[0095] When a source subscriber accesses the WWW server in the
computer center 3 through the WWW browser of the computer 1 and
issues a specific instruction, the first agent process unit is
transmitted from the WWW server to the WWW browser and activated in
the computer 1, and the WWW server activates the agent process unit
33 in the computer center 3. In the computer 1, the first agent
process unit 33 activates the voice communications unit 11 in such
a way that the voice communications unit 11 can communicate with
the voice communications unit 31. The agent process unit 33 in the
computer center 3 activates the voice communications unit 31, and
transmits a signal through the network control unit 34 to the
telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit
35.
[0096] The voice data packet is converted back to a voice signal by
the voice/data conversion unit 32, transferred to the network
control unit 34, and transmitted through the telephone network 4
through the network control unit 34.
[0097] According to the first through the third aspects of the
present invention, the telephone number of a destination telephone
terminal 5 is specified, and therefore it is difficult to perform a
flexible operation in selecting a destination terminal. The
invention according to the fourth aspect has been developed to
solve the problem and preliminarily rewrite the telephone
number.
[0098] The fourth aspect of the present invention further comprises
a telephone number writing unit (not shown in the attached
drawings) for writing a destination telephone number to the
telephone number storage unit 35 in the computer center 3 to
preliminarily write a destination telephone number to the telephone
number storage unit 35 at an instruction from a source or a
destination subscriber.
[0099] Since a destination telephone number can be written to the
telephone number storage unit 35 according to this aspect of the
present invention before transmitting a signal, the destination can
be optionally altered.
[0100] Since a destination telephone number should be preliminarily
written when the source subscriber specifies the number according
to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is very
inconvenient for a user. The fifth aspect of the present invention
has been developed to solve the above described problem and specify
a telephone number online.
[0101] Therefore, the computer center 3 according to the fifth
aspect of the present invention comprises a telephone number
writing unit (not shown in the attached drawings) for writing a
destination telephone number to the telephone number storage unit
35 online, and preliminarily writes the destination telephone
number to the telephone number storage unit 35 by the telephone
number writing unit at an online instruction from the source
subscriber.
[0102] Since a destination telephone number can be written online
from the computer 1 to the telephone number storage unit 35 when a
signal is to be transmitted according to this aspect of the present
invention, the destination can be easily specified as
necessary.
[0103] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it
is often inconvenient for a user to individually input telephone
numbers. Therefore, the sixth aspect of the present invention has
been developed to solve the above described problem, and the source
subscriber can specify a specific character string indicating a
destination subscriber instead of a telephone number.
[0104] Therefore, the sixth aspect of the present invention
comprises in the telephone number storage unit 35 a storage unit
for storing a character string indicating a destination subscriber,
and a storage unit for storing the telephone number of the
destination subscriber corresponding to the character string. When
the source subscriber online inputs a character string indicating
the destination subscriber, the agent process unit 33 refers the
telephone number storage unit 35 when a telephone call is issued,
converts the specified character string into a destination
telephone number, and transmits a signal to the telephone
number.
[0105] According to this aspect of the present invention, a signal
can be transmitted to the corresponding telephone terminal 5
without specifying the telephone number by online inputting a
character string such as a destination subscriber name, etc.
[0106] Since a telephone number should be input through a computer
according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is
the problem that the telephone number cannot be specified without a
computer.
[0107] The seventh aspect of the present invention aims at solving
the above described problem and specifying the telephone number
through the telephone terminal 5.
[0108] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention,
the computer center 3 comprises a telephone number receiving unit
(not shown in the attached drawings) for receiving from the network
control unit 34 a telephone number to be stored in the telephone
number storage unit 35, and the agent process unit 33 writes in
advance to the telephone number storage unit 35 the telephone
number received by the network control unit 34 and then by the
telephone number receiving unit.
[0109] According to this aspect of the present invention, when a
telephone call is received by the network control unit 34, the
telephone number is received by the telephone number receiving unit
and the agent process unit 33 writes the telephone number to the
telephone number storage unit 35. Thus, the telephone number from
the telephone terminal 5 of the destination subscriber can be
specified.
[0110] The eighth aspect of the present invention aims at providing
a method of automatically setting a destination subscriber without
inputting the destination by the source or destination
subscriber.
[0111] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the
computer center 3 monitors the location of the user (destination
subscriber) using another agent process unit (not shown in the
attached drawings) for monitoring the position of the destination
subscriber, and writes to the telephone number storage unit 35 the
telephone number of the destination subscriber at the monitored
location.
[0112] According to this aspect of the present invention, when the
destination subscriber moves his or her location, another agent
process unit for monitoring the location of a user detects the
location of the destination subscriber and writes the telephone
number of the location to the telephone number storage unit 35.
Therefore, the destination can be automatically set.
[0113] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention,
there is the problem that a call is issued to the telephone
terminal 5 even if the destination subscriber is headed for the
computer connected to a computer network.
[0114] The ninth aspect of the present invention aims at providing
a method of receiving a call by a computer when the destination
subscriber is headed for the computer (not shown in the attached
drawings) connected to a computer network.
[0115] Therefore, according to the ninth aspect of the present
invention, when the destination subscriber uses a computer
connected to a computer network, the agent process unit 33 writes
to the telephone number storage unit 35 an address or information
such as an identifier, etc. indicating the computer being used by
the destination subscriber. In this case, a call is not issued to
the telephone terminal 5, but a packet from the first voice
communications unit is transferred to the voice communications unit
of the computer of the destination subscriber, or the first agent
process unit activates the first voice communications unit in such
a way that the first voice communications unit can communicate with
the voice communications unit of the destination subscriber. Thus,
communications can be established between computers.
[0116] According to this aspect of the present invention, when a
destination subscriber is headed for a computer, communications are
established not between the computer 1 on the source subscriber
side and the telephone terminal 5 but between the computer 1 and
the computer being used by the destination subscriber.
[0117] According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, when
the area to which the computer center 3 belongs is physically apart
from the area to which the destination telephone number belongs,
there is the problem that the fee for the use of the telephone
network 4 becomes high.
[0118] The tenth aspect of the present invention aims at solving
the above described problem and providing a connection method for a
lower fee for the use of a public telephone network.
[0119] Therefore, according to the tenth aspect of the present
invention, when two or more computer centers 3 are connected to the
computer network 2, the agent process unit 33 of the first computer
center 3 refers to the telephone number storage unit 35 when a
connection request is received from a source subscriber, and checks
whether or not another second computer (not shown in the attached
drawings) physically close to the area, to which the telephone
number of the destination subscriber belongs, exists. If it exists,
the packet from the source subscriber is transferred to the
computer center, and the voice communications unit 11 of the
computer 1 is connected to the voice communications unit in the
other second computer center.
[0120] According to this aspect of the present invention, when the
agent process unit 33 of a single computer center 3 receives a
connection request from a source subscriber, it checks the
telephone number storage unit 35, transfers the packet to another
computer center physically close to the area to which the telephone
number belongs. If the computer center 3 is physically close to the
area to which the telephone number belongs, the computer center 3
activates the voice communications unit 31 and connects the voice
communications unit 31 to the voice communications unit 11 of the
computer 1. As a result, the fee, which is variable depending on
the distance between communicators, for the use of the public
telephone network, etc. can be reduced.
[0121] According to the first through tenth aspects of the present
invention, there is the problem that no calls can be issued from a
telephone. The eleventh aspect of the present invention aims at
solving this problem and providing a practical method of issuing a
call from a telephone.
[0122] Therefore, the computer center 3 comprises the first data
communications interface (not shown in the attached drawings), and
the telephone terminal 5 comprises a second network control unit
(not shown in the attached drawings), a second data communications
interface (not shown in the attached drawings), a voice
communications interface (not shown in the attached drawings), and
a second WWW browser (not shown in the attached drawings).
[0123] When the second WWW browser of the telephone terminal 5
accesses the WWW server (not shown in the attached drawings) of the
computer center 3 through the data communications interface between
the telephone terminal 5 and the computer center 3 and a specific
instruction is issued, the agent process unit 33 is activated in
the computer center 3.
[0124] The agent process unit 33 activates the voice communications
unit 31 in such a way that the voice communications unit 31 can
communicate with the voice communications unit 11 in the computer 1
connected to the computer network 2, disconnects the communications
with the telephone terminal 5, switches the connection to the
network control unit 34 from the data communications interface to
the voice/data conversion unit 32, and issues a call to the
telephone terminal 5.
[0125] In the telephone terminal 5, the communications between the
telephone terminal 5 and the computer center 3 is disconnected. The
connection to the second network control unit is switched from the
second data communications interface to the second voice
communications interface to enter a call waiting state and answer a
call from the telephone network 4. Thus, the communications between
the computer 1 and the telephone terminal 5 can be established.
[0126] According to this aspect of the present invention, if the
second WWW browser of the telephone terminal 5 accesses the WWW
server of the computer center 3 through the second data
communications interface of the telephone terminal 5 and the first
data communications interface of the computer center 3, and a
specific instruction is issued, then the communications with the
telephone terminal 5 are temporarily disconnected in the computer
center 3 and a call is issued from the computer center 3 to the
telephone terminal 5. The telephone terminal 5 answers the call,
thereby practically receiving the call from the telephone terminal
5.
[0127] According to the above described aspects of the present
invention, a transferred data stream refers to voice data.
According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, a further
transferred data stream refers to voice data and animation data,
thereby successfully transmitting and receiving voice and animation
data and realizing services such as TV telephones.
[0128] The thirteenth aspect of the present invention relates to
the configuration of the computer center 3 which realizes the first
aspect of the present invention.
[0129] The computer center 3 comprises the voice communications
unit 31 for establishing voice communications between computer
networks; the voice/data conversion unit 32 for converting voice
data into a voice signal and vice versa; the telephone number
storage unit 35 for storing destination telephone numbers; the
network control unit 34 for issuing a call to, connecting to, and
disconnection from the telephone network 4; and the agent process
unit 33 for receiving the data stream transmitted from another
computer 1 connected to the computer network 2, activating the
voice communications unit 31, transferring the data stream to the
voice communications unit 31, and issuing an instruction to issue a
call to the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage
unit 35 through the network control unit 34. With this
configuration, the computer center 3 can transmit a call from the
computer network 2 to the telephone terminal 5.
[0130] The fourteenth aspect of the present invention relates to
the configuration of the computer center 3 which realizes the
second aspect of the present invention.
[0131] The configuration of the computer center 3 is almost the
same as that described in conjunction with the thirteenth aspect of
the present invention. However, the agent process unit 33 does not
directly communicate with the voice communications unit 11 in the
computer 1, but communicates with the agent process unit of the
computer 1. Thus, the agent process unit 33 realizes the
transmission and reception of voice data between the first voice
communications unit in the computer 1 and the voice communications
unit 31 in the computer center 3 with the agent process unit in the
computer 1 cooperating with the agent process unit 33.
[0132] The fifteenth aspect of the present invention relates to the
configuration of the computer center 3 which realizes the third
aspect of the present invention.
[0133] The computer center 3 comprises the voice communications
unit 31 for communications between computer networks; the
voice/data conversion unit 32 functionally connected to the voice
communications unit 31; the network control unit 34 connected to
the voice/data conversion unit 32; and the WWW server (not shown in
the attached drawings). Upon receipt of a specific instruction from
the WWW browser of the computer 1, the WWW server transmits an
agent process unit operating in the computer 1 which issued the
instruction. The agent process unit 33 of the computer center 3
communicates with the agent process unit transmitted to the
computer 1, activates the voice communications unit 31 upon receipt
of a voice communications connection request, and issues to the
network control unit 34 an instruction to call up the telephone
number stored in the telephone number storage unit 35.
[0134] The sixteenth aspect of the present invention relates to the
configuration of the computer center 3 which realizes the eleventh
aspect of the present invention.
[0135] The computer center 3 comprises the voice communications
unit 31; the voice/data conversion unit 32; the agent process unit
33; the network control unit 34; the telephone number storage unit
35; a first data communications interface (not shown in the
attached drawings); and a WWW server (not shown in the attached
drawings).
[0136] When the WWW browser of the telephone terminal 5 issues a
specific instruction to the WWW server of the computer center 3,
the agent process unit 33 is activated in the computer center 3.
The agent process unit 33 activates the voice communications unit
31 in such a way that the voice communications unit 31 can
communicate with the voice communications unit 11 in the computer 1
connected to the computer network 2, disconnects the communications
with the telephone terminal 5, switches the connection to the
network control unit 34 from the data communications interface to
the voice/data conversion unit 32, and calls the telephone terminal
5.
[0137] The seventeenth aspect of the present invention relates to
the configuration of the computer 1 which realizes the invention
according to the second aspect described above.
[0138] The computer 1 on the source subscriber side comprises the
voice communications unit 11 for establishing communications
between computer networks; the voice/data conversion unit 12,
functionally connected to the voice communications unit 11, for
converting voice data into a voice signal and vice versa; and an
agent process unit for communicating with the agent process unit 33
in the computer center 3 and activating the voice communications
unit 11.
[0139] The eighteenth aspect of the present invention relates to
the configuration of the computer 1 which realizes the third aspect
of the present invention.
[0140] The computer 1 comprises the voice communications unit 11;
the voice/data conversion unit 12; and a WWW browser for
communicating with a corresponding WWW server of the computer
center 3 and transmitting a specific instruction, requests to
transmit an agent process unit to the computer center 3 through the
WWW browser, and activates the voice communications unit 11 through
the agent process unit transmitted from the computer center 3.
[0141] The nineteenth aspect of the present invention relates to
the configuration of the telephone terminal 5 which realizes the
eleventh aspect of the present invention.
[0142] The telephone terminal 5 according to the nineteenth aspect
of the present invention comprises a data communications interface;
a voice communications interface; a WWW browser for accessing the
WWW server of the computer center 3 through the data communications
interface and issuing a specific instruction; and a network control
unit for disconnecting the communications with the computer center
3 after the specific instruction, switching the connection from the
data communications interface to the voice communications
interface, entering a call waiting state, and answering a call from
the telephone network 4.
[0143] According to the conventional technology, the user has to
use, prepare, and select the same voice communications process unit
as that in the computer center 3. Therefore, it is inconvenient for
users.
[0144] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the
computer center 3 described in conjunction with the first aspect
described above further comprises variations of voice
communications units 31 (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, . . . ), and
automatically selects an appropriate voice communications unit
31x.
[0145] The agent process unit 33 recognizes the type of the voice
communications unit 11 from the data stream received from the voice
communications unit 11, selects the voice communications unit 31x
which can communicate with the voice communications unit 11 in the
computer 1 from among the plurality of voice communications units
31 (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, . . . ), activates the voice communications
unit 31x, transfers the data stream to the voice communications
unit 31x, and communicates with the voice communications unit
31x.
[0146] According to this invention, communications can be
established in a corresponding voice communications process by
recognizing the type of the voice communications unit 11 from the
data stream received from the voice communications unit 11 even if
various existing voice communications processes are used by the
computer 1.
[0147] According to the twenty-first aspect of the present
invention, the computer center 3 according to the second or third
aspect of the present invention further comprises plural types of
the voice communications units 31 (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, . . . ), and
automatically selects an appropriate voice communications unit
31x.
[0148] When an agent process unit (not shown in the attached
drawings) of the computer 1 activates the voice communications unit
11, the type of the voice communications unit 11 is transmitted to
the agent process unit 33 of the computer center 3, and the agent
process unit 33 selects the voice communications unit 31x which can
communicate with the voice communications unit 11 from among the
voice communications units 31 (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, . . . ) of the
computer center 3, and then activates the selected unit. The voice
communications unit 31x communicates with the voice communications
unit 11 of the computer 1.
[0149] According to the conventional technology or the invention
according to the other aspects described above, it is inconvenient
for a user to prepare a voice communications process unit.
[0150] According to the twenty-second aspect of the present
invention, the computer 1 comprises the voice/data conversion unit
12 and a WWW browser (not shown in the attached drawings). The
computer center 3 comprises one or more voice communications units
31, the voice/data conversion unit 32 functionally connected to the
voice communications unit 31, the network control unit 34 connected
to the voice/data conversion unit 32, a WWW server (not shown in
the attached drawings), and the telephone number storage unit
35.
[0151] When a source subscriber accesses the WWW server of the
computer center 3 through the WWW browser and issues a specific
instruction, the voice communications unit 11 is transmitted from
the WWW server to the WWW browser of the computer 1. In the
computer 1, the voice communications unit 11 is activated in such a
way that it is allowed to communicate with the voice communications
unit 3. In the computer center 3, the WWW server activates the
voice communications unit 31 in such a way that the voice
communications unit 31 can communicate with the voice
communications unit 11, and transmits a signal addressed to the
telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit 35
through the network control unit 34. Thus, communications can be
established between the computer 1 and the telephone terminal
5.
[0152] At the request from the WWW browser of the computer 1, the
computer center 3 transmits the voice communications unit 11
capable of communicating with the voice communications unit 31
through the WWW server. As a result, the voice communications unit
11 can communicate with the voice communications unit 31 activated
in the computer center 3.
[0153] According to the twenty-third aspect of the present
invention, the telephone terminal 5 further comprises a third agent
process unit (not shown in the attached drawings) to improve the
convenience to a user by, for example, allowing the computer center
3 to be accessed again through the WWW browser after voice
communications.
[0154] If the WWW server (not shown in the attached drawings) of
the computer center 3 is accessed by the second WWW browser (not
shown in the attached drawings) of the telephone terminal 5 through
the data communications interface (not shown in the attached
drawings) between the telephone terminal 5 and the computer center
3, and a specific instruction is issued, then the agent process
unit 33 is activated in the computer center 3. The agent process
unit 33 activates the voice communications unit 31 in such a way
that the voice communications unit 31 can communicate with the
voice communications unit 11 in another computer 1 connected to the
computer network 2, disconnects the communications with the
telephone terminal 5, switches the connection to the network
control unit 34 from the data communications interface to the
second voice/data conversion unit 32, and transmits a signal to the
telephone terminal 5.
[0155] When the communications terminate, the connection to the
network control unit 34 is switched from the second voice/data
conversion unit 32 to the data communications interface, and
transmits a signal to the telephone terminal 5 or answers the call
from the telephone terminal 5.
[0156] In the telephone terminal 5, the third agent process unit
disconnects the communications with the computer center 3, switches
the connection to the network control unit (not shown in the
attached drawings) from the data communications interface to the
voice communications interface, and answers the call from the
computer center 3. If the communications terminate, the connection
of the network control unit is switched from the voice
communications interface to the data communications interface, and
the computer center 3 is answered or receives a signal, thereby
establishing communications between the computer 1 and the
telephone terminal 5.
[0157] FIG. 4 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
corresponding to the first and thirteenth aspects according to the
present invention. The example shown in FIG. 4 shows the voice
communications between one computer 6 and a computer center 7
containing one computer.
[0158] The computer network 2 can be a LAN (local area network), a
WAN (wide area network), or can be the Internet connecting these
networks, and comprises an Ethercable, optical fibers, private
lines, a router, a bridge, a hub, and a switching unit, etc.
[0159] The telephone network 4 can be an analog telephone network
or a digital telephone network (ISDN short for Integral Services
Digital Network), or an analog or digital wireless communications
network.
[0160] The computer 6 comprises a voice communications process 61
and a voice/data conversion unit 62. The computer center 7
comprises a voice communications process 71, a voice/data
conversion unit 72, an agent 73, a network control unit 74, and a
telephone number storage unit 75.
[0161] The voice communications processes 61 and 71 establish voice
communications between computer networks using, for example, a VAT
(visual audio tool), an Internetphone, etc. The voice/data
conversion units 62 and 72 converts a voice signal into voice data
and vice versa.
[0162] The agent 73 activates the voice communications process 71,
receives the data stream transmitted from the voice communications
process 61 in the computer 6 connected through the computer network
2, transfers it to the voice communications process 71, obtains the
telephone number of a telephone 8 of the destination by referring
to the telephone number storage unit 75, and instructs the network
control unit 74 to send a signal to the obtained telephone
number.
[0163] The network control unit 74 controls the communications with
the telephone 8 through the telephone network 4 at a issue
instruction from an agent. The telephone number storage unit 75
stores telephone numbers, etc. of one or more telephones 8.
[0164] FIG. 5 shows the sequence of the processes in which a user
U1 of the computer 6 of a source subscriber transmits a signal to a
user U2 of the telephone 8 with the configuration shown in FIG.
4.
[0165] First, the user U1 activates the voice communications
process 61 (a1). Normally, the user U1 activates the voice
communications process 61 by, for example, entering `vat
machine2.domain2/2222` or `vat 123.456.78.12/2222`. The `vat` is a
command name referring to the voice communications process 61. The
`machine2.domain2` indicates the machine name and the domain name
of the computer center 7 containing the agent 73. The
`123.456.78.12` indicates the IP address of the machine containing
the agent 73. The `2222` preceded by the `/` indicates the port
number.
[0166] Next, the voice communications process 61 issues a
connection request to the agent 73 through the computer network 2
(b1).
[0167] Upon receipt of the connection request, the agent 73
activates the voice communications process 71 and transfers data
(c1). Normally, the voice communications process 71 is activated by
the agent 73 by entering a command such as `vat
machine1.domain1/1111` or `vat 987.654.32.10/1111`.
[0168] In this example, the port number of the agent 73 is
different from the port number of the voice communications process
71. If they are assigned the same port number, the computer center
7 should comprise two or more computers because the agent 73 and
the voice communications process 71 cannot be contained in the same
computer.
[0169] The activated voice communications process 71 answers the
agent 73 for connection (d1). The agent 73 further answers the
voice communications process 61 of the computer 6 for connection
(e1). The agent 73 reads the telephone number of the destination
subscriber from the telephone number storage unit 75 (f1).
[0170] The user U1 is connected to the voice communications process
61 (g1). The voice communications process 61 communicates with the
agent 73 (h1). A call is transferred between the agent 73 and the
voice communications process 71 (i1). The voice communications
process 71 is connected to the network control unit 74 (j1).
[0171] Then, a issue instruction is issued to the network control
unit 74 from the agent 73 (k1), and the network control unit 74
transmits the instruction to the telephone 8 of the destination
subscriber (11).
[0172] When the user U2 answers through the telephone 8 (m1), the
network control unit 74 receives an answer signal from the
telephone 8 (n1), and the telephone 8 is connected to the user U2
(o1 and p1). Thus, the user U1 can communicate with the user U2,
and they start communications (q1).
[0173] When the user U2 disconnects the telephone 8 (r1), the
network control unit 74 receives a disconnection signal from the
telephone 8 (s1), and transfers a disconnection notification (voice
signa1)(t1). When the user U1 receives the disconnection
notification and instructs the voice communications process 61 to
terminate the process (u1), the voice communications process 61
transmits a termination notification to the agent 73, and the agent
73 transfers the termination notification to the voice
communications process 71 (v1), and instructs the network control
unit 74 to disconnect the process (w1).
[0174] An instruction from the agent 73 to the network control unit
74 to issue a signal is, for example, expressed by `ATDT1234567`
(when an AT command is issued) or by `CRN1234567` (when a V.25bis
command is issued). The `1234567` is a destination telephone
number. Similarly, the disconnection instruction can be expressed
by the `+++` followed by `ATH0` (AT command) or `RST` (V.25bits
which can be replaced with a reset statement).
[0175] FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration according to
another embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows an example of the voice communications established
between two computers 6 and 6' and the computer center 7 containing
three computers.
[0176] One computer in the computer center 7 comprises the agent 73
and the telephone number storage unit 75. It further comprises two
computers respectively including voice communications processes 71
and 71', voice/data conversion units 72 and 72', and network
control units 74 and 74'.
[0177] When connections are made by the voice communications
processes 61 and 61', the agent 73 assigns the connections to the
voice communications processes 71 and 71' respectively and performs
the processes in the sequence shown in FIG. 5.
[0178] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the
voice communications process and the agent of the computer center,
and the voice communications process of the computer according to
the embodiments described by referring to FIGS. 3 through 6.
[0179] The voice communications process 61 of the computer 1
transmits a connection request to the agent 73 of the computer
center in step S1 when the process starts. After the voice
communications process 61 transmits the connection request, it
enters a state in step S2 in which a packet from the agent 73 can
be received. In step S3, it is determined whether or not an answer
for connection has been received from the agent 73. If it is
determined in step S3 that no answers for connection have been
received, then the processes in steps S2 and S3 are repeated and a
wait state continues until an answer for connection is received.
When an answer for connection is received in step S3, it is
announced and displayed on the screen of the computer that
communications can be established in step S4. In step S5, a voice
packet is transmitted to and received from the agent 73 for
communications. In step S6, a communications termination
instruction is able to be accepted. In step S7, it is determined
whether or not the termination instruction has been input.
[0180] If it is determined in step S7 that the termination
instruction has not been input, then control is returned to step
S5, the voice packet is transmitted and received, and the voice
communications continues. If it is determined in step S7 that the
communications termination instruction has been received, control
is passed to step S8, a termination notification is transmitted to
the agent 73, and the process terminates.
[0181] When the process starts, the agent 73 of the computer center
enters a remote packet reception state in step S9. It is determined
in step S10 whether or not a remote packet contains a connection
request. If the remote packet contains no connection request,
control is returned to step S9 to wait for a remote packet to be
received. If it is determined in step S10 that the remote packet
contains a connection request, then the voice communications
process 71 in the computer center is activated in step S11, and a
received packet is trans mitt ed to the voice communications
process 71 in step S12.
[0182] In step S13, a local packet can be received from the voice
communications process 71 in the computer center. In step S14, it
is determined whether or not the local packet contains an answer
for connection. If the local packet does not contain an answer for
connection, then control is returned to step S13, and a local
packet containing a request for connection is awaited from the
voice communications process 71. If it is determined in step S14
that a local packet contains an answer for connection, the packet
received in step S15 is transmitted to the voice communications
process 61 of the computer. In step S16, a telephone number is read
from the telephone number storage unit. In step S17, a telephone
call instruction is issued to a network control unit. Thus, a
telephone line is properly connected.
[0183] In step S18, a voice packet can be transmitted and received
with the voice communications process 61 of the computer. In step
S19, the voice packet received from the voice communications
process 61 is transferred to the voice communications process 71,
and a voice packet is received from the voice communications
process 71. It is determined in step S20 whether or not the voice
packet contains a termination notification. If it is determined
that the packet does not contain the termination notification, then
control is returned to step S18 and a voice packet can be
transmitted and received. At this time, the voice packet received
from the voice communications process 71 in step S19 is transmitted
to the voice communications process 61 of the computer. Thus, voice
communications can be established between the computer and the
telephone connected to the computer center.
[0184] If it is determined in step S20 that a voice packet contains
a termination notification, then control is passed to step S21, a
telephone disconnection instruction is transmitted to the network
control unit, and control is returned to step S9 to be ready for a
subsequent session.
[0185] The voice communications process 71 activated in step S11 of
the agent 73 enters a state in which a packet is received from the
agent 73 in step S22, when the voice communications process 71 is
activated. In step S23, it is determined whether or not the
received packet contains a connection request. If the received
packet does not contain a connection request, then control is
returned to step S22, and a packet containing a connection request
is awaited. If it is determined that the packet contains a
connection request in step S23, an answer for connection is
transmitted to the agent 73 in step S24. In step S25, a voice
packet from the network control unit is also transferred to the
agent 73. In step S26, it is determined whether or not a
termination notification is contained in the voice packet
transmitted or received in step S25. If it is not contained, the
voice packet transmission and reception processes are repeated. If
it is contained, the process terminates.
[0186] FIG. 8 shows the configuration according to an embodiment of
the second, fourteenth, and seventeenth aspects of the present
invention. In FIG. 8, voice communications are established between
one computer and a computer center comprising another computer.
[0187] In FIG. 8, the computer 6 comprises the voice communications
process 61, the voice/data conversion unit 62, and the agent 63.
Like the computer center 7 shown in FIG. 4, the computer center 7
comprises the voice communications process 71; the voice/data
conversion unit 72, the agent 73, the network control unit 74, and
the telephone number storage unit 75.
[0188] Each component of the computer center 7 is almost the same
as the component of the computer center 7 shown in FIG. 4. The
computer 6 communicates with the agent 73 and comprises the agent
63 for activating the voice communications process 61.
[0189] FIG. 9 shows the sequence of the processes performed when
the user U1 of the source subscriber's computer 6 calls up the user
U2 of the telephone 8 with the configuration shown in FIG. 8.
[0190] First, the user U1 activates the agent 63 (a2), and the
agent 63 transmits a connection request to the agent 73 of the
computer center 7 (b2). When the agent 73 answers for connection
(c2), the agent 63 activates the voice communications process 61
(d2). The agent 73 activates the voice communications process 71
(e2). The activation of the voice communications processes 61 and
71 is the same as the activation of the invention according to the
first aspect described above.
[0191] Next, the voice communications process 61 transmits a
connection request to the voice communications process 71 (f2), and
obtains from the voice communications process 71 an answer for
connection (g2).
[0192] The agent 73 reads the telephone number of the destination
from the telephone number storage unit 75 (h2).
[0193] The user U1 is connected to the voice communications process
61 (i2), the voice communications process 61 communicates with the
voice communications process 71 (j2), and the voice communications
process 71 is connected to the network control unit 74 (k2). Then,
the agent 73 issues a call instruction to the network control unit
74 (12), and the network control unit 74 calls up the destination
telephone 8 (m2). The call instruction to the network control unit
74 is the same as that in the case of the first aspect of the
present invention.
[0194] When the user U2 answers on the telephone 8 (n2), the
network control unit 74 receives an answer signal from the
telephone 8 (o2), and the telephone 8 is connected (p2 and q2) to
the user U2. Thus, communications are established between the users
U1 and U2 (r2).
[0195] When the communications are over and the user U2 disconnects
the communications (s2), the network control unit 74 receives a
disconnection signal from the telephone 8 (t2), and transfers a
disconnection notification (voice signa1) (u2). When the user U1
who received the disconnection notification instructs the voice
communications process 61 through the agent 63 to terminate the
process (v2), the voice communications process 61 transmits a
termination notification to the voice communications process 71
(w2). The agent 63 further transmits a disconnection instruction to
the agent 73, and the agent 73 transmits a disconnection
instruction to the network control unit 74 (x2). The disconnection
instruction is the same as that according to the first aspect of
the present invention.
[0196] FIG. 10 shows an example of the configuration according to
another embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention.
In FIG. 10, voice communications are established between the two
computers 6 and 61 and the computer center 7 comprising three
computers.
[0197] When communications requests are received from the agents 63
and 63', the agent 73 activates, connects, and establishes between
the voice communications processes 71 and 71' at respective
communications requests according to the sequence shown in FIG.
9.
[0198] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the processes performed by the
agents and voice communications processes of the computer and the
computer center according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8
through 10.
[0199] When the agent 63 on the computer side is activated, a
connection request is transmitted to the agent 73 of the computer
center in step S30. Then, in step S31, the communications process
type is transmitted to the agent 73, and a packet can be received
from the agent 73 in step S32. When a packet is received, it is
determined in step S33 whether or not it contains an answer to the
connection request. If the packet does not contain an answer for
connection, the processes in steps S32 and S33 are repeated until
an answer for connection can be received. If it is determined that
the packet received in step S33 contains an answer for connection,
processing is passed to step S34 and the voice communications
process 61 in the computer is activated, and the display screen of
the computer displays that the communications can be established in
step S35.
[0200] Then, in step S36, a communications termination instruction
can be input from the computer. When any instruction is received,
it is determined in step S37 whether or not it is a termination
instruction. If it is not a termination instruction, the processes
in steps S36 and S37 are repeated. If it is determined that it is a
termination instruction, then a termination message is transmitted
to the voice communications process 61 in step S38. A termination
notification is transmitted to the agent 73 of the computer center
in step S39, thereby terminating the process.
[0201] On the other hand, when the voice communications process 61
of the agent 63 is activated in step S34, it transmits a connection
request to the voice communications process 71 of the computer
center in step S40, and enters a packet reception state in step
S41. It is determined in step S42 whether or not the packet
received in step S41 contains an answer to the connection request.
If it does not contain an answer for connection, then the processes
in steps S41 and S42 are repeated. If it is an answer for
connection, then processing is passed to step S43.
[0202] In step S43, a voice packet is transmitted to and received
from the voice communications process 71. In step S44, a message
can be received from the agent 63 when it arrives. In step S45, it
is determined whether or not the message received in step S44 is a
termination massage. If it is not a termination message, processing
is returned to step S43 and a voice packet continues to be
transmitted and received. If the message received from the agent 63
in step S45 is a termination message, then a termination
notification is transmitted to the voice communications process 71
in step S46, thereby terminating the process.
[0203] When the agent 73 on the computer center side is activated,
a remote packet from the agent 63 on the computer side is awaited
in step S47. In step S48, it is determined whether or not the
remote packet contains a connection request. If it does not contain
a connection request, processing is returned to step S47 and
another remote packet is awaited. If it is determined in step S48
that the remote packet contains a connection request, another
remote packet from the agent 63 is awaited in step S49. In step
S50, it is determined whether or not the packet specifies the type
of the communications process. If it is not a packet specifying the
type of communications process, the processes in steps S49 and S50
are repeated until a packet specifying the type of communications
process arrives. If it is determined in step S50 that the received
packet specifies the type of communications process, then an
answer-for-connection packet is transmitted to the agent 63 in step
S51. In step S52, the voice communications process 71 on the
computer center side is activated, and a telephone number is read
from the telephone number storage unit in step S53. In step S54,
the network control unit 74 is instructed to issue a telephone
call.
[0204] In step S55, a packet from the agent 63 is awaited. When any
packet is received, it is determined whether it contains a
termination notification (step S56). If it does not contain a
termination notification, processing is returned to step S55, and a
termination notification is awaited. If it is determined that the
packet contains a termination notification, then the network
control unit is instructed to disconnect a telephone in step S57,
and processing is returned to step S47 in preparation for the next
session.
[0205] When the voice communications process 71 of the agent 73 is
activated in step S52, it waits for a packet from the voice
communications process 61 in step S58. If any packet is received,
it is determined in step S59 whether or not the transmitted packet
contains a connection request. If the packet does not contain a
connection request, then processing is returned to step S58, and
the process is repeated until a packet containing a connection
request arrives.
[0206] If a received packet contains a connection request in step
S59, then an answer for connection is transmitted to the voice
communications process 61 in step S60, and a voice packet is
transmitted to and received from the voice communications process
61 in step S61. In step S62, it is determined whether or not the
voice packet received in step S61 contains a termination
notification. If it does not contain a termination notification,
then processing is returned to step S61 and a voice packet is
continuously transmitted and received. If it is determined in step
S62 that the voice packet contains a termination notification, then
the process terminates.
[0207] FIG. 12 shows the configuration corresponding to the first
aspect of the present invention for transferring animation data as
well as voice data.
[0208] A computer 600 is connected to a computer center 601 through
a computer network 621. The computer center 601 is connected to a
video telephone 602 through a telephone network 622.
[0209] The computer 600 is provided with a voice communications
process 604 as described above. That is, the voice input through a
voice/data conversion unit 607 is received as voice data and
transmitted to an agent 609 of the computer center 601.
Additionally, according to the present embodiment, the computer 600
is provided with an animation communications process 605 for
transmitting and receiving animation data. Like the voice
communications process 604, the animation communications process
605 receives animation data through an animation/data conversion
unit 606, and transmits the data to the agent 609 of the computer
center 601. These voice communications process 604 and the
animation communications process 605 are controlled by a session
management process 603, and the user of the computer 600 activates
the session management process 603, thereby the voice
communications process 604 and the animation communications process
605 are activated.
[0210] In the computer center 601, the agent 609 activates a voice
communications process 610 and an animation communication process
611, and transfers a voice packet and an animation packet received
from the computer 600 to the voice communications process 610 and
the animation communication process 611 respectively. The agent 609
obtains a telephone number from a telephone number storage unit 608
and instructs a network control unit 612 to issue a telephone call.
The network control unit 612 connects the video telephone 602 to
the network control unit 612 through the telephone network 622. The
voice data or animation data transferred respectively to the voice
communications process 610 and the animation communication process
611 are transmitted to a multiplexing unit 614 to be multiplexed
into a single data packet, and are modulated by a
modulation/demodulation unit 613 and transmitted by the network
control unit 612 to the telephone network 622.
[0211] In the video telephone 602, the voice data and the animation
data transmitted through the telephone network 622 are received by
a network control unit 623 and demodulated by a
modulation/demodulation unit 624. Furthermore, a
multiplexing/demultiplexing unit 625 demultiplexes the multiplexed
voice data and animation data. The voice data is reconstructed as
voice by a voice CODEC 615 while the animation data is
reconstructed as dynamic images by a video CODEC 616. The voice is
output through a speaker 618 and the dynamic images are displayed
on a display monitor 620.
[0212] Voice and animation are transmitted from the computer 600 to
the video telephone 602 as described above. When suitable lines are
connected, they also can be transmitted from a video telephone to
the computer 600. In this case, voice is input through a microphone
617 and animation is input through a video camera 619. The voice
and animation are encoded by the voice CODEC 615 and the video
CODEC 616 respectively and multiplexed by the
multiplexing/demultiplexing unit 625. Furthermore, the multiplexed
data is modulated by the modulation/demodulation unit 624 and
transmitted to the telephone network 622 through the network
control unit 623. The computer center 601 and the computer 600
perform the converse processes to the above described processes on
the voice data and animation data transmitted through the video
telephone 602 so that voice and animation can be output from the
voice/data conversion unit 607 and the animation/data conversion
unit 606.
[0213] FIG. 13 shows the configuration corresponding to the second
aspect of the present invention to transfer animation data as well
as voice data.
[0214] FIG. 13 shows the configuration with which an agent 626 of
the computer 600' first communicates with the agent 609 of the
computer center 601, and then communications are established
between voice communications processes or between animation
communications processes. That is, FIG. 13 shows the configuration
corresponding to the second aspect of the present invention in
which animation can be transferred. Items also shown in FIG. 12 are
assigned the same reference numbers.
[0215] In the case shown in FIG. 13, a connection can be set from
the computer 600'. It is also possible to set a connection from the
video telephone 602, and to transmit voice and animation from the
video telephone 602 to the computer 600'. Described below is the
connection established from the computer 600' as in FIG. 12.
[0216] When the user of the computer 600' activates the agent 626,
the agent 626 communicates with the agent 609 of the computer
center 601, and inquires whether or not the connection can be made.
If the connection can be made, then the voice communications
process 604 and the animation communications process 605 are
activated. The voice communications process 604 and the animation
communications process 605 transmit packets respectively to the
voice communications process 610 and the animation communication
process 611 of the computer center 601, and confirm that the
communications can be established.
[0217] The voice and animation input through the computer 600' are
converted into data respectively by the voice/data conversion unit
607 and the animation/data conversion unit 606, and provided for
the voice communications process 604 and the animation
communications process 605 respectively. When it is confirmed that
communications can be established with the computer center 601, the
voice communications process 604 and the animation communications
process 605 transfer voice data and animation data to the voice
communications process 610 and the animation communication process
611 of the computer center 601.
[0218] The voice communications process 610 and the animation
communication process 611 are preliminarily activated by the agent
609 when it is determined that a connection can be made through the
communications between the agent 626 and the agent 609. Thus, the
received voice and animation data are transmitted to the
multiplexing unit 614. When the agent 609 receives a connection
request from the agent 626 and answers the request, it obtains a
telephone number from the telephone number storage unit 608,
instructs the network control unit 612 to issue a telephone call,
and establishes a connection to the video telephone 602 through the
telephone network 622.
[0219] The voice data and animation data transmitted to the
multiplexing unit 614 are multiplexed, modulated by the
modulation/demodulation unit 613, and transmitted to the telephone
network 622 by the network control unit 612.
[0220] The video telephone 602 receives data from the telephone
network 622 by the network control unit 623. The data is
demodulated by the modulation/demodulation unit 624 and provided
for the multiplexing/demultiplexing unit 625. The
multiplexing/demultiplexing unit 625 multiplexes the voice data and
animation data, and provides them for the voice CODEC 615 and the
video CODEC 616 respectively. The voice CODEC 615 and the video
CODEC 616 demodulates the voice data and the animation data
respectively, and outputs them in such a way that the speaker 618
outputs voice and the display monitor 620 displays animation.
[0221] As described above, voice can be input through the
microphone 617, and animation can be input through the video camera
619, and the voice and animation can be transmitted to the computer
600'.
[0222] FIG. 14 shows the configuration of the hardware of the
computer with the configuration shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.
[0223] As the configuration of a computer, a CPU 630 is normally
connected to a bus 644 to issue an instruction to a component
connected to another bus 644. A ROM 631 stores an I/O system, etc.
A RAM 632 stores application programs such as an OS, an agent, etc.
in an executable form. A hard disk 633 is a storage medium for
storing application programs, etc. A keyboard interface 634 and a
keyboard connected thereto are provided to input an instruction
from a user of the computer. A video input interface 636 and a
video camera 637 connected thereto are provided to input animation.
A video interface 638 and a display 639 provide a user with various
information and display received animation. A sound card 640 and a
microphone 641 connected thereto, and a speaker 642 are provided to
input/output voice signals. A network (LAN) card 643 is provided
for connection to a computer network through which voice data and
animation data are transmitted and received. Each of the components
is connected to the bus 644 and controlled by the CPU 630.
[0224] FIGS. 15 and 16 show the process flow on the computer side
and the computer center side shown in FIG. 12.
[0225] FIG. 15 is a flowchart of the session management process 603
and the animation communications process 605 of the computer 600.
Since the flowchart of the voice communications process 604 is the
same as that of the animation communications process of the
computer shown in FIG. 7, the descriptions and the related drawings
are omitted here.
[0226] When the session management process 603 starts the process,
an input is awaited from a user in step S70. When any input is
received, it is determined in step S71 whether or not it is an
instruction to start communications. If it is not an instruction to
start communications, processing is returned to step S70 to wait
for a communications start instruction. If it is determined in step
S70 that an input instruction is a communications start
instruction, then the voice communications process 604 is activated
in step S72, and an animation communications process is activated
in step S73. In FIG. 15, the flow of the voice communications
process 604 is omitted.
[0227] When the processes are activated, the session management
process 603 awaits an input from a user (step S74). When any input
is received, it is determined in step S75 whether or not it is an
instruction to terminate communications. If it is not an
instruction to terminate communications, processing is returned to
step S74 to wait for a communications termination instruction. If
it is determined in step S75 that an input instruction is a
communications termination instruction, then processing is passed
to step S76 and an animation communications termination message is
transmitted to the animation communications process 605. In step
S77, a voice communications termination message is transmitted to
the voice communications process 604. After the transmission, the
process terminates.
[0228] The animation communications process 605 is activated by the
session management process 603 in step S73. When it is activated, a
connection request is transmitted to the agent 609 of the computer
center 601 in step S78. In step S79, the process awaits a packet to
be received. If any packet is received, it is determined in step
S80 whether or not the packet contains an answer to a connection
request. If it is not an answer to a connection request, then
processing is returned to step S79, and the process is repeated
until an answer for a connection request arrives. If it is
determined in step S80 that the received packet contains an answer
for a connection request, an animation packet is transmitted or
received in step S81. In step S82, a message from the session
management process 603 is awaited, and it is determined in step S83
whether or not a received message is a termination message. If it
is not a termination message, processing is returned to step S81 to
continue transmitting and receiving an animation packet. If it is
determined in step S83 that the packet contains a termination
message, then a termination notification is transmitted in step S84
to the agent 609 of the computer center 601, thereby terminating
the process.
[0229] The voice communications process 604 are not explained here
because they are similar to the processes shown in FIG. 7.
[0230] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the processes performed by
the agent 609 and the animation communication process 611 of the
computer center 601 shown in FIG. 12.
[0231] When the agent 609 is activated, it awaits a remote packet
containing a connection request from the voice communications
process 604 or the animation communications process 605 of the
computer 600 in step S85. When a remote packet is received, it is
determined whether or not the packet contains a connection request
(step S86). If the packet does not contain a connection request,
then processing is returned to step S85 and a remote packet
containing a connection request is awaited.
[0232] When a remote packet contains a connection request in step
S86, it is determined in step S87 whether the connection request is
received from a voice communications process or an animation
communications process. If it is received from a voice
communications process, then the voice communications process 610
of the computer center 601 is activated in step S88, and the
received packet is transmitted to the voice communications process
610 in step S89. In step S90, a local packet from the voice
communications process 610 is awaited. When a local packet is
received, it is determined in step S91 whether or not the packet
contains an answer to the connection request. If the packet does
not contain an answer for connection, then processing is returned
to step S90 and an answer for connection is awaited. If it is
determined in step S91 that the packet contains an answer for
connection, the received packet (answer for connection) is
transmitted to the voice communications process 604 (step S92).
[0233] In step S98, it is determined whether or not an answer for
connection has been received for animation and voice. In the
present case, the determination is `No`, and processing is returned
to step S85 and a remote packet from the animation communications
process 605 is awaited.
[0234] If a connection request is received in step S85, the
determination in step S86 is `Yes`, and it is determined that a
connection request is received from the animation communications
process 605 (step S87), then the animation communication process
611 is activated in step S93. A packet received in step S94 is
transmitted to the animation communication process 611, and a local
packet from the animation communication process 611 is awaited in
step S95. When a local packet is received, it is determined whether
or not it contains an answer for connection (step S96). If it does
not contain an answer for connection, then processing is returned
to step S95 and an answer for connection is awaited. If the
received local packet contains an answer for connection, the local
packet is transmitted to the animation communications process 605
of the computer 600 (step S97).
[0235] It is determined in step S98 whether or not an answer for
connection has been issued for both animation and voice. Since the
answer has been issued, processing is passed to step S99. In step
S99, a telephone number is read from the telephone number storage
unit 608. In step S100, an instruction to issue a telephone call is
transmitted to the network control unit 612. In step S101, a packet
is transmitted to and received from the computer 600. When a packet
is received, it is transferred in step S102 to the animation
communication process 611. At this time, if a packet contains voice
data, it is transferred to the voice communications process 610
(not shown in the attached drawings). In step S103, it is
determined whether or not the packet contains a termination
notification. If it does not contain a termination notification,
processing is returned to step S101, and a packet is transmitted
and received. In step S102, a packet received from the animation
communication process 611 or the voice communications process 610
not shown in the attached drawings is transmitted to the computer
600 when processing is returned to step S101. If a packet received
in step S103 contains a termination notification, then a telephone
disconnection instruction is transmitted to the network control
unit 612 in step S104, and processing is returned to step S85 in
preparation for the next session.
[0236] When the animation communication process 611 is activated by
the agent 609 in step S93, it awaits a packet from the agent 609 in
step S105. When the animation communication process 611 receives a
packet, it is determined in step S106 whether or not the packet
contains a connection request. If the packet does not contain a
connection request, then processing is returned to step S105 and a
connection request is awaited. If it is determined in step S106
that the packet contains a connection request, then an answer to
the connection request is transmitted to the agent 609 in step
S107. In step S108, an animation packet is transmitted to and
received from the agent 609.
[0237] It is determined whether or not the packet received in step
S108 contains a termination notification (step S109). If the packet
does not contain a termination notification, then processing is
returned to step S108 and an animation packet is continuously
transmitted and received. If it is determined that the packet
received in step S109 contains a termination notification, then the
process terminates.
[0238] The voice communications process 610 is similar to the
animation communication process 611 shown in FIG. 16 except that
the transmitted or received packet is a voice packet. Therefore,
the related drawings and descriptions are omitted here.
[0239] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the process of
transmitting/receiving a packet in step S101 shown in FIG. 16.
[0240] When the process starts, a remote packet is awaited in step
S110. Passing to step S111, it is determined whether or not a
packet has been received, and if a packet has been received, then
it is determined in step S112 whether the received packet is a
voice packet or an animation packet. If it is a voice packet, then
the packet is transmitted to the voice communications process 610
and the process terminates in step S113. If it is an animation
packet, then the packet is transmitted to the animation
communication process 611 and the process terminates in step
S114.
[0241] If no packets are received in step S111, a local packet is
awaited in step S115. In step S116, it is determined whether or not
any packet has been received. If no packets have been received,
processing is returned to step S110. If a packet is received in
S116, it is determined in step S117 whether the received packet is
a voice packet or an animation packet. If it is a voice packet, the
packet is transmitted to the voice communications process 604 of
the computer 600 in step S118. If it is an animation packet, the
packet is transmitted to the animation communications process 605
of the computer 600 in step S119 and the process terminates.
[0242] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the communications process
between the computer and the computer center shown in FIG. 13.
[0243] In FIG. 18, the animation communications processes in the
computer and the computer center are similar to the voice
communications process respectively in the computer and the
computer center. Therefore, the related drawings and the
descriptions are omitted here.
[0244] When the agent 626 of the computer 600' is activated by a
user and a connection request instruction is input, the connection
request is transmitted to the agent 609 of the computer center 601
in step S120. It is assumed that the agent 609 of the computer
center 601 is preliminarily activated.
[0245] When a connection request is transmitted in step S120, the
type of communications process is transmitted to the agent 609 of
the computer center 601 in step S121. In step S122, a packet from
the agent 609 of the computer center 601 is awaited, and it is
determined whether or not the packet received in step S123 contains
an answer for connection. If the packet does not contain an answer
for connection, then processing is returned to step S122 and an
answer for connection is awaited. If it is determined in step S123
that the received packet contains an answer to the connection
request, then the voice communications process 604 is activated in
step S124 and the animation communications process 605 is activated
in step S125. The animation communications process 605 is not shown
in the attached drawings.
[0246] In step S126, the display screen of the computer 600' shows
that communications can be established, and a termination
instruction from the user is awaited in step S127. It is determined
in step S128 whether or not a termination instruction has been
input. If no termination instructions have been input, processing
is returned to step S127, and a termination instruction is awaited.
If it is determined in step S128 that a termination instruction has
been input, then a termination message is transmitted to the voice
communications process 604 and the animation communications process
605 in step S129, and a termination notification is transmitted to
the agent 609 of the computer center 601 in step S130.
[0247] When the voice communications process 604 is activated by
the agent 626 in step S124, it transmits a connection request to
the voice communications process 610 of the computer center 601 in
step S131.
[0248] The voice communications process 604 awaits a packet from
the voice communications process 610 in step S132. When it receives
a packet, it is determined in step S133 whether or not the packet
contains an answer for connection. If the packet does not contain
an answer for connection, processing is returned to step S132 and
an answer for connection is awaited. If it is determined in step
S133 that the packet contains an answer for connection, then a
voice packet is transmitted to and received from the voice
communications process 610 of the computer center 601 in step S134.
In step S135, a message from the agent 626 in the computer 600' is
awaited, and it is determined in step S136 whether or not the
received message is a termination message. If it is not a
termination message, processing is returned to step S134, and voice
packets are transmitted and received. If it is determined in step
S136 that the received message is a termination message, then a
termination notification is transmitted in step S137 to the voice
communications process 610 of the computer center 601. Thus, the
process terminates.
[0249] On the other hand, when the agent 609 of the computer center
601 is activated, it awaits a remote packet from the agent 626 of
the computer 600' in step S138. When it receives a remote packet,
it is determined in step S139 whether or not the packet contains a
connection request. If the packet does not contain a connection
request, then processing is returned to step S138 and a remote
packet is awaited. If it is determined in step S139 that the
received remote packet contains a connection request, then a remote
packet from the agent 626 is awaited in step S140. When a remote
packet is received, it is determined in step S141 whether or not
the packet contains the information about the type of
communications process. If it does not contain the information
about the type, processing is returned to step S140, and a remote
packet is awaited.
[0250] If it is determined in step S141 that the packet contains
the information about the type of communications process, then an
answer to the connection request is transmitted to the agent 626 of
the computer 600' in step S142. Then, the voice communications
process 610 is activated in step S143, and the animation
communication process 611 (not shown in the attached drawings) is
activated in step S144. In step S145, a telephone number is read
from the telephone number storage unit 608, and a telephone call
issue instruction is issued to the network control unit 612 (step
S146).
[0251] In step S147, a packet from the agent 626 of the computer
600' is awaited. When a packet is received, it is determined in
step S148 whether or not the packet contains a termination
notification. If the packet does not contain a termination
notification, then processing is returned to step S147 and another
packet is awaited. If it is determined in step S148 that the
received packet contains a termination notification, then a
telephone disconnection instruction is issued to the network
control unit 612 (step S149), and processing is returned to step
S138 in preparation for the next session.
[0252] When the voice communications process 610 is activated by
the agent 609 in step S143, it awaits a packet from the voice
communications process 604 of the computer 600' in step S150. When
a packet is received, it is determined in step S151 whether or not
the packet contains a connection request. If the packet does not
contain a connection request, then processing is returned to step
S150 and a packet is awaited. If it is determined in step S151 that
the received packet contains a connection request, then an answer
to the connection request is transmitted to the voice
communications process 604 in step S152. In step S153, a voice
packet is transmitted to and received from the computer 600'. In
step S154, it is determined whether or not the transmitted voice
packet contains a termination notification. If the packet does not
contain a termination notification, then processing is returned to
step S153, and a voice packet is transmitted and received. If it is
determined in step S154 that the received packet contains a
termination notification, then the process terminates.
[0253] FIG. 19 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the third, fifteenth, and eighteenth aspects of the present
invention. In FIG. 19, voice communications are established between
one computer and a computer center comprising another computer.
[0254] In FIG. 19, the computer 6 comprises the voice
communications process 61, the voice/data conversion unit 62, the
agent 63, and a WWW (World Wide Web) browser 64. The computer
center 7 comprises the voice communications process 71; the
voice/data conversion unit 72, the agent 73, the network control
unit 74, the telephone number storage unit 75, and a WWW (World
Wide Web) server 76.
[0255] The WWW browser 64 transmits a specific instruction to
establish voice communications to the WWW server 76. Upon receipt
of the specific instruction from the WWW browser 64, the WWW server
76 transmits to the computer 6 the agent 63 to be activated in the
computer 6, and activates the agent 73 in the computer center 7.
The agent 63 transmitted from the WWW server 76 and activated in
the computer 6 activates the voice communications process 61.
[0256] FIG. 20 shows the sequence of the processes performed when
the user U1 of the source subscriber's computer 6 calls up the user
U2 of the telephone 8 with the configuration shown in FIG. 19.
[0257] First, the user U1 activates the WWW browser 64 (a3), the
WWW browser 64 transmits a connection request to the WWW server 76
(b3), and a selection instruction is transmitted by selecting a
voice service from among the menu items (c3). Then, the agent 63 is
transmitted from the WWW server 76 to the user computer 6 and is
activated (d3). This agent 63 is described in, for example, Java,
and is transferred as an applet.
[0258] The agent 63 activates the voice communications process 61
(e3) and the WWW server 76 activates the agent 73 through the
mechanism such as a CGI (common gateway interface), etc. (f3). The
subsequent sequence (g3 through z3) is similar to the sequence e2
through x2 shown in FIG. 9.
[0259] FIG. 21A is a flowchart showing the process flow on the
computer side and the computer center side according to the
embodiment shown in FIG. 19.
[0260] FIG. 21A shows the processes of the WWW browser and the WWW
server. Since the processes of other components are similar to the
processes shown in FIG. 11, the drawings and the related
descriptions are omitted here. The flowchart in FIG. 21A describes
the minimal components required in understanding the present
embodiment. Much more process steps are provided in actual
cases.
[0261] It is assumed that the WWW browser 64 is activated in the
computer 6 and accesses the WWW server of the computer center 7.
The WWW browser 64 awaits an input from the user in step S155. If
any instruction is input from the user, it is determined in step
S156 whether or not it is a termination instruction.
[0262] If it is determined in step S156 that the input in step S155
is a termination instruction, then the process terminates. If it is
determined in step S156 that it is not a termination instruction,
an information request is transmitted to the WWW server 76 in step
157. The information request is issued to request for various
communications parameters, etc. for connection of the computer 6 to
the telephone 8 through the computer center 7. The information
contains a request for an agent to be transmitted as an applet from
the computer center 7. To be more common, the information refers to
common input from a user of the WWW browser 64. For example, when
an icon is selected from the home page of the WWW server 76 through
the WWW browser 64, the URL, etc. of the icon is transmitted and
the information required for the communications with the
destination specified by the selected icon is received.
[0263] When an information request is issued in step S157, the
information from the WWW server 76 is awaited in step S158. When
information is received, then it is determined in step S159 whether
the received information relates to an agent transmitted as an
applet or other information. If the information relates to other
descriptions than the agent, then various processes are performed
in step S160 according to the received information. Then,
processing is returned to step S155. Since the contents of the
processes are not directly associated with understanding the
present embodiment, the descriptions are omitted here. If it is
determined in step S159 that the received information is an applet,
the applet is activated in step S161, and processing is returned in
step S155.
[0264] Since an agent is transmitted as an applet according to the
present embodiment, the agent is activated in step S161. Since the
contents of the processes of the agent are similar to those shown
in FIG. 11, the drawings and the descriptions are omitted here.
[0265] In the computer center 7, the WWW server 76 is activated,
and a request from the user of the WWW browser 64 is awaited in
step S162. When a request is received in step S162, the information
about the request is transmitted to the WWW browser 64 in step
S163. According to the present embodiment, since a request for
connection to the telephone 8 is issued, an agent to be activated
in the computer 6 is transmitted as an applet. At this time, the
WWW server 76 awaits an information request from the WWW browser 64
back in step S162.
[0266] The processes performed by the WWW browser 64 and the WWW
server 76 are described above, and the subsequent connection
processes to the telephone 8 are performed by an agent, etc. not
shown in the attached drawings. The process flow is described above
by referring to the embodiments of the present invention. For
example, the process shown in FIG. 11 is performed.
[0267] FIG. 21B shows the flow of the processes performed to
transmit and receive voice packets described in the explanation of
the embodiments.
[0268] The process of transmitting and receiving a voice packet is
divided into two steps depending on whether an event of receiving a
voice packet occurs at the first stage or an event of transmitting
a voice packet occurs at the first stage.
[0269] When a voice packet is transmitted, voice data is encoded in
step S164 and transmitted in step S165, and then the process
terminates.
[0270] When voice packet is received, it is received in step S166
and decoded in step S167, and then the process terminates.
[0271] FIG. 22 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the fourth aspect of the present invention. In the fourth aspect
of the present invention, a telephone number rewriting unit 9 is
provided as shown in FIG. 22.
[0272] The configuration of the computer 6 and the computer center
7 shown in FIG. 22 can be any of the configurations shown in FIGS.
4, 8, and 19. The telephone number storage unit 75 is an
independent file and updated by being overwritten by the telephone
number rewriting unit 9.
[0273] An FTP (file transfer protocol) is used in the telephone
number rewriting unit 9, but can be substituted by electronic mail,
Telnet, etc. If electronic mail is adopted, the telephone number
storage unit 75 functions as a file containing text data only, and
the contents transmitted through electronic mail are replaced with
a file of telephone numbers. In this example, data can be rewritten
by the source subscriber, but it is also possible to preliminarily
rewrite data by a destination subscriber.
[0274] FIG. 23 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the fifth aspect of the present invention. In the fifth aspect
of the present invention, a telephone number can be input online
through the computer 6 in any of the first through the third
aspects of the present invention.
[0275] In the example shown in FIG. 23, the operating system (OS)
of the computer 6 is UNIX under which the X Window system is
operated.
[0276] The agent 73 requests an X server 65 of the computer 6 to
display a prompt for a telephone number during communications. At
this request, the computer 6 opens a display window and transfers
to the agent 73 a telephone number input by the user.
[0277] The agent 73 temporarily writes the number to the telephone
number storage unit 75, reads the telephone number, and instructs
the network control unit 74 to call up the telephone 8. In this
case, the agent 73 functions as an X client to the X server 65.
[0278] FIG. 24 shows an example of the sequence of the processes
when the user U1 of the source computer 6 inputs a telephone number
online.
[0279] In this example, agents are provided for both the computer 6
(client) and the computer center 7 (server) for communications.
Therefore, a telephone number can be input online without a special
system such as an X Window system as shown in the example of the
configuration shown in FIG. 23.
[0280] The sequence from the activation (a4) of an agent of the
user U1, the establishment (j4) of a connection and communications
from the user U1 to the network control unit 74 shown in FIG. 24 is
similar to the sequence of a2 through g2 and i2 through k2 shown in
FIG. 9.
[0281] When connections and communications from the user U1 to the
network control unit 74 are established, the user U1 inputs a
telephone number (k4). The agent 63 transfers the input data to the
agent 73 (14), and the agent 73 writes a telephone number to the
telephone number storage unit 75 (m4). Furthermore, the agent 73
reads a destination telephone number (n4).
[0282] The sequence from the call issue instruction (o4) to the
disconnection instruction (y4) of the agent 73 is similar to the
sequence of 12 through x2 shown in FIG. 9.
[0283] FIG. 25 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the sixth aspect of the present invention. In the sixth aspect
of the present invention, the telephone number storage unit 75 of
the computer center 7 in any of the first through the third aspects
of the present invention comprises a character string portion
storage unit 751 and a telephone number portion storage unit
752.
[0284] When a source subscriber inputs a character string
specifying a destination subscriber, the agent 73 converts the
input character string into a corresponding telephone number in the
telephone number portion storage unit 752 by searching the
character string portion storage unit 751, and instructs the
network control unit 74 to issue a call to the telephone
number.
[0285] FIG. 26 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the seventh aspect of the present invention. In the seventh
aspect of the present invention, a telephone number reception unit
77 for receiving a telephone number from the telephone 8 of a user
who requests to receive a call from the computer 6 is provided in
addition to the configuration of the computer center 7 of any of
the first through the third aspects of the present invention.
[0286] When the telephone network 4 is based on an analog system, a
DTMF receiver is used as the telephone number reception unit 77, a
telephone number is input by a push button signal tone (DTMF
signal) through the telephone 8, the signal tone is received by a
DTMF receiver, and the reception result is written to the telephone
number storage unit 75. When the telephone network 4 is a digital
telephone network such as an ISDN, etc., the DTMF receiver is
replaced with a unit for obtaining source subscriber number
notification data to obtain a source subscriber number and write it
to the telephone number storage unit 75.
[0287] FIG. 27 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the eighth aspect of the present invention. In the eighth aspect
of the present invention, a user position monitor agent 10 is
provided in addition to the configuration of any of the first
through the third aspects of the present invention.
[0288] The user position monitor agent 10 monitors the current
position of the destination subscriber, and writes a possible
destination telephone number to the telephone number storage unit
75. The method of monitoring the position of the user position
monitor agent 10 uses, for example, the `personal communications
service distribution control system` (Tokukaihei 08-056263).
[0289] FIG. 28 shows the operation of the user position monitor
agent 10.
[0290] For example, assume that a destination subscriber (user) is
located in an area within a position control network using an
infrared ray (IR), and the user carries an IR card 91 and moves
from a desk A to a desk B.
[0291] When the infrared ray base station 92' having the desk B as
an area detects a new IR card 91, it notifies an IR card manager
93' of the detected card. The IR card manager 93' notifies an area
agent (desk B) 94' for managing the area (of the desk B) of the
detected card. Each of the area agents 94 and 94' manages a user
object and a terminal object in the area.
[0292] The area agent 94' of the desk B writes the object of the IR
card 91 to itself, and requests the area agent 94 of the desk A to
delete data. It also checks the attribute of the IR card 91, and
notifies the user position monitor agent 10 of the attribute
because the user is registered.
[0293] The user position monitor agent 10 detects from the area
agent 94' of the desk B that the telephone is provided as an
available terminal, and writes the telephone number in the
telephone number storage unit 75.
[0294] Thus, the user position monitor agent 10 can be informed of
the position of a user, an available telephone number, and the
existence of a computer.
[0295] The above described technology is described in detail in the
`Personal Communications Service Distribution Control System`
(Tokukaihei 08-056263), or the `Study of Mobility Management System
in Personal Communications Network DUET` (Technology Report CS94-2
of Electronic Information Communications Association).
[0296] FIG. 29 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the ninth aspect of the present invention. In the ninth aspect
of the present invention, an in-use detection unit 78 is provided
in addition to the configuration of the computer center 7 of any of
the first through the third aspects of the present invention.
[0297] If communications can be established with the destination
subscriber through the computer 6' in addition to the telephone 8,
the in-use detection unit 78 notifies the agent 73 of it. The
availability of the computer 6' can be notified by, for example,
inquiring the user position monitor agent 10 shown in FIG. 27.
[0298] The agent 73 writes to the telephone number storage unit 75
the information that the destination subscriber can use a computer.
If information that the destination subscriber is using the
computer is written, a call is not issued to the telephone 8, but
an input/output of the voice/data conversion unit 72 is connected
to the voice input unit and the voice output unit (not shown in the
attached drawings) connected to the computer 6'.
[0299] FIG. 30 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the tenth aspect of the present invention. It shows an example
of transfer between the computer center 7 of the first aspect of
the present invention and another computer center 7'.
[0300] First, the user of the computer 6 activates the voice
communications process 61 for the computer center 7. When the user
inputs the telephone number, the agent 73 refers to the telephone
number storage unit 75 according to the input number of the
station, and determines whether a call should be issued from its
own computer center 7 or from another computer center 7'. If it is
to be issued from the other computer center 7', then a data packet
is transferred to the computer center 7'. If it is to be issued
from its own computer center 7, then it is issued to the telephone
network 4.
[0301] FIG. 31 shows an example of the configuration according to
another embodiment of the tenth aspect of the present invention,
and shows an example of transfer between corresponding computer
centers according to the second aspect of the present
invention.
[0302] First, the user of the computer 6 activates the agent 63 for
the computer center 7. When the user inputs the telephone number,
the agent 73 refers to the telephone number storage unit 75
according to the input number of the station, and determines
whether a call should be issued from its own computer center 7 or
from another computer center 71. If it is to be issued from the
other computer center 71, then a data packet is transferred to the
computer center 7'. If it is to be issued from its own computer
center 7, then a response is returned to the source agent 63.
[0303] Finally, each agent activates the source voice
communications process 61 and the voice communications process 71'
in the last computer center 7' with the two processes set as each
other's destination subscriber, and the agent 73' of the last
computer center 7' issues a call to the telephone 8 through the
telephone network 4.
[0304] FIG. 32 shows an example of the configuration according to
another embodiment of the tenth aspect of the present invention,
and shows an example of transfer between corresponding computer
centers according to the third aspect of the present invention.
[0305] First, the user of the computer 6 activates the WWW browser
64 and accesses the WWW server 76 of the computer center 7. By
specifying the telephone service, the agent 63 is transferred to
the computer 6 and activated therein. In the computer center 7, the
CGI (Common Gateway Interface) activates the agent 73. When the
agent 73 checks the telephone number storage unit 75 to find that a
call should be issued from another computer center 7', the agent 73
accesses the WWW server 76' of the other computer center 7' with
the HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol).
[0306] The WWW server 76' of the computer center 7' accessed by the
agent 73 recognizes that it has been accessed by the agent 73
according to any means such as descriptions in an appropriate HTML
(hyper text makeup language). No agents are transmitted to the
source of the access, but the agent 73' is activated by the CGI in
the computer center 7'. The agent 73 can directly communicates with
the destination agent 73' as indicated by dotted lines if the agent
73' has been activated.
[0307] The agent 73' checks the telephone number storage unit 75'.
If the computer center 7' is appropriate, the voice communications
process 71' is activated with a source computer 6 specified as a
destination subscriber, and a call is issued to the telephone 8
from the computer center 7' through the telephone network 4. The
source agent 63 communicates with the agent 73' of the last
computer center 7', and activates the voice communications process
61 with the last computer center 7' specified as a destination
subscriber.
[0308] In the examples shown in FIGS. 30 through 32, the telephone
number storage unit 75 is provided in the computer center 7, but
can be provided in a computer independent of the computer center 7.
The computer network 2 and the computer network 2' can be identical
with each other or different from each other.
[0309] In the examples shown in FIGS. 30 through 32, the telephone
number storage unit 75 can be provided as a telephone number
database. FIGS. 33 and 34 show examples of the configuration of the
telephone number database.
[0310] In FIG. 33, a telephone number and an address of the
computer center 7 corresponding to the station number are entered.
The agent 73 of the computer center 7 refers to the telephone
number storage unit 75. If another computer center 7' is entered,
then a packet is transferred to another computer center 7'. If the
computer center 7 is entered, then a call is issued from the
computer center 7 to the telephone 8 through the telephone network
4. As shown in FIG. 34, another database can be referred to so that
a corresponding computer center can be retrieved from a station
number regardless of the telephone number storage unit 75.
[0311] In FIGS. 33 and 34, a center address is input as an IP
address, but can also be input as a machine name plus a domain
name.
[0312] FIG. 35 shows an example of the configuration according to
another embodiment of the eleventh, sixteenth, and nineteenth
aspects of the present invention.
[0313] The user first accesses the WWW server 76 of the computer
center 7 through a WWW browser 85 using a data communications
interface (I/F) 83 of a telephone terminal 81. At this time, the
network control unit 74 is connected to a data communications
interface (I/F) 79.
[0314] When the user selects, for example, an Internet telephone
from the menu items and clicks the mouse button, the WWW server 76
activates the agent 73 based on the system of the CGI, etc. The
agent 73 then activates the voice communications process 71 in such
a way that it can communicate with the voice communications process
61 of a specified destination subscriber, and temporarily
disconnects the telephone line.
[0315] Then, the agent 73 connects the network control unit 74 of
the computer center 7 to the voice/data conversion unit 72, and
issues a call to the telephone terminal 81.
[0316] The telephone terminal 81 connects the network control unit
82 to a voice communications interface (I/F) 84 to enter a call
waiting state. Therefore, when a call is received from the computer
center 7, voice communications with the computer 6 can be
established.
[0317] When a telephone line is an analog line, the data
communications interface (I/F) 83 can comprise a modem, etc. When
the telephone line is a digital line, the data communications
interface (I/F) 83 can comprise a terminal adapter. When a
telephone line is an analog line, the voice communications
interface (I/F) 84 can comprise an amplifier, a 2-line/4-line
converter, etc. When the telephone line is a digital line, the
voice communications interface (I/F) 84 can comprise a CODEC.
[0318] FIG. 36 shows an example of the telephone terminal 81 as a
built-in radio PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). In the present
example, the telephone network 4 contains a radio-telephone network
including a radio receiving station 41. A network control unit 82
shown in FIG. 35 can be realized by a line controller 821 and a
wireless unit (RF) 822.
[0319] FIG. 37 shows the sequence of the processes according to the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 35 and 36.
[0320] In FIG. 37, the computer 6 has an agent 1 not shown in FIG.
35 or 36. That is, the agent 1 is omitted in FIGS. 35 and 36.
[0321] First, assume that a user 2 accesses the computer center 7
using the telephone terminal 81 having a data communications
capability. At this time, the WWW browser and the WWW server
establish WWW access through network control units 1 and 2 and a
telephone network.
[0322] When the user 2 selects a telephone service from the WWW
browser, a destination URL is transmitted from the WWW browser to
the WWW server. In return, the WWW server activates an agent 2. The
agent 2 issues a connection request to the agent 1 of the computer
6. The agent 1 displays that there is a communications request to
the user 1 of the computer 6. When the user 1 sees the display and
transmits an instruction to the agent 1 to accept the
communications request, an answer for connection is transmitted to
the agent 2.
[0323] Upon receipt of the answer for connection, the agent 2
activates the voice communications process 2. The agent 1 transmits
the answer for connection and activates the voice communications
process 1. Thus, the voice communications processes 1 and 2 of the
computer 6 and the computer center 7 are activated, and a
connection request is transmitted from the voice communications
process 2 to the voice communications process 1. If the answer for
connection is transmitted from the voice communications process 1
to the voice communications process 2, then the voice
communications process 1 is connected to the voice communications
process 2.
[0324] After the agent 2 activates the voice communications process
2, it issues a disconnection instruction to the network control
unit 1 and terminates the data communications between the WWW
server and the WWW browser. Then, the agent 2 issues a data/voice
conversion instruction to the network control unit 1, and connects
the voice communications process 2 to the network control unit 1.
Thus, the user 1 is connected to the network control unit 1.
[0325] Next, the agent 2 reads a telephone number from the
telephone number storage unit, and instructs the network control
unit 1 to issue a call. Upon receipt of the instruction, the
network control unit 1 issues a call to the network control unit 2,
and a ringing tone is output to the user 2. When the user 2 answers
the ringing tone, the network control unit 1 is connected to the
network control unit 2, and the voice communications can be
established between the users 1 and 2.
[0326] When a terminating process is performed from the user 1 or
2, the voice communications line is disconnected. Described below
is the case shown in FIG. 37 in which the user 2 performs the
terminating process.
[0327] When the user 2 performs a voice communications terminating
process, the network control unit 2 is notified of the process, and
the network control units 1 and 2 are disconnected from each other.
When the network control unit 1 detects the disconnection of a
line, it notifies the voice communications process 2 of the
disconnection, and then notifies the voice communications process 1
of the disconnection. Thus, a disconnection tone is output to the
user 1, and the user 1 instructs the agent 1 to terminate the
communications. Then, the voice communications process 1 is
notified of the termination instruction, and a termination
notification is transmitted from the voice communications process 1
to the voice communications process 2, thereby the voice
communications processes 1 and 2 terminate the process.
[0328] Upon receipt of the termination instruction from the user 1,
the agent 1 transmits a termination notification to the agent 2.
The agent 2 issues a disconnection (line release) instruction to
the network control unit 1, thereby releasing the line being used
for voice communications and terminating the process.
[0329] An embodiment of the twentieth aspect of the present
invention is described by referring to FIG. 3. According to the
twentieth aspect of the present invention, the computer center 7 of
the first aspect of the present invention further comprises plural
types of voice communications processes (voice communications units
31a, 31b, . . . ).
[0330] When the agent process unit (agent) 33 recognizes the type
of the voice communications unit 11 (voice communications process)
from the data stream received from the voice communications unit 11
(voice communications process), selects a voice communications unit
31x capable of communicating with the voice communications unit 11
(voice communications process) of the computer 1 from plural types
of voice communications units 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, . . . (voice
communications processes) in the computer center 3, activates these
units, and transfers the data stream for communications.
[0331] FIG. 38 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the twenty-first aspect of the present invention. In FIG. 38,
the computer center 7 according to the second or third aspect of
the present invention further comprises plural types of voice
communications processes.
[0332] Before activating the voice communications process 61, the
agent 63 transmits the type of the voice communications process 61
to the agent 73. The agent 73 selects a voice communications unit
71x capable of communicating with the voice communications unit 61
from plural types of voice communications units 71a, 71b, 71c, 71d,
. . . in the computer center 7, activates these units, and
transfers the data stream for communications.
[0333] FIG. 39 shows the configuration according to an embodiment
of the twenty-second aspect of the present invention, and shows an
example of establishing communications between a telephone and a
computer not originally provided with a voice communications
process.
[0334] As shown in FIG. 39, the computer 6 comprises the voice/data
conversion unit 62, and the WWW (World Wide Web) browser 64. The
computer center 7 comprises the voice communications process 71,
the voice/data conversion unit 72, the network control unit 74, the
telephone number storage unit 75, and the WWW server 76.
[0335] The WWW browser 64 transmits to the WWW server 76 a specific
instruction to establish voice communications. Upon receipt of the
specific instruction from the WWW browser 64, the WWW server 76
transmits the voice communications process 61 to be activated in
the computer 6, and activates the voice communications process 71
in the computer center 7. The communications can be established
between the computer 6 and the telephone 8 through the voice
communications process 61 and the voice communications process 71
activated through the transmission of the WWW server 76.
[0336] FIGS. 40 and 41 show the configuration according to an
embodiment of the twenty-third aspect of the present invention. In
FIGS. 40 and 41, the telephone terminal 81 according to the
eleventh aspect of the present invention shown in FIGS. 35 and 36
further comprises an agent 86. In FIG. 41, the telephone terminal
81 is used as a built-in radio PDA (personal digital assistant).
Since the basic operations are similar to those shown in FIG. 40,
explanation is made for both figures in common.
[0337] After receiving a specific instruction from the WWW browser
85, the agent 73 of the computer center 7 switches the connection
of the network control unit 74 (NCU 741) from the data
communications interface (I/F) 79 to the voice/data conversion unit
72. The agent 86 of the telephone terminal 81 switches the
connection of the network control unit 82 (radio unit 811) from the
data communications interface (I/F) 83 to the voice communications
interface (I/F) 84 (CODEC 841). Then, a telephone is connected from
the computer center 7 to the telephone terminal 81, thereby
establishing voice communications.
[0338] After the voice communications terminate, the agent 73 of
the computer center 7 returns the connection of the network control
unit 74 (NCU 741) from the voice/data conversion unit 72 to the
data communications interface (I/F) 79 (modem 791). The agent 86 of
the telephone terminal 81 returns the connection of the network
control unit 82 (radio unit 811) from the voice communications
interface (I/F) 84 (CODEC 841) to the data communications interface
(I/F) 83. Then, the data communications can be established again by
issuing and connecting a call from the computer center 7 or the
telephone terminal 81. Thus, access by the WWW browser 85 can be
successfully gained.
[0339] FIG. 42 shows the sequence of the processes corresponding to
the embodiment shown in FIGS. 40 and 41. In FIG. 42, the agent 1 is
also provided in the computer 6. In FIGS. 40 and 41, no
corresponding agents are shown. This means that the agent is
omitted in FIGS. 40 and 41, and the operations of the agent are
described by referring to FIG. 42.
[0340] Assume that the user 2 (telephone terminal operator) is
WWW-accessing the WWW server through the WWW browser, and that the
user 2 selects a telephone service to the WWW server through the
WWW browser. Then, the URL of the destination subscriber is
transmitted to the WWW server, and the WWW server activates the
agent 2. When the agent 2 is activated, it indicates to the user
that a communications request has been issued, and waits for an
answer from the user 1.
[0341] When the user 1 returns an answer for communications in
response to the display of the communications request, the agent 1
answers the agent 2 in response to the connection request. Upon
receipt of an answer for connection, the agent 2 transmits a
possible communications notification to the agent 3 of the
telephone terminal 81, and indicates to the user that the
communications can be established.
[0342] Upon receipt of the possible communications notification,
the agent 3 outputs a disconnection instruction to the network
control unit 2, and also outputs an instruction to convert data
communications into voice communications.
[0343] On the other hand, the agent 1 receives a communications
acknowledgement, transmits the answer for connection, and activates
the voice communications process of the computer 6. The agent 2
receives the answer for connection, transmits a possible
communications notification, and activates the voice communications
process 2. Thus, a connection request is issued from the voice
communications process 2 to the voice communications process 1.
Upon receipt of the connection request, the voice communications
process 1 answers for connection. Then, the voice communications
process 1 is connected to the voice communications process 2. After
activating the voice communications 2, the agent 2 issues to the
network control unit 1 an instruction to disconnect the data
communications, and then issues an instruction to switch from data
communications to voice communications. In the series of these
processes, the user 1 is connected to the network control unit
1.
[0344] Next, the agent 2 reads a telephone number from the
telephone number storage unit, and issues an instruction to the
network control unit 1 to issue a call. The network control unit 1
calls up the network control unit 2, and a ringing tone is output
to the user 2. When the user 2 answers, the network control unit 1
is connected to the network control unit 2 and voice communications
can be established between the user 1 and the user 2.
[0345] A communications terminating process can be performed by the
user 1 or the user 2. However, described below is the terminating
process performed by the user 2.
[0346] When the user 2 performs the terminating process, the agent
3 is notified of the process, and issues a disconnection
instruction to the network control unit 2. Thus, the communications
are disconnected between the network control unit 1 and the network
control unit 2. When the network control unit 1 detects the
disconnection of a line, the voice communications process 2 is
notified of the disconnection. A disconnection notification is
transmitted from the voice communications process 2 to the voice
communications process 1, and a disconnection tone is output from
the voice communications process 1 to the user 1. Upon receipt of
this disconnection tone, the user 1 issues a termination
instruction. In response to the instruction, the agent 1 issues a
termination instruction to the voice communications process 1, and
a termination notification is issued to the voice communications
process 2. Thus, the voice communications processes 1 and 2
terminate the process. Next, the agent 1 issues a termination
notification to the agent 2. The agent 2 issues a disconnection
instruction (to release a line) to the network control unit 1.
After these processes, the related lines are completely
disconnected.
[0347] FIG. 43 shows an embodiment of the computer center capable
of establishing communications using telephones through the
Internet.
[0348] FIG. 43 shows the configuration with which a telephone user
calls up another telephone user through the Internet. The
configuration of the computer center can be that of a computer
center 652. The configuration of a computer center 653 is the same
as the configuration of the computer center according to the above
described embodiment, but can also be the same as that of the
computer center 652.
[0349] The configuration of the computer center 652 is obtained by
adding a DTMF receiver to the network control unit of the computer
center 653, and replacing the telephone number storage unit with a
telephone-number/IP-address converter. These components are
realized as a table. The agent is resident in the computer
center.
[0350] When a connection request is issued from a telephone 650
through a telephone network 651, a network control unit 658
receives the request and notifies an agent 656 of the connection
request. The agent 656 requests the telephone 650 to input a
destination telephone number. When the telephone number is input,
an IP address corresponding to the telephone number to be read by a
DTMF receiver 657 is read from a telephone-number/IP-address
conversion unit 661. Then, the agent 656 communicates with an agent
663 of the computer center 653 through a computer network 667, and
inquires the agent 663 whether or not the communications can be
established. If the agent 663 transmits an answer for connection to
the agent 656, then the agent 656 activates the voice
communications process 660, and the agent 663 activates a voice
communications process 664. Thus, a voice communications process
660 can communicate with the voice communications process 664.
[0351] As described above, the network control unit 658 is
connected to a network control unit 665. If a telephone 655 answers
the call, then communications can be established between the
telephone 650 and the telephone 655 through the Internet. The voice
input from the telephone 650 or the telephone 655 is received by
the network control units 658 and 665 through the telephone
networks 651 and 654. The received voice packet is converted into a
data packet by voice/data conversion units 659 and 666, transferred
to the voice communications processes 660 and 664, and transmitted
and received between them.
[0352] The details of the process flow with the above described
configuration are described below by referring to the sequence.
[0353] FIG. 44 shows the sequence of the processes according to the
embodiment shown in FIG. 43.
[0354] The user 1 calls up the computer center 652 through the
telephone 650. Then, the network control unit 1 transmits an
arrival notification to an agent A1. When the agent A1 detects the
arrival of a call it instructs the network control unit 1 to answer
the call. When the network control unit 1 receives an answer
instruction, the telephone 650 is connected to the network control
unit 1. The user inputs the telephone number of the destination
subscriber with a push tone. The input telephone number is decoded
by the DTMF receiver and provided for the agent A1.
[0355] The agent A1 refers to the telephone number/IP address
conversion unit and obtains an IP address corresponding to the
telephone number. For example, if the leading numbers of the
telephone number are 045, the IP address of the computer center in
Yokohama (a city in Japan) is retrieved. The agent A1 is connected
to the agent A2 in the center (computer center 653) having the IP
address. Then, a connection request is issued from the agent A1 to
the agent A2. A requested destination telephone number is
transferred when a connection request is transmitted between
agents, and stored in a telephone number storage unit.
[0356] When the agent A2 returns an answer for connection to the
agent A1, the agent A1 activates the voice communications process
V1, and the agent A2 activates the voice communications process V2.
The voice communications process V1 issues a connection request to
the voice communications process V2. When an answer for connection
is returned from the voice communications process V2, a
communications path can be established between the voice
communications process V1 and the voice communications process V2.
Therefore, the network control unit 1 is connected to the network
control unit 2.
[0357] The agent A2 of the computer center 653 reads the telephone
number stored in the telephone number storage unit, and issues a
call issue instruction to the network control unit 2. The network
control unit 2 issues a call to the telephone 655 having the read
telephone number. When the user 2 answers the call to the telephone
655, the telephone 655 is connected to the network control unit 2.
Thus, a further call can be issued to the telephone network 654
from the telephone network 651 through the computer network
(Internet) 667.
[0358] The user can make a phone call for a fee lower than the fee
for the use of only a telephone network because a computer network
is normally connected through a private line which is less costly
than a public line.
[0359] When the user 2 performs a disconnection process on the
telephone 655, a disconnection notification is issued to the
network control unit 2, and the line between the network control
unit 1 and the network control unit 2 is disconnected. The network
control unit 2 issues a disconnection notification to the agent A2.
In response to this, the agent A2 instructs the network control
unit 2 to disconnect the line (release the line), and the line
between the network control unit 2 and the telephone 655 is
released. On the other hand, when the network control unit 1
detects the disconnection of the line, it issues a disconnection
notification to the agent A1. Then, the agent A1 instructs the
network control unit 1 to disconnect the line (release the line),
and the line is released between the network control unit 1 and the
telephone 650. Thus, the line between the telephone 650 and the
telephone 655 is disconnected. In FIG. 44, the disconnection
process is performed by the user 2, but it is obvious that the
process can also be performed by the user 1.
[0360] FIGS. 45A, 45B, and 46 show examples of the configuration of
the hardware of the computer and computer center according to the
first aspect of the present invention.
[0361] FIG. 45A shows an example of the configuration of the
hardware of the computer 1 shown in FIG. 4. The computer 1
comprises a CPU 100; a ROM 101; a RAM 102; an external storage
device 103 such as a magnetic disk device, etc.; a keyboard 105
connected to a bus through a keyboard interface (I/F) 104; a
display 107 connected to a bus through a video interface (I/F) 106;
a sound card 108 for use in inputting and outputting voice to a
microphone 109, a speaker 110, etc.; a network adapter 111 for
controlling communications with the computer network 2, etc.
[0362] FIG. 45B shows an example of the configuration of the
hardware of the computer center 3 shown in FIG. 4. The computer of
the computer center 3 comprises a CPU 100'; a ROM 101'; a RAM 102';
an external storage device 103' such as a magnetic disk device,
etc.; a keyboard 105' connected to a bus through a keyboard
interface (I/F) 104'; a display 107' connected to a bus through a
video interface (I/F) 106'; a network adapter 111' for controlling
the communications with the computer network 2; a sound card 120
for use in controlling the communications through the telephone
network 4; an NCU 121, etc.
[0363] FIG. 46 shows an example of the configuration of the
hardware of the computer center 3 shown in FIG. 6.
[0364] The computer for operating the agent 73 shown in FIG. 6
comprises a CPU 200; a ROM 201; a RAM 202; an external storage
device 203 such as a magnetic disk device, etc.; a keyboard 205
connected to a bus through a keyboard interface (I/F) 204; a
display 207 connected to a bus through a video interface (I/F) 206;
a network adapter 208, connected to a HUB 209, for controlling
communications with the computer network 2, etc.
[0365] The computer for operating the voice communications process
74 (as with the voice communications process 74') shown in FIG. 6
comprises a CPU 210; a ROM 211; a RAM 212, a network adapter 213,
connected to a HUB 209, for controlling the communications with the
computer network 2; an external storage device 214 such as a
magnetic disk device, etc.; a sound card 215, and an NCU 216 for
use in controlling communications through the telephone network 4,
etc.
[0366] FIG. 47 shows an example of a network control unit (NCU) for
an analog telephone network;
[0367] In FIG. 47, 250 is an RS-232C interface; 251 is a serial
input/output interface (SIO); 252 is a parameter input/output
interface (PIO); 253 is a CPU; 254 is a serial input/output
interface (SIO); 255 is a ROM; 256 is a RAM; 257 is a switch; 258
is a 2-line/4-line converter; 259 and 260 are amplifiers for voice
input and output.
[0368] In the example shown in FIG. 47, a telephone network is
controlled by the computer through the RS-232C interface 250, but
can be controlled directly through the bus of a computer.
[0369] In the explanation above, a computer corresponds one-to-one
to a computer center for easy understanding. For example, as shown
in FIG. 6 or FIG. 10, computers and computer centers can correspond
n-to-m for communications.
[0370] FIG. 48 shows an example of the configuration of the
voice/data conversion unit provided in the computer according to
the above described embodiment.
[0371] The computer is provided with a microphone 700 and a speaker
710 as a voice output device. A user of the computer uses the
microphone 700 and the speaker 710 to utilize the function of the
telephone such as an Internet phone, etc.
[0372] The voice input through the microphone 700 is amplified by a
speaker 701, and converted into a digital signal by an A/D
converter 702. The digital signal is encoded by a coder 703 of a
CODEC 707, and output to a data path 705 through an input/output
device 704 as digital data.
[0373] On the other hand, the digital data of the voice input to
the input/output device 704 through the data path 705 is input to a
decoder 706 and decoded. The decoded voice data is converted into a
digital voice signal, and then into an analog voice signal by a D/A
converter 708. The voice signal is amplified by an amplifier 709,
and output by a speaker 710.
[0374] The configuration of the voice/data converter shown in FIG.
48 is only an example, and can be varied by one of ordinary skill
in the art.
[0375] According to the above described embodiments, a voice signal
is transmitted through a telephone network. Therefore, the
deterioration of transmission efficiency and quality can be
avoided.
[0376] Since an agent retrieves a telephone number and controls the
issue of a call to a telephone network, etc., the existing voice
communications process can be used without reorganization or
amendment, thereby producing an economical effect.
[0377] The above described first aspect of the present invention
solves the problem of the deterioration of the transmission
efficiency and quality when voice communications are established
through a computer network, and allows a telephone call to be
connected from a computer network through a public network, etc.
using an existing voice communications process.
[0378] According to the second aspect of the present invention,
communications are established between the agent 63 in the source
computer 6 and the agent 73 in the destination computer center 7
(refer to FIG. 8) independently of the voice communications process
61. Therefore, contents of communications, protocols, etc. can be
optionally extended without restrictions of the voice
communications processes between a source computer and a
destination computer center. Additionally, each agent simply
activates a voice communications process, and has no functions of
establishing communications between voice communications processes.
Therefore, only changing a name of a voice communications process
activated by an agent allows another voice communications process
to be appropriately checked.
[0379] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the
agent 63 is transmitted from the computer center 7 and activated
(refer to FIG. 19), and therefore a computer not originally
provided with an agent can issue a call to a telephone.
[0380] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention,
since a telephone number rewriting unit can rewrite a telephone
number in a telephone number storage unit, a destination can be
easily changed.
[0381] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a
telephone number can be input online when a source subscriber
issues a call.
[0382] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a
telephone number storage unit converts a specific character string
into a telephone number. Therefore, a source subscriber can specify
the destination using a specific character string indicating a
destination subscriber.
[0383] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention,
since a telephone number can be received by a telephone number
receiving unit from a telephone terminal through a network control
unit, the destination telephone number can be specified only by a
telephone terminal.
[0384] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, a
user position monitor agent writes the latest destination telephone
number of a destination subscriber. Therefore, the destination is
automatically specified.
[0385] According to the ninth aspect of the present invention,
since computers are connected to each other when the destination is
a computer, the computers can accept a call.
[0386] According to the tenth aspect of the present invention,
since a call is issued from a computer center in the area
physically closest to the area to which the destination telephone
number normally belongs, the fee for the use of public telephone
network can be minimized.
[0387] According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, a
computer center can call back for connection when it is specified
by a telephone terminal. Therefore, the telephone terminal can
actually issue a call.
[0388] According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, a
TV telephone call can be realized by transmitting animation data as
well as voice communications data.
[0389] Using a device according to the thirteenth through
nineteenth aspects of the present invention, a call can be issued
from the above described computer network to a telephone.
[0390] According to the twentieth or twenty-first aspect of the
present invention, a user can follow an available voice
communications process, thereby improving the convenience of the
user.
[0391] According to the twenty-second aspect of the present
invention, a user need not prepare any voice communications
process, thereby furthermore improving the convenience of the
user.
[0392] According to the twenty-third aspect of the present
invention, a computer center can be accessed again through a WWW
after the termination of voice communications, and the user's
convenience can be considerably improved.
* * * * *