U.S. patent application number 11/155834 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-01 for communications system and communications method.
Invention is credited to Chikuma, Satoru, Fujino, Nobutsugu.
Application Number | 20050265320 11/155834 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 15122435 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050265320 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fujino, Nobutsugu ; et
al. |
December 1, 2005 |
Communications system and communications method
Abstract
When voice communications are to be established using the
telephone having the telephone number displayed on the application
during the data communications, a temporary line disconnection unit
disconnects a line being used for the data communications. The
application is not notified of this, and the line is connected
between the terminal and the telephone. The user on the mobile
computer side can voice-communicate with the user of the telephone
using the terminal. When the voice communications terminate, the
temporary line disconnection unit connects the line between the
fixed computer side and the mobile computer side to resume the data
communications. Since the application is not notified of the
temporary disconnection of the line, the session is set active and
the data communications are not started from the very
beginning.
Inventors: |
Fujino, Nobutsugu;
(Kanagawa, JP) ; Chikuma, Satoru; (Kanagawa,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KATTEN MUCHIN ROSENMAN LLP
575 MADISON AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10022-2585
US
|
Family ID: |
15122435 |
Appl. No.: |
11/155834 |
Filed: |
June 17, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11155834 |
Jun 17, 2005 |
|
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08999308 |
Dec 29, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
370/352 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 65/1069 20130101;
H04M 3/20 20130101; H04L 12/6418 20130101; H04M 2207/206 20130101;
H04L 67/14 20130101; H04W 76/30 20180201; H04M 1/2535 20130101;
H04M 3/42187 20130101; H04L 2012/6486 20130101; H04L 65/1096
20130101; H04M 7/0057 20130101; H04M 2207/203 20130101; H04M 7/122
20130101; H04M 3/428 20130101; H04W 76/19 20180201 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/352 |
International
Class: |
H04L 012/66 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 23, 1997 |
JP |
9-134185 |
Claims
1. A communications system comprising: a server providing
information; a terminal communicating data with the server; a
communications network connecting said server to said terminal; a
temporary line disconnection unit, provided in the server and the
terminal, monitoring a content of received data from the server and
from the terminal, and when a specified data is received,
disconnecting a line being used for data communications without
issuing any disconnection notifications to an upper layer
application of said terminal and said server when said terminal
voice communicates with a third party other than said server
through said communications network during the data communications
with said server, and automatically connecting said server to said
terminal when the voice communications terminate; an automatic data
fetch unit automatically fetching data of web sites including
information requested by a user from said server to said terminal;
and a storage unit storing the data fetched by said automatic data
fetch unit, wherein a data communicating process is performed from
a status at a point immediately before starting the voice
communications when said server and said terminal resume the data
communications, and wherein said automatic data fetch unit
preliminarily fetches the data obtainable from said server and
stores the data in said storage unit during the data
communications, and accesses said storage unit during the voice
communications so that the data in said storage unit is displayed
during the voice communication, thereby realizing virtual data
communications during the voice communications.
2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said
terminal obtains a telephone number of the third party as
information during the data communications.
3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said
server comprises a telephone switch unit; and said temporary line
disconnection unit temporarily disconnects a line between said
server and said terminal when said terminal issue a voice
communications request to the third party, connecting said
telephone switch unit to telephones of the third party and said
terminal, connecting two calls on a server side, thereby realizing
voice communications between said terminal and the third party.
4. The communications system according to claim 3, wherein said
temporary line disconnection unit provided on the server side
temporarily disconnects the line between said terminal and said
server when said terminal issues a request for voice communications
with the third party to said server; and said server, a telephone
of said third party and said terminal enter a 3-point
communications state based on a 3-point communication function of
said telephone switch unit, thereby realizing the voice
communications between said terminal and said third party.
5. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein said
temporary line disconnection unit provided on a terminal side
temporarily disconnects the line when said terminal issues a
request for voice communications with the third party to said
server; and said terminal issues a voice communications call to the
third party, thereby realizing the voice communications between
said third terminal and said third party.
6. The communications system according to claim 1, farther
comprising at least one first unit, provided on a server side for
each user who receives a service of said server, for managing
personal information and communications status of each user,
wherein said temporary line disconnection unit provided on a
terminal side temporarily disconnects a line between said terminal
and said server according to an instruction from said first unit
when said terminal issues a request for voice communications with
the third party to said server; said terminal issues a call through
the voice communications to the third party, thereby realizing
voice communications between said terminal and said third party,
wherein the server has an object which manages personal
information, and the object communicates with an other object which
is in said terminal and also manages personal information, before
communication by the user, thereby said terminal can receive a
call.
7. The communications system according to claim 1, further
comprising: automatic data fetch means for automatically fetching
data from said server to said terminal; and storage means for
storing data fetched by said automatic data fetch means, wherein
said automatic data fetch means preliminarily fetches data
obtainable while no data are received and stores the data in said
storage means during the data communications, and accesses said
data storage means during the voice communications, thereby
realizing virtual data communications during the voice
communications.
8. The communication system according to claim 1, further
comprising: a unit for receiving said automatic data fetch unit on
a terminal side, wherein said automatic data fetch unit is
transmitted from a server side to the terminal side when the data
communications start.
9. A communications method comprising the steps of: (a) connecting
a line from a server to a terminal for providing information for
data communications with the server through a communications
network; (b) monitoring a content of received data from the server
and from the terminal, and when a specified data is received,
disconnecting a line being used for data communications without
issuing any disconnection notifications to an upper layer
application of said terminal and said server when said terminal
voice communicates with a third party other than said server
through said communications network during the data communications
with said server, and automatically connecting said server to said
terminal when the voice communications terminate; (d) automatically
fetching data of web sites including information requested by a
user from said server; and (e) storing the data fetched at step
(d), wherein said upper layer applications perform a data
communicating process from a status at a point immediately before
starting the voice communications when the data communications are
resumed, wherein step (b) is executed in the server and the
terminal, and wherein said steps (d) and (e) are followed during
the data communications between said terminal and said server, and
said data stored in step (e) is accessed during the voice
communications so that said data stored in step (e) is displayed
during the voice communication, thereby establishing virtual data
communications during the voice communications.
10. The communications method according to claim 9, further
comprising the step of: fetching a telephone number of the third
party as information by said terminal during the data
communications.
11. The communications method according to claim 9, wherein said
step (b) is followed when said terminal issues a voice
communications request to the third party, and two calls are
connected by a telephone switch unit provided on a server side,
thereby realizing voice communications between said terminal and
said third party.
12. The communications method according to claim 11, wherein said
step (b) is followed on a server side when said terminal issues to
said server a request to voice-communicate with the third party;
said server, a telephone of the third party, and said terminal
enter a 3-point communications state based on a 3-point
communications function of said telephone switch unit, thereby
realizing voice communications between said terminal and the third
party.
13. The communications method according to claim 9, wherein said
step (b) is followed on a terminal side when said terminal issues
to said server a request to voice-communicate with the third party;
said terminal issues a call through the voice communications to the
third party, thereby realizing voice communications between said
terminal and the third party.
14. The communication method according to claim 9, further
comprising the step of: (c) managing personal information and
communications status on a server side for each user who receives a
service from said server, wherein said terminal issues a call to
the third party through the voice communications by following said
step (b) based on communications state management in said step (c),
thereby establishing voice communications between said terminal and
said third party, wherein the server has an object which manages
personal information, and the object communicates with an other
object which is in said terminal and also manages personal
information, before communication by the user, thereby said
terminal can receive a call.
15. A communication system comprising: a server for providing
information; a terminal for communicating data with the server; a
communication network for connecting said server to said terminal;
and temporary line disconnection means, provided in the server and
the terminal, for disconnecting a line being used for data
communications without issuing any disconnection notifications to
an upper layer application of said terminal and said server when
said terminal voice-communicates with a third party other than said
server through said communication network during the data
communications with said server, and automatically connecting said
server to said terminal when the voice communications terminate,
wherein a data communicating process is performed from a status at
a point immediately before starting the voice communications when
said server and said terminal resume the data communications.
16. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein said
terminal obtains a telephone number of the third party as
information during the data communications.
17. The communications system according to claim 15, wherein said
server comprises a telephone switch unit; and said temporary line
disconnection unit temporarily disconnects a line between said
server and said terminal when said terminal issues a voice
communications request to the third party, connecting said
telephone switch unit to telephones of the third party and said
terminal, connecting two calls on a server side, thereby realizing
voice communications between said terminal and the third party.
18. The communications system according to claim 17, wherein said
temporary line disconnection unit provided on the server side
temporarily disconnects the line between said terminal and said
server when said terminal issues a request for voice communications
with the third party to said server; and said server, a telephone
of said third party, and said terminal enter a 3-point
communications state based on a 3-point communications function of
said telephone switch unit, thereby realizing the voice
communications between said terminal and said third party.
19. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein said
line temporary disconnection unit provided on a terminal side
temporarily disconnects the line when said terminal issues a
request for voice communications with the third party to said
server, and said terminal issues a voice communications call to he
third party, thereby realizing the voice communications between
said terminal and said third party.
20. The communication system according to claim 15, further
comprising: at least one first unit, provided on a server side for
each user who receives a service of said server, for managing
personal information and communications status of each user,
wherein said temporary line disconnection unit provided on a
terminal side temporarily disconnects a line between said terminal
and said server according to an instruction from said first unit
when said terminal issues a request for voice communications with
the third party to said server; said terminal issues a call through
the voice communications to the third party, thereby realizing
voice communications between said terminal and said third party,
wherein the server has an object which manages personal
information, and the object communicates with an other object which
is in said terminal and also manages personal information, before
communication by the user, thereby said terminal can receive a
call.
21. The communication system according to claim 15, further
comprising: an automatic data fetch unit automatically fetching
data from said server to said terminal; and a storage unit storing
data fetched by said automatic data fetch unit, wherein said
automatic data fetch unit preliminarily fetches data obtainable
from said server and stores the data in said storage unit during
the data communications, and accesses said storage unit during the
voice communications so that the data in said storage unit is
displayed during the voice communication, thereby realizing virtual
data communications during the voice communications.
22. The communications system according to claim 15, further
comprising: means for receiving said automatic data fetch unit on a
terminal side, wherein said automatic data fetch unit is
transmitted from a server side to the terminal side when the data
communications start.
23. A communications method comprising the steps of: (a) connecting
a line from a server to a terminal for providing information for
data communications with the server through a communications
network; and (b) disconnecting the line being used for data
communications without issuing any disconnection notifications to
an upper layer application of said terminal and said server when
said terminal voice-communicates with a third party other than said
server through said communications network during the data
communications with said server, and automatically connecting said
server to said terminal when the voice communications terminate,
wherein said upper layer application performs a data communicating
process from a status at a point immediately before starting the
voice communications when the data communications are resumed.
24. The communications method according to claim 23, further
comprising the step of: fetching a telephone number of the third
party as information by said terminal during the data
communications.
25. The communications method according to claim 23, wherein said
step (b) is followed when said terminal issues a voice
communications request to the third party, and two calls are
connected by a telephone switch unit provided on a server side,
thereby realizing voice communications between said terminal and
said third party.
26. The communications method according to claim 25, wherein said
step (b) is followed on a server side when said terminal issues to
said server a request to voice-communicate with the third party;
said server, a telephone of the third party, and the terminal enter
a 3-point communications state base on a 3-point communications
function of said telephone switch unit, thereby realizing voice
communications between said terminal and the third party.
27. The communications method according to claim 23, further
comprising the step of: (c) managing personal information and
communications status on a server side for each user who receives a
service from said server, wherein said terminal issues a call to
the third party through the voice communications by following said
step (b) based on communications state management in said step (c),
thereby establishing voice communications between said terminal and
said third party.
28. The communications method according to claim 23, further
comprising the step of: (c) managing personal information and
communications status on a server side for each user who receives a
service from said server, wherein said terminal issues a call to
the third party through the voice communications by following said
step (b) based on communications state management in said step (c),
thereby establishing voice communications between said terminal and
said third party, wherein the server has an object which manages
personal information, and the object communicates with an other
object which is in said terminal and also manages personal
information, before communication by the user, thereby said
terminal can receive a call.
29. The communications method according to claim 23, further
comprising the steps of: (d) automatically fetching data from said
server; and (e) storing data fetched at step (d), wherein said
steps (d) and (e) are followed during the data communications
between said terminal and said server; and said data stored in step
(e) is accessed during the voice communications so that said data
stored in said step (e) is displayed during the voice
communication, thereby establishing virtual data communications
during the voice communications.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a system of establishing
voice communications using a telephone during data
communications.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Recently, users are provided with various communications
services after outstanding development of communications
technology. Data communication is one of these communications
services. In the data communication, a home page of a WWW (World
Wide Web) can be seen through a browser using a data communications
adapter from a wireless telephone terminal such as a PHS (personal
handy-phone system), a PDC (personal digital cellular phone), etc.
connected to the Internet through a dial-up connection.
[0005] There is a system for satisfying a request from a user to
immediately make a phone call according to the information (for
example, the telephone number of a shop found during the browsing
through Web) obtained during the data communication. A Web server
calls up the shop through the CGI (common gateway interface) and
connects the user terminal to the shop so that the user can
directly communicate with the shop through the phone.
[0006] FIG. 1 shows the outline of the conventional communications
network system for realizing the function of setting voice
communications during data communications.
[0007] A server 2100 comprises a switching unit 2105 and is
connected to a telephone network 2110 through a switching unit
2105. A personal computer 2101 is connected to the telephone
network 2110 through a modem 2108 containing a telephone 2107 and
an NCU (network control unit). A telephone 2106 is also connected
to the telephone network 2110 through the switching unit 2105 of
the server 2100.
[0008] A Web server 2102 is implemented in the server 2100, and the
Web server 2102 is connected to the switching unit 2105 through a
CGI program 2103 or an NCU built-in modem 2104 so that data can be
transmitted to the telephone network 2110. A Web browser 2109 is
installed in the personal computer 2101, and accesses a home page,
etc. provided by the Web server 2102 implemented in the server 2100
through the NCU built-in modem 2108.
[0009] In FIG. 1, the line through which the personal computer 2101
accesses the server 2100 is provided separately from the line of
the telephone 2107 of the user of the personal computer 2101. The
user of the personal computer 2101 sees the home page of the server
2100 on the Web browser 2109. When the user orders goods, the user
checks the telephone number of the shop stored on the home page and
clicks the mouse button, etc. with the telephone number on the home
page pointed to. Thus, the Web server 2102 instructs the CGI
program 2103 to call up the user's telephone 2107 and the telephone
2106 of the shop through the switching unit 2105 to connect the
user's telephone 2107 to the telephone 2106 and allow the user to
communicate with the shop and place an order.
[0010] This method is effective if the user has a telephone line
separate from the data communications line as shown by the example
in FIG. 1. However, the method is not effective when the user uses
the same line as a telephone and data communications line. For
example, when a personal computer is connected to a portable
telephone in a line switching system through a data communications
adapter, data communications and voice communications cannot be
simultaneously established.
[0011] That is, in a line switching network or a packet switching
network in which a voice packet cannot be simultaneously processed
with a data packet, the line is occupied by the data
communications, and no telephone calls can be issued or
received.
[0012] To make a telephone call, the data communications should be
terminated to disconnect the line. In this case, when the data
communications are resumed, it is necessary to start the data
communications from the very beginning. This is inconvenient to the
user.
[0013] For example, when a user sees home pages on the Web server
and traces various links, the user has to terminate the Web browser
and the data communications to disconnect the line before making a
telephone call. When the user terminates the telephone call, a line
connection should be made to re-establish data communications with
the Web server, the Web browser should be set, the Web server
should be accessed, and the link should be traced again from the
first home page.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Object of the present invention is to provide means for
releasing and receiving a telephone call through the above
described communications line without terminating the data
communications session during the data communications through a
communications line using an existing telephone network, cellular
phone network, or a handy portable telephone network.
[0015] A further object of the present invention is to provide
means for permitting a user to assume that data communications can
be set during voice communications even if a communications system
does not allow the data communications to be established through
the communications line during the voice communications.
[0016] The system of the present invention includes a server for
providing information; a terminal for communicating data with the
server; a communications network for connecting the server to the
terminal; and a temporary line disconnection unit for disconnecting
a line being used for the data communications without a
disconnection notification to an upper layer application of the
terminal and the server when the terminal establishes voice
communications with the third party other than the server through
the communications network during the data communications between
the terminal and the server, and for automatically connecting the
server to the terminal when the voice communications terminate.
With the configuration, when the server and the terminal resume the
data communications, the system establishes data communications
from the state immediately before the voice communications.
[0017] The method of the present invention includes a step (a) of
connecting a line between the server for providing information and
a terminal for communicating data with the server; and a step (b)
of disconnecting a line being used for the data communications
without a disconnection notification to an upper layer application
of the terminal and the server when the terminal establishes voice
communications with the third party other than the server through
the communications network during the data communications between
the terminal and the server, and for automatically connecting the
line between the server and the terminal when the voice
communications terminate. With the configuration, when the server
and the terminal resume the data communications, the two above
described upper layer applications establishes data communications
from the state immediately before the voice communications.
[0018] According to the present invention, when voice
communications are established using a line while data
communications are established through the line, the line being
used for the data communications is automatically disconnected and
a line is newly connected to establish voice communications. Thus,
the user can call up the telephone number displayed on a home page
through, for example, a portable telephone, etc. When the voice
communications terminate, a line is automatically connected to
establish data communications. Therefore, the user can immediately
resume the data communications. When a line is disconnected to
start voice communications, an upper layer application of a mobile
computer connected to a portable telephone through a data
communications adapter, etc. together with an upper layer
application of a server is not notified of the disconnection of the
line. Therefore, the sessions of any upper layer applications
remain active while the line is disconnected, and the data
communications can be immediately resumed when the line for the
data communications is reconnected.
[0019] Therefore, the user does not have to first terminate the
data communications when voice communications are required
according to the information obtained in the data communications,
and then establish voice communications. It is not necessary to
provide two lines for data communications and voice communications
to avoid the termination of the data communications to start the
voice communications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 shows the outline of the configuration of the
conventional communications network;
[0021] FIG. 2 shows the principle of an embodiment of a system
according to another aspect of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 shows the entire configuration of the system
according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.
2;
[0023] FIG. 4 shows the sequence of the processes performed when a
user B shown in FIG. 3 calls up a user C during the data
communications with a server;
[0024] FIG. 5 shows the sequence of the processes performed when
voice communications are established between users B and C during
the data communications using the 3-party voice communications
function of a switching unit provided in a telephone network which
is a public network;
[0025] FIG. 6 shows the sequence of the processes performed when
voice communications are directly established from a user B side
having a terminal (for example, a portable terminal) when the voice
communications are established by disconnecting a data
communications line;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the process specific to the
present invention performed by an RA client shown in FIG. 6;
[0027] FIG. 8 shows an example of the sequence according to an
embodiment of the present invention when means (PA) is provided for
each subscriber to manage personal information such as telephone
numbers, etc. and communications status at a server side;
[0028] FIG. 9 shows an example of the sequence of connecting a user
B having a mobile computer to a user A having a desk top
computer;
[0029] FIG. 10 shows an example of the sequence of calling up a
user C having only a normal telephone from a user B having a mobile
computer, etc.;
[0030] FIG. 11 shows the process flow of an RA server and an RA
client corresponding to the sequence shown in FIGS. 8 through
10;
[0031] FIGS. 12A and 12B show the outline of the program
configuration and the common process flow of a PA;
[0032] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the process of a PA-A and a
PA-B;
[0033] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the guest PA for managing the
communications with a user not registered in the server;
[0034] FIG. 15 shows the outline of the configuration for providing
information such as a telephone number, etc. of the third party for
the user who is accessing the server;
[0035] FIG. 16 shows an example of the configuration of the system
for temporarily disconnecting data communications and establishing
voice communications with a user having no function of data
communications, and shows the outline of the configuration in which
a switching unit is provided at the server side;
[0036] FIG. 17 shows an example of the configuration of the system
for temporarily disconnecting data communications and establishing
voice communications with a user having no function of data
communications, and shows the configuration in which a switching
unit having the function of 3-member communications is provided
separately from a server;
[0037] FIG. 18 shows the sequence of the process according to
another embodiment of the present invention;
[0038] FIG. 19 shows the first example of the configuration of the
system for realizing the sequence shown in FIG. 18;
[0039] FIG. 20 shows the second example of the configuration of the
system for realizing the sequence shown in FIG. 18; and
[0040] FIG. 21 shows the process flow of an automatic data fetching
unit (applet).
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0041] FIG. 2 shows the principle of an embodiment according to
another aspect of the present invention.
[0042] In FIG. 2, a fixed computer side refers to a server side,
and a mobile computer side refers to, for example, a portable
personal computer side, that is, the side on which a user looks
into information received from the server.
[0043] An upper layer application 510 (Web server, etc.) is
installed in the above described server. The server also comprises
a temporary line disconnection unit 512 for temporarily
disconnecting a data communications line with a communications
session of the upper layer application 510 set active under the
application. The fixed computer is connected to a telephone network
518 through a data communications unit 514.
[0044] An upper layer application 511 of a Web browser, etc. is
installed and a temporary line disconnection unit 513 similar to
that on the fixed computer side is provided on the mobile computer
side. The upper layer application 511 establishes data
communications, etc. using a data communications unit 515 and a
terminal unit (telephone or portable telephone) 516 through the
temporary line disconnection unit 513. On the mobile computer side,
the terminal unit 516 is line-connected to a telephone 517 of the
third party (for example, a store in which goods are sold) through
the telephone network 518 at an instruction from the server, that
is, a fixed computer.
[0045] With the above described configuration, all lines being used
for data communications are disconnected, at a request for issue
and acceptance of a call (voice communications) from the mobile
computer during the data communications between the fixed computer
and the mobile computer, by the temporary line disconnection units
512 and 513 with the sessions of the upper layer applications 510
and 511 set active. At this time, the terminal unit 516 on the
mobile computer side is connected to the telephone 517 of the third
party through the telephone network 518, and the user on the mobile
computer side can voice-communicate with the telephone 517 of the
third party using the terminal unit 516. When the communications
terminate, a data communications line is connected after the
temporary line disconnection unit 513 disconnects the line used for
voice communications, and the data communications can be
established again between a mobile computer and a fixed computer.
At this time, since the sessions of the upper layer applications
510 and 511 are active, the user on the mobile computer can start
data communications again from the status of the data
communications established immediately before the voice
communications (for example, voice communications are established
with a home page displayed, and browsing can be resumed from the
displayed home page when the voice communications terminates).
[0046] When a communications request is received during the data
communications between a fixed computer and a mobile computer, the
temporary line disconnection units 512 and 513 disconnect a line
used for data communications without notifying the upper layer
applications 510 and 511. Therefore, the upper layer applications
510 and 511 do not recognize the disconnection of the line. Since
the temporary disconnection of the data communications line
releases the line which connects the terminal unit 516 to the
telephone network 518. Therefore, the mobile computer can issue and
receive a call using the terminal unit 516 through the line. When
the communication on the phone terminates, the data communications
line is connected again to resume data communications. Since the
upper layer applications 510 and 511 can continue the data
communications, it is not necessary to start the data
communications from the beginning.
[0047] FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the entire system of the
computer network according to the first aspect of the embodiment of
the present invention.
[0048] The entire system includes the Internet 546 and a telephone
network 520 having components respectively connected thereto, and
communications can be established between the components. The
server 521 for providing a Web page through the Internet 546
comprises a Web server 534 for managing a Web page; an RA (Radio
Agent) 531; PAs (Personal Agents) 532 and 533 provided for each
user registered in each server 521; and an application server 543
for managing these applications. These programs (agents) can
independently operate and perform respective processes by
communicating messages with each other.
[0049] The RA 531 is a program (agent) for controlling the
temporary disconnection of a data communications line with the
session of an upper layer application set active. The detailed
explanation is given in the specifications of Tokukaihei 7-123174
and Tokuganhei 8-036095. In the specification of the present
invention, only the portions relating to the present invention are
described, and the explanation of other portions are omitted here.
An RA is not provided exclusively in the server 521, but is also
provided for a terminal in which data communications and voice
communications are independently established by accessing the
server 521 as shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, an RA 544 is provided for
a mobile computer 522.
[0050] The PAs 532 and 533 are programs (agents) provided in the
server 521 and control access from a user registered in the server
independently for each user. These PAs are provided for each of the
users registered in the server. PAs have been standardized recently
and a number of relevant patent applications have been filed.
Therefore, detailed explanation is omitted here.
[0051] In FIG. 3, a phone gateway 524 is connected to the server
521 and the Internet 546, and a network connection unit 525 is
connected to the phone gateway 524 and the telephone network 520.
The phone gateway 524 and the network connection unit 525 are
provided between the telephone network 520 and the Internet 546,
and function as switching units.
[0052] The phone gateway 524 functions as switching unit for an
Internet phone, and comprises an IpA (Internet phone agent) 539, an
SIP (secure Internet phone) 538, and a sound card 540. The SIP 538
is a program for establishing voice communications through the
Internet 546, that is, a program for utilizing an Internet phone.
In this example, SIP is an Internet phone having security
capabilities. That is, when an IP datagram is transmitted and
received through an Internet phone, the IP datagram is encrypted.
Thus, in communications through the Internet which is subject to
wire tapping, the communications between users can be successfully
secured. Technology related to the SIP is described in the Japanese
patent application tokuganhei 8-317505.
[0053] The SIP 538 is activated under the control of the IpA 539,
and effectuates an Internet phone. That is, the IpA 539 connects
and disconnects an Internet phone in the communications process
sequence using an Internet phone by, for example, activating an
Internet phone upon receipt of an Internet phone use request,
etc.
[0054] The network connection unit 525 provides the interface
between an Internet and a normal telephone line. The network
connection unit 525 comprises at lease an NCU 542 and a
2-line/4-line converter (hybrid) 541. The NCU 542 controls
communications (transmission and reception of a call control
signal) with the telephone network 520. The hybrid 541 converts
four communications lines from the sound card 540 into two
communications lines for the telephone network 520.
[0055] A desktop computer 523, used by a user A through the
Internet 546, accesses the server 521. A desktop computer refers
not only to a so-called desktop computer, but also to a common
computer such as a personal computer, workstation, etc. FIG. 3
shows the status in which the user A at home accesses the server
521 using the desktop computer 523 through the Internet 546.
[0056] In the desktop computer 523, a Web browser 535 is installed
to view a home page, etc. of the server 521 through the Internet
546. The desktop computer 523 is also provided with a sound card
537 to use an Internet phone. The SIP 536 installed in the desktop
computer 523 can be originally installed in the desktop computer
523. In the example shown in FIG. 3, it is distributed from the
application server 543 of the server 521 when it is necessary to
use an Internet phone. Therefore, the SIP 536 is not required to be
preliminarily installed in the desktop computer 523. In the system
according to the present embodiment, it is distributed from the
server 521 when an Internet phone is used, and automatically
installed in the desktop computer 523.
[0057] The network connection unit 525 is connected to the
telephone network 520. The server 521 is also connected to the
telephone network 520 through a modem 530. The modem 530 is
designed to be directly controlled by the RA 531 which is a
program. The modem 530 is used when data communications line is
temporarily disconnected with the session of the Web server 534 set
active, to establish voice-communications. It is also used when the
server 521 data-communicates with the mobile computer 522.
[0058] Furthermore, a base station (BS) 529 of a portable telephone
such as PDC/PHS, etc. is connected to the telephone network 520 to
communicate a signal for use in data communications or voice
communications with a portable telephone 528. The mobile computer
522 is connected to the portable telephone 528 through a data
adapter 527. The mobile computer 522 is small enough to be carried
by a user B as a small notebook-type personal computer together
with the portable telephone 528, and can perform data
communications through the Internet 546. A Web browser 545 for
viewing a home page of the Web server 534 is installed in the
mobile computer 522. The RA 544 similar to the RA 531 is also
provided in the mobile computer 522. Since the line used by the
mobile computer 522 for the data communications also functions as
voice communications line, the RA 544 in cooperation with the RA
531 controls the voice communications to be established during the
data communications by the mobile computer 522.
[0059] The telephone 526 of a user C is connected to the telephone
network 520. The user A or the user B can call up the user C. The
telephone 526 is, for example, a telephone to be used by people who
have no device for data communications around them in shops,
etc.
[0060] FIG. 4 shows the sequence of the processes performed when
the user B shown in FIG. 3 makes a call to the user C during the
data communications with the server 521.
[0061] In FIG. 4, the user C refers to a user having the telephone
526 in FIG. 3, and Tel refers to the telephone 526. The Web server
and the RA server refer to the Web server 534 and the RA 531 of the
server 521 shown in FIG. 3. The CGI program is not shown in FIG. 3,
but it is a program implemented in the server 521. The modem refers
to the modem 530 shown in FIG. 3. The switch line 1, the switch
control unit, and the switch line 2 are not shown in FIG. 3, but
refer to switching units provided in the server 521. The telephone
network refers to the telephone network 520 shown in FIG. 3. The
terminal refers to the portable telephone 528, the data adapter
refers to the data adapter 527, the RA client refers to the RA 544,
and the Web browser refers to the Web browser 545.
[0062] As shown by a bi-directional bold arrow in the top columns
in FIG. 4, the user B first accesses the Web server 534 of the
server 521 using the Web browser 545 and views the home page. When
an icon C of the telephone number to which the user B wants to
issue a call is displayed on the home page, the user B clicks the
mouse button. Then, the click of the mouse button by the user B for
the icon C of the telephone number is notified from the Web browser
545 to the Web server 534. The Web server 534 activates the CGI
program. (The CGI program is not shown in FIG. 3. That is, the CGI
program is not required in embodying the present invention.
However, as described above in the Description of the Related Art,
the CGI program has already been popular, the embodiment shown in
FIG. 4 shows the sequence of the processes as a result of the
execution of the CGI program. When the CGI program is not
requested, the case shown in FIG. 4 can be embodied without the CGI
program as indicated by the sequence of the processes described
later.)
[0063] When the CGI program is activated, it requests the RA server
(the RA 531 shown in FIG. 3) to temporarily disconnect the line for
the voice-communications. Upon receipt of the request, the RA
server transmits a temporary line disconnection request to the RA
client (the RA 544 shown in FIG. 3) on the user B side. Upon
receipt of the acknowledgement (ACK) of the line disconnection from
the RA client, the RA server issues a disconnection instruction to
the modem 530. Then, lines are disconnected between the modem 530
of the server 521 and the data adapter 527 on the mobile computer
522 side. When the line is disconnected, the data adapter 527
notifies the RA client of the disconnection of the line. However,
since the RA client does not transmit a disconnection notification
to the Web browser 545 which is an upper layer application, the Web
browser 545 cannot recognize the disconnection of the line, but
enters a waiting state with the session, in which the line is
disconnected, is set active.
[0064] When the line of the modem 530 on the server 521 side is
disconnected, a disconnection notification is transmitted to the RA
server, and a notification that a connection is made for voice
communications is transmitted from the RA server to the CGI
program. On the server 521 side, a disconnection notification is
not transmitted from the RA server to the Web server 534 which is
an upper layer application. Therefore, the Web server 534 enters a
waiting state with the status (session), in which the line is
disconnected, set effective. Upon receipt of a request to make a
connection for voice communications from the RA server, the CGI
program issues to the switch control unit an instruction to connect
two points, that is, to connect the user B to the user C.
[0065] The switch line 1 issues a voice reception signal to the
telephone 526 of the user C. The telephone 526 outputs a ringing
tone. The switch line 2 transmits a voice transmission signal to
the portable telephone 528, and the portable telephone 528 outputs
a ringing tone. When the user B and the user C answer respective
ringing tones, the switching unit connects the switch line 1 to the
switch line 2, thereby establishing a voice communications line
between the user B and the user C.
[0066] The voice communications line is disconnected by the user
B's or C's terminating the voice communications. FIG. 4 shows the
case in which the user B terminates the communications and a
communications termination notification is issued to the data
adapter 527. Thus, the voice communications line between the data
adapter 527 and the telephone 526 is disconnected, and a
disconnection tone is output from the telephone 526. Then, the user
C terminates communications by, for example, setting the receiver
on the telephone 526. The switch control unit detects the
termination of the communications between the users B and C, and
notifies the CGI program of the server 521 of the termination. The
CGI program transmits data to the RA client. If the RA client
receives an arrival notification about the transmitted data from
the data adapter 527, and the RA client issues an instruction to
receive the data to the data adapter 527, then a connection is
established between the modem 530 on the server side and the
terminal (portable telephone 528 of the user B), and Web access can
be gained between the Web browser 545 on the user B side and the
Web server 534 on the server 521 side. At this time, since the Web
server 534 and the Web browser 545 do not recognize that the line
has temporarily been disconnected for voice communications, the
session can continue after the Web access is established again as
if the line has never been disconnected. That is, if the mouse
button is clicked for an icon on home page with the same home page
displayed after the Web access is resumed, then a link is
established for the clicked icon as if the Web access has been
continued. Thus, new information is transmitted to the Web browser
545.
[0067] FIG. 5 shows the sequence of the processes of establishing
voice communications during the data communications between the
user B and the user C using the 3-point communications function of
the switching unit provided in the telephone network 520.
[0068] FIG. 5 shows the sequence of the processes to which the CGI
program is not applied. The Tel in the top column in FIG. 5 is the
telephone 526 of the user C. The Web server, the RA server, and the
modem are provided on the server 521 side shown in FIG. 3 as in
FIG. 4. The switch line 1, the switch line 2, and the switch line 3
are switching units provided in the telephone network 520 not shown
in FIG. 3. The terminal, the data adapter, the RA client, the Web
browser are provided on the user B side shown in FIG. 3 as in FIG.
4.
[0069] First, assume that Web access is gained between the Web
browser 545 and the Web server 534. When the user B clicks the
mouse button for the icon of the telephone number on the home page
displayed on the Web browser 545, it is transmitted to the Web
server 534 and the RA server (RA 531) notifies the RA client (RA
544) of the request to temporarily disconnect the line for voice
communications. If the RA client accepts the request (by issuing an
ACK), the RA server transmits a disconnection instruction to the
modem 530, and instructs the modem 530 to disconnect the line
between the modem 530 and the data adapter 527. Then, a
disconnection notification is transmitted from the modem 530 to the
RA server, and from the data adapter 527 to the RA client.
[0070] Upon receipt of the disconnection notification, the RA
server transmits a voice transmission signal to the portable
telephone 528. The portable telephone 528 receives a ringing tone.
If the user B answers the ringing tone, the switch line 3 connected
to the portable telephone 528 of the user B is connected to the
switch line 1 connected to the modem 530. Then, the RA server
performs hooking. This is the function of a so-called catch-phone.
By performing hooking, the server 521 can issue a call to another
switch line with the switch line 3 to the portable telephone 528
and the switch line 1 to the server 521 connected. The RA server
transmits voice communications to the switch line 2 which is a line
to the user C after performing hooking. After transmitting voice,
the telephone 526 receives the voice, and a ringing tone is
generated in the terminal unit 526. The user C answers the ringing
tone, and the switch lines 1 is connected to the switch line 2.
When the RA server performs hooking again, the switch lines 1, 2,
and 3 are connected to each other, and a 3-point communications
line connection is established. When the RA server issues a
disconnection instruction for the switch line 1, the switch line 1
is disconnected from the 3-point line connection, and a 2-point
line connection is established between the switch lines 2 and
3.
[0071] Thus, the user B can establish voice communications for the
user C. The voice communications can be terminated by either the
user B or the user C. In the case shown in FIG. 5, the
communications are terminated by the user B. After the user B
terminates the communications, the data adapter 527 disconnects the
voice communications line. Thus, the telephone 526 outputs a
disconnection tone and the user C terminates the communications by,
for example, setting the receiver on the telephone unit.
[0072] The data adapter 527 notifies the RA client of the detection
of the termination, and the RA client issues data to the RA server
through the data adapter 527. Upon receipt of the issued data, the
modem 530 issues an arrival notification of the data to the RA
server. Upon receipt of the data arrival notification from the
modem 530, the RA server issues an instruction to receive the call,
thereby establishing a line connection between the modem 530 and
the data adapter 527. The modem 530 and the data adapter 527 issue
a connection notification to the RA server and the RA client
respectively. The RA server and the RA client reestablish the Web
access between the Web server 534 and the Web browser 545. Thus, as
shown in FIG. 4, the Web access is temporarily disconnected, but
the user B gains the Web access to the server 521 as if the Web
access has continued.
[0073] In FIG. 5, the 3-point communications function of the
switching unit of the telephone network 520 is used. If a switching
unit is provided on the server 521 side, the 3-point communications
function of the switching unit on the server 521 side can be used.
No switching units are required on the server 521 side when the
3-point communications function of the telephone network 520 is
used. In this case, the number of public lines required on the
server 521 side is a half or one-third of the conventional systems,
thereby establishing economical advantage.
[0074] In FIG. 5, the line of the server 521 is disconnected from
the 3-point communications status to establish communications in
the 2-point communications status. However, the 2-point
communications can be established without a signal tone from the
server 521 (modem 530) in the 3-point communications status.
[0075] FIG. 6 shows the sequence of the processes performed when a
voice communications connection is directly made on the user B side
provided with the portable telephone 528, not on the server 521
side, when voice communications are established with a data
communications line disconnected.
[0076] First, assume that the Web access has been established
between the Web server 534 and the Web browser 545. The user B is
informed of the telephone number of the user C (telephone number of
the shop in which the user C is located) from the home page
displayed on the Web browser 545. When the user B tries to call up
the user C, the user B issues to the Web server 534 a request to
obtain the address of the shop in which the user C is located. The
address contains a special character string, for example,
`?tel-no=XXXXXXXX`. When the display is displayed, which informs
that a call is to be made to a telephone having the telephone
number represented by the special character string, it is displayed
on the Web browser 545. The RA client (RA 544) checks the
transmitted address. If the above described special character
string is contained in the address, the RA client issues a data
communications line disconnection request to the RA server. Upon
receipt of an acknowledgement from the RA server, the RA client
issues a disconnection instruction to the data adapter 527. Thus,
the data adapter 527 disconnects the line which connects the modem
530 to the data adapter 527, and the modem 530 and the data adapter
527 issue a disconnection notification to the RA server and the RA
client respectively.
[0077] Upon receipt of the disconnection notification from the data
adapter 527, the RA client transmits a call for voice
communications (a voice call) to the telephone 526 through the
telephone network 520 based on the telephone number obtained from
the above described special character string. On the user C side,
the telephone 526 outputs a ringing tone. When the user C answers
the call, the telephone 526 on the user C side is connected to the
portable telephone 528 on the user B side. The user C starts
communications through the telephone 526, and the user B starts
communications through the portable telephone 528. Thus,
communications are established between the user B and the user
C.
[0078] When communications terminate, the user B or the user C
performs a terminating process (setting a receiver, etc.). In FIG.
6, the user B terminates the communications. When the user B
performs the terminating process through the portable telephone
528, the line which connects the telephone 526 to the portable
telephone 528 is disconnected, and a disconnection tone is output
from the telephone 526. When the user C performs a terminating
process, the communications terminate between the user B and the
user C. When the RA client detects the terminating process
performed by the user B, it issues a data mode call to the RA
server through the data adapter 527. Upon receipt of the data mode
call from the RA client, the modem 530 issues a data arrival
notification to the RA server. When the RA server issues an answer
instruction to the modem 530, the line is connected between the
modem 530 and the data adapter 527, and the modem 530 and the data
adapter 527 issue a connection notification to the RA server and
the RA client respectively. Thus, the Web access is re-established
between the Web server 534 and the Web browser 545. At this time,
since the Web server 534 and the Web browser 545, which are upper
layer applications, are not notified of the temporary
disconnection, they are in the standby state with the session set
active, and can resume the data communications from the state at
the point immediately before the disconnection of the line when the
Web access is re-established.
[0079] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the process of the RA client
specific to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 6.
[0080] The common configuration and the common process of the RA
are described in the above described laid-open publication and the
specification of the above described invention. In FIG. 6, the RA
544 (RA client) on the user B side detects a special character
string, obtains the destination (user C) telephone number, and
transmits voice. This process is newly added by the present
embodiment. In the explanation below, the special character string
is `?tel-no=`, but the special character string is not limited to
this form.
[0081] The RA client is activated when communications are
established through the line switch network (the telephone network
520 in FIG. 3). In FIG. 7, when the RA client is activated, a data
communications connecting process is performed in step S501. This
corresponds to the process for gaining the Web access to the server
521 on the user B side. Refer to the specification of the above
described invention for the process in step S501.
[0082] If an instruction is transferred from the Web browser 545
when the Web access is established (in the examples in FIGS. 6 and
7, `Get URL://WebServer . . . ?tel-no= . . . `), the RA client
transfers the instruction to the RA server (RA 531; step S502).
Then, it is determined whether or not the transferred character
string contains a special character string (.?tel-no=') (step
S503). If a special character string is not contained, then
processing is passed to step S505, information transmitted from the
RA server is transferred to the Web browser 545, processing is
returned to step S502, an instruction from the Web browser 545 is
awaited, and it is determined in step S503 whether or not an
instruction contains a special character string each time an
instruction is transferred.
[0083] When it is determined that a special character string is
contained in step S503, information from the RA server is awaited
in step S504. When the information is transmitted, it is
transferred to the Web browser 545. A line is disconnected without
a notification to the Web browser 545 in step S506, and a voice
call is transmitted to the telephone number indicated by the
special character string (step S507). Through the transmission of a
voice call, communications can be established with the destination
identified by the telephone number, and the user B communicates
with the destination. During the operation, the RA client detects
the status of the portable telephone 528 through the data adapter
527 in step S508, and determines whether or not the communications
have terminated (step S509).
[0084] If the communications have not terminated, the status of the
portable telephone 528 is detected and it is determined again after
a short time (step S510) whether or not the communications have
terminated. The series of the processes (steps S508 through S510)
are repeated until the communications terminate. If it is
determined in step S509 that the communications have terminated, it
indicates that the voice communications have terminated and the
line is available. Therefore, a data communications connecting
process is performed (in step S511), processing is returned to step
S502, and the following processes are repeated.
[0085] Described above are the processes according to the present
embodiment, and are more specifically the processes relating to the
process sequence shown in FIG. 6. Refer to the above described
invention for the start and end of common processes.
[0086] FIG. 8 shows an example of the sequence of an embodiment of
the present invention when means (PA) for managing personal
information such as a telephone number, etc. and a communications
status is provided for each user on the server 521 side.
[0087] When the correspondence of the items in FIG. 8 to FIG. 3 is
checked, the user A and the Web browser correspond to the user A
and the Web browser 535 of the desktop computer 523, and Web
server, PA-A, the application server and the PA-B correspond to the
Web server 534, the PA 533, and the application servers 543 and PA
532 of the server 521. The IpA, the SIP, and the NCU correspond to
the IpA 539 in the phone gateway 524, the SIP 538, and the NCU 542
in the network connection device 525. The RA server and the modem
correspond to the RA 531 of the server 521 and the modem 530. The
MS/DA is a single item referring to a portable telephone 528 and
data adapter 527. The RA client corresponds to the RA 544 of the
mobile computer 522. The Web browser and the user B correspond to
the Web browser 545 installed in the mobile computer 522 and the
user B who uses the mobile computer 522. The operations of the PA
and the RA are described later.
[0088] In the sequence of the processes in FIG. 8, the UIA (User
Interface Agent) is used to gain Web access. This is to
authenticate the person who receives a service of the present
embodiment. The UIA is to be preliminarily installed and resident
in the computer (the desktop computer 523 shown in FIG. 3) of an
already authenticated person, or to be transmitted as an applet
resident to a terminal which tries to gain access when the Web
server 534 is accessed, and which is authenticated (for example,
using an ID and a password). Thus, a terminal provided with a UIA
can gain Web access.
[0089] In the case shown in FIG. 8, a UIA 1 is resident in the
desktop computer 523 on the user A side to gain Web access to the
Web server 534 from the Web browser 535. On the other hand, the
user A uses the mobile computer 522, and no authentication is made
to gain Web access. When the user B tries to access the Web server
534, it should be authenticated. If access is permitted, the UIA 2
is transmitted as an applet to the mobile computer 522 of the user
B and is resident therein. Thus, the user B can gain Web access to
the Web server through the Web browser 545.
[0090] Next, assume that the user A selects the user B as a
possible communicator entered in the home page of the Web server
534. If the user A clicks the mouse button for the icon indicating
the user B, the Web server 534 is notified of the selection. The
notification informs that the user A requests to communicate with
the user B through the PA-A (PA33) which manages the user A. The
PA-A notifies the PA-B (PA 32) which manages the user B of the
communications request, and informs the UIA 2 resident in the
mobile computer 522 that the user A requests the communications
with the user B. The UIA 2 displays on the screen of the mobile
computer 522 the communications request from the user A to the user
B, and prompts the user B for a reply.
[0091] When the user B answers that he/she accepts the
communications, the UIA 2 informs the PA-B that the communications
can be established, and the PA-B informs the PA-A of the same. Upon
receipt of the acknowledgement of the communications, the PA-A
sends to the application server 543 a distribution request for the
SIP program and the seed for encryption. Upon receipt of the
request, the application server 543 sends the SIP 536 to the UIA 1
and sends the seed for encryption to the IpA 539.
[0092] When the distribution is completed, the application server
543 issues a distribution termination notification to the PA-A.
Upon receipt of the distribution termination notification, the PA-A
issues a connection request to the PA-B. The PA-B requests the RA
server (RA 531) to temporarily disconnect the line for voice
communications. The request message does not contain a telephone
number. That is, the variable specifying the telephone number is
`null` (In FIG. 8, Tel number=null).
[0093] Upon receipt of the disconnection request, the RA server
transmits the same request to the RA client (RA 544). If an
acknowledgement (ACK) is transmitted from the RA client to the RA
server, the RA server transmits a disconnection instruction to the
modem 530 to disconnect the connection between the modem 530 and
the MS (mobile station, portable telephone) 528. The modem 530 and
the MS/DA transmit a disconnection notification to the RA server
and the RA client respectively. The RA server notifies the PA-B
that a temporary line disconnection request has been successfully
accepted, and the PA-B notifies the PA-A that the connection
request has been successfully accepted.
[0094] After the PA-A receives the notification that the connection
request has been successfully accepted, it transmits an activation
command to the SIP 536 transmitted to the desktop computer 523 of
the user A. At this time, the PA-B sends as an
activation/transmission instruction a message containing a
telephone number to the IpA 539, and the IpA 539 transmits an
activation command containing an encrypting seed to the SIP 538.
Thus, the synchronization and link are established through a secure
Internet phone between the SIP 536 on the user A side and the SIP
538 of a phone gateway. Furthermore, the IpA 539 issues an
instruction to NCU 542 for issuing a call based on the telephone
number transmitted from the PA-B. The NCU 542 transmits a voice
call to the MS/DA. Upon receipt of the voice call transmitted from
the NCU 542, the MS/DA transmits a voice call arrival notification
to the RA client, but this is ignored. Upon receipt of the
transmitted voice call, the MS/DA outputs a ringing tone.
[0095] Simultaneously, the NCU 542 outputs a ringing tone signal to
the user A through the secure Internet phone. Thus, the secure
Internet phone connects the SIP 536 used by the user A to the SIP
538 in the phone gateway 524. Furthermore, when the user B answers
the ringing tone of the MS/DA, the MS/DA is connected to the NCU
542 through a telephone line. The SIP 538 is connected to the NCU
542 in an analog manner to provide the interface between the
Internet phone and a normal telephone. Therefore, the user A can
start voice communications with the user B.
[0096] When the voice communications terminate, either the user A
or the user B performs a terminating process. In FIG. 8, the user B
performs the terminating process. When the user B transmits a
termination instruction to the MS/DA, the voice communications line
between the MS/DA and the NCU 542 is disconnected. Thus, the NCU
542 outputs a disconnection tone to the user A through the SIP 538
and the SIP 536. When the user A hears the disconnection tone, the
user A instructs the SIP 538 to terminate the communications. At
the instruction, the link between the SIP 536 and the SIP 538 is
released. When the link is released, the SIP 536 transmits a
termination notification to the PA-A, and the SIP 538 transmits a
termination notification to the PA-B. After the termination
notifications, the SIP 536 automatically terminates.
[0097] Upon receipt of the termination notification, the PA-B
transmits a termination/disconnection instruction to the IpA 539,
and a disconnection instruction is transmitted from the IpA 539 to
the NCU 542. Thus, the voice communications between the user A and
the user B is completely disconnected. The PA-B issues a
termination/disconnection instruction to the IpA 539, and
automatically terminates.
[0098] Upon receipt of the termination instruction from the user B,
the MS/DA notifies the RA client of the detection of the
termination of communications. Upon receipt of the notification,
the RA client issues a call for data communications (a data call)
to the modem 530 through the MS/DA, and a data call arrival
notification is transmitted from the modem 530 to the RA server.
The RA server instructs the modem 530 to answer the data call, and
the modem 530 is connected to the MS/DA through a line. Then, the
modem 530 and the MS/DA issues a connection notification to the RA
server and the RA client respectively, and the Web access can be
established between the Web server 534 and the Web browser 545.
[0099] FIG. 9 shows an example of the process sequence of
establishing a connection from the mobile computer 522 side between
the user A using the desktop computer 523 and the user B using the
mobile computer 522.
[0100] The items described in the top columns in FIG. 9 are the
same as those shown in FIG. 8. The correspondence between the
components shown in FIG. 9 is the same as that shown in FIG. 3, and
the detailed explanation is omitted here.
[0101] The user A establishes the Web access to the Web server 534
through the Web browser 535. The user B using the mobile computer
522 is checked for authentication before the Web access to the Web
server 534. If the user B is authenticated, the UIA 2 is
transmitted as an applet, and the UIA 2 is resident in the mobile
computer 522. The UIA 2 allows the user B to gain the Web access to
the Web server 534 using the Web browser 545.
[0102] FIG. 8 shows the case in which the user A requests to
establish voice communications with the user B. In FIG. 9, the user
B requests to establish voice communications with the user A.
Therefore, the user B sees the home page on the Web browser 545,
and clicks the mouse button for the icon (icon A) of the user A.
Then, the operation information is provided for the Web server 534,
and the Web server 534 notifies the PA-B that a communications
request is issued from the user B to the user A. Upon receipt of
the communications request from the user B, the PA-B transmits a
communications request to the PA-A. The PA-A notifies the UIA 1 of
the user A of the communications request notification, and the UIA
1 notifies the user A on the display screen that the communications
request is received from the user B.
[0103] When the user A notifies the PA-A through the UIA 1 that the
communications request is accepted, the notification is transmitted
from the PA-A to the PA-B. Upon receipt of the communications
termination notification, the PA-B notifies the user B that the
communications have terminated. On the other hand, upon receipt of
the communications termination notification from the PA-A, the PA-B
issues to the application server 543 a request to distribute the
SIP and a seed for encryption. Upon receipt of the request, the
application server 543 distributes the SIP 536 to the UIA 1 of the
user A so that the SIP 536 can be resident in the desktop computer
523 of the user A. Furthermore, the application server 543
distributes the encrypting seed to the IpA 539, and then transmits
a distribution termination notification to the PA-B.
[0104] Upon receipt of the distribution termination notification,
the PA-B distributes to the RA server a message containing the
telephone number of the user A as a temporary line disconnection
request, and requests to disconnect the line connection to the user
B. When the request is transferred from the RA server to the RA
client, and the RA client returns an acknowledgement notification
(ACK) to the RA server, the RA server issues a disconnection
instruction to the modem 530. Thus, the connection between the
modem 530 and the MS/DA is disconnected. Then, a disconnection
notification is transmitted from the modem 530 and the MS/DA to the
RA server and the RA client respectively. At this time, since the
Web server 534 and the Web browser 545, that is, the upper layer
applications, are not provided with a disconnection notification,
the sessions of the upper layer applications remain active.
[0105] Upon receipt of the disconnection notification, the RA
server notifies the PA-B that the temporary line disconnection has
been successfully made. Upon receipt of the successful temporary
line disconnection notification, the PA-B issues a connection
request to the PA-A, and the PA-A transmits an activation command
to the SIP 536 according to the connection request. When the SIP
536 is activated, a successful activation notification is
transmitted to the PA-A, and the PA-A notifies the PA-B that the
connection request has been successfully accepted. Then, the PA-B
issues an activation/transmission instruction to the IpA 539, and
the IpA 539 transmits to the SIP 538 an activation command
containing an encrypting seed, not containing a telephone number.
Thus, the synchronization and link can be established between the
SIP 536 and the SIP 538 through Internet. The SIP 538 is connected
to the NCU 542.
[0106] At this time, when a voice call is transmitted from the RA
client, the transmitted voice call arrives at the NCU 542 and an
arrival notification is issued from the NCU 542 to the IpA 539. At
the arrival notification, the IpA 539 answers the NCU 542. As a
result, a line is connected between the NCU 542 and the MS/DA, and
the user B can voice-communicate with the user A.
[0107] When the user A and the user B terminate the voice
communications, either of them can issue a communications
termination instruction. In FIG. 9, the user B issues the
termination instruction. When the user B terminates the
communications using the MS/DA, the line between the MS/DA and the
NCU 542 is disconnected. When the line is disconnected, the NCU 542
allows a disconnection tone to be output to the user A through the
SIP 538 and 536. When the user A performs a communications
terminating process on the SIP 536, a communications termination
notification is issued from the SIP 536 to the SIP 538. As a
result, the link of a secure Internet phone between the SIP 536 and
the SIP 538 is released.
[0108] When the link is released, the SIP 536 and the SIP 538
transmit a termination notification to the PA-A and the PA-B
respectively, and the SIP 536 automatically terminates. The SIP 538
issues a termination notification to the PA-B, and then
automatically terminates. Upon receipt of a termination
notification from the SIP 538, the PA-B notifies the IpA of the
termination/disconnection instruction, and the IpA issues a
disconnection instruction to the NCU 542.
[0109] On the other hand, when the RA client detects a
communications termination, the RA client transmits a data call
from the MS/DA. Upon arrival of the data call, the RA server
outputs the data to the modem 530, and the line is connected
between the modem 530 and the MS/DA. Then, the modem 530 and the
MS/DA transmit a connection notification to the RA server and the
RA client respectively, and the data communications are resumed
between the Web browser 545 and the Web server 534.
[0110] FIG. 10 shows an example of the process sequence in which
the user B having the mobile computer 522, etc. calls up the user C
having only the ordinary telephone 526.
[0111] When the user B accesses the server 521, the access is
authenticated and user B receives from the server 521 the UIA as an
applet to be resident in the mobile computer 522. Thus, the user B
establishes the Web access to the server 521 through the Web
browser 545. Then, the user B clicks the mouse button on the icon C
for communications with the user C. This operation is recognized by
the Web server 521, and the Web server 521 notifies the PA-B of the
recognition. The PA-B issues to the PA-C a communications request
to the user C. The PA-C is called a guest PA. That is, the PA is
provided for each person registered in the server 521, and it
manages the communications status and personal information. The
user C is a normal shop and is not registered in the server 521.
Thus, the PA corresponding to the user C not registered in the
server 521 does not actually exist. However, the PA-C is provided
to control the communications with a non-registered user C.
[0112] If the PA-B, registered in the server 521, for managing the
personal information and the communications status of the
registered user B, issues a communications request to the PA-C for
managing the communications status of the non-registered user C,
the PA-C unconditionally issues a communications acceptance
notification to the PA-B because the user C is not registered in
the server 521, has only a normal telephone 526, and it cannot be
checked whether or not the user C accepts the communications
request.
[0113] Upon receipt of a communications request acceptance
notification, the PA-B transmits a transmission start message to
the UIA on the user B side. The UIA notifies the user B of the
transmission start message by displaying it on the screen. Next, to
start voice communications, the PA-B transmits to the RA server (RA
531) a temporary data communications disconnection request as a
message containing the telephone number of the user C. The RA
server transfers this request to the RA client (RA 544). Upon
receipt of a disconnection acknowledge (ACK) notification from the
RA client, the RA server issues a disconnection instruction to the
modem 530, and disconnects the line between the modem 530 and the
MS/DA. When the line is disconnected, the modem 530 and the MS/DA
transmit a disconnection notification to the RA server and the RA
client respectively.
[0114] Upon receipt of the disconnection notification, the RA
client transmits a voice call to the telephone 526 of the user C
based on the telephone number of the user C. Thus, the a voice call
arrival signal is transmitted to the telephone 526 of the user C,
and a ringing tone is output from the telephone 526 to the user C.
When the user C answers the voice call arrival signal by setting
the receiver of the telephone 526 off hook, the line is connected
between the telephone 526 of the user C and the MS/DA of the user
B, thereby establishing voice communications between the users B
and C.
[0115] When the voice communications terminate (termination by the
user B in FIG. 10), the line is disconnected between the telephone
526 and the MS/DA. Thus, a disconnection tone is output from the
telephone 526, and the user C performs a terminating process by,
for example, setting the receiver of the telephone 526 on hook.
When the RA client detects the termination of the communications of
the MS/DA, it transmits a data call to the RA server through the
MS/DA. Upon receipt of a data call arrival notification from the
modem 530, the RA server issues an answer instruction to the modem
530, and establishes the connection of the line between the modem
530 and the MS/DA. As a result, the modem 530 and the MS/DA issue a
connection notification to the RA server and the RA client
respectively, and re-establishes the Web access between the Web
server 534 and the Web browser 545, thereby resuming the data
communications from the status at a point immediately before the
voice communications starts.
[0116] FIG. 11 shows the process flow corresponding to the process
sequence shown in FIGS. 8 through 10 of the RA server and the RA
client.
[0117] First, the RA server and the RA client perform a data
communications connecting process for Web access (steps S601 and
S620). The RA server receives a message from the PA 532 in step
S602, and determines in step S603 whether or not the message
contains a temporary line disconnection request for voice
communications. If it is not a temporary line disconnection
request, another process is performed in step S605, processing is
returned to step S602, and a message is awaited from the PA 532.
The other process is to be performed at a process request contained
in the message from the PA 532. However, it does not directly
relate to the present invention, and therefore the detailed
explanation is omitted here.
[0118] When it is determined in step S603 that the message contains
a temporary line disconnection request, a temporary line
disconnection request for voice communications is transmitted to
the RA client. On the RA client side, after the data communications
connection process in step S620, a message is awaited in step S621,
and a temporary line disconnection request is transmitted from the
RA server. If any message is received in step S621, it is
determined in step S622 whether or not the message contains a
temporary line disconnection request. If it is not a line
disconnection request, a process according to the process request
written in the transmitted message is performed in step S623.
[0119] If it is determined in step S622 that the message contains a
temporary line disconnection request, a message indicating a
disconnection acknowledgement (ACK) is transmitted to the RA server
in step S624. Upon receipt of the ACK (step S606), the RA server
then transmits a line disconnection command to the modem 530 (step
S607). Upon receipt of the command, the modem 530 disconnects the
line connected to the MS/DA. The DA (Data Adapter) 527 on the
mobile computer 522 side transmits to the RA client a notification
that the line has been disconnected. After issuing the ACK, the RA
client awaits a message in step S625. If any message is received in
step S625, it is determined in step S626 whether or not the message
contains a line disconnection notification. If it is not a line
disconnection notification, processing is returned to step S625,
and a message is awaited.
[0120] In this case, since the message transmitted from the data
adapter (DA) 527 is a line disconnection notification, it is so
determined in step S626, and processing is passed to step S627. In
step S627, a special character string (for example, ?tel-no=) is
retrieved from a disconnection request message received in step
S622, and it is determined whether or not the special character
string is set as `null`. If the special character string is set as
`null`, then the sequence in FIG. 8 should be followed.
[0121] If the special character string is set as `null`, then a
message is awaited in step S628, and a notification from the data
adapter 527 is awaited. If the special character string is set as
`null`, then it indicates that a voice connection is requested by a
communicator. Therefore, after receiving any message in step S628,
it is determined in step S629 whether or not the message contains a
voice call arrival notification. If it is not a voice call arrival
notification, then a line is reconnected for data communications in
step S633, processing is returned to step S621, and a message from
the RA server is awaited. If it is determined in step S629 that a
voice call arrival notification has been received, then a status
check command is issued in step S634 to check the status of the MS
528 terminal, and whether or not the MS terminal is used for voice
communication.
[0122] If the special character is not `null` in step S627, it
indicates that a voice call is transmitted on the RA client side as
shown in FIG. 9 or 10. Therefore, a voice call transmission command
is issued to the MS/DA in step S630, an answer in response to the
transmission of a voice call is awaited in step S631, and it is
determined in step S632 whether or not a notification indicates
that a voice communications line has been successfully connected.
If it is not a successful connection notification, processing is
returned to step S630, and a voice call transmission command is
re-transmitted. If it is determined in step S632 that a successful
connection notification has been received, then it indicates that a
voice communications line from the RA client has been successfully
connected, and the status of the MS terminal is checked and
obtained in step S634.
[0123] On the RA server side, an answer to a disconnection command
is awaited in step S608. When a message is received from the modem
530, it is determined in step S609 whether or not the message
contains a line disconnection notification. If it is not a line
disconnection notification, processing is returned to step S607, a
disconnection command is issued again to the modem 530, and the
processes in steps S607 through S609 are repeated until the line is
successfully disconnected. If it is determined in step S609 that
the message from the modem 530 is a line disconnection
notification, then a successful temporary line disconnection
notification is issued to the PA 532 in step S610. Then, in step
S611, a message is awaited. When a message is received, it is
determined in step S612 whether or not the message indicates the
arrival of a data call. If it does not indicate the arrival of a
data call, processing is returned to step S611 and a data call is
awaited.
[0124] Thus, the data communications line between the server 521
and the mobile computer 522 is disconnected and a voice
communications line is connected. Therefore, the user starts
communications through a voice communications line.
[0125] On the RA client side, an MS terminal status check command
is transmitted to the data adapter 527 in step S634, and an answer
to the MS terminal status check command from the data adapter 527
is awaited in step S635. Upon receipt of the answer, it is
determined in step S636 whether or not the answer indicates the
termination of voice communications. If it does not indicate the
termination of voice communications, a process is delayed for a
predetermined time in step S637, processing is returned to step
S634, an MS terminal status check command is transmitted again to
the data adapter 527, and the termination of voice communications
is awaited.
[0126] When it is determined in step S636 that voice communications
terminate, a data transmission command is issued to the data
adapter 527 in step S638 to resume the data communications. As a
result, the data transmitted from the RA client to the RA server
through the telephone network 520 and the modem 530 in step S611 is
received. In step S612, the arrival of the data transmitted from
the RA client is determined, and processing is passed to step
S613.
[0127] In step S613, an answer command in response to the arrival
of a data call is transmitted to the modem 530, and the answer to
the arrival of the data call is issued to the RA client. The modem
530 issues a connection notification to the RA server when the line
is connected to the MS/DA on the mobile computer 522 side. The RA
server awaits an answer in step S614. If the modem 530 receives any
message, it is determined in step S615 whether or not the message
contains a connection notification. If it is not a connection
notification, processing is returned to step S613, an answer
command is transmitted again to the modem 530, and the processes in
steps S613 through S615 are repeated until a connection is
established. If it is determined in step S615, it indicates that a
data communications line is connected, and processing is returned
to step S602 to await a message from the PA 532.
[0128] On the RA client side, an answer to the data transmission is
awaited in step S639 after step S638. When a message is received
from the data adapter 527, it is determined in step S640 whether or
not the message is a connection notification. If it is not a
connection notification, then processing is returned to step S638
and a data transmission command is issued again, and the processes
in steps S638 through S640 are repeated until a data communications
line is connected. If it is determined in step S640 that a
connection notification has been transmitted, then it is recognized
that a data communications line has been connected again to the
server 521, and processing is returned to step S621 and a message
from the RA server is awaited.
[0129] Described below is the PA.
[0130] FIGS. 12A and 12B show the configuration of a general
program and a common process flow of the PA.
[0131] As shown in FIG. 12A, the PA comprises about three blocks.
That is, the PA is designed as an agent or an object operating
independently. Since it operates while communicating messages with
other objects, it requires an interface. Therefore, the PA is
provided with an interface 1100 as an interface with another
object. A message received by the interface 1100 is interpreted by
a determination unit 1101, and the contents of the message is
determined. When the contents are determined, a process
corresponding to the contents determined by a process unit 1102 is
performed, and the process unit 1102 transmits its process result
to another object or an agent through the interface 1100 by means
of a message.
[0132] As shown in FIG. 12B, a message (local packet) is awaited in
step S650 in the process flow of the PA. If a message is received
in step 650, it is determined whether or not the message is
received from the Web server 534 (step S651). If it is a message
from the Web server 534, then a PA-A (PA 533) process, described
later, is performed in step S652. If it is not a message from the
Web server 534, then it is determined in step S653 whether or not
it is a message from another PA. If it is not a message from
another PA, a process corresponding to the message is performed in
step S659.
[0133] If it is a message from another PA, it is determined in step
S654 whether or not the message contains a communications request.
If the message does not contain a communications request, a process
corresponding to the message is performed. A process corresponding
to a message does not directly relate to the present invention, and
therefore the detailed explanation is omitted here. If it is
determined that the message contains a communications request in
step S654, it is determined whether or not an attribute,
corresponding to the user, for use in communications control
according to the communications request transmitted from the server
521 exists. If a user attribute exists, a PA-B (PA 532) process
described later is performed. If a user attribute does not exist,
then a PA-C (guest PA) process described later is performed,
thereby terminating the process.
[0134] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the PA-A and PA-B
processes.
[0135] The PA-A refers to the PA for controlling communications
when a management user is in a position to use an Internet phone by
such as the desktop computer 523. On the other hand, the PA-B
refers to the PA for controlling communications when a user to be
managed is in a position to gain Web access to, for example, the
mobile computer 522, etc., but not to use an Internet phone. FIG.
13A shows the PA-A process; and FIG. 13B shows the PA-B process.
Steps S650, S651, and S700 in FIG. 13A show a portion of the common
flow shown in FIG. 12B. The processes assigned the same numbers
indicate the common flow shared between FIGS. 13A and 13B. The
common portion in step S700 in FIG. 13A and step S701 in FIG. 13B
is abbreviated. For details, refer to the common flow shown in FIG.
12B.
[0136] In the PA-A process shown in FIG. 13A, processing is passed
from a portion of the common flow to the determination in step
S702. In step S702, it is determined whether or not the message
(local packet) from the Web server 534 contains a communications
request. If it is not a communications request, then another
process is performed in step S703, and processing is returned to
the start of the portion of the common flow. Another process refers
to a process according to a message. However, since it does not
directly relate to the present invention, the detailed explanation
is omitted here.
[0137] If it is determined in step S702 that the message contains a
communications request, a communications request is issued to the
PA (PA-B in the case shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B) which is managing
the communications destination in step S704. Next, in step S705, a
message from the PA which issued the communications request is
awaited. When a message is received, it is determined in step S706
whether or not the message indicates the acknowledgement of the
communications. If the communications are not accepted, a
communications rejection notification is transmitted to the Web
server 534 in step S707, and processing is returned to the start of
the portion of the common flow.
[0138] If the message indicates the acceptance of communications in
step S706, an SIP distribution request is issued to the application
server 543 in step S708. Then, a message from the application
server 543 is awaited in step S709. When a message is received, it
is determined in step S710 whether or not the message contains a
distribution termination notification. If it is not a distribution
termination notification, processing is returned to step S709 and
the same processes are repeated until a distribution termination
notification is transmitted from the application server 543.
[0139] If the message from the application server 543 contains a
distribution termination notification in step S710, then a
connection request is transmitted to the PA (PA-B in the case shown
in FIGS. 13A and 13B) for managing a connected-to (destination)
user in step S711. In step S712, a message from the PA for managing
a connected-to user is awaited. When the message is received, it is
determined in step S713 whether or not the message indicates that
the connection request has been successfully accepted. If the
connection request is not accepted, the processes in steps S711
through S713 are repeated until the connection request is accepted.
If it is determined that the connection request has been
successfully accepted in step S713, an activation command is
transmitted in step S714 to the SIP 536 distributed in step S708.
Then, in step S715, a message from the activated SIP 536 is
awaited. When a message is received, it is determined in step S716
whether or not the message is a successful activation notification
indicating the SIP 536 has been successfully activated. If the SIP
536 has not been successfully activated, processing is returned to
step S714, and the processes in steps S714 through S716 are
repeated until the SIP 536 is activated. If it is determined in
step S716 that a successful activation notification has been
received, then processing is passed to step S717 and a
communications termination message from the SIP 536 is awaited.
When any message is received from the SIP in step S717, then
processing is passed to step S718, and it is determined whether or
not the message is a communications termination notification. If it
is not a termination notification, processing is returned to step
S717 and the processes are repeated until the termination
notification is transmitted from the SIP 536. If it is determined
in step S718 that a termination notification has been transmitted,
processing is returned to the start of the common flow and a series
of the processes terminate.
[0140] In the PA-B process, it is determined whether or not the
received message is a communications request after the common flow
as shown in FIG. 13B. If it is not a communications request,
another process is performed in step S721 according to the message
and processing is returned to the start of the common flow. If the
message is a communications request, then a communications request
notification is transmitted to the UIA of the mobile computer 522
of the user B managed by the PA-B. Then, a message from the UIA is
awaited in step S723.
[0141] When a message is received from the UIA in step S723, it is
determined in step S724 whether or not the message indicates the
acknowledgement of the communications. If the message is not a
communications acknowledgement message, a communications rejection
notification is transmitted to the PA (PA-A in the case shown in
FIGS. 13A and 13B) in step S725, and processing is returned to the
start of the portion of the common flow. If it is determined in
step S724 that the message indicates the acknowledgement of the
communications, then a communications acknowledgement notification
is transmitted to the PA (for example, PA-A) which has transmitted
the communications request.
[0142] Then, a message from the PA which has transmitted the
communications request in step S727 is awaited. When a message is
received, it is determined in step S728 whether or not it is a
connection request. If it is not a connection request, then it
indicates that a connection request has not been transmitted from
the PA which has issued the communications request, an error
process is performed in step S729, and processing is returned to
the start of the common flow in preparation for the subsequent
process. If it is a connection request, a request to disconnect a
line for voice communications is output to the above described RA
(RA server) in step S730. In step S731, an answer from the RA is
awaited. When an answer message is received from the RA, it is
determined in step S732 whether or not the line has successfully
been disconnected. If the line has not been successfully
disconnected, then processing is returned to step S730 and the
processes are repeated until the line is successfully disconnected.
If it is determined that the line has been successfully
disconnected, then the PA (PA-A in the case shown in FIGS. 13A and
13B) which has transmitted the communications request is notified
that the line has successfully been disconnected.
[0143] In step S734, an activation transmission instruction is
issued to the IpA 539, and a synchronization and link are
established between the user who has transmitted the communications
request through the SIP 536 and the SIP 538 of the phone gateway
524. Then, the PA-B awaits a termination notification message of
the communications (communications through a secure Internet phone
with the user who has transmitted the communications request) from
the SIP 538 of the phone gateway 524 (step S735). If the message
received in step S736 is not a termination notification, then
processing is returned to step S735 and the processes in steps S735
and S736 are repeated until a termination notification is
transmitted. If it is determined in step S736 that a termination
notification has been transmitted, then a termination disconnection
instruction is transmitted to the IpA 539 in step S737, and
processing is returned to the start of the portion of the common
flow, thereby terminating a series of the processes.
[0144] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the processes of the guest PA
for managing the communications with a user not registered in the
server.
[0145] The PA-C (guest PA) process shown in FIG. 14 is almost the
same as the common flow shown in FIG. 12B. Corresponding steps in
these figures are assigned the same step number. However, in the
message reception step S650 in the PA-C process, no messages are
transmitted from the Web server 521, but messages are transmitted
only from other PAs. Therefore, steps S651, etc. are not required,
but they are provided to show the configuration of the PA
functioning as any of the PA-A, PA-B, and PA-C.
[0146] Therefore, when the PA functions as a guest PA (PA-C), a
message is transmitted from another PA in step S650. Processing is
passed to the process in step S654, and it is determined whether or
not the message contains a communications request. If it is not a
communications request, then another process in step S658 is
performed, and then processing is returned to the start of the
common flow, thereby terminating a series of the processes. On the
other hand, if the message contains a communications request, then
it is determined whether or not the user attribute of the present
PA is registered. If it is a registered user, then the PA-B process
in step S656 is performed. If the user attribute is not registered,
and the user is found to be a non-registered user, then a
communications acknowledgement notification is unconditionally
transmitted in step S750 to the PA which has transmitted the
message. Then, processing is returned to the start of the common
flow, thereby terminating a series of the processes and entering a
process standby state. The communications acknowledgement
notification is unconditionally issued for the reasons described by
referring to FIG. 10.
[0147] FIG. 15 shows the outline of the configuration for providing
the user accessing a server with the information such as the
telephone number, etc. of the third party.
[0148] Assume that the user accessing a server 1400 is using a
mobile terminal 1401. A Web browser 1402 is installed in the mobile
terminal 1401. The mobile terminal 1401 accesses the server 1400
through a wireless network 1411 using an RA 1403 (RA client) and a
line control device 1404. The server 1400 is provided with a line
control device 1410 and an RA 1409 (RA server), and a Web server
1408 provides information through them. At this time, the
information such as a database, etc. can be utilized to carry
various information on the home page of the Web server 1408. In
FIG. 15, a map server 1407 and a equipment information database
1406 are provided as examples of the database.
[0149] The map server 1407 is used to display the position of a
shop with a map for a user. By arranging icons of shops on the map,
and clicking the mouse button for an optional icon, various
information of a shop can be referred to. In this case, the
equipment information database 1406 is utilized. The equipment
information database 1406 provides the information required for the
shop, for example, the address, the telephone number, etc. of the
shop.
[0150] Thus, when a home page is displayed on the Web server 1408
using various databases, a server is required to totally manage the
databases and associate data of one database with data of another
database. This is a backend server 1405. The backend server 1405
totally manages the Web server 1408, the map server 1407, and the
equipment information database 1406, associates data retrieved from
the equipment information database 1406 with other data, and
displays the data on the home page of the Web server 1408.
[0151] With the configuration, the server 1400 can provide the user
of the mobile terminal 1401 with various information as graphical
data. Particularly, as described above, an icon of the telephone
numbers of shops is displayed on the home page. When the user of
the mobile terminal 1401 clicks the mouse button for the icon, the
shop is called up.
[0152] FIG. 16 shows an example of the configuration of the system
in which data communications are temporarily disconnected to
voice-communicate with a user having no data communications
functions. FIG. 16 shows the outline of the configuration including
a switching unit on the server side. The system operation shown in
FIG. 16 corresponds to the process sequence described by referring
to FIG. 4.
[0153] A mobile computer 1501 comprising a Web browser 1517 and an
RA 1516 (RA client) can be, for example, a small notebook-type
personal computer. A user having the mobile computer 1501 accesses
a server 1500 using a PDC/PHS terminal 1502. The PDC/PHS terminal
1502 is connected to the mobile computer 1501 through a data
communications adapter 1515 (the data adapter 527 shown in FIG. 3).
The data communications adapter 1515 controls a line control unit
1511 of the PDC/PHS terminal 1502 to switch between the data
communications using the mobile computer 1501 and the voice
communications using a speaker 1513 and a microphone 1514. A
wireless unit 1510 receives information, etc. from the server 1500
transmitted through a base station 1503 of the PDC/PHS, and
transmits information input to the PDC/PHS terminal 1502 through
electric waves.
[0154] The server 1500 comprises a CGI program 1505; an RA 1506 (RA
server); an NCU-built-in modem 1507; a Web server 1518, and a
switching unit 1508. It establishes the data communications with
the mobile computer 1501, and the voice communications, etc.
through the PDC/PHS terminal 1502.
[0155] Assume that the user accessing the Web server 1518 through
the Web browser 1517 detects the telephone number of a telephone
1509, tries to make a phone call, and clicks the mouse button for
the icon of the telephone number. The process is performed in the
sequence shown in FIG. 10, and the line control unit 1511 of the
PDC/PHS terminal 1502 switches the internal connection from the
data communications adapter 1515 side to a CODEC 1512 side. The
CODEC 1512 encodes a voice signal input from the microphone 1514
and decodes voice data input through the line control unit 1511
into a voice signal for output to the speaker 1513.
[0156] Thus, the PDC/PHS terminal 1502 enters a voice
communications state, and can communicate with the telephone 1509
through the switching unit 1508 under control of the server
1500.
[0157] FIG. 17 shows an example of the configuration of the system
when data communications are temporarily disconnected to
voice-communicate with a user having no data communications
functions. In this configuration, a switching unit having a 3-point
connection is provided in addition to a server. The operation of
the system shown in FIG. 17 corresponds to the process sequence
shown in FIG. 5.
[0158] In FIG. 17, if a component is assigned the same reference
number as the component shown in FIG. 16, it indicates that these
components are identical. The CGI program is not provided in the
server 1500, but it can be provided as shown in FIG. 16.
[0159] In FIG. 17, a switching unit 1600 can be in a telephone
network 1504 or can be adjacent to the server 1500. The switching
unit 1600 is designed to have a 3-point connection function. As
shown in FIG. 5, when a voice communications line is connected from
the PDC/PHS terminal 1502 to the telephone 1509, the data
communications line between the server 1500 the mobile computer
1501 is temporarily disconnected. Then, a voice communications line
is connected from the server 1500 side to the PDC/PHS terminal 1502
through the switching unit 1600, and the line is temporarily held
in an on-hook state. The server 1500 establishes the voice
communications line, and the 3-point connection can be established
among the PDC/PHS terminal 1502, the telephone 1509, and the server
1500.
[0160] In FIG. 5, the line of the server 1500 is disconnected to
hold the line between the PDC/PHS terminal 1502 and the telephone
1509. However, as described by referring to FIG. 5, the 3-point
connection line can be set active. Thus, using the 3-point
connection function of the switching unit 1600, a phone call can be
made from the server 1500 and the PDC/PHS terminal 1502 to the
telephone 1509 having no data communications function.
[0161] FIG. 18 shows the sequence of the process according to
another embodiment of the present invention. According to the
present embodiment, the data in a linked-to (destination) point
from the home page displayed immediately before disconnecting data
communications is preliminarily read in the cache memory. The data
in the linked-to point can be displayed by a user's selecting the
link through a Web browser even during the voice
communications.
[0162] When the user B accesses the Web server through the Web
browser, an applet for retrieving the data in a linked-to point and
storing the data in cache memory is distributed from the Web server
to the Web browser of the user B so that the applet can be
activated when Web access is gained.
[0163] Assume that the user B accesses the Web server through the
Web browser, and a home page at an address is opened. The applet
issues a data request to a Web server to fetch the data in the
linked-to point which is expected to be linked to by the user. In
response to the request from the Web server, the applet stores the
data in the linked-to point transmitted from the Web server in the
cache memory of the terminal (for example, a mobile computer) of
the user B. The scope of the data fetched by the applet can be, for
example, set to obtain all data in the linked-to point not accessed
yet on the displayed home page.
[0164] If a request is issued to the Web browser to obtain
information containing the telephone number of the user C to allow
the user B to voice-communicate with the user C (indicated by `GET
URL://WebServer/Directory/Store-C?tel-no`), then information is
transmitted from the Web server with the telephone number set in
the special character string (?tel-no=), and the Web browser
displays that the transmission for the voice communications is
performed. At this time, the RA client issues to the RA server a
request to temporarily disconnect the line to establish voice
communications. When the RA server transmits an acknowledgement
message (ACK) to the RA client, the RA client issues a
disconnection instruction to the data adapter.
[0165] Thus, the connection between the modem and the data adapter
is disconnected, and a disconnection notification is transmitted
from the modem to the RA server and from the data adapter to the RA
client. Upon receipt of the disconnection notification, the RA
client performs a voice call transmission to the phone Tel of the
user C, and the phone Tel outputs a ringing tone upon receipt of
the arrival of a voice call. If the user C answers the ringing
tone, the line is connected between the terminal and the phone Tel,
thereby realizing the voice communications between the users B and
C.
[0166] If the user B issues a data request when the voice
communications line is connected, the Web browser refers to the
cache memory, reads data, and presents the data to the user B. At
this time, if the user B selects the data in a linked-to point but
not in the cache memory, then the data cannot be fetched and the
Web browser appears suspended in a data fetching state.
[0167] The voice communications can be terminated by either the
user B or the user C. In FIG. 18, the user B terminates the voice
communications. Thus, the line between the terminal (portable
phone, etc.) and the phone Tel is disconnected, and a disconnection
tone is output from the phone Tel of the user C. When the user C
terminates the communications by, for example, setting the receiver
of the phone Tel, the voice communications between the user B and
the user C terminate.
[0168] If the RA client detects that the user B performs a
terminating process, the RA client transmits a data call to the RA
server. When the RA server receives a data call arrival
notification from the modem, the RA server issues an answer
instruction to the modem, and a line is connected again between the
modem and the data adapter. The modem and the data adapter transmit
a connection notification to the RA server and the RA client
respectively, and the Web access is resumed. At this time, since
the sessions of the Web browsers and the Web servers are set
active, the Web access is resumed by the data fetch if the data has
not been fetched yet according to the data request from the user B
during the voice communications.
[0169] FIG. 19 shows the first example of the configuration of the
system for following the sequence shown in FIG. 18.
[0170] An application 1800 corresponds to a Web browser and an
application 1801 corresponds to a Web server. A temporary line
disconnection unit 1804 corresponds to an RA client. A temporary
line disconnection unit 1810 corresponds to an RA server. A data
communications device 1805 corresponds to a data adapter. A data
communications device 1809 corresponds to a modem. A terminal 1807
can be a portable telephone, etc. The data storage unit 1803
corresponds to a cache memory. Furthermore, the automatic data
fetch unit corresponds to the applet shown in FIG. 18.
[0171] The data communications unit 1809 communicates with the
terminal 1807 through a telephone network 1806. A telephone 1808 is
also connected to the telephone network 1806. When the user on the
mobile computer side is accessing the application 1801 on the fixed
computer side using the application 1800, a automatic data fetch
unit 1802 issues a data fetch command to the application 1801 to
fetch necessary data. Necessary data refers to the data in a
linked-to point entered in the home page displayed on the
application 1800 and which has not been accessed yet.
[0172] The data fetched by the automatic data fetch unit 1802 is
stored in a data storage unit 1803. When a linked-to point is
accessed from the application 1800 during voice communications, the
data in the linked-to point is read from the data storage unit
1803, and the data is displayed on the screen through the
application 1800.
[0173] Thus, during the voice communications between the terminal
1807 on the mobile computer side and the telephone 1808 after the
data communications line is disconnected by the temporary line
disconnection units 1804 and 1810, the data in the linked-to point
stored in the data storage unit 1803 is displayed on the screen.
Therefore, the user on the mobile computer feels as if the user
were simultaneously voice-communicating and data-communicating.
[0174] Virtually, the voice communications and the data
communications can be simultaneously performed by the automatic
data fetch unit 1802 resident on a mobile computer side.
[0175] FIG. 20 shows the second example of the configuration of the
system which realizes the process sequence shown in FIG. 18.
[0176] The components assigned the same reference numbers in FIG.
20 as those in FIG. 19 have the same function. The numbers enclosed
by parentheses are the numbers indicating the flow of the
processes. First, as shown by (1), assume that data communications
have started between the applications 1800 and 1801.
Simultaneously, a automatic data fetch unit 1900 is distributed
from the application 1801, and the automatic data fetch unit 1900
is resident on the mobile computer side. When the data
communications start, the automatic data fetch unit 1900 fetches,
from the application 1801, data not accessed from the application
1800 to the application 1801 according to a predetermined rule. As
a predetermined rule, for example as described above, data can be
fetched from a linked-to point not accessed yet among the linked-to
points listed on the home page displayed on the application
1800.
[0177] The data fetched as described above is, as indicated by (2),
stored in the data storage unit 1803. Then, if voice communications
with the telephone 1808 are requested on the mobile computer side,
a data communications line connected to the temporary line
disconnection units 1804 and 1810 is disconnected as indicated by
(3), and the terminal 1807 and the telephone 1808 are connected
through a line. When a data transmission request is issued from the
application 1800 for the data in a linked-to point during the voice
communications, the data storage unit 1803 is retrieved as
indicated by (4). If the corresponding data is stored, the data is
displayed on the screen by the application 1800. If the
corresponding data is not stored as described above, the
application 1800 enters a standby state.
[0178] When the voice communications with the telephone 1808 have
terminated, the line temporarily disconnected by the temporary line
disconnection units 1804 and 1810 between the mobile computer and
the fixed computer is reconnected as indicated by (5).
[0179] FIG. 21 shows the process flow of the automatic data fetch
unit (applet).
[0180] First, it is determined whether or not the user has issued a
data request through the application or the Web browser. If a data
request has been issued, it is determined in step S901 whether or
not the RA (Client) is connected to the Web server (RA server). If
the RA is connected to the Web server, then a timer starts in step
S902. In step S903, a request to fetch data specified by the data
request is accepted from the Web browser, and the data fetch
request is transferred to the Web server. When the data is fetched
from the Web server in step S904, it is transferred to the Web
browser and displayed on the screen. The address (URL) of the
fetched data is recorded (step S905), the data fetched in step S906
is stored in the cache memory, and processing is returned to the
start of the process in preparation for the subsequent process.
[0181] If it is determined in step S901 that the RA is not
connected to the server, then the data stored by the cache memory
is read in step S907, and transmitted to the Web browser in step
S908. Then, processing is returned to the start of the process in
preparation for the subsequent process.
[0182] When no data requests are issued in step S900, it is
determined in step S909 whether or not the timer activated in step
S902 times out. This is to autonomously start the process of
fetching data by the automatic data fetch unit after a
predetermined time from the first data request. If the timer has
not timed-out yet, processing is returned to step S900, that is, to
the start of the process in preparation for the subsequent
process.
[0183] If the time-out has been detected in step S909, then the
link currently displayed on the Web browser is checked. In step
S911, it is determined whether or not the data in the linked-to
point fetched by the check has already been fetched. If it has
already been fetched, then a data communications line disconnecting
process by the RA is permitted to establish the voice
communications in step S914. Then, processing is returned to the
start of the process in preparation for the subsequent process.
[0184] If it is determined that the data in the linked-to point
fetched in step S911 has not been fetched, then a data request is
issued to the Web server in step S912, and data is fetched from the
Web server in step S913. Then, in step S905, the address (URL) of
the linked-to point from which data has been fetched is recorded.
In step S906, the fetched data is stored in the cache memory. Then,
processing is returned to the start of the process in preparation
for the subsequent process.
[0185] As described above, voice communications are established
during data communications through a single line according to the
present invention. When the voice communications terminate, the
data communications can be automatically resumed from the state
immediately before the start of the voice communications.
[0186] By fetching the data in the linked-to point not accessed by
the user during the data communications, the user can perform a
terminal operation in such a way that the data communications
access can be gained through a line while the line is used for the
voice communications.
* * * * *