Internet protocol standards-based multi-media messaging
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for interfacing a communications server for use with a circuit based telephony system with an Internet protocol telephony system are provided. The present invention enables service providers to service both tip-ring telephony type communications and Internet protocol telephony type communications using a single communications server. In addition, the present invention enables existing tip-ring telephony type communications servers to be modified to support Internet telephony communications.
1. A communications apparatus, comprising:
a communications server operable to service physical circuits established over a continuous circuit telephony system, said communications server including:
an interface operable to interconnect said server to a continuous circuit telephony system;
a computer network interface operable to interconnect said server to a computer network;
a voice response application module operable to provide communications services;
a port interface library module in communication with said voice response application module and operable to assign a server port to a virtual communications channel established over said computer network, wherein a first server port is assigned to a virtual channel established over said computer network, and wherein a second server port is assigned to a channel established over said continuous circuit telephony system;
an Internet protocol interface process module interconnected to said computer network interface and to said port interface library module, wherein said Internet protocol interface process module communicates with said port interface library module using a first set of commands expressed in a non-packet based format, wherein said first set of commands in a non-packet based format includes commands to reproduce voice data provided by said voice response application module, wherein said Internet protocol interface process module communicates with said computer network interface using a second set of commands expressed in a packet-based format, and wherein said second set of commands expressed in a packet-based format includes commands to reproduce voice data provided by said voice response application module; and
a continuous circuit telephone system device driver interconnected to said continuous circuit telephony system interface and to said not interface library module, wherein said continuous circuit telephony system interface communicates with said port interface library module using said first set of commands.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said interface for interconnecting said server to a continuous circuit telephony system is a tip-ring telephony interface.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said server is a voice response server.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said server is a unified communications server.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said server is a unified messaging server.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said computer network is the Internet.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said continuous circuit telephony system is the public switched telephony network.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said continuous circuit telephony system is a private branch exchange.
9. An internet protocol voice response system, comprising:
a communications server adapted for use with a tip-ring telephony system;
means for operatively connecting said communications server to a tip-ring telephony network;
means for operatively connecting said communications server to an Internet protocol computer network;
means for translating between tip-ring telephony system events and Internet protocol telephony commands, wherein said means for translating serves to operably connect said communications server to said Internet protocol computer network; and
means for allocating at least some of a number of channels available on said communications server for communications channels established over said tip-ring network to virtual communications channels established over said Internet protocol computer network;
a tip-ring telephony network, wherein said means for allocating channels available on said communications server allocates said channels between virtual communications channels established over said Internet protocol computer network and physical channels established over said tip-ring telephony network, wherein a first channel available on said communications server is assigned to a virtual channel established over said Internet protocol computer network, and wherein a second channel available on said communications server is assigned to a channel established over said tip-ring network.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said Internet protocol computer network is the Internet.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein said tip-ring telephony network is the public switched telephony network.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein said tip-ring telephony network is a private branch exchange.
13. A method for interfacing a tip-ring telephony server to a packet-based communications network, comprising:
receiving a first signal at an interface between a tip-ring telephony server and a computer network, wherein said first signal is in a first signal format comprising a first one of a packet of data and a software event;
translating said first signal into a second signal format, wherein said second signal format comprises a second one of a packet of data and a software event; and
performing at least one of the following steps:
a) providing said first signal formatted as a software event, to said tip-ring telephony server when said computer network is the source of said first signal, and
b) providing said first signal, formatted as a packet of data, to said computer network when said tip-ring telephony server is the source of said first signal;
assigning channels available on said tip-ring telephony server to virtual channels established over said packet-based network;
receiving a second signal at an interface between said tip-ring telephony server and a tip-ring telephony network, wherein a first channel available on said tip-ring telephony server is assigned to a first virtual channel established over said packet-based network, and wherein a second channel available on said tip-ring telephony server is assigned to a second channel established over said tip-ring telephony network.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
interfacing said server with a tip-ring telephony network; and
allocating channels available on said server between virtual channels established over said packet-based network and physical channels established over said tip-ring telephony network.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said packet-based network is the Internet.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said tip-ring telephony network is the public switched telephony network.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein said tip-ring telephony network is a private branch exchange.