Distinctive dial tone for a VoIP call
View Patent ↗A VoIP analog telephone adapter coupled to a telephone allows a telephone call to be made over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or over the Internet. Prior to dialing a phone number, with the telephone “off-hook”, a caller receives an audible indication as to whether the call will be made over the PSTN or the Internet through a standard dial tone generated by a Central Office or a distinctive dial tone generated by the adapter. The distinctive dial tone is different from the PSTN's dial tone.
1. An analog telephone adapter comprising:
circuitry that encodes an analog voice signal into digital packets for transmission over a packet network; and
a tone generator that, responsive to an off-hook condition, generates a distinctive dial tone, different than a standard telephone network dial tone, indicating that a connection will be directed to the packet network.
2. The adapter of claim 1 , further comprising:
other circuitry that directs a request for establishing the connection received from a telephone coupled to the adapter to a telephone network or to the packet network.
3. The adapter of claim 2 further comprising:
a configuration manager that determines whether the circuitry directs the request to the telephone network or the packet network.
4. The adapter of claim 3 , wherein the configuration manager is a web-sewer in the adapter.
5. The adapter of claim 3 , wherein the configuration manager is an Interactive Voice Response in the adapter.
6. The adapter of claim 2 , wherein the other circuitry directs the connection to the packet network upon detecting a signal from the telephone, and otherwise directs the connection to the telephone network.
7. The adapter of claim 6 , wherein the tone generator generates the distinctive dial tone upon detection of the signal from the telephone.
8. The adapter of claim 7 , wherein the signal the DTMF tone # from the telephone as the first DTMF tone detected after detection of the off-hook condition.
9. The adapter of claim 2 , wherein the other circuitry directs the connection to the telephone network upon detecting a signal from the telephone, and otherwise directs the connection to the packet network.
10. The adapter of claim 9 , wherein the tone generator generates the distinctive dial tone upon detection of the off-hook condition.
11. The adapter of claim 10 , wherein the signal is the DTMF tone-# as the first tone detected after detection of the off-hook condition.
12. The adapter of claim 2 , wherein the other circuitry always directs the request to the packet network.
13. The adapter of claim 12 , wherein the tone generator generates the distinctive dial tone upon detection of the off-hook condition.
14. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the distinctive dial tone has a single frequency.
15. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the distinctive dial tone has at least two frequencies.
16. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the distinctive dial tone is continuous.
17. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the distinctive dial tone is discontinuous.
18. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the adapter connects to the Public Switched Telephone Network.
19. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein DSL service is enabled for the adapter.
20. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the packet network is the Internet.
21. A method for identifying a requested connection at an analog telephone adapter, the method comprising:
encoding an analog voice signal into a digital packet for transmission over a packet network; and
responsive to an off-hook condition, generating a distinctive dial tone, different than a standard telephone network dial tone, indicating that the connection will be directed to the packet network.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein a request for establishing the connection, received from a telephone coupled to the adapter, is directed to a telephone network or to the packet network.
23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:
determining, by a configuration manager whether the request is directed to the telephone network or the packet network.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the configuration manager is a web-server in the adapter.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the configuration manager is an Interactive Voice Response in the adapter.
26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the connection is directed to the packet network upon detecting a signal from the telephone, and otherwise directed to the PSTN.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the distinctive dial tone is generated upon detection of the signal.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the signal is the DTMF tone # as the first DTMF tone detected after detection of an off-hook condition.
29. The method of claim 22 , wherein the connection is directed to the telephone network upon detecting a signal from the telephone, and otherwise directed to the packet network.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the distinctive dial tone is generated upon detection of the off-hook condition.
31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the signal is the DTMF tone # as the first tone detected after detection of the off-hook condition.
32. The method of claim 22 , wherein the request is always directed to the packet network.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the distinctive dial tone is generated upon detection of the off-hook condition.
34. The method of claim 21 , wherein the distinctive dial tone has a single frequency.
35. The method of claim 21 , wherein the distinctive dial tone has at least two frequencies.
36. The method of claim 21 , wherein the distinctive dial tone is continuous.
37. The method of claim 21 , wherein the distinctive dial tone is not continuous.
38. The method of claim 21 , wherein the adapter connects to the Public Switched Telephone Network.
39. The method of claim 21 , wherein DSL service is enabled for the adapter.
40. The method of claim 21 , wherein the packet network is the Internet.
41. An analog telephone adapter comprising:
means for encoding an analog voice signal into a digital packet for transmission over a packet network; and
responsive to an off-hook condition, means for generating a distinctive dial tone, different than a standard telephone network dial tone, indicating that a connection will be directed to the packet network.