Method and apparatus for stand-alone voice over internet protocol with POTS telephone support
An apparatus and methods for utilizing a stand-alone Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone with traditional plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone support is disclosed. A stand-alone VoIP telephone with an analog telephone adaptor supporting a plurality of external analog telephone sets and a digital Internet protocol (IP) interface to support VoIP voice data communication over a data channel is presented. The VoIP telephone is used to establish VoIP service line data connections between a VoIP telephone and a data switch to an IP network. The VoIP telephone receives an analog telephone signal from an external analog telephone and establishes a voice connection between the external analog telephone and the VoIP telephone.
1. A method comprising:
establishing a voice over Internet protocol service line data connection between a stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone and an Internet protocol network via an Ethernet switch and a digital subscriber line modem, wherein a personal computer is coupled to the Ethernet switch, wherein the Ethernet switch includes logic to prioritize voice over Internet protocol data associated with the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone over data associated with the personal computer, and wherein the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone is coupled to the Ethernet switch via an RJ45 adaptor;
receiving an off-hook signal from a first external analog telephone set of a plurality of external analog telephone sets, wherein the plurality of external analog telephone sets is limited to the first external analog telephone set and a second external analog telephone set, wherein the off-hook signal is received at an encoder/decoder module of the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone via a first RJ11 adaptor of a plurality of RJ11 adaptors of the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone, wherein the plurality of RJ11 adaptors is limited to the first RJ11 adaptor and a second RJ11 adaptor, wherein the second external analog telephone set is coupled to the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone via the first external analog telephone set in a side by side configuration, wherein the side by side configuration is associated with the second RJ11 adaptor of the plurality of RJ11 adaptors, wherein the encoder/decoder module is operable to receive off-hook signals from each of the plurality of external analog telephone sets via the first RJ11 adaptor and the second RJ11 adaptor, wherein the encoder/decoder module includes a time division multiplexer to process data corresponding a dedicated voice over Internet protocol handset of the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone and to process data corresponding to the first external analog telephone set and the second external analog telephone set, wherein the first external analog telephone set and the second external analog telephone set include a common telephone line extension, wherein the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone includes a serial interface to permit coordination of telephone information and to provide automatic dialing, wherein the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone generates line status information and provides the line status information to a first user of the first external analog telephone set and to a second user of the second external analog telephone set, wherein the line status information includes network availability information, information corresponding to whether a called party answered, and busy signal information;
sending a dial tone from the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone to the first external analog telephone set in response to the off-hook signal received from the first external analog telephone set;
after sending the dial tone to the first external analog telephone set, receiving dual tone multi-frequency tones at the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone from the particular first external analog telephone set;
translating the received dual tone multi-frequency tones to corresponding dialed digits;
packetizing the dialed digits;
sending the packetized dialed digits to the Internet protocol network via the voice over Internet protocol service line data connection; and
establishing a voice connection between the first external analog telephone set and the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone.
2. An apparatus comprising:
a voice over Internet protocol telephone configured to:
establish a voice over Internet protocol service line data connection between the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone and an Internet protocol network via an Ethernet switch and a digital subscriber line modem, wherein a personal computer is coupled to the Ethernet switch, wherein the Ethernet switch includes logic to prioritize voice over Internet protocol data associated with the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone over data associated with the personal computer, and wherein the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone is coupled to the Ethernet switch via an RJ45 adaptor;
receive an off-hook signal from a first external analog telephone set of a plurality of external analog telephone sets, wherein the plurality of external analog telephone sets is limited to the first external analog telephone set and a second external analog telephone set, wherein the off-hook signal is received at an encoder/decoder module of the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone via a first RJ 11 adaptor of a plurality of RJ 11 adaptors of the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone, wherein the plurality of RJ11 adaptors is limited to the first RJ11 adaptor and a second RJ11 adaptor, wherein the second external analog telephone set is coupled to the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone via the first external analog telephone set in a side by side configuration, wherein the side by side configuration is associated with the second RJ11 adaptor of the plurality of RJ11 adaptors, wherein the encoder/decoder module is operable to receive off-hook signals from each of the plurality of external analog telephone sets via the first RJ11 adaptor and the second RJ11 adaptor, wherein the encoder/decoder module includes a time division multiplexer to process data corresponding a dedicated voice over Internet protocol handset of the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone and to process data corresponding to the first external analog telephone set and the second external analog telephone set, wherein the first external analog telephone set and the second external analog telephone set include a common telephone line extension, wherein the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone includes a serial interface to permit coordination of telephone information and to provide automatic dialing, wherein the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone generates line status information and provides the line status information to a first user of the first external analog telephone set and to a second user of the second external analog telephone set, wherein the line status information includes network availability information, information corresponding to whether a called party answered, and busy signal information;
send a dial tone from the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone to the first external analog telephone set in response to the off-hook signal received from the first external analog telephone set;
after sending the dial tone to the first external analog telephone set, receive dual tone multi-frequency tones at the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone from the first external analog telephone set;
translate the received dual tone multi-frequency tones to corresponding dialed digits;
packetize the dialed digits;
send the packetized dialed digits to the Internet protocol network via the voice over Internet protocol service line data connection; and
establish a voice connection between the first external analog telephone set and the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone.
3. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
establishing a voice over Internet protocol service line data connection between a stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone and an Internet protocol network via an Ethernet switch and a digital subscriber line modem, wherein a personal computer is coupled to the Ethernet switch, wherein the Ethernet switch includes logic to prioritize voice over Internet protocol data associated with the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone over data associated with the personal computer, and wherein the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone is coupled to the Ethernet switch via an RJ45 adaptor;
receiving an off-hook signal from a first external analog telephone set of a plurality of external analog telephone sets, wherein the plurality of external analog telephone sets is limited to the first external analog telephone set and a second external analog telephone set, wherein the off-hook signal is received at an encoder/decoder module of the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone via a first RJ11 adaptor of a plurality of RJ11 adaptors of the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone, wherein the plurality of RJ11 adaptors is limited to the first RJ11 adaptor and a second RJ11 adaptor, wherein the second external analog telephone set is coupled to the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone via the first external analog telephone set in a side by side configuration, wherein the side by side configuration is associated with the second RJ11 adaptor of the plurality of RJ11 adaptors, wherein the encoder/decoder module is operable to receive off-hook signals from each of the plurality of external analog telephone sets via the first RJ11 adaptor and the second RJ11 adaptor, wherein the encoder/decoder module includes a time division multiplexer to process data corresponding a dedicated voice over Internet protocol handset of the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone and to process data corresponding to the first external analog telephone set and the second external analog telephone set, wherein the first external analog telephone set and the second external analog telephone set include a common telephone line extension, wherein the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone includes a serial interface to permit coordination of telephone information and to provide automatic dialing, wherein the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone generates line status information and provides the line status information to a first user of the first external analog telephone set and to a second user of the second external analog telephone set, wherein the line status information includes network availability information, information corresponding to whether a called party answered, and busy signal information;
sending a dial tone from the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone to the first external analog telephone set in response to the off-hook signal received from the first external analog telephone set;
after sending the dial tone to the first external analog telephone set, receiving dual tone multi-frequency tones at the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone from the first external analog telephone set;
translating the received dual tone multi-frequency tones to corresponding dialed digits;
packetizing the dialed digits;
sending the packetized dialed digits to the Internet protocol network via the voice over Internet protocol service line data connection; and
establishing a voice connection between the first external analog telephone set and the stand-alone voice over Internet protocol telephone.