A packet-switched-network telephone system

Claim 2

A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the resources of said first and second interface conversion units are dynamically allocated to complete said transaction.

Claim 3

A system as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein said first and second interface conversion units exchange network addresses used for exchanging the speech data packets.

Claim 5

A system as recited in claim 4, wherein said first interface conversion unit transmits a packet switched message to a said second interface conversion unit including a network address of said first interface conversion unit.

Claim 6

A system as recited in claim 5, wherein said second interface conversion unit replies to said request with an asynchronous transfer mode network address and said first and second interface conversion units establish a virtual connection over said packet-switched-network.

Claim 7

A telephone system, comprising: first and second telephones; a packet-switched-network; and first and second interface conversion units coupled to said packet-switched-network and respectively to said first and second telephones, said units exchanging speech data packets over said network, converting packets into speech signals and speech signals into packets, and compressing the speech signals prior to conversion into speech data packets.

Claim 8

A telephone system, comprising: first and second telephones; a packet-switched-network; and first and second interface conversion units coupled to said packet-switched-network and respectively to said first and second telephones, said units exchanging speech data packets over said network and converting packets into speech signals and speech signals into packets and providing enhanced calling services including one of: message-delivery, call-back, call-screening, network-camp-on, call-back-from-queue, find-me, meet-me-pager, call-forwarding, call-interrupt, call-waiting, business-dialing, automatic-call-distribution, virtual-automatic-call-distribution, speed-dial, call-transfer, conference-calling and network-administration.

Claim 9

A telephone system, comprising: a telephone; a packet-switched-network; and an interface conversion unit coupled to said packet-switched-network and to said telephone, said unit converting speech signals from said telephone into speech data packets, transmitting the speech data packets over said network and converting received speech packets received over said network into speech signals supplied to said telephone.

Claim 10

A telephone system, comprising: a switched telephone network; first and second telephones connected to said switched telephone network; a packet-switched-network; a first interface conversion unit coupled to said packet-switched-network and to said first telephone, said first unit exchanging speech data packets with said packet-switched-network and converting data packets into speech signals and speech signals into data packets, said first unit comprising: a first digital switching system coupled to said switched telephone network and routing a telephone call from said first telephone; a first application processing unit coupled to said digital switching system, receiving the routed telephone call, interfacing with a caller to identify a called telephone number, determining a packet switched called address associated with the called telephone number, and converting speech signals to and from speech data; and a first network processing unit coupled to said packet-switched-network and said first application processing unit, converting the speech data into data packets, transmitting the data packets to the address, converting received data packets into speech data provided to said first application processing unit; and a second interface conversion unit coupled to said packet-switched-network and to said second telephone, said second unit exchanging speech data packets with said packet-switched-network and converting data packets into speech signals and speech signals into data packets, said first unit comprising: a second digital switching system coupled to said switched telephone network and routing a telephone call to said second telephone; a second application processing unit coupled to said digital switching system, calling the called telephone number and converting speech signals to and from speech data; and a second network processing unit coupled to said packet-switched-network and said second application processing unit, converting the speech data into data packets, transmitting the data packets to the first network processing unit, converting received data packets into speech data provided to said second application processing unit.

Claim 11

A telephone system, comprising: first and second telephones; a packet-switched-network; and first and second interface conversion units coupled to said packet-switched-network and respectively to said first and second telephones, said units dynamically allocating resources of said packet-switched network as needed to complete a telephone call transaction, exchanging speech data packets over said network, converting packets into speech signals and speech signals into packets and performing echo cancellation associated with the conversion.

Claim 12

A telephone system, comprising: first and second telephones; a packet-switched-network; and first and second interface conversion units coupled to said packet-switched-network and respectively to said first and second telephones, said units exchanging speech data packets over said network, converting packets into speech signals and speech signals into packets and performing echo cancellation associated with the conversion, said conversion units comprising a speech signal silence detector and the converting of speech signals into packets is responsive to said silence detector.

Claim 13

A telephone call method, comprising: dynamically allocating packet-switched network resources as needed to complete a telephone call transaction; converting speech signals from a calling telephone into calling party speech data packets; transmitting the calling party speech data packets to a called party destination using the packet-switched-network; and converting the calling party speech data packets into called party speech signals.

Claim 14

A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising providing the called party speech signals to a called telephone.

Claim 15

A method as recited in claim 13 or 14, further comprising exchanging packet-switched-network addresses associated with the caller and called telephones.

Claim 17

A telephone call method, comprising: converting speech signals from a calling telephone into calling party speech data packets when the speech signals are above a speech signal threshold; transmitting the calling party speech data packets to a called party destination using a packet-switched-network; and converting the calling party speech data packets into called party speech signals.

Claim 18

A telephone call method, comprising: converting speech signals from a calling telephone into calling party speech data packets; transmitting the calling party speech data packets to a called party destination using a packet-switched-network; converting the calling party speech data packets into called party speech signals; and determining a network delay and adjusting a sound segment size of the data packets responsive to the delay.

Claim 19

A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the size comprises 1.5 times the delay.

Claim 20

A telephone system, comprising: first and second telephones; a packet-switched-network; and first and second end points coupled to said packet-switched-network and respectively to said first and second telephones, said end points managing a telephone call between said first and second telephones over said network.

Claim 21

A telephone system as recited in claim 20, wherein said end points comprise means for providing enhanced calling services including one of: message-delivery, call-back, call-screening, network-camp-on, call-back-from-queue, find-me, meet-me-pager, call-forwarding, call-interrupt, call-waiting, business-dialing, automatic-call-distribution, virtual-automatic-call-distribution, speed-dial, call-transfer, conference-calling and network-administration.

Claim 22

A telephone call method, comprising: managing a telephone call over a packet-switched network between source and destination end points.

Claim 23

A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said managing provides enhanced calling services including one of: message-delivery, call-back, call-screening, network-camp-on, call-back-from-queue, find-me, meet-me-pager, call-forwarding, call-interrupt, call-waiting, business-dialing, automatic-call-distribution, virtual-automatic-call-distribution, speed-dial, call-transfer, conference-calling and network-administration.

Claim 24

A method as recited in claim 22 or 23, wherein said managing comprises: initiating a packet-switched packet communication between the end points; and performing packet communication between the end points to establish a call between the end points.

Claim 28

A telephone system, comprising: first and second telephones; a network; and first and second interface conversion units coupled to said network and respectively to said first and second telephones, said units exchanging speech data packets over said network, converting packets into speech signals and speech signals into packets, and dynamically allocating resources of said network and said units as needed to complete a telephone call transaction.