Service resource items for use in call setup in a telephone system are held on servers that are connected to a computer network which is logically distinct from the telephone system infrastructure; this computer network may, for example, make use of the Internet. Each service item is locatable on the network at a corresponding URI and is associated with a particular telephone number. A mapping is provided between telephone numbers and the URIs of associated service resource items. When it is desired to access a service resource item associated with a particular telephone number, this mapping is used to retrieve the corresponding URI which is then used to access the desired service resource item.

Method for Accessing Service Resource Items That are For Use in a Telecommunications System

The invention relates to a method for optional data transmission from a first switch to a second switch via a telecommunications line or packeting as well as to a switch for implementing said method. Data packages are initially switched in packets via a packeting network to second switch. A line connection from the first switch to the second switch is made when a corresponding control signal is received, the data being then transmitted via said line. Optionally another change is made to packet switching transmission. The invention enables flexible, dynamic costs-related data transmission by line or packet switching between telecommunications network nodes and creates the conditions for cost-effective data transmission with real time features.

Method for transmitting data in a telecommunications network and switch for implementing said method

A method for converting a public switched telephone network call to a data network call. In one approach, the method includes receiving the public switched telephone network call from an origination phone at a destination phone and then identifying a caller identifier for the public switched telephone network call. The call is then rejected and a call placed to a network service provider. Once connected to the network, the network address for the origination phone is determined and the call is completed across the data network. Alternatively, a PSTN call is placed from an origination phone to a destination phone. The origination phone detects a rejected call from the destination phone and places a call to a network service provider. Once connected to the network, the network address for the destination phone is determined and the call is completed across the data network. A network phone capable of acting as either a destination phone or an origination phone is also discussed.

Method and apparatus for network telephony

A network device and method may provide secure fallback operations. The device includes a port allowing the device to communicate with a network and a processor to generate a security credential, provide the security credential to a call manager during initialization, and provide the security credential to a secondary device during fallback operations. The network device may include a memory to store the security credential and routing information for fallback operations.

Secure Fallback Network Device

The present application provides an authentication scheme that allows a device to provide additional authentication of a Publicly Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) identity assertion made in a PSTN call by also sending an Internet Protocol (IP) communication. The device sends the IP communication generally in parallel with the PSTN call. The IP communication includes a network identity assertion, which optionally may be authenticated using a cryptographically secure technique. The network identity assertion, being more difficult to falsify, provides additional authentication of the PSTN identity assertion.

Method and apparatus to provide cryptographic identity assertion for the PSTN

This paper describes the architecture of a hybrid switching network employing both circuit switching and packet switching. The network usually operates in a packet switching mode, but, depending on the traffic conditions, it can use special control packets to temporarily change certain lines to a circuit switching mode. The change between the two switching modes is performed dynamically depending on the traffic load of the network. Also described in this paper is the concept of metapacket which can be employed in some relatively small-scale networks to average the load of packets and to reduce data transmission time.

Yatsuka Nakamura

Papers

On a hybrid network system of circuit switching and packet switching