United States Patent [19J
`Voit
`
`I 1111111111111111 11111 111111111111111 111111111111111 11111 111111111111111111
`US006104711A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`6,104,711
`Aug. 15, 2000
`
`[54]
`
`ENHANCED INTERNET DOMAIN NAME
`SERVER
`
`[75]
`
`Inventor: Eric A. Voit, Baltimore, Md.
`
`[73]
`
`Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.,
`Arlington, Va.
`
`[21]
`
`Appl. No.: 08/812,075
`
`[22]
`
`Filed:
`
`Mar. 6, 1997
`
`[51]
`[52]
`
`[58]
`
`Int. Cl.7 ..................................................... H04L 12/64
`U.S. Cl. .......................... 370/352; 370/410; 370/475;
`709/245
`Field of Search ..................................... 370/352, 353,
`370/354, 355, 356, 252, 401, 389, 410,
`522,466,467,241,475; 379/88.17; 709/245,
`225, 223
`
`CT and the 'Net, "Audio and Video Over the Internet", Mar.
`1996.
`"Computer Telephony Over The Internet", Grigonis, Rich(cid:173)
`ard, CT and the Net, Mar. 1996.
`"Geek of The Week", Karn, Phil et. al., Internet Talk Radio,
`Mobile IP Networking, Nov. 1993.
`"How to Build an Internet PBX", McConnell, Brian, http://
`www.phonezone.com/ip-phone.htm, pp. 1-9.
`"Welcome to the Phone Zone", Pacific Telephony Design,
`http://www.phonezone.com/index2.htm, pp. 1-6.
`"Innovations in Internet Telephony: The Internet as The
`Competitor to The Pots Network", Sears, Andrew, Innova(cid:173)
`tions in Internet Telephony: The Internet as the Successor to
`the Pots Network, Feb. 28, 1996, pp. 1-6.
`"Computer Telephony And The Internet", Stylus Innovation,
`http://www.stylus.com/hvml.htm.
`
`Primary Examiner-Huy D. Vu
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McDermott, Will & Emery
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`4,313,035
`4,611,094
`4,611,096
`4,734,931
`4,788,718
`4,897,874
`4,899,373
`5,185,860
`5,195,086
`5,206,901
`5,247,571
`5,260,986
`5,272,749
`5,347,633
`5,361,256
`
`1/1982 Jordan et al. .
`9/1986 Asmuth et al..
`9/1986 Asmuth et al..
`3/1988 Bourg et al..
`11/1988 McNabb et al..
`1/1990 Lidinsky et al. .
`2/1990 Lee et al..
`2/1993 Wu.
`3/1993 Baumgartner et al. .
`4/1993 Harlow et al..
`9/1993 Kay et al..
`11/1993 Pershan .
`12/1993 Masek.
`9/1994 Ashfield et al. .
`11/1994 Doeringer et al. .
`
`(List continued on next page.)
`
`OIBER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Yang, "INETPhone: Telephone Services and Servers on
`Internet," RFC 1789, pp. 1-6, Apr. 1995.
`CT and the 'Net, "Supercharging the Web with Computer
`Telephony", Mar. 1996.
`
`An enhanced name translation server, for use on a packet
`data network such as the Internet, executes a conditional
`analysis in response to at least some queries or requests for
`name translations. For example, the server may return a
`different destination address at different times or in response
`to translation requests from different terminals. The server
`also can query a primary destination terminal device, and
`condition the response to the calling terminal on the status
`of the primary terminal. For example, if the primary terminal
`is 'live' the server forwards the address of that terminal to
`the calling terminal device to set up communications.
`Otherwise, the server returns alternate destination address
`information. The server also supports a wide variety of
`different types of translations, including domain name to
`address, domain name to telephone number, and telephone
`number to address. The enhanced translations offer called
`customers numerous options for controlling communica(cid:173)
`tions directed toward them, and the customers may elect to
`apply these options both to their data communications
`services and their voice communications services through
`the packet data network.
`
`37 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
`
`33
`
`INTERNET
`ACCESS
`SERVFR
`
`21
`
`•
`
`INTFRNET
`ACCESS
`r23 ~ SE!lVEH
`
`A
`"'L1;~1___J
`)l
`
`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 1 of 17
`
`

`

`6,104,711
`Page 2
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`6/1995 Britton et al. .
`5,425,028
`5,475,748 12/1995 Jones .
`5,479,494 12/1995 Clitherow .
`5,487,111
`1/1996 Slusky .
`5,506,887
`4/1996 Emery et al. .
`5,526,489
`6/1996 Nilakatan et al. .
`5,575,961 11/1996 Smyk .
`
`5,608,786
`5,625,675
`5,724,355
`5,726,984
`5,742,668
`5,812,795
`5,858,052
`5,867,495
`5,953,322
`
`3/1997 Gordon .
`4/1997 Katsumary et al. .
`3/1998 Bruno et al. .
`3/1998 Kubler et al. .
`4/1998 Pepe et al. .
`8/1998 Horovitz et al. ........................ 709/245
`9/1999 Bellovin et al. ........................ 709/245
`2/1999 Elliott et al. .
`9/1999 Kimball
`.................................. 370/356
`
`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 2 of 17
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`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 3 of 17
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 15, 2000
`
`Sheet 2 of 5
`
`6,104,711
`
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`OPERATING SYSTEM
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`
`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 4 of 17
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 15, 2000
`
`Sheet 3 of 5
`
`6,104,711
`
`Si RECEIVE DN
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`
`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 5 of 17
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 15, 2000
`
`Sheet 4 of 5
`
`6,104,711
`
`Figure 4
`
`Sl RECEIVE DN
`TRANSL. QUERY
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`
`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 6 of 17
`
`

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`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 7 of 17
`
`

`

`6,104,711
`
`1
`ENHANCED INTERNET DOMAIN NAME
`SERVER
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`Th~s invention relates to enhancements of the processing
`funct10ns performed by a domain name server in association
`with t~anslation of textual names into routing addresses, for
`establishing communications via a public packet data
`network, such as the Internet.
`
`BACKGROUND ART
`
`ft..ttention recently has been directed to implementing a
`vanety of communication services, including voice tele(cid:173)
`phone service, over the worldwide packet data network now
`commonly known as the Internet. The Internet had its
`genesis in U.S. Government programs funded by the
`Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). That research
`made possible national internetworked data communication
`systems. This work resulted in the development of network
`standards as well as a set of conventions, known as
`protocols, for interconnecting data networks and routing
`information across the networks. These protocols are com(cid:173)
`monly referred to as TCP/IP. The TCP/IP protocols were
`originally developed for use only through ARPANET but
`have subsequently become widely used in the industry.
`TCP /IP is flexible and robust. TCP takes care of the integrity,
`and IP moves the data.
`Internet provides two broad types of services: connec(cid:173)
`tionl_ess packet delivery service and reliable stream transport
`service. The Internet basically comprises several large com(cid:173)
`puter networks joined together over high-speed data links
`ranging from ISDN to Tl, T3, FDDI, SO NET, SMDS, ATM,
`OTl, etc. The most prominent of these national nets are
`MILNET (Military Network), NSFNET (National Science
`Foundation NETwork), and CREN (Corporation for
`Research and Educational Networking). In 1995, the Gov(cid:173)
`ernment Accounting Office (GAO) reported that the Internet
`linked 59,000 networks, 2.2 million computers and 15
`million users in 92 countries. However, since then it is
`estimated that the number of Internet users continues to
`double approximately annually.
`In simplified fashion the Internet may be viewed as a
`se:ies of packet data switches or 'routers' connected together
`with computers connected to the routers. The Information
`Providers (IPs) constitute the end systems which collect and
`market the information through their own servers. Access
`providers are companies such as UUNET, PSI, MCI and
`SPRINT which transport the information. Such companies
`market the usage of their networks.
`FIG. 5 shows a simplified diagram of the Internet and
`various types of systems typically connected thereto. Gen(cid:173)
`erally speaking the Internet consists of Autonomous Systems
`(AS) type packet data networks which may be owned and
`operated by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as PSI,
`UUNET, MCI, SPRINT, etc. Three such AS/ISPs appear in
`FIG.? at 310,312 and 314. The Autonomous Systems (ASs)
`are lmked by Inter-AS Connections 311, 313 and 315.
`Information Providers (IPs) 316 and 318, such as America
`Online (AOL) and Compuserve, connect to the Internet via 60
`high speed lines 320 and 322, such as Tl/T3 and the like.
`Information Providers generally do not have their own
`Internet based Autonomous Systems but have or use Dial(cid:173)
`Up Networks such as SprintNet (X.25), DATAPAC and
`TYMNET.
`By way of current illustration, MCI is both an ISP and an
`IP, SPRINT is an ISP, and the MicroSoft Network (MSN) is
`
`2
`an IP using UUNET as an ISP. Other information providers
`such as universities, are indicated in exemplary fashion at
`324 and are connected to the AS/ISPs via the same type
`connections here illustrated as Tl lines 326. Corporate Local
`5 Area Networks (LANs), such as those illustrated in 328 and
`330, are connected through routers 332 and 334 and high
`speed data links such as Tl lines 336 and 338. Laptop
`computers 340 and 342 are representative of computers
`connected to the Internet via the public switched telephone
`10 network (PSTN) and are shown connected to the AS/ISPs
`via dial up links 344 and 346.
`In the addressing scheme of the Internet, an address
`comprises four numbers separated by dots. This is called the
`Internet Protocol address, or IP address. An example of an
`15 IP address would be 164.109.211.237. Each machine on the
`Internet has a unique number assigned to it which constitutes
`one of these four numbers. In the IP address, the leftmost
`number has the greatest weight. By analogy this would
`correspond to the ZIP code in a mailing address. At times the
`20 first two numbers constitute this portion of the address
`indicating a network or a locale. That network is connected
`to the last router in the transport path. In differentiating
`between two computers in the same destination network
`only the last number field changes. In such an example the
`25 next number field 211 identifies the destination router.
`When a packet bearing a destination address leaves the
`source router, the router examines the first two numbers in
`a matrix table to determine how many hops are the minimum
`to get to the destination. It then sends the packet to the next
`30 router as determined from that table, and the procedure is
`repeated. Each router has a database table that finds the
`information automatically. This continues until the packet
`arrives at the destination computer. The separate packets that
`constitute a message may not travel the same path depending
`35 on traffic load. However, they all reach the same destination
`and are assembled in their original order in a connectionless
`fashion. This is in contrast to connection oriented routing
`modes, such as frame relay and ATM or voice.
`It would be difficult for most people to remember the four
`40 separa!e. numbers (so~etimes having ten or more digits)
`compnsmg each numenc IP address. In addition numeric IP
`addresses occasionally change, making it even more of a
`problem for people to keep track of them. The Domain
`Name System (DNS) was developed to provide some relief
`45 from these problems. In the DNS system words, which are
`more easily remembered, are used instead of numbers.
`An example of a textual Domain Name is
`Evoi_t@HUT.MB.COM. Each of the names separated by a
`dot is called a domain. The significance of each of the
`50 domains is the reverse of that of the numeric IP address. In
`the numeric IP address, the most significant numbers were
`on the left and the least significant on the right. The textual
`Domain Name System begins with the least significant on
`the left and proceeds to the most significant on the right.
`The top-level domains, those of the most general
`significance, are as follows:
`1. COM A commercial operation
`2. EDU A university, college or other educational insti(cid:173)
`tution
`3. GOV A government organization
`4. MIL A military site
`5. ORG Any organization that does not fit into any of the
`preceding
`6. NET A network
`There are now two-letter domains, each denoting a dif(cid:173)
`ferent country, which are atop the above original domain
`
`55
`
`65
`
`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 8 of 17
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`

`

`6,104,711
`
`4
`work for providing an Area Wide Centrex service, for
`example, was disclosed and described in detail in commonly
`assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,571 to Kay et al., the disclosure
`of which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
`As shown by the art discussed above, the Internet and the
`AIN have remained separate, independent areas of technical
`development. Many telephone service subscribers are accus(cid:173)
`tomed to enhanced telephone features, such as those pro(cid:173)
`vided by AIN processing. However, the wide range of
`10 conditional routing options offered by AIN type processing
`have simply not been available on the Internet. For example,
`the address processing provided by the domain name servers
`and the registration servers used to exchange addresses for
`voice communication have not permitted alternate treat-
`15 ments for different times, different calling parties, different
`destinations of roaming subscribers, etc.
`As use of the Internet expands, particularly for transport
`of voice telephone communications, a need exists for
`enhanced address management that will facilitate advanced
`20 routing features through the public packet data network to
`offer customers using that network service features similar
`to those commonly available via the AIN and other
`advanced telephone networks.
`
`3
`names. An address ending in "COM.AU," for example,
`would be a commercial operation in Australia. Over a
`hundred different countries are now connected to the Inter-
`net so the list of two-letter country codes is long and getting
`longer. Computers associated with the Internet called 5
`domain name servers convert textual domain names into
`numeric IP addresses.
`The domain name processing by the domain name servers
`has always involved only a straight translation from the
`domain name to a single IP address. The domain name
`servers have not offered any type of customized processing
`or control to meet individual needs of parties identified by
`domain name addresses.
`Recently, one or more companies have developed soft(cid:173)
`ware for use on personal computers to permit two-way
`transfer of real-time voice information via an Internet data
`link between two personal computers. In one of the
`directions, the sending computer converts voice signals from
`analog to digital format. The software facilitates data com(cid:173)
`pression down to a rate compatible with modem communi(cid:173)
`cation via a POTS telephone line, in some cases as low as
`2.4 kbits/s. The software also facilitates encapsulation of the
`digitized and compressed voice data into the TCP/IP
`protocol, with appropriate addressing to permit communi(cid:173)
`cation via the Internet. At the receiving end, the computer 25
`and software reverse the process to recover the analog voice
`information for presentation to the other party. Such pro(cid:173)
`grams permit telephone-like communication between Inter(cid:173)
`net users registered with Internet Phone Servers.
`Such programs have relied on servers coupled to the
`Internet to establish voice communication links through the
`networks. Each person active on the network, who is willing
`to accept a voice call, must register with a server. A calling
`party can call only those persons registered on the voice
`communication server. Also, the address management pro- 35
`vided by these servers, like that provided by the domain
`name servers, has not permitted any individualized control
`of routing. For example, a user could register only one
`current address and must reregister each time the user comes
`on-line with a new address. The registration server provides 40
`no automatic selection of alternate destinations.
`Concurrent with recent developments in public packet
`data communications such as the Internet, outlined above,
`the telephone industry has been developing an enhanced
`telephone network, sometimes referred to as an Advanced 45
`Intelligent Network (AIN), for providing a wide array of
`new voice grade telephone service features. In an AIN type
`system, local and/or toll offices of the public telephone
`network detect one of a number of call processing events
`identified as AIN "triggers". For ordinary telephone service 50
`calls, there would be no event to trigger AIN processing; and
`the local and toll office switches would function normally
`and process such calls without referring to the central
`database for instructions. An office which detects a trigger
`will suspend call processing, compile a call data message 55
`and forward that message via a common channel interoffice
`signaling (CCIS) link to a database system, such as an
`Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP) which includes a
`Multi-Services Application Platform (MSAP) database. If
`needed, the ISCP can instruct the central office to obtain and 60
`forward additional information. Once sufficient information
`about the call has reached the ISCP, the ISCP accesses its
`stored data tables in the MSAP database to translate the
`received message data into a call control message and
`returns the call control message to the office of the network 65
`via CCIS link. The network offices then use the call control
`message to complete the particular call. An AIN type net-
`
`DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention addresses the above stated needs by
`providing enhancements to the address processing of a
`domain name server or the like.
`One objective is to provide a name or address server for
`30 translating textual domain names into telephone numbers.
`Another objective is to provide a name or address server
`for conditioning name-to-address processing on certain
`parameters relating to a request for translation, such as the
`time of the request, the party or terminal making the request,
`the status of one or more potential destination terminals, etc.
`Another object relates to providing different addresses in
`response to a request for translation of one name, for
`example where conditions surrounding a request for trans(cid:173)
`lation differ.
`The present invention relates to an enhanced server for
`translation of names or the like into address information,
`networks or systems utilizing such a server and methods of
`translating names or the like into address information, to
`provide customers a wide range of sophisticated routing
`options through a public packet data network, such as the
`Internet.
`In one aspect, the present invention relates to a name
`server, comprising an interface, a central processing unit and
`a data storage system. The interface couples the name server
`to a system of interlinked packet data networks using packet
`addresses defined in a first protocol. The name server also
`includes software running on the central processing unit.
`Under control of the software, the server processes a query
`for translation of a name specified in a second protocol, for
`example a textual domain name. In response to the query, the
`server generates a reply message for transmission via the
`interface. The software controls the computer to include a
`first destination address conforming to the first protocol in
`the reply message, if parameters relating to the query satisfy
`a first criteria defined in a routing control record stored in the
`data storage system. The software controls the computer to
`include information relating to a second destination in the
`reply message if parameters relating to the query satisfy a
`second criteria defined in the routing control record.
`Effectively, each device that queries the name server
`receives back one set of address information in response to
`
`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 9 of 17
`
`

`

`6,104,711
`
`6
`name server performs an expanded variety of translations.
`Thus, some translations by the server translate a textual
`domain name into a numeric IP address, but the server will
`also translate telephone numbers into IP addresses and/or
`5 domain names into telephone numbers (alone or in combi(cid:173)
`nation with an IP address).
`Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the
`invention will be set forth in part in the description which
`follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in
`10 the art upon examination of the following or may be learned
`by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of
`the invention may be realized and attained by means of the
`instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out
`in the appended claims.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of an Internet system with
`both data and telephone communication capabilities relying
`on the enhanced name processing in accord with the present
`invention.
`FIG. 2 provides a simplified functional illustration of
`certain software elements of a domain name server system,
`useful in explaining the enhanced name processing of the
`present invention.
`FIG. 3 is a simplified process flow diagram illustrating the
`steps for implementing a first selective routing service as
`part of the domain name processing in accord with a
`preferred embodiment of the present invention.
`FIG. 4 is a simplified process flow diagram illustrating the
`conditional processing steps of a second selective routing
`service implemented via the present invention.
`FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the Internet.
`
`5
`each query, and each calling device uses that information to
`establish communication through the network. The provi(cid:173)
`sion of different address information under different condi(cid:173)
`tions in response to name translation requests permits selec(cid:173)
`tive routing of communications through the network to
`different destinations. The called party can subscribe to a
`selective routing service, and the selective routing service is
`customized to meet the subscriber's individual routing needs
`by customizing the routing control record that controls the
`conditional analyses responsive to translation requests relat(cid:173)
`ing to that customer's name.
`In the preferred embodiment, the interlinked packet data
`networks form a public, packet switched data network, such
`as the Internet; and the first protocol is Internet Protocol (IP).
`The name server is an enhanced implementation of a domain 15
`name server. In such an embodiment, the address for the first
`destination typically is an IP address. However, if the name
`relates to a telephone service customer, the address of the
`first destination may include a telephone number. The
`address information for the second destination may include 20
`an address, such as an IP address; the address information
`may include a telephone number; or the address information
`may include both an address and a telephone number.
`Another aspect of the present invention relates to deter(cid:173)
`mination of the status of a destination terminal. In this 25
`regard, the software of the name server controls the server
`to send a status query via the network to a destination
`terminal device associated with a name included in the query
`for translation. The server computer includes an address of
`the destination terminal device conforming to the first pro- 30
`tocol in a reply to the query for translation, only if the
`computer receives a predetermined reply from the destina(cid:173)
`tion terminal.
`For example, if there is no reply from the terminal within
`some time period or the terminal sends back a reply indi(cid:173)
`cating that the communication should not be completed to
`that terminal, the name server will transmit an appropriate
`message back to the system that initially requested the
`translation. In the preferred embodiments, that message will
`include address information relating to an alternate destina-
`tion.
`The name server in accord with the present invention also
`will process translation requests based at least in part on
`time. In this regard, the software running on the central
`processing unit causes the name server to formulate and
`transmit a reply to a name translation request. Specifically,
`the central processing unit includes an address of a desti(cid:173)
`nation terminal device associated with the name in the reply
`if the name server receives the name translation request
`within a predetermined time window.
`In the preferred embodiment, the domain name server
`transmits different destination address information (IP
`address and/or telephone number) depending on which of
`two or more time windows covers the time of arrival of each
`translation request. In this manner, the customer can have
`the server return different address information at different
`times of the day, week or month. As a result, parties seeking
`to communicate with someone having one name on the
`network, actually receive instructions to communicate with 60
`two or more alternate destinations at different times. For
`example, the communications might go to the customer's
`office during office hours and to the home at other times.
`The present invention relates both to data services and to
`voice telephone services, using the interlinked data networks 65
`to transport digitized voice communications. To support
`enhanced routing on both data and telephone type calls, the
`
`40
`
`35
`
`BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE
`INVENTION
`The present invention utilizes enhanced processing,
`responsive to name translation requests, to provide selective
`routing services through a public packet switched data
`network. The inventive name processing can apply to any
`translation of a name into address or routing information for
`a packet data network, such as name to address translation
`in a telephone service registration server. The preferred
`embodiments, discussed below, relate to domain name pro-
`45 cessing. As such, the selective routing can apply to any
`communications via the network that rely on domain name
`addressing, such as E-mail and web page access through the
`Internet. However, the selective routing is particularly
`advantageous for processing of voice telephone communi-
`50 cations through the packet data network based on domain
`name translations.
`FIG. 1 depicts a public packet data network 31 as a cloud.
`The network utilizes Internet Protocol (IP) based packet
`switching to route data packets between source and desti-
`55 nation nodes coupled to the network. In the preferred
`embodiment, the public packet data network 31 is a wide
`area data network formed of a number of interlinked
`networks, such as the international network now commonly
`referred to as the 'Internet'. The preferred network 31
`comprises a network of interconnected routers and
`networks, such as shown in FIG. 5 and discussed above. A
`variety of computers and servers (not shown for simplicity)
`connect to the network 31, for example for providing web
`site services. Terminal devices communicate with the com-
`puters and servers as well as with each other. For simplicity,
`FIG. 1 shows for personal computer (PC) type terminal
`devices 21, 29, 35 and 41.
`
`CISCO EXHIBIT 1013
`Page 10 of 17
`
`

`

`6,104,711
`
`7
`Each of the PCs connect to the network 31 through an
`Internet access server 27 or 33. The server 27 or 33 aggre(cid:173)
`gates traffic to and from the associated terminal devices for
`transport over a relatively high-speed link to the packet
`switched data network 31. The Internet access server 27 or 5
`33 provides a compatible interface to the respective PCs
`(modem, ISDN or LAN) and protocol conversion and
`interfacing, as necessary, for two-way data communication
`over the particular high speed link to the packet data
`Internet.
`For example, the server 27 may comprise a modem bank
`coupled to the public switched telephone network (not
`shown) and coupled through a high speed link to an IP router
`within the network 31. In such an implementation, the PCs
`21 and 29 would have analog modems for dial-up commu(cid:173)
`nications with the server 27. For communications with the
`PCs 21, 29, the server would provide point to point protocol
`(PPP).
`As another example, the Internet access server 33 might
`communicate over a lObaseT Ethernet LAN with the PCs
`35, 41. In this example, the PCs 35, 41 would include
`Ethernet LAN type interface cards and would connect
`through appropriate wiring to the Internet access server 33.
`The server 33 would provide two-way protocol conversions,
`as necessary for IP communications over the network 31 and
`would connect via a high speed link to an IP router within
`the network 31. The server 33 might also provide gateway
`and firewall functions, to control outside access to the LAN
`and controlled access from the PCs 35, 41 on the LAN to the
`public network 31.
`The various PCs include processors, memories, various
`disc drives, etc. Each of the PCs also includes a display or
`monitor, a keyboard, and possibly one or more additional
`user input devices (not shown) such as a mouse, joystick or
`track ball. Typically, the software running on the PCs
`includes an operating system, such as Windows '95 and a
`series of compatible applications programs running under
`the operating system. The software implements a graphical
`user interface, including a user interface for communications
`through the public packet data network 31.
`Many of the PCs also have voice communication capa(cid:173)
`bilities. For example, PCs 21 and 35 includes microphones
`23, 37 and speakers 25, 39. These PCs also include analog
`to digital and digital to analog converters, and the CPUs in
`such PCs run software for compression and decompression
`of digitized audio (typically voice) information. The soft(cid:173)
`ware also processes the audio information for transmission
`and reception of the compressed digital information in IP
`packets and using the appropriate protocol for communica- 50
`tion with the respective access server.
`PCs having voice communication capabilities can con(cid:173)
`duct two-way, real-time audio communications with each
`other, in a manner directly analogous to a two-way telephone
`conversation. However, the actual signals exchanged
`between two such terminal devices go through the public
`packet data network 31 and the appropriate access servers
`27, 33. Typically, such communications at least bypass long
`distance interexchange carriers. In the example given above,
`the PC 21 connects to the Internet access server 27 through 60
`a dial-up telephone connection through a local carrier tele(cid:173)
`phone network (not shown). The PC 35 connects to the
`Internet access server 33