Intelligent network interface

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for interconnecting disparate communications systems. A call request that originates from a communications network is directed to a network interface. The network interface consequently redirects the call request to a communications entity, such as a radio or a cellular radio system that serves the user associated with the call request. The network interface may support address translation functionality for identifying the communications entity, control conversion functionality for generating control and signaling with the communications entity, transmission content conversion functionality for converting the transmission content during the call, and security functionality for encrypting and decrypting the transmission content. Also, the present invention enables non-networking communications entities to interact with applications that are being executed on another terminal through the network, enables network management systems to manage non-networking communications entities through a network, and enables non-networking communications entities to utilize networking routing services.

I/we claim:  
     
         1 . A method for supporting a call between a first terminal and a second terminal through a network interface, the first terminal associated with a communications network and the second terminal associated with a communications entity, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving from the communications network a signaling message associated with the call;    (b) translating a signaling protocol between the communications network and the communications entity;    (c) determining whether the communications entity can serve the second terminal;    (d) connecting the call between the first terminal and the second terminal through the communications entity; and    (e) converting transmission content of the call between the communications network and the communications entity.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 (f) determining whether a parameter that is contained in the signaling message is consistent with an identification of the communications entity.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 (f) determining whether a parameter that is contained in the signaling message is consistent with an attribute associated with the second terminal.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises the step of: 
 (i) generating a control signal to the communications entity that is compatible with the communications entity.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (f) encrypting transmission content of the call that is sent to the communications network; and    (g) decrypting transmission content of the call that is received from the communications network.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (g) if the parameter is not consistent in response to step (f), proposing an alternative parameter value that is consistent with the attribute; and    (h) sending a second signaling message that contains the alternative parameter value.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communications entity comprises a radio and further comprising the step of: 
 (f) initializing the radio in accordance with radio parameters.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communications entity is selected from the group consisting of a radio, a cellular radio network, a public switching telephone network (PSTN), and a data network.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (f) receiving a second signaling message that requests that the call be disconnected;    (g) disconnecting the call to the communications entity in response to step (f).    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communications network comprises a third generation (3G) network and the communications entity comprises a push-to-talk (PTT) radio.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communications network comprises a third generation (3G) network and the communications entity comprises a pre-3G cellular radio system.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein step (i) comprises the steps of: 
 (1) detecting activity associated with the transmission content during the call; and    (2) generating the control signal in response to step (1).    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission content is selected from the group consisting of a voice over IP (VoIP) format, an analog waveform, a pulse code modulation (PCM) format, a code excited linear predictive (CELP) format, and an adaptive differential pulse code modulation (ADPCM) format.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the call is associated with an application that is executing on the first terminal.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 (f) inserting an identifier in a network protocol message, the identifier corresponding to a quality of service (QoS) level that is supported by the communications network.    
     
     
         16 . A method for supporting a directory service between a first terminal and a directory server through a network by a network interface, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving a request to determine a first network location of a second terminal, the request containing at least one identifying attribute of a user, the user associated with the second terminal;    (b) determining a second network location of the directory server;    (c) translating the request in order to query the directory server;    (d) sending a translated request to the second network location of the directory server, wherein the translated request contains the at least one identifying attribute;    (e) receiving from the directory server a response containing the first network location of the second terminal; and    (f) sending the first network location to the first terminal, wherein the first terminal can call the second terminal at the first network location.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the identifying attribute is selected from the group consisting of an identification of the user and an application that is executing on the second terminal.  
     
     
         18 . A method for a network management system (NMS) managing a communications entity through a network interface, the NMS associated with a communications network, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving, from the NMS through the communications network, a network management request conforming to a network management protocol;    (b) translating the network management request to a translated request that is compatible with the communications entity;    (c) receiving a response that indicates a status of the communications entity;    (d) translating the response to a translated response conforming to the network management protocol; and    (e) sending the translated response to the NMS through the communications network.    
     
     
         19 . A network interface for supporting a call between a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal associated with a communications network and the second terminal associated with a communications entity, the network interface comprising: 
 at least one data port that interfaces to the communications network and to the communications entity; and    a processor communicating through the data port to the communications network and to the communications entity, the processor configured to perform the steps of: 
 (a) receiving from the communications network a signaling message associated with the call;  
 (b) translating a signaling protocol between the communications network and the communications entity;  
 (c) determining whether the communications entity can serve the second terminal;  
 (d) connecting the call between the first terminal and the second terminal through the communications entity; and  
 (e) converting transmission content of the call between the communications network and the communications entity.  
   
     
     
         20 . The network interface of  claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the further step of: 
 (f) determining whether a parameter that is contained in the signaling message is consistent with an identification of the communications entity.    
     
     
         21 . The network interface of  claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the further step of: 
 (f) determining whether a parameter that is contained in the signaling message is consistent with an attribute associated with the second terminal.    
     
     
         22 . The network interface of  claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the further steps of: 
 (f) encrypting transmission content of the call that is sent to the communications network; and    (g) decrypting transmission content of the call that is received from the communications network.    
     
     
         23 . The network interface of  claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the further step of: 
 (f) inserting an identifier in a network protocol message, the identifier corresponding to a quality of service (QoS) level that is supported by the communications network.    
     
     
         24 . A network interface for supporting a directory service between a first terminal and a directory server, the network interface comprising: 
 at least one data port that interfaces to a network and to a communications entity, wherein the first terminal is associated with the communications entity; and    a processor communicating through the data port to the network and to the communications entity, the processor configured to perform the steps of: 
 (a) receiving a request to determine a first network location of a second terminal, the request containing at least one identifying attribute of a user, the user associated with a second terminal, wherein the second terminal is associated with the network;  
 (b) determining a second network location of the directory server;  
 (c) translating the request in order to query the directory server;  
 (d) sending a translated request to the second network location of the directory server, wherein the translated request contains the at least one identifying attribute;  
 (e) receiving from the directory server a response containing the first network location of the second terminal; and  
 (f) sending the first network location to the first terminal, wherein the first terminal can call the second terminal at the first network location.  
   
     
     
         25 . A network interface for supporting a network management system (NMS) to manage a communications entity through a network interface, the NMS associated with a communications network, the network interface comprising: 
 at least one data port that interfaces to the communications network and to the communications entity; and    a processor communicating through the data port to the communications network and to the communications entity, the processor configured to perform the steps of: 
 (a) receiving from the NMS through the communications network a network management request conforming to a network management protocol;  
 (b) translating the network management request to a translated request that is compatible with the communications entity;  
 (c) receiving a response that indicates a status of the communications entity;  
 (d) translating the response to a translated response conforming to the network management protocol; and  
 (e) sending the translated response to the NMS through the communications network.  
   
     
     
         26 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for supporting a call between a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal associated with a communications network and the second terminal associated with a communications entity, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions that perform the steps of: 
 (a) receiving from the communications network a signaling message associated with the call;    (b) translating a signaling protocol between the communications network and the communications entity;    (c) determining whether the communications entity can serve the second terminal;    (d) connecting the call between the first terminal and the second terminal through the communications entity; and    (e) converting transmission content of the call between the communications network and the communications entity.    
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , further comprising instructions that perform the step of: 
 (f) determining whether a parameter that is contained in the signaling message is consistent with an identification of the communications entity.    
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , further comprising instructions that perform the step of: 
 (f) determining whether a parameter that is contained in the signaling message is consistent with an attribute associated with the second terminal.    
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , further comprising instructions that perform the steps of: 
 (f) encrypting transmission content of the call that is sent to the communications network; and    (g) decrypting transmission content of the call that is received from the communications network.    
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , further comprising instructions that perform the step of: 
 (f) inserting an identifier in a network protocol message, the identifier corresponding to a quality of service (QoS) level that is supported by the communications network.    
     
     
         31 . A network interface between a first terminal and one of a push-to-talk (PTT) radio network and a cellular radio network, comprising: 
 a proxy interface that interfaces to a communications network that serves the first terminal;    a PTT radio interface that connects to the PTT radio network;    a cellular radio interface that connects to the cellular radio network; and    a processor programmed with instructions that perform the steps of: 
 (a) determining whether a call request received from the first terminal through the communications network is intended for the PTT radio network or the cellular radio network, the call request associated with a call to a second terminal, wherein the second terminal is served by either the PTT radio network or the cellular radio network;  
 (b) verifying that an attribute associated with the second terminal is consistent with the call request;  
 (c) translating a signaling protocol between the communications network to either the PTT radio network or the cellular radio network in order to support the call;  
 (d) completing a call connection between the first terminal and the second terminal in order to support communications between the terminals; and  
 (e) converting transmission content of the call during the call between the first terminal and the second terminal.