[54] METHOD FOR SWITCHING BETWEEN A DATA COMMUNICATION SESSION AND A VOICE COMMUNICATION SESSION
[75] Inventors: Yuval Shachar. Herzlia; Chaim
Bendelac. Kfar Saba; Reuven Marko,
Natanya. all of Israel
[73] Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif.
[21] Appl. No.: 504,934
[22] Filed: Jul. 20, 1995
[51] Int CI.6 H04M 11/00
[52] U.S. CI 379/93.09; 379/93.23;
395/349
[58] Field of Search 395/762,806,
395/807. 335. 349. 357; 348/13. 14, 17; 379/90. 93. 96. 98, 90.01, 93.01. 93.05-93.07.
93.09, 93.17, 93.23. 93.24
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,688,170 8/1987 Waite et al 379/93
5,309,507 5/1994 Hosakaetal 379/96
5,319,701 6/1994 Hird et al. .
5.325,423 6/1994 Lewis .
5,351,296 9/1994 Sullivan.
5,369,688 11/1994 Tsukamoto et al. .
5,374,952 12/1994 Flohr 348/15
5,428,608 6/1995 Freeman et al 379/90
5,483,352 1/1996 Fukuyama 379/93
Primary Examiner—Curtis Kuntz
Assistant Examiner—Stephen W. Palan
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Limbach & Limbach LLP
[57] ABSTRACT
Techniques are described for switching from a data session to a voice session, then back to the data session. A "primary" data connection is established between a user's terminal and a communications network, which provides the user terminal with a tag identifying a voice network address (typically of a service provider) to which a voice connection can be established. The user initiates a voice connection (session) with the service provider by selecting a displayed service object associated with the service tag. During the voice session, the data session is suspended. Upon completion of the voice session, the "primary" data session is resumed. In an embodiment of the invention, a "secondary" data connection can be established during the voice session using one or more physical network connections. Data communication during the secondary data connection is optionally "remotely" guided by the service provider, and may include a distinct address for resuming the primary data connection. Video connections are accommodated during the voice session.
22 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
