System and method for providing carrier-independent VoIP communication

• US 10,097,695 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sangoma US, Inc. (Sangoma Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fonality Incorporated (NetFortris, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lyman, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivas, Salvador E
• Application Number:
  US12/228,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20090080411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,711 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/33 containing protocol addresses or telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/288 taking into account the usage mode, e.g. hands-free, data transmission, telephone

Abstract

Systems and methods for seamlessly providing carrier-independent VoIP calls initiated using an existing carrier-issued telephone number are provided. In exemplary embodiments, the existing carrier-issued telephone number to be called is received. Subsequently, a status regarding if the existing carrier-issued telephone number is a registered telephone number stored in a carrier-independent database is determined. If the existing carrier-issued telephone number comprises a registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, a call is established via peer-to-peer connection using an address associated with the registered telephone number. However, if the existing carrier-issued telephone number is not a registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, the call is placed via a standard route.

Claims

1. A method for seamlessly providing a carrier-independent peer-to-peer VoIP call, the method comprising:

receiving an existing carrier-issued telephone number to be called;

determining whether the existing carrier-issued telephone number corresponds to a registered telephone number stored in a carrier-independent database;

based on the existing carrier-issued telephone number corresponding to the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database;

placing a call via a carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection using a first address associated with the registered telephone number, wherein the first address is a dynamic address;

determining a second address for the registered telephone number during the call based on the dynamic address changing from the first address to the second address during the call;

continuing the call, while keeping the call active, using the second address based on the dynamic address changing from the first address to the second address during the call; and

based on a quality of the carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection not being acceptable during the call based on a user-specific set of specifications, automatically switching the call from the carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection to a standard route, wherein the user-specific set of specifications includes a sine-wave audio echo analysis and a live MOS score; and

based on the existing carrier-issued telephone number not corresponding to the registered telephone number in the carrier-independent database, placing the call via the standard route.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection to determine if a user specification is acceptable.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the user specification comprises quality for the carrier-independent peer-to-peer connection.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the user specification comprises availability of the carrier-independent service.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the standard route comprises a PSTN connection.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the standard route comprises a third-party VoIP connection.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering the existing carrier-issued telephone number for carrier-independent VoIP calling service.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing a verification process on the existing carrier-issued telephone number.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the verification process comprises requesting a DTMF sequence from a device associated with the existing carrier-issued telephone number.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the verification process comprises a re-verification of the registered telephone number.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if the telephone number comprises a registered telephone number comprises using the existing carrier-issued telephone number as a lookup key in the carrier-independent database.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically falling back to place the call via the standard route occurs during the call.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising rerouting the call to a current dynamic address for the registered telephone number during the call.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring occurs in real-time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein an existing communication identifier of a contactor using a first carrier is resolved to a hostname or address, the contactor contacting a recipient using a second carrier for free over IP.

23. The method of claim 10, further comprising monitoring the peer-to-peer connection to determine if a user specification is acceptable.

24. The method of claim 10, wherein an existing communication identifier of a contactor using a first carrier is resolved to a hostname or address, the contactor contacting a recipient using a second carrier for free over IP.

16. A system for seamlessly providing a carrier-independent peer-to-peer VoIP call, the system comprising:

a carrier-independent database configured to store registered telephone numbers and corresponding addresses;

a routing instruction module configured to determine if an existing carrier-issued telephone number being called is a registered telephone number stored in the carrier-independent database, and configured to provide a corresponding first address if the existing carrier-issued telephone number is registered in the carrier-independent database, wherein the first address is a dynamic address;

a dynamic address engine configured to determine a second address associated with the registered telephone number and provide the second address to the carrier-independent database during the call when the dynamic address changes from the first address to the second address during the call;

a logic configured to continue the call, while keeping the call active, using the second address when the dynamic address changes from the first address to the second address during the call;

a call routing module configured to establish the call via a peer-to-peer connection over a carrier-independent network if the existing carrier-issued telephone number is registered in the carrier-independent database, and configured to establish the call via a standard route if the existing carrier-issued telephone number is not registered in the carrier-independent database; and

a fallback module configured to automatically switch the call from the peer-to-peer connection over the carrier-independent network to the standard connection if the peer-to-peer connection over the carrier-independent network does not meet a quality during the call based on a user-specific set of specifications, wherein the user-specific set of specifications includes a sine-wave audio echo analysis and a live MOS score.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a verification module configured to perform a verification process on a telephone number being registered.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a system monitoring module configured to monitor the peer-to-peer connection to determine if a user specification is acceptable.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the system monitoring module is configured to determine quality and availability of the peer-to-peer connection.

20. The system of claim 16 further comprising an update module configured to provide an updated copy of the carrier-independent database to coupled nodes.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein an existing communication identifier of a contactor using a first carrier is resolved to a hostname or address, the contactor contacting a recipient using a second carrier for free over IP.

22. A method for seamlessly providing a carrier-independent peer-to-peer VoIP call, the method comprising:

receiving an existing carrier-issued telephone number to be called;

determining whether the existing carrier-issued telephone number corresponds to a registered telephone number stored in a carrier-independent database;

returning a status based on the existing carrier-issued telephone number corresponding to the registered telephone number stored in the carrier-independent database, the status triggering a call via a peer-to-peer connection using a first address associated with the registered telephone number based on the existing carrier-issued telephone number corresponding to the registered telephone number stored in the carrier-independent database, wherein the first address is a dynamic address;

determining a second address for the registered telephone number during the call based on the dynamic address changing from the first address to the second address during the call;

continuing the call, while keeping the call active, using the second address when the dynamic address changes from the first address to the second address during the call;

based on a quality of the peer-to-peer connection not being acceptable during the call based on a user-specific set of specifications, automatically switching the call from the peer-to-peer connection to a standard route, wherein the user-specific set of specifications includes a sine-wave audio echo analysis and a live MOS score; and

triggering a call via the standard route based on the existing carrier-issued telephone number not corresponding to the registered telephone number stored in the carrier-independent database.