Peer-to-peer interconnection between service providers

• US 10,270,643 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kemmerer, Jr., Frederick C., Gray-Preston, Carroll L., Fuller, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US15/049,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20160173612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/58 Association of routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• 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: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and systems for peer-to-peer interconnection between service providers are presented. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a session controller, a request for access to a target communication device, the target communication device being communicatively coupled to a foreign service provider network. The method may also include referencing a list of available routes for peer-to-peer communication with the target communication device on the foreign service provider network from a database of available routes. Additionally, the method may include identifying, in a peer-to-peer interconnect controller, a path for communication with the target communication device in response to the list of available routes. In one embodiment, the method also includes establishing a peer-to-peer communication session from a peering point to the target communication device over the path.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a session controller, a request for access to a target communication device, the target communication device being communicatively coupled to a foreign service provider network;

referencing a list of available routes for peer-to-peer communication with the target communication device on the foreign service provider network from a database of available routes;

identifying, in a peer-to-peer interconnect controller separate from the requesting device, a path for communication with the target communication device in response to the list of available routes; and

establishing a peer-to-peer communication session from a peering point associated with and separate from the requesting device to the target communication device, over the path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein referencing the list of available routes does not include a central route lookup function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of available routes is stored, at least in part, in a database of available routes maintained on a home service provider network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an E.164 Number query to identify the foreign service provider network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying a Domain Name System (DNS) server to identify a network address for a peer-to-peer interconnect control node associated with the foreign service provider network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein referencing a list of available routes for peer-to-peer communication with the target communication device and/or identifying the path for communication with the target communication device further comprises querying the peer-to-peer interconnect control node associated with the foreign service provider network to identify routing information for reaching the target communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the routing information comprises a list of available routes stored in a database of available routes maintained on the foreign service provider network.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising rendering a Session Detail Record (SDR) for route use in response to the information for reaching the target communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the peer-to-peer communication session further comprises establishing a signaling session directly between a peering point on the foreign service provider network and the peering point associated with the requesting device on a home service provider network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the peer-to-peer communication session further comprises establishing a media path to the target communication device.

11. A system, comprising:

a session controller node comprising at least one processor and a memory coupled to the processor and storing program instructions that upon execution by the processor cause the session controller node to receive a request for access to a target communication device, the target communication device being communicatively coupled to a foreign service provider network;

a peer-to-peer interconnect controller node, coupled to the session controller node and separate from a requesting device, comprising at least one processor coupled to the processor and a memory storing program instructions that upon execution by the processor cause the peer-to-peer interconnect controller node to;

reference a list of available routes for peer-to-peer communication with the target communication device on the foreign service provider network; and

identify a path for communication with the target communication device in response to the list of available routes; and

a peering point, separate from the requesting device and coupled to the session controller node, comprising at least one processor and a memory coupled to the processor and storing program instructions that upon execution by the processor cause the peering point to establish a peer-to-peer communication session with the target communication device over the path.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein referencing the list of available routes does not include a central route lookup function.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising an available routes database on a home service provider network, the available routes database configured to store at least a part of the list of available routes.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising an E.164 Number database configured to store information for identifying the foreign service provider network.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a Domain Name System (DNS) server configured to identify a network address for a peer-to-peer interconnect control node associated with the foreign service provider network.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a peer-to-peer interconnect control node associated with the foreign service provider network configured to identify routing information for reaching the target communication device.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a database of available routes maintained on the foreign service provider network configured to store the routing information comprising a list of the available routes.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a peer-to-peer interconnect control associated with the foreign service provider network configured to render a Session Detail Record (SDR) for accounting use in response to the information for reaching the target communication device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein establishing the peer-to-peer communication session further comprises establishing a signaling session directly between a peering point on the foreign service provider network and the peering point coupled to the session controller on a home service provider network.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein establishing a peer-to-peer communication session further comprises establishing a media path to the target communication device.

21. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a computer system, causes the computer system to:

receive a request from a requesting communication device separate from the computer system for access to a target communication device, the target communication device being communicatively coupled to a foreign service provider network;

reference a list of available routes for peer-to-peer communication with the target communication device on the foreign service provider network;

identify a path for communication with the target communication device in response to the list of available routes; and

establish a peer-to-peer communication session from a peering point associated with and separate from the requesting device in a home service provider network with the target communication device, over the path.