Clearinghouse server for internet telephony and multimedia communications

• US 20020112187A1
• Filed: 09/11/2001
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transnexus Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Transnexus Incorporated
• Inventors: Thomas, Stephen Anthony, Isakbayev, Dmitry, Dalton, James PG Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,017,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• 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

Abstract

A clearinghouse server for routing multi-media communications, including telephony calls, between a source device and a destination device via a distributed computer network, such as the global Internet. The clearinghouse server can authorize the completion of a communication from a source device to a destination device and collect usage-related information for the completed communication. In response to an authorization request issued by an enrolled source device, the clearinghouse server can identify one or more available destination devices available to accept a communication from an authorized source device. The clearinghouse server can provide a list of the identified destination devices, typically organized in a rank order, by sending an authorization response to the source device. In turn, the source device can use this list to select a destination device and contact that selected device via the computer network to complete the communication.

Claims

1. A method for authorizing and routing a communication between a source device and a destination device, comprising the steps of:

receiving an authorization request from a source device;

determining if the source device is assigned to a group;

determining a communication route for completing a communication originating at the source device;

identifying one or more destination devices available to complete the communication;

ranking the one or more destination devices available to complete the communication;

generating a list comprising the ranked destination devices;

generating an authorization token and a transaction identifier for each identified destination device; and

forwarding the authorization tokens, transaction identifiers, and list to the source device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying one or more destination devices available to complete the communication further comprises identifying the one or more destination devices based upon a group assignment of the source device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of ranking further comprises ordering the identified destination devices by using a random number scheme.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the random number scheme comprises the steps of:

summing first weight values assigned to the identified destination devices;

assigning a second weight value to each identified destination device;

generating a random number between zero and the sum of the first weight values; and

ordering each identified destination device based upon the proximity of the random number to the second weight value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a call detail record.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of creating a call detail record further comprises the step of storing one of a transaction identifier, the identified destination devices, tokens corresponding to each identified destination device, a source group number assigned to the source device, a destination group number corresponding to each destination device, calling party identity, called number, maximum authorized call length, a time-date stamp, and a server identification number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of extracting communication information from the authorization request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of extracting communication information further comprises the steps of extracting one of a source device identity, dialed number, and call identifier from the authorization request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining if the source device is enrolled with a clearinghouse server.

10. The method of claim 1, where the ordering of destination devices is based first on destination group and second on device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of ranking further comprises ordering the identified destination groups by using a random number scheme.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the random number scheme comprises the steps of:

summing first weight values assigned to the identified destination groups;

assigning a second weight value to each identified destination group;

generating a random number between zero and the sum of the first weight values; and

ordering each identified destination group based upon the proximity of the random number to the second weight value.

13. The method of claim 10 where the number of devices in a destination group identified as destination devices may be truncated.

14. The method of claim 10 where destination devices suggested by the source device can be combined with destination devices identified by the clearinghouse engine.

15. The method of claim 10 where destination devices suggested by the source device are ranked ahead of devices identified by the clearinghouse engine.

16. A computer medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving an enrollment request further comprises the step of receiving a public key from the device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of creating the configuration file further comprises creating the configuration file comprising one of software license keys, cryptographic keys, enable and disable enrollment flags, routing information, call detail record flags, secure socket layer flags, group information, and device information.

23. The method of claim 1 where source devices are assigned to source groups and destination devices are assigned to device groups for the purpose of determining authorization and routing of traffic between source and destination devices.

24. The method of claim 1, for authorizing and routing communication between a source device and destination device enrolled with different clearinghouses, defined be the steps comprising:

assigning a device of an external clearinghouse to a source group and destination groups;

assigning an external clearinghouse server as a source device and a destination device;

determining if the destination group is an external clearinghouse;

sending an authorization request to an external clearinghouse;

obtaining a list of destination devices, authorization tokens and transaction identifiers from an external clearinghouse;

preparing an authorization response with a list destination devices, authorization tokens and transaction identifiers from an external clearinghouse to a source device in an authorization response;

sending an authorization response from an external destination clearinghouse to a source device;

reporting usage indication between clearinghouse devices;

confirming receipt of usage indication between clearinghouse devices.

36. The method of claim 1 where the step to create an authorization token is modified by adding and, or translating information about a destination device before creating the authorization token.

17. A method for enrolling a device for operation with a clearinghouse server, comprising the steps of:

receiving an enrollment request from a device;

creating a public key certificate;

sending the public key certificate to the device;

establishing secure communications with the device based upon the public key certificate;

receiving information from the device;

creating a configuration file comprising weighting factors for balancing communication loads.

20. A method for managing usage information between a clearinghouse server and a source device, comprising the steps of:

extracting communication information from a usage indication message;

determining if source device of the usage indication message is enrolled with the clearinghouse server;

creating a call detail record based on the communication information, the call detail record comprising one of destination group number identifiers used for the communication and a listing of authorized destination devices used during the communication;

storing the call detail record in a database;

creating a usage confirmation message; and

sending the usage confirmation message to the source device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of extracting communication information further comprises the step of obtaining a transaction identifier from the usage indication message.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of extracting communication information further comprises the step of obtaining a call duration value representing a duration of time for the communication completed between the source device and a destination device.

25. The method of claim 24 where an external clearinghouse device may be assigned to a source group or destination group in a clearinghouse server.

26. The method of claim 24 where an external clearinghouse device may be enrolled and assigned as a source device or destination device with a clearinghouse server comprising of the steps:

receiving an enrollment request from a device;

creating a public key certificate;

sending the public key certificate to the device;

establishing secure communications with the device based upon the public key certificate;

receiving information from the device;

creating a configuration file comprising weighting factors for balancing communication loads.

27. The method of claim 24 where a clearinghouse device may send an authorization request to an external clearinghouse requesting identification and authorization to use destination devices.

28. The method of claim 24 where the authorization token from the destination clearinghouse server is packaged in the authorization response from the source clearinghouse server to the source device.

29. The method of claim 24 where the transaction identifier generated from the destination clearinghouse device is combined with the transaction identifier of the source clearinghouse to create a unique transaction identifier including information that identifies both source and destination clearinghouse.

30. The method of claim 24 where the transaction identifier, provided in the usage indication message, can be used to identify if and how the usage indication message should be forwarded to another clearinghouse device.

31. The method of claim 24 where the transaction identifier generated by a destination clearinghouse device can be modified by each successive clearinghouse device to create a unique transaction identifier delivered to the source device that identifies all clearinghouses in the chain of authorization.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of creating a call detail record.

33. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of creating a call detail record further comprises the step of storing the transaction identifier from the destination clearinghouse device, the transaction identifier created by the source clearinghouse engine, the identified destination devices, tokens corresponding to each identified destination device, a source group number assigned to the source device, a destination group number corresponding to each destination device, a number identifying the destination clearinghouse and server, a time-date stamp, and a server identification number of the source clearinghouse.

38. A method of claim 37 where the identity of the source device may be concealed from the destination device by encrypting the authorization token so that it may not be decrypted by the source device.

34. A method by which the called number presented in an authorization request may be translated and returned to a source device packaged in an authorization response.

35. A method to dynamically authorize the maximum call length of each call based on a combination of the identity of the calling party, the source of the call and the destination of the call.

37. The method of authorizing and routing communication from a source device to an intermediate or proxy device in route to the destination device comprised of the following steps:

translating the identity of the destination device to that of an intermediate or proxy device;

generating an authorization token which includes the identity of the destination device;

creating a authorization response that includes the authorization token with the true identity of the destination device.

39. A method to provide a single authorization response to a source device which authorizes the calling party access to the source device and authorizes the source device to access the destination device.

40. A method to provide in a single response message two or more of the following:

calling party authorization, call authorization token, maximum call length, translated called number, destination device identity, translated destination device identity, or transaction identifier.