Routing calls through a network

• US 20040139209A1
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: OʼBrien, James D. Jr., Eichen, Elliot, Mussman, Harry Edward, Goodman, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Routing calls through networks includes a device configured to support a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between call endpoints, and to support a second protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a device configured to support a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between call endpoints, and to support a second protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first protocol comprises a session initiation protocol.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the second protocol comprises a registration, admission, and status protocol.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the communication session is for a call complying with an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the ITU multimedia information protocol comprises an H.323 protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the communication session is for a call complying with a session initiation protocol.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the device is also configured to route a call between endpoints by determining which one of a plurality of gateways should be selected as an endpoint for the call.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the gateways can respond to H.323 calls and session initiation protocol calls on a call by call basis.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the device is configured to route a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call between endpoints.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 in which one of the call endpoints comprises a first endpoint included in a first network and a second one of the call endpoints comprises a second endpoint included in a second network, the device included in a third network and configured to route a call between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

11. A system comprising:

a proxy device configured to route calls using an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol and calls using a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between endpoints using a second protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session and a third protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session.

12. The system of claim 11 in which the first protocol comprises a session initiation protocol.

13. The system of claim 11 in which the second protocol comprises an H.323 protocol.

14. The system of claim 11 in which the third protocol comprises a registration, admission, and status protocol.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising a first endpoint included in a first network and a second endpoint included in a second network, the proxy device included in a third network and configured to route a call between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

16. The system of claim 11 further comprising an ingress proxy configured to use the first protocol and configured to receive a call request and send the call request to the proxy device.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising an egress gatekeeper configured to determine address information for an endpoint and send the address information to the proxy device which can use the address information in routing calls between the endpoints.

18. The system of claim 11 further comprising a gateway configured to be an endpoint and to be responsive to calls using the first protocol and calls using the third protocol.

19. The system of claim 11 in which the proxy device is configured to route a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call between endpoints.

20. A method comprising:

receiving a call setup message from a first call endpoint at a first gatekeeper included in a first network;

forwarding the call setup message from the first gatekeeper to a device included in a second network, the device capable of handling session initiation protocol (SIP) call setup messages and handling registration, admission, and status (RAS) messages;

sending a RAS message from the device to a second gatekeeper included in a third network;

receiving at the device from the second gatekeeper RAS address information for a second call endpoint; and

setting up a call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising setting up an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

22. The method of claim 21 in which the ITU multimedia information protocol comprises an H.323 protocol.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising setting up a SIP call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising setting up the call by forwarding the call setup message from the proxy device to the second call endpoint.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising setting up the call by redirecting the call setup message from the device to first gatekeeper and sending the call setup message from the first gatekeeper to the second call endpoint.

26. The method of claim 20 further comprising enabling communication between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint in a real-time transport protocol (RTP) communication session.

27. The method of claim 20 further comprising sending the call setup message to the first gatekeeper from an endpoint capable of communicating using an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol.

28. The method of claim 20 further comprising sending the call setup message to the first gatekeeper from an endpoint capable of communicating using SIP.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising using a technology prefix to determine the address information for the second call endpoint.

30. An article comprising a machine-readable medium which contains machine-executable instructions, the instructions causing a machine to:

receive a call setup message from a first call endpoint at a first gatekeeper included in a first network;

forward the call setup message from the first gatekeeper to a device included in a second network, the device capable of handling session initiation protocol (SIP) call setup messages and handling registration, admission, and status (RAS) messages;

send a RAS message from the device to a second gatekeeper included in a third network;

receive at the device from the second gatekeeper RAS address information for a second call endpoint; and

set up a call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

31. The article of claim 30 further causing a machine to set up an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

32. The article of claim 31 in which the ITU multimedia information protocol comprises an H.323 protocol.

33. The article of claim 30 further causing a machine to set up a SIP call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

34. The article of claim 30 further causing a machine to enable communication between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint in a real-time transport protocol (RTP) communication session.

35. The article of claim 30 further causing a machine to use a technology prefix to determine the address information for the second call endpoint.

36. An apparatus comprising:

a session initiation protocol (SIP) device configured to use a registration, admission, and status (RAS) protocol in routing a call across multiple protocols and between two endpoints included in two different networks.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 in which the device is also configured to route SIP calls between two endpoints included in two different networks.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 in which the device is included in a network different from the networks including the endpoints.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 in which at least one of the two different networks includes an Internet Protocol network.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 in which at least one of the two different networks includes a public switched telephone network.

41. A system comprising:

a proxy device configured to route calls using an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol and calls using a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between endpoints using a second protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session and a third protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session and configured to redirect call messages; and

a second proxy device configured to receive redirected call messages from the proxy device and to route redirected calls using an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol and calls using a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between endpoints using a second protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session and a third protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session.

42. The system of claim 41 in which the first protocol comprises a session initiation protocol.

43. The system of claim 41 in which the second protocol comprises an H.323 protocol.

44. The system of claim 41 in which the third protocol comprises a registration, admission, and status protocol.

45. The system of claim 41 further comprising a gateway configured to be an endpoint and to be responsive to calls using the first protocol and calls using the third protocol.