Methods, systems, and computer program products for establishing VoIP service in a network

• US 20050025136A1
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anschutz, Thomas Arnold, Shrum, Edgar Vaughan Jr., Huslak, Nicholas Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service is established in a network that that includes a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that facilitates differentiated end-to-end data transport between an Application Service Provider (ASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). Application Programming interface (API) calls are used at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user having a user selected bandwidth and/or QoS associated therewith.

Claims

1. A method of establishing voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service in a network that comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that facilitates differentiated end-to-end data transport between an Application Service Provider (ASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), comprising:

using Application Programming interface (API) calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user having a user selected bandwidth and/or QoS associated therewith.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request at the ASP from the user to register for VoIP service before using API calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the CPE comprises a Routing Gateway (RG).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using the API calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user comprises:

using Application Programming Interface (API) calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to obtain a bandwidth range and/or QoS capabilities and/or at least one derived service option from the RAN; and

presenting to the user via the ASP at least one bandwidth/QoS option within the bandwidth range and/or QoS capabilities and/or at least one derived service option received from the RAN.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

obtaining a user selection of one of the at least one bandwidth/QoS option and/or QoS capabilities and/or at least one derived service option at the ASP; and

updating the RAN with a profile of information to provide the selected bandwidth/QoS option and/or QoS capability and/or derived service option for the user'"'"'s VoIP service.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

updating the CPE with the profile of information to provide the selected bandwidth/QoS option and/or QoS capability and/or derived service option for the user'"'"'s VoIP service.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein updating the RAN with the profile comprises:

updating a rate limit and/or QoS associated with a communication queue in the RAN that is used to process VoIP traffic associated with the user'"'"'s VoIP service.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

processing a VoIP call between the user and another user using the profile of information in the RAN and the CPE.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the ASP with the RAN prior to using API calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein authenticating the ASP with the RAN comprises:

sending an establish service session request message from the ASP to the RAN that contains an identification of the ASP and authorization credentials; and

sending an establish service session response message from the RAN to the ASP that contains an authentication result.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the RAN to bill the ASP based on the user selected bandwidth for the VoIP service.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the RAN to bill the ASP based on a facility purchased to connect the ASP to the RAN.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the RAN comprises a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS).

14. A system for establishing voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service in a network, comprising:

a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that facilitates differentiated end-to-end data transport between an Application Service Provider (ASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes Customer Premises Equipment (CPE); and

means for using Application Programming interface (API) calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user having a user selected bandwidth and/or QoS associated therewith.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving a request at the ASP from the user to register for VoIP service before using API calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the CPE comprises a Routing Gateway (RG).

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for using the API calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user comprises:

means for using Application Programming Interface (API) calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to obtain a bandwidth range and/or QoS capabilities and/or at least one derived service option from the RAN; and

means for presenting to the user via the ASP at least one bandwidth/QoS option within the bandwidth range and/or QoS capabilities and/or at least one derived service option received from the RAN.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for obtaining a user selection of one of the at least one bandwidth/QoS option and/or QoS capabilities and/or at least one derived service option at the ASP; and

means for updating the RAN with a profile of information to provide the selected bandwidth/QoS option and/or QoS capability and/or derived service option for the user'"'"'s VoIP service.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for updating the CPE with the profile of information to provide the selected bandwidth/QoS option and/or QoS capability and/or derived service option for the user'"'"'s VoIP service.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for updating the RAN with the profile comprises:

means for updating a rate limit and/or QoS associated with a communication queue in the RAN that is used to process VoIP traffic associated with the user'"'"'s VoIP service.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for processing a VoIP call between the user and another user using the profile of information in the RAN and the CPE.

22. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for authenticating the ASP with the RAN prior to using API calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for authenticating the ASP with the RAN comprises:

means for sending an establish service session request message from the ASP to the RAN that contains an identification of the ASP and authorization credentials; and

means for sending an establish service session response message from the RAN to the ASP that contains an authentication result.

24. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for billing the ASP based on the user selected bandwidth for the VoIP service.

25. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for billing the ASP based on a facility purchased to connect the ASP to the RAN.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the RAN comprises a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS).

27. A computer program product for establishing voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service in a network that comprises a Regional/Access Network (RAN) that facilitates differentiated end-to-end data transport between an Application Service Provider (ASP) and a Customer Premises Network (CPN) that includes Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to use Application Programming interface (API) calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user having a user selected bandwidth and/or QoS associated therewith.

28. The computer product of claim 27, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to receive a request at the ASP from the user to register for VoIP service before using API calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the CPE comprises a Routing Gateway (RG).

30. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the computer readable program code configured to use the API calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user comprises:

computer readable program code configured to use Application Programming Interface (API) calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to obtain a bandwidth range and/or QoS capabilities and/or at least one derived service option from the RAN; and

computer readable program code configured to present to the user via the ASP at least one bandwidth/QoS option within the bandwidth range and/or QoS capabilities and/or at least one derived service option received from the RAN.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to obtain a user selection of one of the at least one bandwidth/QoS option and/or QoS capabilities and/or at least one derived service option at the ASP; and

computer readable program code configured to update the RAN with a profile of information to provide the selected bandwidth/QoS option and/or QoS capability and/or derived service option for the user'"'"'s VoIP service.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to update the CPE with the profile of information to provide the selected bandwidth/QoS option and/or QoS capability and/or derived service option for the user'"'"'s VoIP service.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the computer readable program code configured to update the RAN with the profile comprises:

computer readable program code configured to update a rate limit and/or QoS associated with a communication queue in the RAN that is used to process VoIP traffic associated with the user'"'"'s VoIP service.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to process a VoIP call between the user and another user using the profile of information in the RAN and the CPE.

35. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to authenticate the ASP with the RAN prior to using API calls at the ASP to communicate with the RAN to establish VoIP service for the user.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the computer readable program code configured to authenticate the ASP with the RAN comprises:

computer readable program code configured to send an establish service session request message from the ASP to the RAN that contains an identification of the ASP and authorization credentials; and

computer readable program code configured to send an establish service session response message from the RAN to the ASP that contains an authentication result.

37. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to bill the ASP based on the user selected bandwidth for the VoIP service.

38. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to bill the ASP based on a facility purchased to connect the ASP to the RAN.

39. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the RAN comprises a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS).