System and method for facilitating packetized calls between managed networks

• US 20050063360A1
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lowmaster, Robert Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating packetized calls between managed networks are disclosed. In one embodiment of a system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure, a mediation server may be associated with and maintain an information store holding a first collection of connection information for a first plurality of devices associated with a first managed internet protocol network and a second collection of connection information for a second plurality of devices associated with a second managed internet protocol network. The devices may be capable of receiving voice over internet protocol calls and the connection information for a given device may include a unique address and a call receipt rule. In operation, the mediation server may receive a query seeking appropriate connection information for a called device associated with the first managed internet protocol network. In one embodiment, the server may collect the appropriate connection information from the first collection of connection information and initiate communication of the appropriate connection information to an address associated with the received query.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating calls comprising:

associating an electronic device operable to receive a voice over internet protocol call with connection information, the connection information comprising a unique address and a call receipt rule;

maintaining an information store comprising a first collection of connection information for a first plurality of devices associated with a first managed internet protocol network and a second collection of connection information for a second plurality of devices associated with a second managed internet protocol network, the first plurality of devices comprising the electronic device;

receiving a query seeking appropriate connection information for a called device associated with the first managed internet protocol network; and

collecting the appropriate connection information from the first collection of connection information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the called device is the electronic device; and

initiating communication of the connection information to an address associated with the query, the address indicating an association with the second managed internet protocol network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the appropriate connection information comprises an internet protocol address for the called device and a first call receipt rule selected from the group consisting of an internet protocol header rule, a real time transport protocol/real time control protocol rule, an allowable sample size rule, a network access rule, and a supported coding protocol rule.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicatively coupling the information store to a mediation server; and

logically separating the mediation server from the first managed internet protocol network and the second managed internet protocol network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to modify the first collection of connection information;

receiving credentials from a party making the request; and

allowing the party to modify the first collection of connection information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to modify the first collection of connection information;

receiving credentials from a party making the request;

zoning the information store such that allowing the party access to the first collection of connection information does not automatically allow the party access to the second collection of connection information; and

allowing the party to modify the first collection of connection information.

7. A system for facilitating calls comprising:

a mediation server maintaining an information store;

the information store comprising a first collection of connection information for a first plurality of callable devices associated with a first managed internet protocol network and a second collection of connection information for a second plurality of callable devices associated with a second managed internet protocol network; and

a network interface engine communicatively coupled to the mediation server, the network interface engine operable to receive a query seeking appropriate connection information for a called device.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a retrieval engine associated with the mediation server and operable to collect the appropriate connection information from the first collection of connection information; and

a communication engine operable to initiate communication of the appropriate connection information to an address associated with the query.

9. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

a find engine communicatively coupled to the network interface engine and operable to determine if the called device is associated with the first managed internet protocol network or the second managed internet protocol network;

a retrieval engine associated with the mediation server and operable to collect connection information from the first collection of connection information and the second collection of connection information; and

a communication engine operable to initiate communication of the appropriate connection information to an address associated with the query.

10. The system of claim 7 further comprising an authentication engine having access to the information store, the authentication engine operable to allow a user to modify the first collection of connection information.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the appropriate connection information comprises an internet protocol address for the called device and a first call receipt rule selected from the group consisting of an internet protocol header rule, a real time transport protocol/real time control protocol rule, an allowable sample size rule, a network access rule, and a supported coding protocol rule.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the mediation server is logically separate from the first managed internet protocol network and the second managed internet protocol network.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the network interface engine is not operable to act as a point of interconnection for either signaling or bearer traffic between the first managed internet protocol network and the second managed internet protocol network.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the information store maps a public switched telephone network number to the appropriate connection information.

15. A method for facilitating calls comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a request for a call to a party;

determining that the call will be at least partially transmitted as an internet protocol call;

querying an information store associated with a managed network to identify a set of connection information for a device associated with the called party;

determining that the information store does not comprise the set of connection information; and

querying a mediation server for the set of connection information, the mediation server maintaining a plurality of connection information sets for devices associated with more than one managed network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the managed network is a managed internet protocol network, the call comprises a voice over internet protocol call, and the managed network received the signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the mediation server is logically separated from each of the more than one managed networks.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

presenting a calling party with call options comprising a voice over internet protocol call option and a circuit switched call option; and

receiving the set of connection information from the mediation server.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising routing the call in accordance with the set of connection information in response to receiving the set of connection information from the mediation server.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising routing the call to a media gateway for conversion into a time division multiplexing call in response to determining that the set of connection information is unavailable.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising initiating call completion as a public switched telephone network call.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of connection information comprises an internet protocol address for the device and at least one of an internet protocol header rule, a real time transport protocol/real time control protocol rule, an allowable sample size rule, a network access rule, and a supported coding protocol rule.

23. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable data to maintain an information store comprising a first collection of connection information for a first plurality of devices associated with a first managed internet protocol network and a second collection of connection information for a second plurality of devices associated with a second managed internet protocol network, to receive a query seeking appropriate connection information for a called device associated with the first managed internet protocol network;

to collect the appropriate connection information from the first collection of connection information, and to initiate communication of the appropriate connection information to an address associated with the query.