Inter-site call routing and roaming support

• US 20050282543A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Drozt, Peter M., Upp, Steven D., Idnani, Ajaykumar R., Hamlen, Mark D., Miriyala, Srinivas
• Granted Patent: US 7,539,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• 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: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

A method (600,700) and apparatus (800) are arranged and operate for facilitating call routing between sites in an enterprise connected by a private IP network (130). A range of identifiers (220-223) served by IP PBXs (120-123) in the enterprise may be registered with a SIP registrar (212) of an inter-site router (210). Call requests to a communication unit (350) outside the home site are routed to the SIP registrar. A site identifier associated with the destination IP PBX allows the call to be completed by the SIP Proxy or the IP PBX where the call was received. When no private IP network is available, a roaming CU registers with a cellular proxy in the visited network. Calls are routed by when an HLR (340) associated with the CU obtains the roaming number from the cellular proxy (330) in the visited site. The MSC completes the call to the visited IP PBX using the roaming number and a local SIP registrar 440 forwards the call to the CU.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating call routing in an enterprise having a first site capable of connecting to a second site in the enterprise through a network associated with the enterprise, the network operating according to a network protocol, the method comprising:

registering at least a first plurality of identifiers and a first site identifier associated with the first site with a inter-site router operating in accordance with a protocol compatible with the network protocol; and

routing a call request received at the second site to the inter-site router over the network in accordance with the network protocol and the protocol compatible with the network protocol when an identification number associated with the call request is not recognized at the second site such that the inter-site router can forward the call request to the first site using the first site identifier when the identification number associated with the call request matches one of the first plurality of identifiers.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising registering at least a second plurality of identifiers and a second site identifier associated with a second site the second site capable of residing within a second enterprise.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising registering at least a second plurality of identifiers and an enterprise identifier associated with a second enterprise with an inter-domain router, the enterprise and the second enterprise being connected through the network, the inter-domain router capable of being accessed using the network.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the registering the at least a first plurality of identifiers and the first site identifier includes registering a first contact address associated with the first site; and

the first plurality of identifiers is registered with the inter-site router as a range of identifiers associated with the first contact address.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein:

the protocol includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP); and

the first contact address is associated with a device associated with the first site, the device having a SIP Address-of-Record.

6. A method for facilitating inter-site call routing in an enterprise having at least a first site and a second site connected through a network associated with the enterprise, the network operating according to a network protocol, the method comprising:

registering a first plurality of identifiers and a first site identifier associated with the first site and a second plurality of identifiers and a second site identifier associated with the second site with a inter-site router operating in accordance with a protocol compatible with the network protocol; and

routing a call request received at one of the first site and the second site to the inter-site router over the network in accordance with the network protocol and the protocol compatible with the network protocol when an identification number associated with the call request does not match one of the first plurality of identifiers and the second plurality of identifiers associated with the one of the first site and the second site where the call request is received.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein:

the registering the first plurality of identifiers associated with the first site and the second plurality of identifiers associated with the second site includes registering a first contact address associated with the first site and a second contact address associated with the second site; and

the first plurality of identifiers are registered with the inter-site router as a first range of identifiers associated with the first contact address and the second plurality of identifiers are registered with the inter-site router as a second range of identifiers associated with the second contact address.

8. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the network protocol includes an Internet Protocol (IP).

9. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the protocol includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

10. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the protocol includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

11. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein one of the first plurality of identifiers and the second plurality of identifiers includes a range of contact numbers served by a corresponding one of the first site and the second site associated with the one.

12. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the inter-site router includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy server and a SIP registrar.

13. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein one of the first site and the second site includes an Internet Protocol (IP) compliant Private Branch Exchange (PBX).

14. An apparatus for facilitating call routing in an enterprise having a first site capable of connecting to a second site through a network associated with the enterprise, the network operating in accordance with a network protocol, the apparatus comprising:

a first registrar having a first proxy coupled to the network and operating in accordance with a protocol compatible with the network protocol, the first registrar configured to register a plurality of identifiers and a first site identifier associated with the first site in a database associated with the first registrar; and

a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) coupled to the first registrar and the network, the PBX configured to route a call request received at the second site to the first registrar over the network in accordance with the network protocol and the protocol compatible with the network protocol when an identification number associated with the call request is not recognized at the second site, the first proxy configured to determine if the identification number is registered with the first registrar as one of the plurality of identifiers, the first proxy further configured to forward the call request to the first site using the first site identifier when the identification number associated with the call request matches one of the first plurality of identifiers.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a cellular proxy associated with a cellular network, the cellular proxy coupled to the first site and, when the first site and the second site are not capable of being connected through the network, the cellular proxy configured to:

send registration information associated with a dual mode wireless communication unit visiting a location associated with the first site to a Home Location Register (HLR) associated with the dual mode wireless communication unit at the second site; and

send contact information associated with the dual mode communication unit at the first site to the HLR when the HLR requests a roaming contact for the dual mode wireless communication unit associated with a call received for the roaming dual mode communication unit at the second site.

16. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a second registrar coupled to the second site when the first site and the second site are not capable of being connected though the network, the second registrar configured to register the contact information associated with the dual mode communication unit.

17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein second registrar further includes a second proxy configured to complete the call with the dual mode communication unit.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein the protocol includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and the network protocol includes an Internet Protocol (IP).

19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein the cellular network includes one of a Global System Mobile (GSM) cellular network, and a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular network.

20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein the plurality of identifiers includes one or more of a range of enterprise telephone numbers and a range of cellular numbers served by the first site.

21. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein the first registrar includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) registrar and wherein the first proxy includes a SIP proxy server.

22. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein the PBX includes an Internet Protocol (IP) compliant PBX.

23. An apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein the cellular proxy is further configured to exchange a message associated with the cellular network with the proxy coupled to the first registrar and the network, the message associated with providing an arbitrary number selected from a pool of numbers as the roaming contact.

24. An apparatus in accordance with claim 23, wherein the proxy coupled to the first registrar and the network is further configured to determine the contact information associated with the dual mode communication unit when the call received at the second site is for the roaming contact.