High availability VoIP subsystem

• US 20060109783A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intervoice Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intervoice Incorporated
• Inventors: Broughton, Justin, Schoeneberger, Carl, Dimitroff, Michael P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/065 involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/404 Collaboration among agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• 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 high availability VoIP system interfacing with a PSTN or other TDM network to provide higher availability and better failure recovery wherein the high availability VoIP system includes a plurality of gateways coupled to at least one hub and a proxy table and a call restoration table configured in each of the plurality gateways. Further, the present invention is a method of providing a high availability VoIP system wherein the method includes configuring a plurality of gateways between a PSTN and at least one hub of the system, implementing a proxy table and a call restoration table in each of the plurality of gateways, wherein when a call is received by a gateway in the plurality of gateways from the PSTN, the call is divided into a session initiation protocol (SIP) portion and a real time protocol (RTP) portion, and further wherein the SIP portion is sent to a proxy server and the RTP portion is sent to a media server, both being located in the at least one hub and further routed to an endpoint such as a SIP controlled softphone. A further method of the present invention includes routing SIP voice calls through the plurality of gateways using a proxy server priority table.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A method of routing session initiation protocol voice calls through a plurality of gateways using a proxy server priority table having a proxy address for each incoming call, comprising:

a. setting the proxy server priority table to a first level;

b. contacting a designated proxy when a pointer value is assigned to the proxy address, the pointer value corresponding to the designated proxy;

c. contacting a first proxy in the first level;

d. attaching the proxy address through the first proxy in the first level when the first proxy in the first level responds before a first time out value;

e. contacting a second proxy in the first level if the first proxy in the first level does not respond before the first time out value; and

f. setting the proxy server priority table to a second level when the second proxy does not exist in the first level.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33 further comprising attaching the proxy address having the pointer value to the designated proxy when the designated proxy responds before a second time out value.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34 further comprising incrementing the pointer value to the next proxy address in the first level.

36. The method as claimed in claim 33 further comprising incrementing the pointer value to an incremented pointer value when the designated proxy does not respond before the second time out value, wherein the incremented pointer value corresponds to an incremented designated proxy.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36 further comprising contacting the incremented designated proxy, the incremented pointer value corresponding to the incremented designated proxy.

38. A high availability voice over internet protocol system configured to route session initiation protocol voice calls through a plurality of gateways using a proxy server priority table having a proxy address for each incoming call, comprising:

a. means for setting the proxy server priority table to a first level;

b. means for contacting a designated proxy when a pointer value is assigned to the proxy address, the pointer value corresponding to the designated proxy;

c. means for contacting a first proxy in the first level;

d. means for attaching the proxy address through the first proxy in the first level when the first proxy in the first level responds before a first time out value;

e. means for contacting a second proxy in the first level if the first proxy in the first level does not respond before the first time out value; and

f. means for setting the proxy server priority table to a second level when the second proxy does not exist in the first level.

39. The system as claimed in claim 38 further comprising means for attaching the proxy address having the pointer value to the designated proxy when the designated proxy responds before a second time out value.

40. The system as claimed in claim 39 further comprising means for incrementing the pointer value to the next proxy address in the first level.

41. The system as claimed in claim 38 further comprising means for incrementing the pointer value to an incremented pointer value when the designated proxy does not respond before the second time out value, wherein the incremented pointer value corresponds to an incremented designated proxy.

42. The system as claimed in claim 41 further comprising means for contacting the incremented designated proxy, the incremented pointer value corresponding to the incremented designated proxy.