System and method for a gatekeeper in a communications network

• US 20070104186A1
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kramer, Reto, Langen, Anno, Gronberg, Thomas, Bhatia, Dhiraj
• Application Number:
  US11/384,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20070104186A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• 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 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for managing services in a communications network. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to manage services provided by third party service providers, for example, to callers establishing communications sessions in a network. The ability of embodiments to control access to, and manage, third party services associated with communications sessions can enable embodiments to provide improved security and enhanced features to callers.

Claims

1. A method for managing services in a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving, from an incoming caller, a request to access at least one service in association with a communications session, the at least one service being provided by a third party;

determining whether the caller is permitted to access the at least one service; and

whether the third party that provides the at least one service is permitted to provide the service to the caller in association with the communications session; and

managing the at least one communications session and managing the service associated with the at least one communications session, thereby enabling the caller to access the at least one service provided by the third party in association with the communications session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from an incoming caller, a request to access at least one service in association with a communications session, the at least one service being provided by a third party comprises:

receiving a web services request to access a service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a web services request to access a service comprises:

receiving a request via at least one of IMS (IP multi-media subsystem), SMSCs (short-message-service-center), MMSCs (multi-media messaging service center) and a telephone switch.

4. The method of claim 1, determining whether the caller is permitted to access the at least one service;

and whether the third party that provides the at least one service is permitted to provide the service to the caller in association with the communications session comprises;

determining whether the caller is permitted to access the at least one service under a service level agreement.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether the caller is permitted to access the at least one service under a service level agreement comprises:

checking a service policy implementing the service level agreement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the at least one communications session using a network tier and manage the service associated with the at least one communications session, thereby enabling the caller to access the at least one service provided by the third party in association with the communications session comprises:

determining a charge to the caller for using the service in association with the at least one communications session.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a charge to the caller for using the service in association with the at least one communications session comprises:

determining an allocation of charges to be apportioned to the third party providing the service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a third party service, a request to initiate a communications session with a caller.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving, from a third party service, a request to initiate a communications session with a caller comprises:

receiving, from a third party service, a request to initiate a communications session with a caller, the request comprising at least one of;

Short Message Peer-to-Peer protocol (SMPP), Password Authentication Protocol (PAP), Multimedia Messaging Services (MM7) protocol and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP).

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the service is permitted to establish communications with the caller; and

providing a location of the caller to the third party service when the service is permitted to establish communications with the caller.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the at least one communications session and managing the service associated with the at least one communications session, comprises:

managing the at least one communications session using a network tier and managing the service associated with the at least one communications session using an application tier.

12. A system for managing services in a communications network, the system comprising:

a network tier, coupled to a network that receives at least one incoming call from a caller;

wherein the network tier manages at least one communications session established for the at least one incoming call;

an application tier, coupled to at least one third party that provides at least one service to the at least one communications session in the network tier; and

a gatekeeper, coupled to the network tier and the application tier, wherein the at gatekeeper determines whether the call is permitted to access the at least one service; and

whether the third party that provides the at least one service is permitted to provide the service to the call in association with the communications session; and

wherein the gatekeeper manages the at least one communications session using the network tier and manage the service associated with the at least one communications session using the application tier, thereby enabling the caller to access the at least one service provided by the third party in association with the communications session.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network tier, coupled to the network that receives at least one incoming call from a caller, receives a web services request to access a service.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the web services request to access a service further comprises:

a request made via at least one of IMS (IP multi-media subsystem), SMSCs (short-message-service-center), MMSCs (multi-media messaging service center) and a telephone switch.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the gatekeeper that determines whether the call is permitted to access the at least one service;

and whether the third party that provides the at least one service is permitted to provide the service to the call in association with the communications session;

determines whether the caller is permitted to access the at least one service under a service level agreement.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the gatekeeper that determines whether the caller is permitted to access the at least one service under a service level agreement:

checks a service policy implementing the service level agreement.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the gatekeeper that manages the at least one communications session:

determines a charge to the caller for using the service in association with the at least one communications session.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the gatekeeper that determines a charge to the caller for using the service in association with the at least one communications session:

determines an allocation of charges to be apportioned to the third party providing the service.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

the gatekeeper receiving, from a third party service, a request to initiate a communications session with a caller.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the gatekeeper receiving, from a third party service, a request to initiate a communications session with a caller comprises:

the gatekeeper receiving, from a third party service, a request to initiate a communications session with a caller, the request comprising at least one of;

Short Message Peer-to-Peer protocol (SMPP), Password Authentication Protocol (PAP), Multimedia Messaging Services (MM7) protocol and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP).

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

the gatekeeper determining whether the service is permitted to establish communications with the caller.

22. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for managing communications sessions, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving, from an incoming caller, a request to access at least one service in association with a communications session, the at least one service being provided by a third party;

determining whether the caller is permitted to access the at least one service; and

whether the third party that provides the at least one service is permitted to provide the service to the caller in association with the communications session; and

managing the at least one communications session and managing the service associated with the at least one communications session, thereby enabling the caller to access the at least one service provided by the third party in association with the communications session.