VoIP CALL ROUTING

• US 20070121602A1
• Filed: 10/09/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: FANDRIANTO, Jan, SIN, Sam
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

A method of managing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls with an Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange (IP PBX) is provided, including: receiving at an IP PBX device an incoming call directed to a target telephone number, said IP PBX device storing a contact list parameter including one or more rule fields, each rule field including a telephone number identifier and an associated target extension identifier; searching the contact list parameter to identify the telephone number identifier corresponding to the target telephone number; and routing the incoming call to one or more target extensions corresponding to the target extension identifier associated with the identified telephone number identifier.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving at an Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange (IP PBX) device an incoming call directed to a target telephone number, said IP PBX device storing a contact list parameter comprising one or more rule fields, each rule field comprising a telephone number identifier and an associated target extension identifier;

searching the contact list parameter to identify the telephone number identifier corresponding to the target telephone number; and

routing the incoming call to one or more target extensions corresponding to the target extension identifier associated with the identified telephone number identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

wherein the telephone number identifier or the target extension identifier includes a wildcard character.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

wherein the telephone number identifier corresponds to a plurality of telephone numbers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the target extension identifier corresponds to a plurality of extensions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the incoming call comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call; and

the DID number is provided in a SIP header of the SIP INVITE message for the incoming call.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the IP PBX device further stores a hunt groups parameter comprising one or more group fields, each group field comprising a group extension identifier and an associated target extension identifier;

said target extension identifier corresponding to the target telephone number includes a group extension corresponding to a group extension identifier in the hunt groups parameter; and

said routing the incoming call to one or more target extensions corresponding to the target extension identifier associated with the identified telephone number identifier comprises routing the incoming call to one or more target extensions corresponding to the target extension identifier associated with the group extension identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

one or more of the group fields in the hunt groups parameter includes;

the group extension identifier comprising a plurality of phone extensions; and

a hunt rule defining a process for routing the call to the plurality of phone extensions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the hunt rule comprises a hunt algorithm identifier defining an order in which to route the call to the plurality of phone extensions.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the hunt rule comprises a hunt time identifier defining a time period for ringing each of the plurality of phone extensions.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the hunt rule comprises a total time identifier defining a total time period for ringing all of the plurality of phone extensions.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each group field further comprises a group name for display on a target station.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface for receiving Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls;

a memory storing a contact list parameter comprising one or more rule fields, each rule field comprising a telephone number identifier and an associated target extension identifier; and

a control system configured to;

receive an incoming call directed to a target telephone number;

search the contact list parameter to identify the telephone number identifier corresponding to the target telephone number; and

route the incoming call to one or more target extensions corresponding to the target extension identifier associated with the identified telephone number identifier.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

wherein the telephone number identifier or the target extension identifier includes a wildcard character.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

wherein the telephone number identifier corresponds to a plurality of telephone numbers.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the target extension identifier corresponds to a plurality of extensions.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the control system is configured to receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call, wherein the DID number is provided in a SIP header of the SIP INVITE message for the incoming call.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the memory further stores a hunt groups parameter comprising one or more group fields, each group field comprising a group extension identifier and an associated target extension identifier;

said target extension identifier corresponding to the target telephone number includes a group extension corresponding to a group extension identifier in the hunt groups parameter; and

the control system is configured to route the incoming call to one or more target extensions corresponding to the target extension identifier associated with the identified telephone number identifier by routing the incoming call to one or more target extensions corresponding to the target extension identifier associated with the group extension identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

one or more of the group fields in the hunt groups parameter includes;

the group extension identifier comprising a plurality of phone extensions; and

a hunt rule defining a process for routing the call to the plurality of phone extensions.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the hunt rule comprises a hunt algorithm identifier defining an order in which to route the call to the plurality of phone extensions.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the hunt rule comprises a hunt time identifier defining a time period for ringing each of the plurality of phone extensions.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the hunt rule comprises a total time identifier defining a total time period for ringing all of the plurality of phone extensions.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

each group field further comprises a group name for display on a target station.