SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ALTERNATE ROUTING IN A NETWORK

• US 20070165607A1
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Brien, James, Mussman, Harry, Baj, Michael, Sporel, Eric, Israel, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• 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: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13138 Least cost routing, LCR
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for performing alternate routing of communications in a network. The system initiates a communication from an origination endpoint in a packet-switched network, such as a VOIP network, to a destination endpoint, and determining, according to selection criteria, whether to route the communication to the destination endpoint using at least a second circuit-switched network, such as the PSTN.

Claims

1. A computerized method for performing alternate routing of communications in a network, the method comprising:

initiating a communication from an origination endpoint in a packet-switched network to a destination endpoint, wherein the origination endpoint and the destination endpoint are located at different sites, and are associated with a private dialing plan (PDP) number identified in the communication;

appending to the PDP number a customer-specific identifier (CSID) that uniquely identifies one of the sites;

determining, according to selection criteria, whether to route the communication to the destination endpoint using at least a second circuit-switched network; and

routing the communication to the destination endpoint via the second circuit-switched network based on the CSID.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a communication comprises initiating a VoIP communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a communication from an origination endpoint in a packet-switched network comprises initiating a communication from an origination endpoint in a VoIP network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a communication to a destination endpoint comprises initiating a communication to a VoIP endpoint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a communication to a destination endpoint comprises initiating a communication to a PSTN endpoint.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises determining according to available bandwidth criteria.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining according to available bandwidth criteria comprises determining whether a number of call counts processed by an enterprise gatekeeper is above a specified threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises determining according to network resource availability criteria.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining according to network resource availability criteria comprises determining according to the availability of a network component.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining according to the availability of a network component comprises determining according to the availability of a network endpoint.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining according to the availability of a network endpoint comprises:

sending, to a gatekeeper, an admission request containing a network address associated with the network endpoint;

wherein the gatekeeper is programmed to determine whether the network address associated with the network endpoint is a member of a set of available network addresses.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining according to the availability of a network component comprises determining according to the availability of a call mediator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining according to the availability of a call mediator comprises:

sending, to a gatekeeper, an admission request containing a network address associated with a network endpoint;

wherein the gatekeeper is programmed to determine whether a call mediator associated with the network address is a member of a set of available call mediators.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein determining according to the availability of a network component comprises determining according to the availability of a gatekeeper.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein determining according to the availability of a network component comprises determining according to the availability of a gateway.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein determining according to the availability of a network component comprises determining according to the availability of a router.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein determining according to network resource availability criteria comprises determining according to the availability of a communication link.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein routing the communication to the destination endpoint using at least a second circuit-switched network comprises routing the communication using the PSTN.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising translating a destination endpoint identification number from a format associated with the packet-switched network into a format associated with the circuit-switched network, wherein translating comprises translating a E.164 direct inward dial (DID) number into a PSTN-routable number.

20. A computerized method for establishing a telephonic call from an origination endpoint to a destination endpoint, the computerized method comprising:

receiving a destination telephone number at a gatekeeper in a packet-switched network, the destination telephone number being in a private dialing plan (PDP) format associated with a site corresponding to the destination endpoint;

determining whether to route the telephonic call using the packet-switched network or a circuit-switched network based on network selection criteria;

appending a site identifier to the PDP number that identifies the site of the destination telephone endpoint; and

based on the site identifier, establishing a connection to the destination endpoint over the circuit-switched network using the destination telephone number.