METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A COMMUNICATION REQUEST FROM A ROAMING VOICE OVER IP TERMINAL

• US 20070286170A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: KHAN, ARSHAD, CHORLEY, WILLIAM R. J., Qiu, Chaoxin Charles
• Granted Patent: US 9,252,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for processing a communication request from a roaming VoIP terminal. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network proxy having a controller that manages a communications interface in a communication system. The controller can be programmed to receive from a Voice over IP (VoIP) terminal a request to communicate with a destination point, wherein the request comprises an identification (ID) of the destination point, an ID of the VoIP terminal, and a media access control (MAC) address of a gateway providing the VoIP terminal communication access to the network proxy, and determine from the MAC address of the gateway and the ID of the VoIP terminal whether the VoIP terminal is roaming outside of a home network. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A network proxy, comprising a controller that manages a communications interface in a communication system, wherein the controller is programmed to:

receive from a Voice over IP (VoIP) terminal a request to communicate with a destination point, wherein the request comprises an identification (ID) of the destination point, an ID of the VoIP terminal, and a media access control (MAC) address of a gateway providing the VoIP terminal communication access to the network proxy; and

determine from the MAC address of the gateway and the ID of the VoIP terminal whether the VoIP terminal is roaming outside of a home network.

2. The network proxy of claim 1, wherein the ID of the VoIP terminal comprises the VoIP terminal'"'"'s MAC address.

3. The network proxy of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to reject the request for communications in response to a determination that the VoIP terminal is roaming outside of its home network.

4. The network proxy of claim 1, wherein the destination point comprises an emergency response center, and wherein the controller is programmed to:

determine a location of the gateway according to its MAC address in response to a determination that the VoIP terminal is roaming outside of its home network; and

establish communications between the VoIP terminal and the emergency response center and supply the emergency response center the location.

5. The network proxy of claim 1, wherein the destination point comprises an emergency response center, and wherein the controller is programmed to:

transmit to the VoIP terminal a location request;

receive a location of the VoIP terminal; and

establish communications between the VoIP terminal and the emergency response center and supply the emergency response center the location.

6. The network proxy of claim 5, wherein the location request is directed to an end user of the VoIP terminal, and wherein the controller is programmed to exchange messages with the end user by way of the VoIP terminal to determine the location of the end user.

7. The network proxy of claim 6, wherein the messages correspond to at least one among voice and Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signals generated by the end user by way of the VoIP terminal.

8. The network proxy of claim 1, wherein the request is transported in a session initiation protocol (SIP), and wherein the destination point comprises a public service access point (PSAP).

9. The network proxy of claim 1, wherein the network proxy comprises an Internet protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), and wherein the gateway comprises a residential gateway.

10. The network proxy of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to establish communications between the VoIP terminal and the destination point and supply the destination point a location of the VoIP terminal determined from the MAC address of the gateway upon determining that the VoIP terminal is communicating from the home network.

11. A computer-readable storage medium in a VoIP terminal, comprising computer instructions for:

requesting from a gateway its media access control (MAC) address; and

transmitting to a network proxy a request to communicate with a destination point, wherein the request comprises the MAC address of the gateway.

12. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions for determining the MAC address according to an address resolution protocol (ARP).

13. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions for formatting the request according to a session initiation protocol (SIP).

14. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the request further comprises the VoIP terminal'"'"'s MAC address.

15. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions for:

detecting a radio frequency identification (RFID) device associated with the gateway;

determining a location of the VoIP terminal from location information received from the RFID; and

transmitting to the network proxy the location of the VoIP terminal for enabling communications between the VoIP terminal and the destination point.

16. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving from the network proxy a location information request;

presenting the location information request to an end user of the VoIP;

receiving a location of the VoIP from the end user; and

transmitting to the network proxy the location of the VoIP terminal for enabling communications between the VoIP terminal and the destination point.

17. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions for:

determining a location of the VoIP terminal; and

transmitting to the network proxy the location of the VoIP terminal for enabling communications between the VoIP terminal and the destination point.

18. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the location is determined from a location determination device of the VoIP terminal.

19. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the gateway comprises a residential gateway.

20. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions for registering at the network proxy the VoIP terminal with the MAC address of the gateway to establish service.

21. A gateway, comprising a controller programmed to:

transmit the gateway'"'"'s MAC address to a VoIP terminal; and

transmit to a network proxy a request received from the VoIP terminal to communicate with a destination point, wherein the request comprises the MAC address of the gateway.

22. The gateway of claim 21, wherein the controller is programmed to transmit to the VoIP terminal a location of the gateway, wherein the request includes the location of the gateway for enabling communications with the destination point.

23. The gateway of claim 21, wherein the gateway comprises a residential gateway.

24. A gateway, comprising a controller programmed to:

detect a request from a VoIP terminal to communicate with a emergency response center; and

transmit to a network proxy the request with a MAC address of the gateway for enabling communications between the VoIP terminal and the emergency response center.

25. The gateway of claim 24, wherein the gateway comprises a residential gateway.