SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUS TO PRIORITIZE COMMUNICATIONS IN IP MULTIMEDIA SUBSYSTEM NETWORKS

• US 20080019267A1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ku, Bernard, Yasrebi, Mehrad
• Granted Patent: US 8,077,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed to prioritize communications in Internet protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networks. An example method disclosed herein includes receiving a telephone number (TN), locating an ENUM database record for the TN specifying at least one non-IMS destination, receiving a plurality of current call parameters, and accessing a prioritization profile comprising a plurality of selection parameters. The example method further discloses evaluating at least one of the plurality of current call parameters based on the prioritization profile to select at least one of a plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs as a destination for the TN, and routing a communication session between the calling device and the selected URI. The plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs including at least one of an e-mail URI, an instant message URI, a fax URI, or a web URI.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an interactive Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS); and

a processor to;

receive a telephone number (TN) from a calling device;

locate a data record based on the TN, the data record comprising a plurality of non-session initiation protocol (SIP) and non-TN uniform resource identifiers (URIs);

receive a plurality of current call parameters;

access a prioritization profile comprising a plurality of selection parameters;

evaluate at least one of the plurality of current call parameters based on the prioritization profile to select at least one of the plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs as a destination for the TN; and

route a communication session between the calling device and the selected URI.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the non-SIP and non-TN URIs comprise at least one of an e-mail URI, an instant message URI, a fax URI, or a web URI.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a resolver locates the data record based on the TN, the resolver comprising an ENUM query engine to query an ENUM database.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a prioritizer evaluates the at least one of the plurality of current call parameters.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the prioritizer comprises a process designer to at least one of create, delete, or modify the prioritization profile.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the prioritizer comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) to facilitate at least one of prioritization profile design, creation, deletion, or modification.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the prioritizer comprises a memory to store at least one of the prioritization profile, the plurality of current call parameters, or the plurality of selection parameters.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the prioritizer comprises a process executor to execute the prioritization profile.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein prioritization profile execution comprises selecting the one of the plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs.

10. An apparatus comprising:

an interactive Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS); and

an electronic processor to;

locate a data record based on a telephone number (TN); and

execute a prioritization process to route a communication session initiated for the TN to a destination associated with either a non-session initiation protocol (SIP) or a non-TN uniform resource identifier (URI).

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the non-SIP and non-TN URI comprises at least one of an e-mail URI, an instant message URI, a fax URI, or a web URI.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein a memory stores the data record as at least one of an ENUM data record or a naming authority pointer (NAPTR) record.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the electronic processor:

prioritizes the at least one of the non-SIP URI and the non-TN URI; and

selects a one of the at least one of the non-SIP URI or the non-TN URI matching a priority threshold.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the priority threshold comprises at least one of a message urgency, a message cost, a message protocol type, a message service type, a destination device capability, or a time of day.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the prioritization process comprises a predetermined URI priority to select the communication session.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the communication session comprises at least one of e-mail messages, instant messaging, fax messages, or web page communication.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) to enable prioritization process design.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein a caller designs the prioritization process via the GUI.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a telephone number (TN);

locating an ENUM database record for the TN specifying at least one non-Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) destination;

receiving a plurality of current call parameters;

accessing a prioritization profile comprising a plurality of selection parameters;

evaluating at least one of the plurality of current call parameters based on the prioritization profile to select at least one of a plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs as a destination for the TN; and

routing a communication session between the calling device and the selected URI.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs comprise at least one of an e-mail URI, an instant message URI, a fax URI, or a web URI.

21. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the plurality of selection parameters in the prioritization profile prioritizes the plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs based on at least one of a communication session cost, a time of day, a destination device capability, a callee group, a communication session urgency, or a communication session service type.

22. A method as defined in claim 21, wherein prioritization based on the destination device capability further comprises:

receiving a failure notice for a first communication session attempt; and

initiating a second communication session attempt with an alternate non-IMS destination.

23. A method as defined in claim 19, further comprising initiating a second communication session attempt with an alternate non-IMS destination when a response to a first communication session attempt is at least one of success, failure, or undetermined.

24. A method as defined in claim 21, wherein prioritization based on the communication session cost further comprises:

determining the cost of a plurality of communication sessions;

ranking the plurality of communication sessions based on the cost; and

selecting at least one of the plurality of communication sessions based on a cost threshold.

25. A method as defined in claim 21, wherein the communication session service type is at least one of e-mail, voice-mail, instant messaging, or fax.

26. A method as defined in claim 21, wherein prioritization based on the communication session urgency enables the URI selection without regard to at least one of the communication session cost, or the communication session service type.

27. A method as defined in claim 19, further comprising selecting an alternate URI from the plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs when the routed communication session between the calling device and the selected URI fails.

28. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein selecting the alternate URI comprises selecting additional alternate URIs from the plurality of non-SIP or non-TN URIs.

29. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive a telephone number (TN);

locate an ENUM database record for the TN specifying at least one non-Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) destination;

receive a plurality of current call parameters;

access a prioritization profile comprising a plurality of selection parameters;

evaluate at least one of the plurality of current call parameters based on the prioritization profile to select at least one of a plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs as a destination for the TN; and

route a communication session between the calling device and the selected URI.

30. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 29, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to evaluate the non-SIP and non-TN URIs of a type of at least one of an e-mail URI, an instant message URI, a fax URI, or a web URI.

31. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 29, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to prioritize the plurality of non-SIP and non-TN URIs based on at least one of a communication session cost, a time of day, a destination device capability, a callee group, a communication session urgency, or a communication session service type.

32. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 31, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to receive a failure notice for a first communication session attempt, and initiate a second communication session attempt with an alternate non-IMS destination.

33. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 29, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to initiate a second communication session attempt with an alternate non-IMS destination when a response to a first communication session attempt is at least one of success, failure, or undetermined.

34. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 31, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to:

determine the cost of a plurality of communication sessions;

rank the plurality of communication sessions based on the cost; and

select at least one of the plurality of communication sessions based on a cost threshold.

35. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 31, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to route a communication service type of at least one of e-mail, voice-mail, instant messaging, or fax.

36. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 31, wherein the machine readable instructions prioritize the URI based on the communication session urgency without regard to at least one of the communication session cost, or the communication session service type.

37. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 29, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to select an alternate URI from the plurality of non-SIP or non-TN URIs when the routed communication session between the calling device and the selected URI fails.

38. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 37, wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to select additional alternate URIs from the plurality of non-SIP or non-TN URIs.

39. A user interface for prioritizing communications in Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networks comprising:

a prioritization profile screen area to display a plurality of selection parameters; and

a selection parameter configuration area to display at least one of the plurality of selection parameters comprising a plurality of selection parameter thresholds.

40. An apparatus to prioritize Internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) network communication comprising:

an ENUM database to store a plurality of non-telephone numbers (TN) and non-session initiation protocol (SIP) uniform resource identifiers (URIs) in association with respective TNs;

a resolver to receive a TN from a caller, the resolver to generate a list of non-TN and non-SIP URIs; and

a prioritizer to select at least one of the plurality of non-TN and non-SIP URIs from the list based on a prioritization profile.

41. An apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein the resolver comprises an ENUM query engine to query the ENUM database.

42. An apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein the resolver receives the TN as an E.164 number.

43. An apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein the prioritizer comprises a process executor to retrieve the prioritization profile from a memory, the process executor comparing the list of non-TN and non-SIP URIs with the prioritization profile.

44. An apparatus as defined in claim 43, wherein the prioritization profile comprises a plurality of selection parameters, the process executor selecting at least one of the plurality of non-TN and non-SIP URIs based on the comparison between the selection parameters and the list of non-TN and non-SIP URIs.

45. An apparatus as defined in claim 44, wherein the selection parameters comprise at least one of a message urgency, a message cost, a message protocol type, a message service type, a destination device capability, or a time of day.

46. An apparatus as defined in claim 44, wherein the selection parameters comprise at least one of a threshold limit or a threshold range.

47. An apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein the prioritizer comprises a process designer to at least one of create the prioritization profile, modify the prioritization profile, or delete the prioritization profile.

48. An apparatus as defined in claim 47, further comprising a graphical user interface to access the process designer.