Methods, systems, and computer program products for offloading call control services from a first network of a first type to a second network of a second type

• US 20080031196A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Marathe, Rohini, Marsico, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for offloading call control services from a first network of a first type to a second network of a second type are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes detecting a call originating from a calling party in a first network of a first type. A database may be queried using information identifying the calling party. In response to the query, routing information may be for a node in a second network of a second type. Call control services may be offloaded for the call to the second network using the node.

Claims

1. A method for offloading call control services from a first network of a first type to a second network of a second type, the method comprising:

detecting a call originating from a calling party in a first network of a first type;

determining routing information for a node in a second network of a second type based on information identifying the calling party; and

offloading call control services to the second network using the node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network comprises a global system for mobile communications (GSM) and the second network comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP)-based network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network comprises a 2G wireless network and the second network comprises a SIP-based network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a call originating from a calling party includes detecting the call using an initial detection point trigger set in a node of the first network to detect the call originating from the calling party.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining routing information includes obtaining a routing number of the node in the second network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the node comprises a SIP node, and wherein determining routing information includes determining a routing number associated with the SIP node.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the SIP node comprises an interrogating-call session control function (I-CSCF) node.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the SIP node comprises a serving-call session control function (S-CSCF) node.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein offloading call control services includes offloading call control services for the call to the S-CSCF node.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a routing number includes performing a lookup in an exception-based data structure for the routing information, and, in response to failing to locate the routing information in the exception-based data structure, performing a lookup in a range-based data structure for the routing information.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising, at the node in the second network, selecting a media path for the call, and routing the call over the selected media path.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising determining number portability information based on information identifying a called party associated with the call.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising communicating the number portability information to the node in the second network.

14. The method of claim 12 comprising receiving a TCAP query message including the information identifying the calling party and the information identifying a called party associated with the call.

15. The method of claim 12 comprising receiving a first TCAP query message including the information identifying the calling party and receiving a second TCAP query message including the information identifying a called party associated with the call.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein offloading call control services includes offloading one or more of the call, call forwarding, call waiting, presence service, prepaid service, and voice mail service.

17. A method for offloading a call from a first network of a first type to a second network of a second type, the method comprising:

detecting a call originating from a calling party in a first network of a first type;

determining routing information for a node in a second network of a second type based on information identifying the calling party; and

offloading the call to the second network using the node.

18. A method for providing call control offload information to a requestor, the method comprising:

receiving from a query originator a query requesting call control offload routing information that includes a calling party identifier;

performing a lookup in a call control offload database using the calling party identifier to obtain call control offload routing information; and

returning the call control offload routing information to the query originator.

19. A system for offloading call control services from a first network of a first type to a second network of a second type, the system comprising:

a communications module configured to receive a query message indicating detection of a call originating from a calling party in a first network of a first type;

a call control offload function configured to determine routing information for a node in a second network of a second type based on information identifying the calling party and configured to offload call control services to the second network using the node.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first network comprises a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the second network comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP)-based network.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the first network comprises a 2G wireless network and the second network comprises a SIP-based network.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the node comprises a SIP node.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the SIP node comprises an interrogating-call session control function (I-CSCF) node.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the SIP node comprises a serving-call session control function (S-CSCF) node.

25. The system of claim 19 comprising a routing node, wherein the communication module and the call control offload function are located in the routing node.

26. The system of claim 19 comprising a call control offload database accessible by the call control offload function for locating the routing information.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the call control offload database includes an exception-based data structure and a range-based data structure, and wherein the call control function is adapted to access the exception-based data structure to locate the routing information and, in response to locating the routing information in the exception-based data structure, to search a range-based data structure for the routing information.

28. The system of claim 19 wherein the communications module is configured to receive information identifying a called party associated with the call, and wherein the call control offload function is configured to determine number portability information based on the information identifying the called party associated with the call.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the call control offload function is configured to communicate the number portability information to the node in the second network.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the query message comprises a TCAP query message including the information identifying the calling party and the information identifying a called party associated with the call.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein the query message comprises a first TCAP query message including the information identifying the calling party, and wherein the communications module is configured to receive a second TCAP query message including the information identifying a called party associated with the call.

32. A system for providing call control offload information to a requester, the system comprising:

a call control offload function associated with a first network and configured to;

receive from a query originator a query requesting call control offload routing information that includes a calling party identifier;

perform a lookup in a call control offload database using the calling party identifier to obtain call control offload routing information; and

return the call control offload routing information to the query originator.

33. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

detecting a call originating from a calling party in a first network of a first type;

determining routing information for a node in a second network of a second type based on information identifying the calling party; and

offloading call control services to the second network using the node.

34. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

receiving from a query originator a query requesting call control offload routing information that includes a calling party identifier;

performing a lookup in a call control offload database using the calling party identifier to obtain call control offload routing information; and

returning the call control offload routing information to the query originator.