Method and System for Directed Call Establishment to Facilitate the Provision of Enhanced Communications Services

• US 20080043659A1
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Windstream Intellectual Property Services, Inc. (Windstream Holdings II LLC)
• Original Assignee: Newstep Networks, Inc. (Canada) (Windstream Holdings II LLC)
• Inventors: Raguparan, Masilamany, Williams, Lloyd, Richards, Philip, Tom, Frank, Markman, Alexander, Bridge, David, Moskal, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network

Abstract

A method and system for directed call establishment to anchor selected cellular calls in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or an IP Multi-Media Subsystem (IMS) network employs a mobile handset application client to interrupt selected cellular call initiations and request a directed call establishment number from a converged services node. A call placed to the directed call establishment number creates a call signaling path through the converged services node in the VoIP or IMS network, which can then exercise control over the call to provide enhanced call services. The converged services node completes a call connection to the original called number in a manner transparent to the user of the mobile handset.

Claims

1. A method for directed call establishment to anchor selected cellular calls in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or an IP Multi-Media Subsystem (IMS) network, comprising:

intercepting all cellular calls launched using the mobile handset;

sending a DCE request message including the called number to request a DCE dial number (DCE/DN) from a converged services node (CSN);

receiving the DCE/DN from the CSN in response to the DCE request message;

automatically launching a cellular call from the mobile handset to the DCE/DN; and

completing a call to the called number after the CSN receives a call setup request message containing the DCE/DN.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein intercepting all cellular calls further comprises examining a called number associated with each cellular call to determine whether the called number is an excluded number.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein if the called number is an excluded number, the method comprises immediately processing the cellular call to the excluded number using a cellular radio of the mobile handset.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein determining whether the called number is an excluded number comprises referring to an excluded number list or querying a network database to determine whether the called number is in the excluded number list.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising collecting location information associated with a current location of the mobile handset.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein sending the DCE request message comprises formulating a DCE request message containing the dialed number, the location information and an identification of the mobile handset and sending the formulated DCE request message over a data channel available to the mobile handset.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the DCE request message at the CSN;

extracting location information, handset identification and called number from the DCE request message;

selecting the DCE/DN;

storing the extracted handset identification and the called number indexed by a copy of the selected DCE/DN;

preparing a DCE response message containing the DCE/DN; and

sending the DCE response message to the mobile handset.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein completing the call to the called number comprising:

receiving an inbound call request at the CSN and extracting the called number;

determining whether the extracted called number is a DCE/DN; and

if the extracted called number is a DCE/DN, retrieving the handset identification and called number indexed by the DCE/DN.

using the called number to formulate a call setup request to the called number; and

sending the call setup request to connect the subscriber to the called number.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein if the extracted called number is not a DCE/DN, the method further comprises performing any requested call processing specified by the inbound call request.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein selecting the DCE/DN comprises using the extracted location information and at least one optimization algorithm to identify a DCE/DN number pool from which the DCE/DN is to be selected.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising returning the DCE/DN to the DCE/DN number pool after retrieving the handset identification and called number indexed by the DCE/DN.

12. A system for directed call establishment of selected cellular calls initiated by a subscriber from a mobile handset, comprising:

a mobile handset application client programmed to;

monitor user input to a mobile handset to intercept selected cellular telephone calls launched using the mobile handset;

send a called number associated with each selected cellular call to a converged services node (CSN) to request a directed call establishment (DCE) number;

receive a DCE dial number (DCE/DN) from the CSN; and

launch a cellular telephone call from the mobile cellular handset using the DCE/DN; and

a converged services node, comprising a DCE application programmed to;

receive DCE request messages from the mobile handset application client;

select a DCE/DN for each DCE request message received; and

, return to the mobile handset client application a DCE response message containing the DCE/DN.

13. A mobile handset application client, comprising:

program instructions for monitoring user input to a mobile handset to intercept selected cellular telephone calls launched using the mobile handset;

program instructions for sending a called number associated with the selected cellular calls to a converged services node (CSN) to request a directed call establishment dial number (DCE/DN);

program instructions for receiving the DCE/DN from the CSN; and

program instructions for launching a cellular telephone call from the mobile cellular handset using the DCE/DN.

14. The application client as claimed in claim 13 further comprising program instructions for sending current location information along with the called number.

15. The application client as claimed in claim 13 further comprising program instructions for sending mobile handset identification information along with the called number.

16. The application client as claimed in claim 13 further comprising an excluded number list used by the program instructions to determine whether an intercepted call is one of the selected cellular calls.

17. The application client as claimed in claim 13 further comprising program instructions for determining whether the mobile handset is operating in cellular mode each time a call is launched.

19. The converged services node as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a call control signaling interface for receiving call setup messages and passing a called number extracted from the call setup message to the DCE application to determine whether a called number in the call setup message is a DCE/DN.

20. The converged services node as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a DCE/DN database for storing DCE/DNs in DCE number pools indexed by location information.

18. A converged services node, comprising:

a directed call establishment (DCE) application that receives a DCE request message from a mobile handset client application;

stores a called number sent in the DCE request message;

selects a DCE dial number (DCE/DN) for the DCE request message;

returns a DCE response message containing the DCE/DN to the mobile handset client application; and

, completes a call to the called number when a call setup request containing the DCE/DN is received.