Cellular-to-VoIP call establishment systems, methods, devices, and computer software

• US 20080056235A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syniverse Technologies LLC (Syniverse Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Syniverse Technologies Incorporated (Syniverse Corp.)
• Inventors: Hammer, Kenneth W., Drueckhammer, Carl, Albina, Troy J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network

Abstract

Various embodiments of systems, methods, devices, and computer software for establishing a cellular-to-VoIP call are provided. One embodiment is a method for establishing a VoIP media session between an originating cellular telephone and a VoIP destination device. One such method comprises: receiving a first data message from an originating cellular telephone, the first data message comprising an identifier associated with a VoIP destination device; sending a second data message to the originating cellular telephone, the second data message comprising information identifying a temporary directory number (TDN) associated with the VoIP destination device; detecting an incoming voice call to the TDN from the originating cellular telephone; sending an invite message to the identifier associated with the VoIP destination device; sending a ringing indication to the originating cellular telephone; receiving an accept reply from the VoIP destination device; and answering the incoming voice call from the cellular telephone and establishing a VoIP media session between the originating cellular telephone and the VoIP destination device.

Claims

1. A communication system for establishing a VoIP media session between an originating cellular telephone and a VoIP destination device, the communication system comprising:

an application server configured to receive a first data message from an originating cellular telephone via the mobile data network, the first data message comprising information associated with a VoIP destination device, and further configured to send a second data message to the originating cellular telephone, the second data message comprising a temporary directory number (TDN) associated with the VoIP destination device; and

a media gateway which interfaces with a circuit switched network and an IP network, the media gateway configured to receive an incoming voice call to the TDN from the originating cellular telephone, and further configured to establish a VoIP media session between the originating cellular telephone and the VoIP destination device.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the media gateway is further configured to:

detect the incoming voice call to the TDN;

send an invite message to the VoIP destination device;

send a ringing indication to the originating cellular telephone;

receive an accept reply from the VoIP destination device;

answer the incoming voice call from the cellular telephone; and

establish a VoIP media session between the originating cellular telephone and the VoIP destination device.

3. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the incoming voice call is answered if the VoIP destination device accepts a session invitation from the media gateway.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the media gateway and the application server are associated with different service providers.

5. A method for establishing a session between an originating mobile communication device and a VoIP destination device, the method comprising:

receiving a first data message from an originating mobile communication device, the first data message comprising information identifying a VoIP destination device;

sending a second data message to the originating mobile communication device, the second data message comprising information identifying a temporary directory number (TDN) associated with the VoIP destination device;

receiving a voice call to the TDN from the originating mobile communication device; and

establishing a session between the originating mobile communication device and the VoIP destination device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving the first data message comprises receiving a session initiation protocol (SIP) uniform resource indicator (URI) associated with the VoIP destination device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising validating the VoIP destination device, in response to receiving the first data message.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising allocating the TDN based on a location of an originating switch.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the establishing a session between the originating mobile communication device and the VoIP destination device involves a session initiation protocol (SIP).

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the establishing the session between the originating mobile communication device and the VoIP destination device comprises bridging the voice call with the originating mobile communication device to a VoIP media session with the VoIP destination device.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the establishing a session between the originating mobile communication device and the VoIP destination device comprises:

sending an invite message to the VoIP destination device;

answering the incoming voice call;

receiving an accept reply from the VoIP destination device; and

sending a ringing indication to the originating mobile communication device.

12. A method for establishing a VoIP media session between an originating cellular telephone and a VoIP destination device, the method comprising:

receiving a first data message from an originating cellular telephone, the first data message comprising an identifier associated with a VoIP destination device;

sending a second data message to the originating cellular telephone, the second data message comprising information identifying a temporary directory number (TDN) associated with the VoIP destination device;

detecting an incoming voice call to the TDN from the originating cellular telephone;

sending an invite message to the identifier associated with the VoIP destination device;

sending a ringing indication to the originating cellular telephone;

receiving an accept reply from the VoIP destination device; and

answering the incoming voice call from the cellular telephone and establishing a VoIP media session between the originating cellular telephone and the VoIP destination device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving the first data message comprises receiving a SIP URI associated with the VoIP destination device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first data message comprises one of a 1XRTT message, a WAP message, and an SMS message.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the detecting the incoming voice call comprises:

routing the signaling associated with the TDN to an application server; and

retrieving the identifier associated with the VoIP destination.

16. An application server associated with a PSTN-to-VoIP gateway for facilitating a VoIP media session between an originating cellular telephone and a VoIP destination device, the application server comprising:

logic configured to receive a first data message sent by an originating cellular telephone, the first data message comprising an identifier associated with a VoIP destination device;

logic configured to send a second data message to the originating cellular telephone, the second data message comprising a temporary directory number (TDN) associated with the VoIP destination device which terminates at a media gateway; and

logic configured to receive a first session invite from the media gateway, in response to the media gateway detecting an incoming voice call to the TDN from the originating cellular telephone;

logic configured to retrieve the identifier associated with the VoIP destination device; and

logic configured to send a second session invite containing the identifier to the media gateway.

17. A media gateway for establishing a VoIP media session between an originating cellular telephone and a VoIP destination device, the media gateway comprising:

a first interface device configured to communicate with a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

a second interface device configured to communicate with an IP network;

logic configured to detect an incoming voice call to a temporary directory number (TDN), via the first interface device, from an originating cellular telephone;

logic configured to send, via the second interface device, a first invite message containing the TDN to an application server;

logic configured to receive, via the second interface device, a second invite message from the application server which contains an identifier for a VoIP destination device associated with the TDN;

logic configured to send, via the second interface device, a third invite message to the VoIP destination device;

logic configured to send, via the first interface device, a ringing indication to the originating cellular telephone;

logic configured to receive, via the second interface device, an accept reply from the VoIP destination device;

logic configured to answer the incoming voice call from the cellular telephone; and

logic configured to establish a VoIP media session between the originating cellular telephone and the VoIP destination device.

18. The media gateway of claim 17, wherein the VoIP media session comprises an RTP stream.

19. A mobile communication device comprising:

a user interface for enabling a user to select a VoIP destination device with which a VoIP media session is to be established;

a wireless transceiver for communicating with a cellular network; and

a cellular-to-VoIP call establishment module for facilitating the establishment of the VoIP media session between the mobile communication device and the VoIP destination device, the cellular-to-VoIP call establishment module comprising;

logic configured to send a first data message via the cellular network, the first data message comprising an identifier associated with the VoIP destination device;

logic configured to receive a second data message via the cellular network, the second data message comprising a temporary directory number (TDN) associated with the VoIP destination device;

logic configured to initiate a voice call via the cellular network to the TDN; and

logic configured to terminate the voice call and join the VoIP media session with the VoIP destination device.

20. A cellular telephone comprising:

a user interface device for enabling a user to select a VoIP destination device with which a VoIP media session is to be established;

a wireless transceiver for communicating with a cellular network; and

a client application for facilitating the establishment of the VoIP media session between the cellular telephone and the VoIP destination device, the client application comprising;

logic configured to send a first data message via the cellular network to an application server, the first data message comprising an identifier associated with the VoIP destination device;

logic configured to receive a second data message via the cellular network from the application server, the second data message comprising a temporary directory number (TDN) which the application server associates with the VoIP destination device;

logic configured to initiate a voice call via the cellular network to the TDN;

logic configured to bridge the voice call with a VoIP media session between a media gateway and the VoIP destination device.