System and Method for Routing Calls Across Call Managers Using a Route Plan

• US 20080292088A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Entrop, Clint D., Beathard, Roger V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/221.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call

Abstract

A call manager includes a first device process that controls a first telephony device and that receives a call request from the first telephony device. The call request includes a telephone number associated with a second telephony device. The call manager also includes a call control module that receives the call request from the first device process, and the call manager further includes a route list control process that is associated with the telephone number and that receives the call request from the call control module. The route list process accesses a route list to determine a port of a gateway device that can transmit the call request to the second telephony device. The route list process communicates the call request to a second call manager that is coupled to the packet-based network and that controls the gateway device included in the route list.

Claims

1. A method for call routing, comprising:

receiving a call request at a first call manager from a first telephony device coupled to a packet-based network, the call request including a telephone number associated with a second telephony device;

accessing a route list associated with the telephone number to determine a port of a gateway device operable to transmit the call request to the second telephony device, wherein the route list comprises a plurality of route groups, each route group including a list of one or more ports of a plurality of gateway devices; and

communicating the call request to a second call manager controlling the gateway device included in the route list.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a registration information table to determine a process identification (PID) of a route list control process executed by the first call manager and associated with the telephone number; and

communicating the call request to the route list control process using the PID, the route list control process operable to access the route list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a route list associated with the telephone number comprises accessing a route list to obtain the device name and a port number of the gateway device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

communicating the device name of the gateway device to a device manager executed by the first call manager; and

accessing a device name mapping table using the device manager to determine a PID of a first device process executed by the second call manager and controlling the gateway device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein communicating the call request to a second call manager controlling the gateway device comprises communicating the call request and the port number to the first device process.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

communicating the call request and the port number from the first device process to the gateway device;

receiving a call proceed signal from the gateway device indicating acceptance of the call request; and

communicating the call proceed signal from the second call manager to the first call manager.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

communicating the call request and the port number from the first device process to the gateway device;

receiving a call denial signal from the gateway device indicating a denial of the call request; and

communicating the call denial signal from the second call manager to the first call manager.

8. A call manager coupled to a packet-based network and operable to control a plurality of telephony devices, comprising:

a first device process controlling a first telephony device and operable to receive a call request from the first telephony device, the call request including a telephone number associated with a second telephony device;

a call control module operable to receive the call request from the first device process; and

a route list control process associated with the telephone number and operable to;

receive the call request from the call control module;

access an associated route list to determine a port of a gateway device operable to transmit the call request to the second telephony device, wherein the route list comprises a plurality of route groups, each route group including a list of one or more ports of a plurality of gateway devices; and

communicate the call request to a second call manager coupled to the packet-based network and controlling the gateway device included in the route list.

9. The call manager of claim 8, further comprising:

a digit analysis module operable to receive from the call control module the telephone number included in the call request, the digit analysis module further operable to access a registration information table to determine a process identification (PID) of the route list control process associated with the telephone number and to communicate the PID to the call control module; and

wherein the call control module communicates the call request to the route list control process using the PID.

10. The call manager of claim 8, wherein the route list control process is operable to access the route list to obtain a device name and a port number of the gateway device.

11. The call manager of claim 10, further comprising a device manager operable to:

receive the device name of the gateway device from the route list control process;

access a device name mapping table to determine a PID of a second device process executed by the second call manager and controlling the gateway device; and

communicate the PID of the second device process to the route list control process.

12. The call manager of claim 11, wherein the route list control process is operable to communicate the call request and the port number to the second device process using the PID.

13. The call manager of claim 12, wherein:

the route list control process is further operable to receive a call proceed signal from the second device process and to communicate the call proceed signal to the call control module; and

the call control module is operable to establish media streaming between the first telephony device and the gateway device in response to receiving the call proceed signal.

14. The call manager of claim 12, wherein the route list control process is operable to:

receive a call denial signal from the second device process;

access the route list to obtain the device name and a port number of a second gateway device;

communicate the device name of the second gateway device to the device manager;

receive from the device manager a PID of a third device process executed by the second call manager and controlling the second gateway device; and

communicate the call request and the port number to the third device process.

15. First call manager software encoded in one or more computer-readable media and when executed operable to:

receive a call request from a first telephony device coupled to a packet-based network, the call request including a telephone number associated with a second telephony device;

access a route list associated with the telephone number to determine a port of a gateway device operable to transmit the call request to the second telephony device, wherein the route list comprises a plurality of route groups, each route group including a list one or more ports of a plurality of gateway devices; and

communicate the call request to a second call manager software controlling the gateway device included in the route list.

16. The call manager software of claim 15, further operable to:

access a registration information table to determine a process identification (PID) of a route list control process executed by the first call manager software and associated with the telephone number; and

communicate the call request to the route list control process using the PID, the route list control process operable to access the route list.

17. The call manager software of claim 15, further operable to access the route list to obtain the device name and a port number of the gateway device.

18. The call manager software of claim 17, further operable to access one or more of the route groups included in the route list to obtain the device name and port number of the gateway device.

19. The call manager software of claim 17, further operable to:

communicate the device name of the gateway device to a device manager executed by the first call manager software; and

access a device name mapping table using the device manager to determine a PID of a first device process executed by the second call manager software and controlling the gateway device.

20. The call manager software of claim 19, wherein communicating the call request to second call manager software controlling the gateway device comprises communicating the call request and the port number to the first device process.