AUTOMATIC TERMINATION PATH CONFIGURATION

• US 20100074251A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, Richard, DeConcilis, Michael F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,547,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

There is provided herein a system and method for automatic configuration of data routings for use with electronic data such as phone calls, faxes, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, when more than one carrier might potentially terminate the transmission, the carriers are ordered based on some screening criterion (e.g., transmission price). Data transmissions are then assigned to the carriers based on the sorting order, with the second place and lower carriers (e.g., the higher priced carriers) not being selected unless the first carrier cannot complete the transaction. The switch instructions necessary to implement this scheme may be generated automatically.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning routing instructions between a customer entry point and a termination destination, comprising the steps of:

receiving one or more routing instructions from a central computerized database into a command translation application;

translating the one or more routing instructions into routing instructions including at least a softswitch network; and

outputting the one or more routing instructions including at least a softswitch network into a network provisioning service.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining based on criteria a routing path between a customer entry point and a termination destination.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of determining a routing path between a customer entry point and a termination destination is based on the criteria of price.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of determining a routing path between a customer entry point and a termination destination is based on the criteria of quality.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of determining a routing path between a customer entry point and a termination destination is based on the criteria of customer preference.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

validating the one or more routing instructions including at least a softswitch network.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

incorporating customer-specific information into the one or more routing instructions including at least a softswitch network.

8. A method of configuring a signal path between a customer entry point and a carrier exit point, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a request to connect a call with a termination destination;

b. selecting a carrier capable of accessing the termination destination;

c. determining a route for the signal path between the customer entry point and a carrier exit point accessible by the selected carrier, wherein the signal path passes through at least one switching device;

d. translating the routing for the signal path to include at least a plurality of packet-switched routing instructions;

e. validating the plurality of packet-switched routing instructions;

f. queuing the plurality of packet-switched routing instructions; and

g. outputting said plurality of packet-switched routing instructions into a network provisioning service.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

incorporating customer-specific information into the plurality of packet-switched routing instructions.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein step (d) further comprises the step of:

storing a route command list capable of translating the routing for the signal path into a plurality of packet-switched routing instructions.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprising the step of:

selecting a carrier from a plurality of carriers capable of accessing the termination destination based on criteria.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of selecting a carrier from a plurality of carriers capable of accessing the termination destination based on criteria of price.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of selecting a carrier from a plurality of carriers capable of accessing the termination destination based on criteria of quality.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of selecting a carrier from a plurality of carriers capable of accessing the termination destination based on criteria of customer preference.

15. A system for provisioning routing instructions between a customer entry point and a termination destination, comprising:

a central database;

a command translation application;

a plurality of packet-switched routing instructions; and

a network provisioning service.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a core routing engine.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a means for incorporating customer-specific information into the plurality of packet-switched routing instructions, the packet-switched routing instructions operable to direct routing over a network path according to customer preference.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for incorporating customer-specific information into the plurality of packet-switched routing instructions is based on a session initiation protocol (SIP) invite message.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the SIP invite message comprises:

a calling party identification parameter;

an ingress trunk group identification parameter;

an ingress gateway server internet protocol (IP) address; and

an ingress gateway port identification.

21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the termination destination is a carrier.

22. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the termination destination is a circuit switched routing engine.

20. A method of provisioning routing instructions between a customer entry point and a termination destination, comprising:

initiating a transmission between a customer entry point and a first softswitch border switch;

initiating a transmission between the first softswitch border switch and a second softswitch border switch;

initiating a transmission between the second softswitch border switch and a softswitch core routing engine;

initiating a transmission between the softswitch core routing engine and the second network border switch;

initiating a transmission between the second network border switch and a gateway server; and

initiating a transmission between the gateway server and a termination destination.