SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING A PLURALITY OF REQUESTS FOR A PLURALITY OF MULTI-MEDIA SERVICES

• US 20100265939A1
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Samarasinghe, Harish, Parlamas, Stephanie
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords

Abstract

A system and method for processing a plurality of requests for a plurality of multi-media services received at a Private Service Exchange (PSX) defined on the system from a plurality of IP-communication devices. The system further includes a media server (MS) coupled to the PSX and to at least one IP Service Control Point (IP-SCP), which is operative to process the plurality of requests for the plurality of multi-media services. The IP-SCP further selectively directs the requests to the media server, which operates to form a preliminary multi-media communication path with a calling communication device. The MS further operates to play a plurality of announcements to the calling communication device over the preliminary multi-media communication path, as well as to collect caller-entered data from the calling communication device over the preliminary multi-media communication path.

Claims

1. A method of processing multi-media service requests, comprising:

receiving a request message in a first format for a multi-media service at a gateway controller and translating the request message in the first format into a request message in a second format;

receiving the request message in the second format at a switching device and translating the request message in the second format into a request message in a third format;

receiving the request message in the third format at a processor and processing the request message in the third format at the processor for generating a media server instruction message in the third format;

receiving the media server instruction message in the third format at the switching device and processing the media server instruction message in the third format at the switching device to translate the media server instruction message into the second format; and

receiving the media server instruction message in the second format at the gateway controller, wherein the gateway controller is operative for mapping a predetermined attribute of the media server instruction message in the second format into a media server instruction message in a fourth format and wherein a media server receives and responds to the media server instruction message in the fourth format by forming a multi-media communication path with a communication device at a customer premises.

2. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 1, further comprising:

playing a predetermined announcement to the communication device over the multi-media communication path.

3. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving caller-entered data at the media server in response to the predetermined announcement.

4. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 3, further comprising:

processing the caller-entered data at the media server to generate a validation message in a fifth format and including the caller-entered data.

5. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving and processing the validation message in the fifth format at the processor to validate the caller-entered data.

6. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 5, further comprising:

declaring the caller-entered data as valid and connect; and

controlling the gateway controller to form a multi-media communication path between the communication device and one other communication device.

7. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 6, wherein controlling the gateway controller includes executing a predetermined conference call protocol at the gateway controller to form the multi-media communication path between the communication device and the one other communication device.

8. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 7, wherein executing the predetermined conference call protocol at the gateway controller includes executing an H.450-2 call transfer capability.

9. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 1, wherein translating the at least one request message in the first format into the request message in the second format includes translating the request message from an H.323 format to a Diameter-Plus format.

10. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 1, wherein translating the request message in the second format into the request message in the third format includes translating the request message from a Diameter-Plus format to an Advanced-intelligent-Network Transactions Capabilities format.

11. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 1, wherein generating the media server instruction message in the third format includes generating the media server instruction message in an Artificial-Intelligence-Network Transactions Capabilities format.

12. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 1, wherein translating the predetermined attribute of the media server instruction message formulated in the second format into a media server instruction message in the fourth format includes translating the predetermined attribute of the media server instruction message in Diameter-Plus format to a media server instruction message in a Session Initiation Protocol INVITE format.

13. A system for processing multi-media service requests, comprising:

a gateway controller for receiving a request message in a first format for a multi-media service and for translating the request message in the first format into a request message in a second format;

a switching device coupled to the gateway controller for receiving the request message in the second format and for translating the request message in the second format into a request message in a third format; and

a processor coupled to the switching device for receiving the request message in the third format and for processing the request message in the third format to generate a media server instruction message in the third format,

wherein the switching device receives and translates the media server instruction message in the third format to a media server instruction message in the second format, and the gateway controller receives and translates the media server instruction message in the second format to a media server instruction message in a fourth format, and

wherein a media server coupled to the gateway controller receives and responds to the media server instruction message in the fourth format by forming a multi-media communication path with a communication device at a customer premises.

14. A method of processing multi-media service requests, comprising:

receiving a request message in a H.323 format for a multi-media service at a gateway controller and translating the request message in the H.323 format into a request message in a Diameter-Plus format;

receiving the request message in the Diameter-Plus format at a switching device and translating the request message in the Diameter-Plus format into a request message in an Advanced-Intelligent-Network Transactions Capabilities (TCAP) format;

receiving the request message in the TCAP format at a processor and processing the request message in the TCAP format at the processor for generating a media server instruction message in the TCAP format;

receiving the media server instruction message in the TCAP format at the switching device and processing the media server instruction message in the TCAP format at the switching device to translate the media server instruction message into the Diameter-Plus format; and

receiving the media server instruction message in the Diameter-Plus format at the gateway controller, wherein the gateway controller is operative for mapping a predetermined attribute of the media server instruction message in the Diameter-Plus format into a media server instruction message in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) format and wherein a media server receives and responds to the media server instruction message in the SIP format by forming a multi-media communication path with a communication device at a customer premises.

15. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 14, further comprising:

playing a predetermined announcement to the communication device over the multi-media communication path.

16. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving caller-entered data at the media server in response to the predetermined announcement.

17. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 16, further comprising:

processing the caller-entered data at the media server to generate a validation message in an Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) format and including the caller-entered data.

18. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving and processing the validation message in the HTTP format at the processor to validate the caller-entered data.

19. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 18, further comprising:

declaring the caller-entered data as valid and connect; and

controlling the gateway controller to form a multi-media communication path between the communication device and one other communication device.

20. The method for processing multi-media service requests of claim 19, wherein controlling the gateway controller includes executing a predetermined conference call protocol at the gateway controller to form the multi-media communication path between the communication device and the one other communication device.