Providing session-based services to event-based networks using partial information

• US 20100303058A1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle Israel Limited (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Convergin Israel Ltd.
• Inventors: Itzkovitz, Ayal, Zoller, Tal, Livyatan, Tzach, Kadosh, Nadav
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/127 where the session control protocols comprise SIP and SS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A method for communication includes, during a call conducted among two or more subscribers in a circuit-switched network, which operates in accordance with a first communication protocol that manages calls among the subscribers by exchanging discrete events among elements of the circuit-switched network, receiving from the circuit-switched network an incomplete subset of the events related to the call. Based on the incomplete subset of the events, at least one emulated communication session is generated in a packet-switched network that operates in accordance with a second communication protocol. Using the emulated session, a service platform in the packet-switched network is caused to provide a communication service to the call conducted in the circuit-switched network.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising:

during a call conducted among two or more subscribers in a circuit-switched network, which operates in accordance with a first communication protocol that manages calls among the subscribers by exchanging discrete events among elements of the circuit-switched network, receiving from the circuit-switched network an incomplete subset of the events related to the call;

based on the incomplete subset of the events, generating at least one emulated communication session in a packet-switched network that operates in accordance with a second communication protocol; and

using the emulated session, causing a service platform in the packet-switched network to provide a communication service to the call conducted in the circuit-switched network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol comprises an Intelligent Network (IN) protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the emulated communication session comprises sending to the service platform a message that does not correspond to any event that was received from the circuit-switched network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the service platform to provide the communication service comprises filtering out a message, which is generated by the service platform, so as to prevent the message from reaching the circuit-switched network.

5. The method according to claim 1, and comprising updating a first state machine representing the call in the circuit-switched network responsively to the received events, wherein generating the at least one emulated communication session comprises defining at least one second state machine representing the at least one emulated communication session in the packet-switched network, and synchronizing the first and second state machines with one another.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the service platform to provide the communication service comprises receiving one or more messages from the service platform, and sending one or more events to the circuit-switched network responsively to the messages received from the service platform.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call comprises a multi-leg call, and wherein generating the at least one emulated communication session comprises representing communication on each leg of the multi-leg call using one or more respective emulated communication sessions.

8. The method according to claim 1, and comprising providing multiple call services to the call conducted in the circuit-switched network from the packet-switched network by cascading multiple service sessions, each providing a respective one of the call services, in the packet switched network responsively to the emulated communication session.

9. A mediation system, comprising:

a first interface for communicating with a circuit-switched network, which operates in accordance with a first communication protocol that manages calls by exchanging discrete events among elements of the circuit-switched network;

a second interface for communicating with a packet-switched network that operates in accordance with a second communication protocol; and

a processor, which is configured to receive from the circuit-switched network, during a call conducted among two or more subscribers in the circuit-switched network, an incomplete subset of the events related to the call, to generate at least one emulated communication session in the packet-switched network based on the incomplete subset of the events, and, using the emulated session, to cause a service platform in the packet-switched network to provide a communication service to the call conducted in the circuit-switched network.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first communication protocol comprises an Intelligent Network (IN) protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to send to the service platform, during the emulated communication session, a message that does not correspond to any event that was received from the circuit-switched network.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to filter out a message, which is generated by the service platform, so as to prevent the message from reaching the circuit-switched network.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to update a first state machine representing the call in the circuit-switched network responsively to the received events, to define at least one second state machine representing the at least one emulated communication session in the packet-switched network, and to synchronize the first and second state machines with one another.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to receive one or more messages from the service platform, and to send one or more events to the circuit-switched network responsively to the messages received from the service platform.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the call comprises a multi-leg call, and wherein the processor is configured to represent communication on each leg of the multi-leg call using one or more respective emulated communication sessions.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to provide multiple call services to the call conducted in the circuit-switched network from the packet-switched network by cascading multiple service sessions, each providing a respective one of the call services, in the packet switched network responsively to the emulated communication session.