CLOUD VOIP SYSTEM WITH BYPASS FOR IP MEDIA

• US 20110096762A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Basart, Edwin J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,106,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• 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

Abstract

The cloud computing VoIP system includes a software as a service (SaaS) site and one or more additional sites. The SaaS site includes a gateway and a call manager and is coupled for communication across an IP network and the PSTN. The call manager includes a media monitoring module, a bypass module, a PSTN control module and a GUI module. The SaaS site handles and controls voice and video calls over the IP network and the PSTN for endpoints at the one or more additional sites. In another embodiment, the cloud computing VoIP system is also coupled to a cellular network and the endpoints include an associated cellular phone. The cloud computing VoIP system also includes a method for falling back to a secondary network, namely the cellular network, when there is insufficient quality on a primary network.

Claims

1. A method for automatically detecting call quality and switching between a first and a second network in a distributed telephony system, the method comprising:

establishing a call from a first endpoint to a second endpoint using the first network;

monitoring the first network for a predefined level of quality of service for the call;

determining whether the quality of service for the call is below the predefined level; and

establishing a second call from the first endpoint to the second endpoint using a second network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring is performed from a site remote from a first site of the first end point and remote from a second site of the second end point.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second network is a cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first endpoint includes an IP phone and a mobile phone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first endpoint includes an IP phone having a first cellular radio and a computing device having a second cellular radio wherein the IP phone and the computing device are coupled to the first network and wirelessly coupled by the first and second cellular radios to the second network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first endpoint includes an IP phone and is located at a first site, the IP phone coupled to the first network; and

the first site includes a wireless gateway, the wireless gateway is coupled to the IP phone and wirelessly coupled to the second network, the wireless gateway performing protocol translation to allow the IP phone to communicate over the second network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the second call from the first endpoint to the second endpoint includes using the second network for IP media and call control.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the second call from the first endpoint to the second endpoint includes using the second network for IP media and the first network for call control.

9. A system for switching a call from a first network to a second network of an distributed IP telephony system having a plurality of endpoints, the system comprising:

a first site having a first endpoint for communication with other endpoints, the first endpoint coupled to the first network and the second network;

a second site having a second input for communicating with other of points, the second endpoint coupled to the first network and a second network; and

a shared site having a gateway, a first router and a call manager coupled for communication with and control of the first and the second endpoints, the first router coupled to the first network, the gateway coupled to the second network, and the first router and the gateway coupled to the call manager, the call manager controlling call functions of the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the call manager determines an availability of the first network, establishes a call on the second network if the first network is not available, the call manager controlling switching to the second network.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the second network is a cellular network.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first endpoint includes an IP phone and a mobile phone.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first endpoint includes an IP phone having a first cellular radio and a computing device having a second cellular radio wherein the IP phone and the computing device are coupled to the first network and wirelessly coupled to by the first and second cellular radios to the second network.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the first endpoint includes an IP phone coupled to the first network; and

the first site includes a wireless gateway, the wireless gateway coupled to the IP phone and wirelessly coupled to the second network, the wireless gateway performing protocol translation to allow the IP phone to communicate over the second network.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein call manager uses the second network for IP media and call control.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein call manager uses the second network for IP media and the first network for call control.

17. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a second shared site having a second gateway, a second router and a second call manager coupled for communication with and control of the first and the second endpoints, the second router coupled to the first network, the second gateway coupled to the second network, and the second router and the second gateway coupled to the second call manager, the second call manager controlling call functions of the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the call manager acts as a primary call manager and the second call manager acts as a backup call manager operational upon failure of the primary call manager.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the shared site is located at a first data center and the second shared site is located at a second data center, the second data center different from the first data center and located at a geographically separate location from the first data center.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising a common database accessible by the call manager and the second call manager.

21. A system for providing distributed IP telephony communication between a first endpoint at a first site and a second endpoint at a second site, the system comprising:

a gateway having an input and output, the gateway coupled for communication with a public switched telephone network;

a router having an input and output, the router for sending and receiving data packets, the router coupled to the gateway and an IP network;

a call manager operable on the processor of a server, the call manager coupled to the gateway and the router for establishing a call between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, and controlling the first and second endpoint to perform call related functions.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the gateway, the router and the call manager are located at a shared site.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the shared site is at a location remote from the first site and the second site.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the system includes a second call manager operable on a second processor of a second server, the second call manager coupled to the gateway and the router for establishing a call between a plurality of endpoints and controlling the plurality of input forms to perform call related functions.