METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING ACCESS AND EGRESS UNIFORM RESOURCE IDENTIFIERS FOR ROUTING

• US 20110122865A1
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fishman, Saul, Androski, Frank J., Mansell, James J., Kittredge, Barbara J., Ibezim, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing routing of calls in a packet network, e.g., a Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) network, using one or more criteria extracted from signaling information to determine the routing for the calls are disclosed. In one embodiment, the routing criteria extracted from signaling messages comprises at least one of: an access Uniform Resource Identifier, a destination phone number, a destination URI host, a calling party number, a calling party URI host, an incoming IP address, or a requested codec. An access URI and the egress URI are used to enhance routing decisions in a VoIP network. For instance, the egress URI can be used to specify egress route selections from the egress point of a VoIP network. The access URI can be used to influence the routing decisions within the VoIP network as well as the routing decisions with regard to egress routes from the egress point of the VoIP network.

Claims

1. A method for routing a call in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a first call setup message;

identifying an access identification (ID) parameter associated with said first call setup message;

generating a second call set up message by incorporating said access identification (ID) parameter into said first call setup message; and

determining a routing decision in accordance with said access identification (ID) parameter in said second call set up message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication network is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network or a Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said access ID parameter comprises an access Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying said routing decision for identifying an egress identification (ID) parameter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said applying is performed by a Network Routing Engine (NRE).

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said egress identification (ID) parameter comprises one or more egress Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of said one or more egress Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) comprises one or more egress routes from an egress point in an egress border element (BE) of said communication network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said access ID parameter is inserted in a call setup message header of said second call set up message by an access Border Element (BE).

9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps of a method for routing a call in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a first call setup message;

identifying an access identification (ID) parameter associated with said first call setup message;

generating a second call set up message by incorporating said access identification (ID) parameter into said first call setup message; and

determining a routing decision in accordance with said access identification (ID) parameter in said second call set up message.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said communication network is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network or a Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) network.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said access ID parameter comprises an access Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

applying said routing decision for identifying an egress identification (ID) parameter.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein said applying is performed by a Network Routing Engine (NRE).

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein said egress identification (ID) parameter comprises one or more egress Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs).

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein each of said one or more egress Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) comprises one or more egress routes from an egress point in an egress border element (BE) of said communication network.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said access ID parameter is inserted in a call setup message header of said second call set up message by an access Border Element (BE).

17. A system for routing a call in a communication network, comprising:

means for receiving a first call setup message;

means for identifying an access identification (ID) parameter associated with said first call setup message;

means for generating a second call set up message by incorporating said access identification (ID) parameter into said first call setup message; and

means for determining a routing decision in accordance with said access identification (ID) parameter in said second call set up message.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said access ID parameter comprises an access Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for applying said routing decision for identifying an egress identification (ID) parameter.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said access ID parameter is inserted in a call setup message header of said second call set up message by an access Border Element (BE).