Method and system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals in a switched telephone network

• US 6,097,804 A
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Broadview Networks Incorporated (Windstream Holdings II LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bell Canada (BCE Incorporated)
• Inventors: Melick, Gordon R., Williams, L. Lloyd, Reid, Colin A., Gilbert, Gordon J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/996,879
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/229, 379/230, 379/201, 379/114, 379/115, 379/112, 379/207, 379/900, 379/901, 370/352, 370/401
• US Class Current: 379/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 Virtual channel/circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/901 : Virtual networks or virtual private networks

Abstract

A method and a system for completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal in a switched telephone network (STN) are disclosed. The system includes a Virtual Switching Point (VSP) in a switched telephone network having a connection to a data network such as the Internet. Call requests are received by the VSP from the data network and processed by the VSP to establish a voice connection between a calling party which initiates the call requests and a called party number indicated in each call request message. The call request message may include a plurality of called party numbers and the VSP completes calls to each number in sequence without terminating the voice connection with the calling party, until an attempt to connect with each of the called numbers has been made or a call control option is exercised by the calling party. The call connections are established and controlled by the VSP using common channel signaling (CCS) messages. The call connections are controlled by the calling party using data messages passed to the VSP via the data network. The advantage is an efficient, reliable method of initiating calls from a data network to permit a multi-call session without disconnection or dialing between calls and fully functional computer telephony integration and control over calling connections using the inherent switching power resident in the STN.

Claims

1. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal in a Switched Telephone Network (STN), comprising the steps of:

receiving a call request at a Virtual Switching Point (VSP) in the STN having a connection to a data network;

initiating a first Common Channel Signaling (CCS) ISDN User Part (ISUP) message session from the VSP over a signaling network of the STN to a switching point in the STN to establish a first leg of the voice connection; and

initiating a second ISUP message session from the VSP to a switching point in the STN to establish a second leg of the voice connection;

the first and second ISUP message sessions being interrelated to an extent that messages originating from the VSP include a circuit identification code associated with opposite ends of an ISUP voice trunk in the STN.

2. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second CCS message sessions are with the same switching point and the ISUP voice trunk is a loop-back trunk having first and second ends which terminate on the switching point (SP).

3. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second CCS message sessions are with different switching points (SPs) and the ISUP voice trunk is an inter-switch trunk having first and second ends which respectively terminate on the different switching points (SPs) in the STN.

4. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the CCS message is a Signaling System 7 (SS7) ISDN User Part (ISUP) message.

5. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 4 wherein the ISUP message is an Initial Address Message (IAM).

6. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data network is the Internet.

7. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 6 wherein the call request is received from a World Wide Web server on the Internet.

8. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the call request message comprises a list of at least one telephone number to which sequential voice connections are to be established.

9. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first leg of the voice connection is maintained until an attempt has been made to establish the second leg of the voice connection for each of the at least one telephone number, unless the first voice terminal terminates the first leg of the voice connection before all attempts have been completed.

10. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first CCS message session is with a switching point (SP) in a local calling area associated with the first leg of the voice connection.

11. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the voice connection is a toll call and charges for the toll call are billed to a calling card, a credit card, or a debit card.

12. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first and second CCS message sessions are both with a switching point (SP) designated for calling card, credit card and debit card billing and the ISUP voice trunk is a loop-back trunk group having first and second ends that terminate on the switching point (SP).

13. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ISUP voice trunk is an ISDN trunk and the first CCS message is a ISUP message session is over an ISDN link to a Private Branch Exchange (PBX), the second CCS message session being with a switching point (SP) in the switched telephone network (STN) on which the ISDN trunk terminates.

14. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 13 wherein the call request comprises a list of telephone numbers to be called and the first leg of the voice connection is maintained until at least one attempt has been made to complete a second leg of the voice connection with each of the respective telephone numbers to be called.

15. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the call requests originate from a calling party having a data terminal connected to a data network, and the VSP returns call progress messages through the data network to the data terminal to provide the calling party with call progress information.

16. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 15 wherein the calling party may communicate call control options to the VSP at any time in order to control a call session.

17. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 16 wherein the call control options include:

cancel session;

cancel call;

add a new called number to a call list;

cancel call and call a new specified number; and

skip next call in the call list.

18. A method of completing a voice connection between a first and second voice terminal as claimed in claim 16 wherein the call control options change depending on the stage of a call in progress.

19. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals connected to a switched telephone network (STN), comprising:

a virtual switching point (VSP) which is a physical node in a signaling network and a virtual node in a transmission network of the STN, the VSP being connected by a signaling link to a signal transfer point of the signaling network and including;

a signaling link with a data network for receiving a call request via the data network from a calling party having the first voice terminal, the call request including a telephone number for the first voice terminal and a telephone number for at least the second voice terminal;

means for generating a first common channel signaling (CCS) ISDN User Part (ISUP) signaling message to initiate a voice connection with the first voice terminal and a second ISDN User Part (ISUP) signaling message to initiate a voice connection with the second voice terminal, the first and second ISUP messages being related to an extent that a circuit identification code of each ISUP message is respectively associated with opposite ends of an ISUP voice trunk.

20. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals as claimed in claim 19 wherein the ISUP voice trunk is a loop-back trunk on a switching point in the switched telephone network (STN).

21. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals as claimed in claim 19 wherein the voice facility is an ISUP trunk between two Switching Points (SPs) in the switched telephone network (STN).

22. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals as claimed in claim 19 wherein the signaling link with the data network is a link which supports data messages in TCP/IP format.

23. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals as claimed in claim 19 wherein the system further includes a public server which may be accessed by users, the public server being adapted to permit the users to generate the call requests.

24. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals as claimed in claim 23 wherein the STN includes a plurality of VSPs strategically located in the network, each local calling area in the switched telephone network (STN) including at least one VSP.

25. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals as claimed in claim 24 wherein the public server includes a table for selecting an appropriate VSP to serve a call request, the table associating a VSP with at least a portion of a telephone number for the first voice terminal.

26. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals as claimed in claim 23 wherein the system further includes an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit used to confirm the registration of users registering to use call connection services of the system.

27. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals as claimed in claim 23 wherein the system permits calls to be billed to a calling card, credit card or debit card.

28. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals as claimed in claim 27 wherein calls billed to a calling card, credit card or debit card are routed to a switching point in the switched telephone network (STN) dedicated to handling such calls.

29. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals connected to a switched telephone network (STN) as claimed in claim 19 wherein the VSP responds at any time to call control option messages received from the calling party via the data network after a call session is in progress.

30. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals connected to a switched telephone network (STN) as claimed in claim 29 wherein the call control option messages may instruct the VSP to:

cancel calling session;

cancel a current call;

add a new number to a call request list;

skip next number in the call request list; and

cancel current call and dial a specified number.

31. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals connected to a switched telephone network (STN) as claimed in claim 30 wherein the call control options are displayed for the calling party on the data terminal.

32. A system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals connected to a switched telephone network (STN) as claimed in claim 30 wherein the call control options displayed for the calling party are changed in response to changes in call progress.