Methods and systems for providing an absent addressing service to customers in a communications network

• US 6,363,430 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1998
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Thomas, Michael Flynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/176,484
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 705/206, 705/245, 455/417
• US Class Current: 709/245
• 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 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for providing an absent addressing service (i.e. call forwarding, voice messaging, and the like) for subscribers normally connected to a H.323 compliant network. Some network entity, such as a subscriber'"'"'s gatekeeper, intercepts all set-up calls to subscribers requiring such a service. If the subscriber is properly registered, the set-up call is forwarded to the subscriber. Otherwise messages are delivered, in accordance with the configuration of the network gatekeeper, whereby the calling party becomes connected to an absent addressing service rather than the originally called terminal of the subscriber.

Claims

1. Gatekeeper apparatus comprising:

a memory for keeping a list of subscribers and their last registered addresses for which that gatekeeper is responsible;

a memory for keeping a list of alternate addresses to be used for subscribers who are absent at the time of an incoming communication request; and

digital processor means for selecting one or more alternate addresses if an associated subscriber is absent at the time of an incoming communication request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising in addition:

means for checking to see if a given subscriber is presently registered upon receipt of a communication request for said given subscriber;

means for completing the communication request if said given subscriber is registered; and

means for completing the communication request using said alternate address if said given said subscriber is unregistered.

3. A method of servicing subscribers of a network comprising the steps of:

keeping a list of subscribers and their last registered addresses for which that gatekeeper is responsible;

keeping a list of alternate addresses to be used for subscribers who are absent at the time of an incoming communication request;

determining that one of the subscribers for which a communications request is made is unregistered;

selecting one or more addresses from the alternate address list for use in response to the communications request.

4. The method of claim 3 comprising the additional steps of:

checking to see if a given subscriber is presently registered upon receipt of a communication request for said given subscriber;

completing the communication request if said given subscriber is registered; and

completing the communication request using said alternate address if said given said subscriber is unregistered.

5. Gatekeeper apparatus comprising:

means for keeping a list of subscribers and their last registered addresses for which that gatekeeper is responsible;

means for keeping a list of alternate addresses to be used for subscribers who are unreachable at the time of an incoming communication request; and

means for selecting and address associated with a subscriber when the subscriber is unreachable.

6. A method of servicing subscribers of a packet data network comprising the steps of:

keeping a list of subscribers and their last registered addresses for which that gatekeeper is responsible;

keeping a list of alternate addresses to be used for subscribers who are unreachable at the time of an incoming communication request; and

selecting an alternate address associated with a subscriber if the subscriber is unreachable.

7. A method of providing an absent subscriber service to subscribers of a network comprising the steps of:

keeping a list of subscribers and their last registered addresses by a gatekeeper;

keeping a list of alternate addresses by the gatekeeper for use when a subscriber is not registered;

determining whether a set-up message is for the subscriber;

determining whether the subscriber is registered;

responding by a first method if the subscriber is registered; and

responding by a second method if the subscriber is not registered.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining the set-up message is for the subscriber is performed by intercepting a calling party set-up call to the subscriber.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first method comprises returning a current address of the subscriber, and wherein the second method comprises returning an absent addressing address of the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first method comprises forwarding set-up calls to one or more of the subscribers, and wherein the second method comprises supplying messages to connect a set-up call to an absent addressing service.

11. A method of providing an absent subscriber service to subscribers of a network comprising the steps of:

keeping a list of subscribers and their last registered addresses by a gatekeeper;

keeping a list of alternate addresses by the gatekeeper for use when a subscriber is not registered;

determining whether a set-up message is for the subscriber by receiving a call set-up message comprising at least one of an ARQ, a LRQ, and a SET-UP message, the call set-up message comprising an alias of the subscriber;

determining whether the subscriber is registered;

responding by a first method if the subscriber is registered; and

responding by a second method if the subscriber is not registered.

12. An apparatus for providing an absent subscriber service to subscribers of a network comprising the steps of:

gatekeeper means for keeping a list of subscribers and their last registered addresses;

a gatekeeper means for keeping a list of alternate addresses for use when a subscriber is not registered;

a gatekeeper means for determining a set-up message is for the subscriber;

a means for determining whether the subscriber is registered;

a means for responding by a first method if the subscriber is registered; and

a means for responding by a second method if the subscriber is not registered.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for determining the set-up message is for the subscriber is performed by intercepting a calling party set-up call to the subscriber.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, Wherein the means for responding by the first method comprises returning a current address of the subscriber, and wherein the means for responding by the second method comprises returning an absent addressing address of the subscriber.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for responding by the first method comprises forwarding set-up calls to one or more of the subscribers, and wherein the means for responding by the second method comprises supplying messages to connect a set-up call to an absent addressing service.

13. An apparatus for providing an absent subscriber service to subscribers of a network comprising the steps of:

a gatekeeper means for keeping a list of subscribers and their last registered addresses;

a gatekeeper means for keeping a list of alternate addresses for use when a subscriber is not registered;

a gatekeeper means for determining the set-up message is for the subscriber, wherein the means for determining the set-up message is for the subscriber is performed by means for receiving a call set-up message comprising at least one of an ARQ, a LRQ, and a SET-UP message, the call set-up message comprising an alias of the subscriber;

a means for determining whether the subscriber is registered;

a means for responding by a first method if the subscriber is registered; and

a means for responding by a second method if the subscriber is not registered.