Article comprising a distributed call monitoring, evaluation and routing system and method therefor

• US 6,404,864 B1
• Filed: 06/05/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ITXC Corporation (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yu, James, Meranchik, Jay, Evslin, Tom, Hirschman, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Application Number:
  US09/326,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,102 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/201, 379/220, 379/221, 379/229, 379/230, 379/133, 379/134, 379/137, 379/34, 370/469, 370/353, 370/352, 370/221.01, 370/221.07, 709/238-245
• US Class Current: 379/112.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 : QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/92 : Autonomous calculations of charges in terminal, i.e. meter not controlled from exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 : Quality of service monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 : Traffic or load control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 : Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 : Provisions for network management

Abstract

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a distributed monitoring, evaluation and routing (“DiMER”) system that provides active management of a data-network based telephony networks. Such a system, and data-network-based telephony networks incorporating the same, advantageously route calls to meet call-quality standards and/or cost goals, among other targets. To meet such quality standards, the system periodically obtains call-related data, analyzes the data, and revises call routing, as appropriate, by shifting or reallocating call traffic between available terminating gateways (based on their performance).

Claims

1. An article comprising a system for monitoring evaluation and call routing for use with a data-network-based telephony network that includes:

at least one originating gateway that receives a call from a first telephone over a telephone network and routes said call into a data network; and

at least two terminating gateways, either of which is operable to receive said call and route it to a second telephone, wherein said system is operable to provide first routing information to said originating gateway, wherein said first routing information specifies a first allocation for call attempts between said two terminating gateways based upon information gathered from previous calls completed through said two terminating gateways, the routing information not specifying a route from said originating gateway to said terminating gateway.

2. The article of claim 1, said system further comprising:

a data acquisition element that acquires call metrics associated with said terminating gateways;

a data analysis element that receives said call metrics from said data acquisition element and evaluates data-network-based telephony network performance by comparing said call metrics to historical performance;

a call routing element operable to;

receive said evaluated performance from said data analysis element; and

generate a second call-routing table by shifting said first allocation of call attempts between said two terminating gateways to a second allocation based on said evaluated performance, and to supply said second allocation to plural originating gateways or switches.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein said data acquisition element comprises:

a metrics collector that receives said call metrics originating from said originating gateway and two terminating gateways; and

a metrics processor that processes said call metrics into a form suitable for use by said data analysis element for analyzing said call metrics, and wherein said routing information specifies plural terminating gateways, said terminating gateways being reachable by different paths from a single originating gateway and from different originating gateways and wherein said routing information does not specify the path to be used through the network to reach a terminating gateway.

4. The article of claim 3, further comprising a consolidated metrics processor that consolidates processed call metrics received from said originating gateway and said two terminating gateways.

5. The article of claim 4, further comprising a central collector for collecting consolidated processed call metrics from said consolidate metrics processor.

6. The article of claim 4, further comprising a portfolio generator for organizing collected consolidated processed call metrics by DNIS and for allocating a first portion of calls to a specified DNIS to one of said terminating gateways, a second portion to a second of said terminating gateways, both portions passing through the same originating gateway.

7. The article of claim 2, wherein said data analysis element comprises a banding exception generator operable to:

establish a band defining an acceptable range for a given call metric at a given gateway as a function of time;

compare said collected call metrics to said band;

identify out-of-band performance.

8. The article of claim 2, wherein said data analysis element comprises a banding exception generator operable to:

establish a band defining an acceptable range for a given call metric per DNIS as a function of time;

compare said collected call metrics to said band;

identify out-of-band performance.

9. The article of claim 1, further comprising said data network.

10. The article of claim 9, further comprising:

said one originating gateway; and

said two terminating gateways.

11. The article of claim 10, further comprising a public switched telephone network in communication with said one originating gateway and wherein calls arriving from the public switched telephone network are placed on said data network and then allocated between two terminating gateways.

12. The article of claim 10, further comprising a public switched telephone network in communication with said two terminating gateways.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a data network;

a first gateway operable to place said data network in communication with a first telephone;

at least a second and a third gateway operable to place a second telephone in communication with said data network to receive a call sent from said first telephone, wherein said call is directed to one of either said second or third gateways based on a routing information that specifies an allocation of call attempts therebetween; and

a system operable to generate said routing information wherein said allocation of call attempts is based on call metrics obtained from said third and second ways, the routing information being such that the call attempts may reach either of said second and third gateways through different paths over said data network, said paths not being specified by said routing information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a first public switched telephone network, wherein said call is placed over said first public switched telephone network to said first gateway, and wherein neither of said second or third gateways is directly connected to said first gateway.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a second public switched telephone network, wherein said call is carried by said second public switched telephone network to said second telephone.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said system comprises:

a data acquisition element that acquires call metrics from said first, second and third terminating gateways;

a data analysis element that receives said call metrics from said data acquisition element and compares said call metrics to historical data; and

a call routing element operable to;

receive the comparison; and

generate said routing information based, in part, on said comparison.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said data acquisition element is operable to organize at least a portion of said call metrics into portfolios, wherein each portfolio provides, per DNIS, an allocation of call attempts by said at least second and third terminating gateways.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said data analysis element is operable to compare said call metrics to historical performance by:

using historical data to define a band of acceptable performance; and

determining whether or not said call metrics fall within said band.

19. A method for distributed monitoring, evaluation and routing of internet telephone calls in an internet telephone system comprising:

collecting call metrics from a plutality of gateways;

updating a routing information using the collectcd call metrics, said routing information;

comprising an allocation of call attempts between said gateways per DNIS;

utilizing said call metrics at plural originating gateways, none of which are directly connected to said plurality of gateways, to allocate calls to be terminated to the terminating gateways.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said collecting further comprises:

generating a first portfolio, said first portfolio providing a summary, based on said collected call metrics, of call attempts per gateway for a first DNIS.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said updating further comprises:

defining a band of acceptable performance based on historical data of a first call metric, on a time basis; and

comparing a collected first call metric to said band.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said updating further comprises using cost data to update said routing information.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising allocating said call attempts using historical call metrics, said historical call metrics providing, for said DNIS, a breakdown of call attempts by sub-DNIS.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising routing a call using said routing information.

25. A method for operating a data-network-based telephony system for telephone calls from a calling party telephone station to a called party telephone station said telephony system including a data network, the method comprising:

collecting call metrics from gateways;

analyzing said call metrics;

changing an allocation of call attempts among acceptable terminating gateways when a problem in call quality is detected from the analysis, said change being operable to cause a change at plural originating gateways in a network, none of which originating gateways are directly connected to gateways in which said metrics were collected.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein changing said allocation comprises using sub-DNIS to implement the change in allocation of call attempts.

27. A method for analyzing internet telephone call quality based on a first call metric obtained from gateways of a data-network-based telephony network, the method comprising:

defining a band of acceptable performance for said first call metric for a portfolio including a plurality of gateways that terminate calls for a first DNIS, said band based on said first call metric during a first time period;

collecting said first call metric for a second time period;

comparing said first call metric collected during said second time period to said band; and

categorizing said call quality as unacceptable when said first call metric collected during said second time period is determined to be out of said band.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising changing an allocation of call attempts among said gateways of said portfolio to improve said unacceptable call quality.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

changing said allocation using historical data for call attempts for said first DNIS broken down by sub-DNIS, wherein;

one or more sub-DNIS are allocated to each of said gateways as required to satisfy the changed allocation.

30. A method of performing call setup for calls to be made over a packet switched data network, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting at least a call setup message from a telephone network to an originating gateway, said originating gateway being configured to accept a call from said telephone network and reformat said call for transmission via packet switching over said data network;

selecting, after receipt of said call setup message by said originating gateway, one of at least two terminating gateways to be utilized for completing said call between said one of at least two terminating gateways and a called telephone station via a telephone network, wherein plural ones of said at least two terminating gateways are available and capable of completing said call, and wherein said step of selecting is based at least in part upon temporal lengths of plural previous calls completed through each of said at least two terminating gateways.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said step of selecting is also based upon other quality characteristics of plural previous calls completed through each of said at least two terminating gateways.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said step of selecting is also based upon call completion ratios for previous calls through said at least two terminating gateways.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of selecting is based upon criteria being within a band, and wherein the band varies in size by time of day or day of week.

34. A method of routing audio information that is part of a telephone call over a packet and circuit switching route, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting the audio information in circuit switched form to a packet switching data network;

converting the circuit switched audio information to packets, transmitting the packets over the data network to a terminating gateway;

converting, at the terminating gateway, the packets into circuit switched format;

wherein the terminating gateway is selected from several potential terminating gateways from statistics maintained for plural calls to a particular DNIS previously completed through each of said plural gateways.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said statistics include average call length.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said statistics further include average call completion rate.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising the steps of maintaining call allocation tables for each DNIS, and for plural subDNISes within each DNIS.

38. A method of transmitting calls over a packet switched data network and a circuit switched network, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting each of said calls in circuit switched format to an originating gateway;

converting the calls to packet switched format at the originating gateway;

transmitting The packets over a data network to a terminating gateway, the terminating gateway being one of several such terminating gateway capable of further conveying the call over a telephone network to a called party, the percentage of calls destined to a specified DNIS that are sent through each such terminating gateway being periodically updated in response dynamic changes in said data network.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said dynamic changes are measured at least in part by monitoring, for each of plural specified DNISes, average call length for calls completed over each of plural gateways.