System and method for providing telephony services to remote subscribers

• US 6,411,704 B1
• Filed: 02/18/1999
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pelletier, Karen Jeanne, Orwick, David Anthony, Bull, Rex Norman, Heinmiller, Wayne Robert, Chatterley, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/251,031
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/201.12, 379/229, 379/230, 379/157, 379/900, 370/252, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354
• US Class Current: 379/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• 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
• 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: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A system and method for providing telephony services, such as caller ID, voice mail, selective call forwarding, and the like, to a remote subscriber, typically located outside the provider'"'"'s regional territory. The system can include customer premise equipment (CPE) selectively connectable to a remote central office (CO), a packet-switched network gateway, such as an internet telephony gateway (ITG), for remotely communicating service requests to a local service node. The local service node can be located within the service provider'"'"'s territory and returns telephony service responses via the packet-switched network gateway to the remote CO, and ultimately the remote CPE.

Claims

1. A method for providing a telephony service to a remote subscriber customer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:

receiving a telephony service request routed through a remote central office (CO);

transferring the service request to a packet-switched network gateway;

forwarding the service request over a packet-switched network operatively coupled to the packet-switched network gateway;

receiving the forwarded service request at a telephone service processor;

generating a service response in response to the forwarded service request;

transferring the service response from the telephony service processor to the packet-switched network gateway via the packet-switched network; and

transferring the service response to the remote subscriber CPE through the remote CO.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet-switched network gateway includes an Internet telephony gateway (ITG).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephony service comprises voice mail.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephony service comprises caller identification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephony service comprises call forwarding.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephony service comprises a caller screening service.

7. A telecommunication system, comprising:

a remote customer premises equipment (CPE) for generating a service request;

a remote service switching point (SSP), in communication with the remote CPE, for receiving the service request;

a first gateway in communication with the remote SSP, for forwarding the service request over a packet-switched network;

a service node generating a service response in response to the forwarded service request; and

a second gateway, in communication with the first gateway and the service node for transferring the forwarded service request and service response between the first gateway and the service node;

the service response being transferred to the remote CPE from the first gateway via the remote SSP.

8. The telecommunication system of claim 7, wherein the service request transferred over the packet-switched network includes SS7 type signalling.