Networks, systems and methods for intelligently routing traffic within a telephone network

• US 6,415,027 B1
• Filed: 08/12/1998
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/133,299
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221-1-2, 379/220.01, 379/219, 379/207-1-2, 379/229, 379/230, 379/900, 379/93.09, 379/100.15, 370/352, 370/400, 370/401
• US Class Current: 379/221.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

When a subscriber calls into its Internet Service Provider (ISP), a central office receiving the call is triggered to perform a Local Number Portability (LNP) query. This LNP query is sent to an Intelligent Traffic Routing and Control (INTRAC) unit resident on a Service Control Point (SCP) which determines whether the call is to an ISP. If the call is to an ISP, the INTRAC unit polls a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server to determine whether resources are available. The RADIUS server tracks the resources of the ISP and of other ISPs and informs the SCP of the available resources. The SCP then inserts the Local Routing Number (LRN) of the preferred resource into a reply that is sent to the central office. If resources are not available, the call is terminated before signaling occurs with any switch associated with the ISP. On the other hand, when resources are available, the subscriber can be directed to the preferred resource for the subscriber. The subscriber, for instance, can be directed to an access server within the ISP that has excess capacity or can be directed to an access server that provides the best service for the subscriber, whereby subscribers can be directed to X2 type service if they have an X2 modem or to K56Flex type service if they have a K56Flex modem. As another example, if one ISP is at maximum capacity, the subscriber can be directed to a second back-up ISP.

Claims

1. A server for use in routing calls within a network, comprising:

a call managing unit for receiving a query from a switch, the query being an LNP query generated for every call received at the switch;

the call managing unit for determining whether the LNP query should have a first type of call processing or a second type of call processing;

the call managing unit determining that the LNP query should have the second type of call processing if the call is a data call and should have the first type of call processing if the call is a non-data call;

the call managing unit for accordingly directing the LNP query to a first processing unit for the first type of call processing or to a second processing unit for the second type of call processing;

the first processing unit for performing the first type of call processing by deriving routing instructions for all non-data calls and for returning the routing instructions to the switch for the non-data calls, the first type of call processing comprising local number portability call processing;

the second processing unit for performing the second type of call processing by deriving routing directions for all data calls and for returning the routing directions to the switch for the data calls, the second type of call processing for directing the data calls to a data network.

2. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the network is a telephony network.

3. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second processing unit is for directing the data calls to an Internet service provider.

4. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second processing unit returns the routing directions for directing the data calls to a dialed telephone number different than a previous telephone number associated with the call.

5. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the call managing unit determines whether the query should have the first or second type of call processing through a dialed telephone number in the call.

6. The server as set forth in claim 5, wherein the call managing unit compares the dialed telephone number in the call to at least one stored telephone number.

7. The server as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the first processing unit.

8. The server as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first processing unit comprises a local number portability call processing unit for providing routing directions to the switch in response to the LNP query.

9. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the call managing unit by default directs the query to the first processing unit for the first type of call processing.

10. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the call managing unit directs the query to the first processing unit or the second processing unit depending upon a routing key associated with the query.

11. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the server comprises a service control point and the second processing unit comprises a service package application resident on the service control point.

12. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second processing unit derives the routing directions from a database.

13. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second processing unit derives the routing directions based on available resources.

14. The server as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a database of telephone numbers and the call managing unit directs the query to the second processing unit if a dialed telephone number associated with the call is stored in the database.

15. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second processing unit returns routing directions to the switch for directing the call to a specified trunk.

16. The server as set forth in claim 1, wherein the specified trunk comprises a data line interconnecting the switch to an access server.

17. A telephony network, comprising:

a switch for receiving a call and for being triggered to generate a query based on a destination telephone number associated with the call, the query being an LNP query generated for every call received at the switch;

a service control point for receiving the LNP query from the switch;

the service control point for determining whether the LNP query should have a fist type of call processing or a second type of call processing based on the destination telephone number,

the service control point determining that the LNP query should have the second type of call processing if the call is a data call and should have the first type of call processing if the call is a non-data call;

the service control point for accordingly directing the LNP query to a first processing unit for the first type of call processing or to a second processing unit for the second type of call processing; and

the first processing unit for performing the first type of call processing by deriving routing instructions for all non-data calls and for returning the routing instructions to the switch for the non-data calls, the first type of call processing comprising local number portability call processing;

the second processing unit for performing the second type of call processing by deriving routing directions for all data calls and for returning the routing directions to the switch for the data calls, the second type of call processing for directing data calls to a data network;

wherein the switch routes the call based on the routing directions received from the second processing unit.

18. The telephony network as set forth in claim 17, wherein the switch generates the query in response to a local number portability trigger.

19. The telephony network as set forth in claim 17, wherein the service control point determines whether the query should be sent to the second processing unit based on a routing key associated with the query.

20. The telephony network as set forth in claim 17, wherein the second processing units is resident on the service control point.

21. The telephony network as set forth in claim 17, wherein the first and second processing units comprise service package applications resident on the service control point.

22. The telephony network as set forth in claim 17, wherein the service control point determines whether the query should be sent to the second processing unit based on a telephone number in the query.

23. The telephony network as set forth in claim 22, wherein the telephone number is a called party'"'"'s telephone number.

24. The telephony network as set forth in claim 22, wherein the telephone number is a calling party'"'"'s telephone number.

25. The telephony network as set forth in claim 22, wherein the service control point determines whether the query should be sent to the second processing unit by comparing the telephone number to a database of stored telephone numbers.

26. The telephony network as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a service management system for receiving the telephone numbers to be placed in the database and for transferring the telephone numbers to the service control point for placement within the database.

27. The telephony network as set forth in claim 17, wherein the second processing unit derives the routing directions based on resources available to receive the call.

28. A method for routing calls within a network, comprising:

receiving a query from a switch, the query being an LNP query;

determining whether the LNP query should have a first type of call processing or a second type of call processing;

determining that the LNP query should have the second type of call processing if the call is a data call;

determining that the LNP query should have the first type of call processing if the call is a non-data call;

directing the LNP query to a first processing unit for the first type of call processing or to a second processing unit for the second type of call processing;

performing the first typo of call processing by deriving routing instructions for all non-data calls, the first type of call processing comprising local number portability call processing;

performing the second type of call processing by deriving routing directions for all data calls, the second type of call processing for directing data calls to a data network; and

returning the routing directions to the switch.

29. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein receiving the query is in response to receiving a data call at the switch.

30. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein determining whether the call should have the second type of call processing comprises comparing a telephone number associated with the call to telephone numbers stored in a database.

31. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein determining whether the call should have the second type of call processing comprises determining whether the call is directed toward an Internet service provider.

32. The method as set forth in claim 28, further comprising receiving the call at the switch and generating the query in response to a trigger.

33. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein determining includes determining whether a condition is satisfied and wherein the query is determined to require the first type of call processing by default and the query is determined to require the second type of call processing only if the condition is satisfied.

34. The method as set forth in claim 33, wherein determining whether the condition is satisfied comprises comparing a telephone number associated with the query to at least one predetermined telephone number.

35. The method as set forth in claim 34, wherein the telephone number associated with the query comprises a calling party'"'"'s telephone number.

36. The method as set forth in claim 34, wherein the telephone number associated with the query comprises a called party'"'"'s telephone number.

37. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein determining comprises determining that the query should have the second type of call processing when a routing key associated with the query is equal to a predefined value.

38. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the first and second processing units comprise first and second service package applications, respectively, on a service control point and directing comprises directing the query to either the first or second service package application.

39. The method as set forth in claim 28, further comprising performing the first type of call processing.

40. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein deriving routing directions comprises deriving routing directions based on available resources.

41. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein deriving routing directions comprises directing the call to a specified trunk at the switch.

42. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein deriving routing directions comprises directing the call to a trunk for carrying the call from the switch to an access server.

43. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein determining occurs within a service control point.

44. The method as set forth in claim 28, further comprising receiving the routing directions at the switch and routing the call based on the routing directions.

45. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein determining comprises comparing a telephone number associated with the query to a list of stored telephone numbers and further comprising receiving the list of stored telephone number from another location.

46. The method as set forth in claim 45, wherein the location comprises a service management system and further comprising storing the list of telephone numbers at the service management system.