Method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware

• US 6,426,950 B1
• Filed: 02/13/1998
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Mistry, Dhansukh Nathubhai
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H.
• Application Number:
  US09/023,084
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/463, 370/235, 370/252, 370/357, 370/358, 370/386, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/900
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• 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 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 : Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 : Click to dial services
• 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: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware outside the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) operated by a service provider for establishing a call between a service subscriber and another party by facilitating a PSTN voice connection between the service subscriber and the computer controlled telephony hardware, and a PSTN voice connection between the other party and the computer controlled telephony hardware involves determining a resource management index associated with the service subscriber, determining a call treatment using the resource management index, and applying the call treatment to the call.

Claims

1. A method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware outside the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) operated by a service provider for establishing a PSTN-PSTN call between a service subscriber and another party by facilitating a PSTN voice connection between the service subscriber and the computer controlled telephony hardware, and a PSTN voice connection between the other party and the computer controlled telephony hardware, comprising:

determining a resource management index associated with the service subscriber for the PSTN-PSTN call, after both of the voice connections have been answered;

determining a call treatment using the resource management index; and

applying the call treatment to the PSTN-PSTN call.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the resource management index is a telephone number associated with telephone equipment used to establish the PSTN voice connection with the service subscriber.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the call treatment is determined using a rule base which stores a call treatment option for each telephone number associated with a service subscriber.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein call treatment options include:

a) transfer all calls to the PSTN;

b) transfer all toll calls to the PSTN;

c) transfer no calls to the PSTN; and

d) request instructions from the subscriber on a call-by-call basis to determine whether a call is to be transferred to the PSTN.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the resource management index is an IP address associated with computer equipment used by the subscriber to establish a data connection with computer equipment of the service provider.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the call treatment is determined using a rule base, which stores a call treatment option for each IP address associated with a service subscriber.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein call treatment options include:

a) transfer all calls to the PSTN;

b) transfer all toll calls to the PSTN;

c) transfer no calls to the PSTN; and

d) request instructions from the subscriber on a call-by-call basis to determine whether a call is to be transferred to the PSTN.

8. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the computer controlled telephony hardware is connected to the PSTN by one or more Private Rate Interface (PRI) trunks and the transfer of the PSTN-PSTN call to the PSTN is accomplished using PRI messages sent to a Service Switching Point (SSP) that serves the computer controlled telephony hardware.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the PSTN-PSTN call is initiated by the other party, who initiates a call request from a data network.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the data network is the Internet and the PSTN-PSTN call is initiated from a World Wide Web page on the Internet.

11. A method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware outside the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) operated by a service provider for establishing a PSTN-PSTN call between a service subscriber and another party by facilitating a PSTN voice connection between the service subscriber and the computer controlled telephony hardware, and a PSTN voice connection between the other party and the computer controlled telephony hardware, comprising:

monitoring the establishment of a PSTN voice connection between the service subscriber and the computer controlled telephony hardware, and between the other party and the computer controlled telephony hardware to determine when both PSTN voice connections have been answered;

locating a resource management index associated with the service subscriber after both of the PSTN voice connections have been answered;

retrieving a predefined call treatment option using the resource management index in a table lookup; and

applying the call treatment to the PSTN-PSTN call.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein applying the call treatment of the PSTN-PSTN call involves transferring each of the voice connections to the PSTN to form a single voice connection between the service subscriber and the other party.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein applying the call treatment to the PSTN-PSTN call involves bridging the PSTN voice connections at the computer controlled telephony hardware to enable conversation between the service subscriber and the other party.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein applying the call treatment to the PSTN-PSTN call involves requesting from the service subscriber how the call should be handled and either transferring the call to the PSTN or bridging the two PSTN voice connections at the computer controlled telephony hardware, as indicated by the service subscriber in response to the request.

15. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the PSTN voice connection between the computer controlled telephony hardware and the other party, is initiated by the other party who requests voice communications with the service subscriber using facilities provided by the service provider at a public page on a data network, and the PSTN voice connection is established by the computer controlled telephony hardware, which dials a telephone number supplied by the other party.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the PSTN voice connection between the service subscriber and the computer controlled telephony hardware is established by the computer controlled telephony hardware, which dials a number located in a rule base associated with a service record for the service subscriber.

17. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the PSTN voice connection between the service subscriber and the computer controlled telephony hardware is established by the service subscriber using a warm-line function which causes the service subscriber'"'"'s telephone equipment to dial a number associated with the computer controlled telephony hardware.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the PSTN voice connection between the other party and the computer controlled telephony hardware is initiated by a retrieval of data from a computing machine associated with the service subscriber and established by the computer controlled telephony hardware using the data or a telephone number retrieved using the data as an index to locate the telephone number in a directory.

19. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the transferring comprises:

sending a transfer request message from the computer controlled telephony hardware to a PSTN service switching point (SSP) that serves the computer controlled telephony hardware, the transfer request message including reference information relating to each of the PSTN voice connections;

receiving from the SSP a reply message accepting or denying the transfer request;

in the event that the transfer is accepted, receiving from the SSP a disconnect message for each of the PSTN voice connections; and

releasing the respective PSTN voice connections at the computer controlled telephony hardware on receipt of the disconnect messages.

20. A method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware as claimed in claim 19 wherein the computer controlled telephony hardware is connected to the PSTN by a Private Rate Interface (PRI) trunk and messages exchanged between the computer controlled telephony hardware and the SSP are in PRI format.

21. A method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware as claimed in claim 20 wherein the transfer request message includes an invoke transfer request, a call reference and a call link identification.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the call reference identifies the PSTN voice connection between the computer controlled telephony hardware and the service subscriber, and the call link identification identifies the PSTN voice connection between the computer controlled telephony hardware and the other party.

23. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein charges for the single voice connection are billed to the service subscriber.