Apparatus and method for message routing using disparate communications networks
First Claim
1. A method for establishing a communications path between first and second subscriber units, wherein said first subscriber unit is interfaced to a first communications network and said second subscriber unit is interfaced to a second communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving by a master routing hub information regarding a cost of routing data between said first and second communications networks expressed as a function of a time of day at a location of one of said first or second subscriber units;
receiving a quality of service indicator from at least one of said first and second subscriber units;
determining a communications path between said first and second subscriber units based on an optimization of said cost of routing and said quality of service indicator;
routing by the master routing hub to the first subscriber via one of a plurality communications networks based on the optimization, the plurality of communications networks including said first and second communications networks;
routing by the master routing hub the first subscriber to a slave routing hub via one of the plurality of communications networks based on the optimization; and
routing by the slave routing hub the second subscriber to the first subscriber by one of the plurality of communications networks based on the optimization.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A master routing hub (50, FIG. 1 ) selects a communications path which enables subscriber units (10, 140) using disparate networks to communicate with each other. The master routing hub (50) receives a quality of service indicator (FIG. 4, 410) from a subscriber unit (FIG. 1, 10) as well as cost information from alternate communications networks and terrestrial communications networks. The master routing hub (50) selects an appropriate communications path in accordance with the quality of service indicator and thus provides the best available quality of service at the lowest cost to the subscribers (10, 140). The master routing hub (50) also provides the protocol conversion in order to enable the disparate communications networks to communicate with each other.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for establishing a communications path between first and second subscriber units, wherein said first subscriber unit is interfaced to a first communications network and said second subscriber unit is interfaced to a second communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving by a master routing hub information regarding a cost of routing data between said first and second communications networks expressed as a function of a time of day at a location of one of said first or second subscriber units;
receiving a quality of service indicator from at least one of said first and second subscriber units;
determining a communications path between said first and second subscriber units based on an optimization of said cost of routing and said quality of service indicator;
routing by the master routing hub to the first subscriber via one of a plurality communications networks based on the optimization, the plurality of communications networks including said first and second communications networks;
routing by the master routing hub the first subscriber to a slave routing hub via one of the plurality of communications networks based on the optimization; and
routing by the slave routing hub the second subscriber to the first subscriber by one of the plurality of communications networks based on the optimization. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A master routing hub for establishing a communications path between first and second subscriber units, wherein said first subscriber unit is interfaced to a first communications network and said second subscriber unit is interfaced to a second communications network, comprising:
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a first receiver for receiving information regarding a cost of routing data between said first and second communications networks expressed as a function of a time of day at a location of one of said first or second subscriber units;
a second receiver for receiving a quality of service indicator from at least one of said first and second subscriber units;
a processor for determining a communications path between said first and second subscriber units based on an optimization of said cost of routing and said quality of service indicator;
means for routing the first subscriber to the master routing hub via one of a plurality of communications networks based upon the optimization, said plurality of communications networks including the first and second communications networks;
means for routing the first subscriber to a slave routing hub via one of the plurality of communications networks based upon the optimization. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification