Voice over data telecommunications network architecture

• US 6,614,781 B1
• Filed: 11/20/1998
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Jin-Gen, Peterson, Jon, Elliott, Isaac K., Baker, Bruce W., Mitchell, Jonathan S., Higgins, Steven P., Stearns, Harold, Zimmerer, Eric, Hernandez, Robert L., Steele, Rick D., Lewis, Shawn M., Owen, Kraig, Dugan, Andrew John, Terpstra, Rich, Waibel, Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Application Number:
  US09/197,203
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/395.1, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 370/395.5, 370/395.51, 370/395.52, 370/395.6, 370/465, 370/466
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1255 where the switching fabric and the switching logic are decomposed such as in Media Gateway Control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 : Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 : involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

The present invention describes a system and method for communicating voice and data over a packet-switched network that is adapted to coexist and communicate with a legacy PSTN. The system permits packet switching of voice calls and data calls through a data network from and to any of a LEC, a customer facility or a direct IP connection on the data network. The system includes soft switch sites, gateway sites, a data network, a provisioning component, a network event component and a network management component. The system interfaces with customer facilities (e.g., a PBX), carrier facilities (e.g., a LEC) and legacy signaling networks (e.g., SS7) to handle calls between any combination of on-network and off-network callers.

The soft switch sites provide the core call processing for the voice network architecture. The soft switch sites manage the gateway sites in a preferred embodiment, using a protocol such as the Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC) protocol to request the set-up and tear-down of calls. The gateway sites originate and terminate calls between calling parties and called parties through the data network. The gateway sites include network access devices to provide access to network resources. The data network connects one or more of the soft switch sites to one or more of the gateway sites. The provisioning and network event component collects call events recorded at the soft switch sites. The network management component includes a network operations center (NOC) for centralized network management.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting voice information over a packet-switched data network, the method comprising:

receiving a signaling message associated with a telecommunications call requested between a caller at an origination location to a callee at a termination location, wherein the caller requests connection of the telecommunications call by dialing a termination call number associated with the termination location;

querying a customer profile database using a customer look-up key contained in the signaling message;

extracting from the customer profile database a plan for servicing telecommunications calls requested by the caller, wherein the plan specifies at least one process to be performed in response to reception of the signaling message;

implementing the plan;

analyzing the termination call number to determine a termination gateway servicing the termination location; and

connecting the requested telecommunications call between an origination gateway servicing the origination location and the termination gateway.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plan specifies verification of an account code in order for the caller to participate in the requested telecommunications call, the implementing act comprising:

prompting the caller to input the account code;

receiving a response from the caller; and

performing the analyzing act and the connecting act if the response matches the account code.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plan specifies input of one of a plurality of project account codes associated with a billing account set up for the caller, the implementing act comprising:

prompting the caller to input one of a plurality of project account codes;

receiving a response from the caller, the response being a specific project account code; and

marking the telecommunications call as associated with a specific billing account identified by the specific project account code.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the analyzing act comprises:

determining a least-cost route through the packet-switched network between the origination gateway and the destination gateway.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the connecting act comprises:

allocating an ingress port at an origination access server located at the origination gateway; and

allocating an egress port at a termination access server located at the termination gateway, wherein the least-cost route is determined between the ingress port and the egress port.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the signaling message comprises an out of band signaling format.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications call comprises media traffic, the connecting act further comprising:

transmitting the media traffic between the origination gateway and the termination gateway.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

converting the media traffic from a first media format to a second media format operable for transmission of the media traffic over the packet-switched data network.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein each of the first and the second media formats are selected from the group consisting of:

a circuit switched format and a packet switched format.

10. A method as defined in 9, wherein the media traffic comprises content selected from the group consisting of voice information and data information, wherein the analyzing act comprises:

determining whether the media traffic comprises voice information or data information; and

wherein the connecting act comprises;

terminating the telecommunications call at the the termination gateway via a modem if the media traffic comprises data information; and

terminating the telecommunications call at the termination gateway via an RTP connection if the media traffic comprises voice information.