System and method for providing alternate routing in a network

• US 7,215,643 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Brien, James, Sporel, Eric R., Mussman, Harry, Baj, Michael, Israel, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Doris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elallam; Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US10/629,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20050025043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 370/318, 370/237, 370/217, 370/218, 370/229, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370235-238, 370351-356, 370/401, 370465-467
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• 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 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13138 Least cost routing, LCR
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for performing alternate routing of communications in a network. The system initiates a communication from an origination endpoint in a packet-switched network, such as a VoIP network, to a destination endpoint, and determining, according to selection criteria, whether to route the communication to the destination endpoint using at least a second circuit-switched network, such as the PSTN.

Claims

1. A system for alternate routing of communications in a network, the system comprising:

an origination endpoint associated with an origination enterprise in communication with a packet-switched network;

a destination endpoint associated with a destination enterprise in communication with the packet-switched network, wherein the origination enterprise and the destination enterprise are associated with a private dialing plan (PDP) number;

a call mediator receiving a communication sent from the origination endpoint to the destination endpoint, the communication including the private dialing plan PDP number, the call mediator appending a customer-specific identifier (CSID) to the PDP number, wherein the CSID uniquely identifies either the origination enterprise or the destination enterprise; and

a gatekeeper in the packet-switched network programmed to determine, according to selection criteria, whether to route the communication from the origination endpoint to the destination endpoint using at least a second circuit-switched network, the gatekeeper further programmed to distinguish between the origination enterprise and the destination enterprise based on the CSID.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the origination endpoint comprises a VoIP endpoint.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet-switched network comprises a VoIP network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination endpoint comprises a VoIP endpoint.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination endpoint comprises a PSTN endpoint.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper comprises an enterprise gatekeeper.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper comprises an inbound gatekeeper.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper comprises an outbound gatekeeper.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper comprises a translation gatekeeper.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection criteria comprises available bandwidth criteria.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the available bandwidth criteria comprises whether a number of call counts processed by an enterprise gatekeeper is above a specified threshold.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection criteria comprises network resource availability criteria.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network resource availability criteria comprises the availability of a network component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the network component comprises a network endpoint.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the gatekeeper determines the availability of the network endpoint by receiving an admission request containing a network address associated with the network endpoint, and determines whether the network address associated with the network endpoint is a member of a set of available network addresses.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the network component comprises a second call mediator associated with the destination endpoint.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the gatekeeper determines the availability of the second call mediator by receiving an admission request containing a network address associated with a network endpoint, and determines whether a third call mediator associated with the network address is a member of a set of available call mediators.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the network component comprises a gatekeeper.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the network component comprises a gateway.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the network component comprises a router.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit-switched network comprises the PSTN.

22. The system of claim 1 further comprising a translation gateway that translates a E.164 direct inward dial (DID) number into a number that is routable over a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).