System and method for providing transparency in delivering private network features

• US 7,227,853 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearce, Christopher E., Jagadeesan, Ramanathan T., Toor, Kamaldip, Nguyen, Bich T., Valluru, Sudhakar S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, PHUC H
• Application Number:
  US11/424,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20060251113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 379/121.01, 379/125, 379/126, 455/406, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1055 Single-site
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1056 Multi-site
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• 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: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method is provided that includes receiving a request from a communication device to establish a communication session with a mobile station, the mobile station being operable to roam between a private and a public network. The mobile station is signaled via a cellular data network that a call is being initiated for the mobile station. Signaling information may be exchanged with a voice gateway such that one or more voice circuits are established. A signaling pathway may be established between an Internet protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX) and the mobile station via the cellular data network. The establishment of the signaling pathway is substantially concurrent with the establishment of one or more of the voice circuits. One or more features associated with a private network are delivered to the mobile station during the communication session as an end user moves between the public and private networks.

Claims

1. A method for enlisting one or more end users in a network environment in which delivery of one or more features occurs, comprising:

enlisting one or more end users in a billing plan associated with network communications;

generating a bill associated with one or more of the end users, the bill being based on the billing plan; and

facilitating network communications for one or more of the end users in response to the end users being enlisted in the billing plan, whereby the network communications is facilitated by;

a mobile station operable to conduct a communication session that involves a communication device, an Internet protocol (IP) private branch exchange (PBX) being operable to receive a request from a selected one of the communication device and the mobile station to establish the communication session, the IP PBX being operable to respond to the request by signaling to the mobile station that a call is being initiated that involves the mobile station, the IP PBX being operable to exchange signaling information with a voice gateway after receiving the request such that one or more voice circuits are established by the voice gateway in order to accommodate voice data that may propagate between the communication device and the mobile station, and wherein a signaling pathway is established between the IP PBX and the mobile station in response to the request such that one or more features associated with a private network are delivered to the mobile station during the communication session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station includes a functions element operable to perform scanning and roaming operations for the mobile station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the functions element is further operable to provide power management or wireless local area network (WLAN) operations for the mobile station.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile station includes one or more virtual drivers operable to communicate with the functions element in order to facilitate a selected communications protocol being implemented in the communication session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP PBX communicates call-identification information to the mobile station after receiving the request from the communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling information associated with one or more functions performed at the mobile station and involving one or more of the features associated with the private network are received by the IP PBX and processed therein during the communication session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session is presented to an end user of the mobile station in a manner that is consistent with a display that may be offered in the private network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the features associated with the private network are a selected one of a group of elements consisting of:

a) a ‘

hold’

function;

b) a conference call function;

c) a voice mail function;

d) a do not disturb function;

e) a message alert function;

f) a three-way call function;

g) a call forwarding function;

h) a call waiting function; and

i) a directory function.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station includes an operations/administration (OA) and management/policies (MP) element operable to provide provisioning applications for the mobile station, the provisioning applications being associated with one or more policies provided to an end user of the mobile station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile station includes a general module that is operable to provide a communicative platform from which one or more of the features associated with the private network are delivered.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling information associated with one or more functions performed at the mobile station and involving one or more of the features associated with the private network are received by the IP PBX and processed therein during the communication session.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP PBX is operable to perform a make before break protocol as the mobile station moves between a public network and the private network such that the communication session is not lost.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice gateway is included in the signaling pathway such that signaling information associated with one or more functions performed at the mobile station and involving one or more of the features associated with the private network are received by the IP PBX and forwarded to the voice gateway.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a voice over IP (VoIP) telephone.

15. A method for enlisting one or more end users in a network environment in which delivery of one or more features occurs, comprising:

enlisting one or more end users in a billing plan associated with network communications;

generating a bill associated with one or more of the end users, the bill being based on the billing plan; and

facilitating network communications for one or more of the end users in response to the end users being enlisted in the billing plan, whereby the network communications includes a protocol that comprises;

communicating a request, from a selected one of a communication device and a mobile station, to establish a communication session that involves the mobile station, wherein signaling information is exchanged with a voice gateway after the request is received such that one or more voice circuits are established by the voice gateway in order to accommodate voice data that may propagate between the communication device and the mobile station; and

establishing a signaling pathway between an Internet protocol (IP) private branch exchange (PBX) and the mobile station via the cellular data network in response to the request such that one or more features associated with a private network are delivered to the mobile station during the communication session.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

exchanging signaling information between the IP PBX and the communication device after the request is received by the IP PBX.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

performing a make before break protocol as the mobile station moves between a public network and the private network such that the communication session is not lost.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

invoking one or more of the features associated with a private network at the IP PBX during the communication session.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

presenting the communication session to an end user of the mobile station in a manner that is consistent with a display which may be offered in a private network.

20. A method for enlisting one or more end users in a network environment in which delivery of one or more features occurs, comprising:

enlisting one or more end users in a billing plan associated with network communications;

generating a bill associated with one or more of the end users, the bill being based on the billing plan; and

facilitating network communications for one or more of the end users in response to the end users being enlisted in the billing plan, whereby the network communications is facilitated by;

a feature server operable to receive a request from a selected one of a communication device and a mobile station, which can conduct a communication session involving the communication device, the feature server being operable to respond to the request by signaling to the mobile station that a call is being initiated that involves the mobile station, the feature server being operable to exchange signaling information with a voice gateway after receiving the request such that one or more voice circuits are established by the voice gateway in order to accommodate voice data that may propagate between the communication device and the mobile station, and wherein a signaling pathway is established between the feature server and the mobile station in response to the request such that one or more features associated with the private network are delivered to the mobile station during the communication session.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the feature server is operable to communicate call-identification information to the mobile station after receiving the request from the communication device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein signaling information associated with one or more functions performed at the mobile station and involving one or more of the features associated with the private network are received by the feature server and processed therein during the communication session.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the feature server is operable to present the communication session to an end user of the mobile station in a manner that is consistent with a display that may be offered in the private network.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more of the features associated with a private network are a selected one of a group of elements consisting of:

a) a ‘

hold’

function;

b) a conference call function;

c) a voice mail function;

d) a do not disturb function;

e) a message alert function;

f) a three-way call function;

g) a call forwarding function;

h) a call waiting function; and

i) a directory function.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the feature server is further operable to view the communication session as a virtual call having multiple call links such that when a selected one of the features is invoked, it is invoked on the virtual call and subsequently the virtual call can be translated into an actual call leg.