Method and apparatus for handing off control of service access over a cable IP network
First Claim
1. A method of transferring call control between a first terminal and a second terminal communicating through a cable IP network where the first terminal resides on an originating network and the second terminal resides on a receiving network, the method comprising:
- controlling, by a first service provider, access of the first terminal relative to the originating network and cable IP network via a provisionable module that enables the first terminal to respond to call setup and control messages,controlling, by a second service provider, access of the second terminal relative to the receiving network and the cable IP network via a provisionable module that enables the second terminal to respond to call setup and control messages supplied thereto,in response to a call control parameter issued by a call agent communicating with the originating and receiving networks over the cable IP network, provisioning the first terminal to respond to call setup and control messages issued directly from the receiving network whereby to effect a hand-off of control of the first terminal from the originating network to the receiving network.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a communication network that provides a path through a cable IP network between sending and receiving terminals residing on respective networks (e.g., an HFC, and/or PSTN network) controlled by different network managers or service providers, a controller hands off control of service access of the terminals between the service providers. Subscriber terminals may include broadband telephony interfaces, cable modems, or multimedia terminal adapters. To effect hand-off control, configurable modules of the terminals enable them to respond directly to a network manager (e.g., cable modem termination system or call management server) according to instructions supplied by the controller based either on subscriber authorization, database information, call type, dialing plan, and/or other parameters. Transfer of call control may also occur on a call-by-call basis. Further, a usage server collects network usage information of the respective terminals or subscribers to determine user fees between competitive networks.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of transferring call control between a first terminal and a second terminal communicating through a cable IP network where the first terminal resides on an originating network and the second terminal resides on a receiving network, the method comprising:
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controlling, by a first service provider, access of the first terminal relative to the originating network and cable IP network via a provisionable module that enables the first terminal to respond to call setup and control messages, controlling, by a second service provider, access of the second terminal relative to the receiving network and the cable IP network via a provisionable module that enables the second terminal to respond to call setup and control messages supplied thereto, in response to a call control parameter issued by a call agent communicating with the originating and receiving networks over the cable IP network, provisioning the first terminal to respond to call setup and control messages issued directly from the receiving network whereby to effect a hand-off of control of the first terminal from the originating network to the receiving network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a communication network that provides a path through a cable IP network between a sending terminal of a sending network and a receiving terminal of a receiving network, an improvement comprising:
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a first network manager operated by a first service provider that manages network access of the sending terminal, a configuration module of the sending terminal that receives information defining a call setup and control protocol that controls access of said sending terminal to the sending network, a second network manager operated by a second service provider that manages network access of the receiving terminal, a configuration module of the receiving terminal for receiving a call setup and control protocol that controls access of said receiving terminal to the receiving network, and a call control agent in communication with the first and second network managers to effect a transfer of access control of the sending terminal from the first network manager to the second network manager in response to a call control parameter. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In operation with a cable IP network that links a sending terminal of a sending network with a receiving terminal of a receiving network, an improvement comprising:
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a first configuration module co-located with at least one of the sending terminal and the sending network to define a service access protocol according to call control information supplied thereto, a first network manager in the form of cable modem termination system operated by a first service provider to bridge the sending network and the cable IP network, a second configuration module co-located with at least one of the receiving terminal and the receiving network that is for defining a service access protocol for the transfer of information between the sending and receiving terminals, a second network manager operated by a second service provider independent of the first service provider that is operative to bridge the receiving network and the cable IP network, and a controller in communication with the first and second network managers to effect a transfer of call control from the first network manager to the second network manager in response to a call control parameter.
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15. For use with a cable IP network that links sending and receiving networks that respectively support a sending terminal and at least one broadband receiving terminal, an improvement comprising:
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a first configuration module of the sending terminal that defines a service access procedure according to control information supplied by a subscriber on a per call basis, a first network manager operated by a first service provider to bridge the sending network and the cable IP network, a second configuration module of the receiving terminal for defining a service access protocol that controls a conveyance of information between the sending terminal and the receiving terminal, a second network manager operated by a second service provider to bridge the receiving network and the cable IP network, and a controller in communication with the first network manager and the second network manager to effect a transfer of call control from the first network manager to the second network manager by enabling provisioning of the first and second configuration modules to implement service access procedures required by the hand-off.
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16. In a cable IP network that links a sending CPE of a sending network and a receiving CPE of a receiving network, an improvement comprising:
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a first configuration module of the sending CPE for being provisioned to define a service access protocol that controls the transfer of information, a CMTS of an HFC network operated by a first service provider for authorizing and bridging a call between the sending CPE and the receiving CPE according to a service access protocol, a second configuration module of the receiving CPE for being provisioned to define a service access procedure that controls an information conveyance between the sending CPE and the receiving CPE, a network manager operated by a second service provider for effecting a link between the sending and receiving CPEs through the receiving network and the cable IP network by configuring at least one of the first and second configuration modules, and a controller that effects a hand-off of call control from the CMTS to the network manager by effecting provisioning of the first and second configuration modules to implement a given service access procedure according to a call control parameter. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification