System and method for providing a communication session

• US 7,302,053 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shae, Zon-Yin, Chang, Rong, Gu, Xiaohui
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/725,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20050129026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 379/220.01, 379/387.01, 379/201.01, 379/93.01, 370/260
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A communications system includes a plurality of service providers, and at least one management unit, wherein the at least one management unit selects at least one service provider of the plurality of service providers and utilizes at least one service of the at least one service provider to provide a communication session to at least one end user.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a plurality of service providers; and

at least one management unit, wherein the at least one management unit selects at least one service provider of the plurality of service providers and utilizes at least one service of the at least one service provider to provide a communication session to at least one end user, wherein the at least one management unit works collaboratively with at least one other management unit to virtualize services provided by the at least one service provider and at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers, and wherein the communication session is a VoIP session across multiple service providers.

2. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the VoIP session include at least one of a conference call and a point-to-point call.

3. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one end user contacts the at least one management unit through an access network.

4. The communications system as recited in claim 3, wherein the access network includes at least one of a wireless LAN, a LAN, the Internet, a cable network, a cable gateway, a telephone company network, a public switched telephone network, a wireless network and a wireless gateway.

5. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein a signaling protocol of the communications system is session initiation protocol.

6. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein each service provider of the plurality of service providers is capable of providing at least one VoIP service.

7. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein services of each service provider of the plurality of service providers are divided into service segments based on a predetermined criterion.

8. The communications system as recited in claim 7, wherein the predetermined criterion includes at least one of service location, service type, service duration, service timing and service quality.

9. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one management unit virtualizes services of the at least one service provider and at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers according to at least one service level agreement.

10. The communications system as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least one service level agreement is at least one of:

between the at least one service provider and the at least one other service provider;

between the at least one management unit and the at least one service provider; and

between the at least one management unit and the at least one other management unit.

11. The communications system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a service level agreement at least one of:

between the at least one service provider and at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers;

between the at least one management unit and the at least one service provider;

between the at least one management unit and the at least one other management unit; and

between the at least one end user and an access network.

12. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein each service provider of the plurality of service providers is capable of providing at least one service for the communication session without knowledge of the communication session.

13. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one management unit includes an authorization unit for at least one of identifying the at least one end user, determining rights of the at least one end user to request the communication session, and triggering a billing process.

14. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one management unit includes a path calculation unit for at least one of calculating an optimal voice path, selecting the at least one service provider, and selecting a master management unit from the at least one management unit and the at least one other management unit.

15. The communications system as recited in claim 14, wherein calculation of the optimal voice path and selection of the at least one service provider is based on at least one of a service level agreement, and session performance information.

16. The communications system as recited in claim 15, wherein the session performance information includes at least one of voice quality information, communication link status information and resource status information.

17. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one management unit includes a monitor unit for at least one of measuring voice quality for the communication session, defining service boundaries, and defining at least one service level agreement for the communication session.

18. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one management unit includes a database unit for storing at least one of service level agreement information, and session performance information.

19. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one management unit includes a path setup unit for setting up an optimal voice path.

20. The communications system as recited in claim 19, wherein the at least one service provider includes at least one access point accessible under at least one service level agreement.

21. The communications system as recited in claim 19, wherein the optimal voice path includes at least one linear branch including the at least one service provider or the at least one service provider connected with at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers.

22. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one management unit includes a communication unit for communicating between the at least one management unit and the at least one other management unit.

23. The communications system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one management unit includes:

a path calculation unit for at least one of calculating an optimal voice path and selecting the at least one service provider;

a monitor unit for gathering performance information for the communication session; and

a path setup unit for setting up the optimal voice path.

24. The communications system as recited in claim 23, wherein the path calculation unit uses the performance information gathered by the monitor unit to at least one of calculate the optimal voice path and select the at least one service provider.

25. A method for providing a communication session, comprising:

accessing at least one management unit for managing the communication session;

selecting at least one service provider of a plurality of service providers;

utilizing at least one service of the at least one service provider to provide the communication session to at least one end user; and

establishing a communication line between the at least one management unit for managing the communication session and at least one other management unit for managing the communication session, wherein the at least management unit works collaboratively with the at least one management unit to virtualize services provided by the at least one service provider and at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers, and wherein the communication session is a VoIP session across multiple service providers.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the VoIP session includes at least one of a conference call and a point-to-point call.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising using session initiation protocol as a signaling protocol.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein each service provider of the plurality of service providers is capable of providing at least one VoIP service.

29. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising dividing services of each service provider of the plurality of service providers into service segments based on a predetermined criterion.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the predetermined criterion includes at least one of service location, service type, service duration, service timing, and service quality.

31. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising virtualizing services of the at least one service provider and the at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers according to at least one service level agreement.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the at least one service level agreement is at least one of:

between the at least one service provider and the at least one other service provider;

between the at least one management unit for managing the communication session and the at least one service provider; and

between the at least one management unit for managing the communication session and the at least one other management unit for managing the communication session.

33. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein each service provider of the plurality of service providers is capable of providing at least one service for the communication session without knowledge of the communication session.

34. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising at least one of identifying the at least one end user, determining rights of the at least one end user to request the communication session, and triggering a billing process.

35. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

calculating an optimal voice path; and

setting up the optimal voice path.

36. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising at least one of measuring voice quality for the communication session, defining service boundaries, and defining at least one service level agreement for the communication session.

37. The method as recited in claim 36, further comprising using at least one of measured voice quality, the service boundaries and the at least one service level agreement to calculate an optimal voice path.

38. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising storing at least one of service level agreement information, and data regarding voice quality over at least one voice path.

39. The method as recited in claim 35, wherein setting up the optimal voice path includes:

establishing a first connection between the at least one service provider and the at least one management unit for managing the communication session;

establishing a second connection between the at least one service provider and at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers; and

establishing a third connection between the at least one other service provider and at least one other management unit for managing the communication session.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the at least one service provider and the at least one other service provider each include at least one access point accessible under at least one service level agreement.

41. A computer program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a computer program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for providing a communication session, the method steps comprising:

selecting at least one service provider of a plurality of service providers;

utilizing at least one service of the at least one service provider to provide the communication session to at least one end user; and

establishing a communication line between at least one management unit for managing the communication session and at least one other management unit for managing the communication session, wherein the at least one management unit works collaboratively with the at least one other management unit to virtualize services provided by the at least one service provider and at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers, and wherein the communication session is a VoIP session across multiple service providers.

42. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, wherein the VoIP session includes at least one of a conference call and a point-to-point call.

43. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, further comprising instructions for using session initiation protocol as a signaling protocol.

44. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, wherein each service provider of the plurality of service providers is capable of providing at least one VoIP service.

45. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, further comprising instructions for dividing services of each service provider of the plurality of service providers into service segments based on a predetermined criterion.

46. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, wherein the predetermined criterion includes at least one of service location, service type, service duration, service timing, and service quality.

47. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, further comprising instructions for virtualizing services of the at least one service provider and the at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers according to at least one service level agreement.

48. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 47, wherein the at least one service level agreement is at least one of:

between the at least one service provider and the at least one other service provider;

between the at least one management unit for managing the communication session and the at least one service provider; and

between the at least one management unit for managing the communication session and the at least one other management unit for managing the communication session.

49. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, wherein each service provider of the plurality of service providers is capable of providing at least one service for the communication session without knowledge of the communication session.

50. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, further comprising instructions for performing at least one of identifying the at least one end user, determining rights of the at least one end user to request the communication session, and triggering a billing process.

51. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

calculating an optimal voice path; and

setting up the optimal voice path.

52. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, further comprising instructions for performing at least one of measuring voice quality for the communication session, defining service boundaries, and defining at least one service level agreement for the communication session.

53. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 52, further comprising instructions for using at least one of measured voice quality, the service boundaries and the at least one service level agreement to calculate an optimal voice path.

54. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 41, further comprising instructions for storing at least one of service level agreement information, and session performance information.

55. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 54, wherein the session performance information includes at least one of voice quality information, communication link status information and resource status information.

56. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 51, wherein setting up the optimal voice path includes:

establishing a first connection between the at least one service provider and the at least one management unit for managing the communication session;

establishing a second connection between the at least one service provider and the at least one other service provider of the plurality of service providers; and

establishing a third connection between the at least one other service provider and the at least one other management unit for managing the communication session.

57. The computer program storage device as recited in claim 56, wherein the at least one service provider and the at least one other service provider each include at least one access point accessible under at least one service level agreement.