Subscriber mobility in telephony systems

• US 7,319,692 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Issued: 01/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Boyle, Frank J., Ravipati, Chandra M., Chavez, David L., Milton, Stephen M., Haserodt, Kurt H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sabouri; Mazda
• Application Number:
  US10/370,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20040165712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a telecommunications system 100 for routing a contact to a selected address, comprising (a) an input for receiving a contact message comprising a source address and a destination address of a subscriber communication device 116 associated with a subscriber and (b) mobility agent 160 for determining whether or not the source address in the contact message corresponds to a proxy server 128 and, when the source address corresponds to a proxy server 128, causing the contact not to be routed to a selected address and, when the source address does not correspond to a proxy server 128, causing the contact to be routed to the selected address.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system comprising a plurality of circuit-switched communication devices corresponding to a plurality of subscribers, a plurality of packet-switched communication devices corresponding to the plurality of subscribers, and at least one of a switch and server, the at least one of a switch and server being in communication with a packet-switched network comprising a plurality of proxy servers and a circuit-switched network and at least one of proxy server has a set of predefined rules directing a contact for a first subscriber to the first subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device, a method for bridging a contact comprising:

(a) setting up a first contact with the first subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device;

(b) in response to step (a), the at least one of a switch and server generating a first contact message related to the first contact and comprising a source address other than a source address of the at least one proxy server and a destination address;

(c) applying the following rules to the first contact message;

(C1) when a source address of a contact message corresponds to a proxy server, not bridging a corresponding contact to a subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device; and

(C2) when the source address of the contact message does not correspond to a proxy server, bridging the corresponding contact to the subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device;

(d) in response to step (c), bridging the first contact to the first subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device;

(e) receiving, from the at least one proxy server, a second contact message related to the first contact message and comprising a source address of the at least one proxy server and a destination address of at least one of the communication devices associated with the first subscriber;

(f) applying the rules (C1) and (C2); and

(g) in response to step (f), not bridging a contact associated with the second contact message to the first subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a switch and server and the communication devices in the telecommunication system are part of an enterprise telecommunications system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying step (f) comprises the step of:

comparing the source address of the second contact message with a proxy server address stored in a memory of the enterprise telecommunications system in association with the first subscriber.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, in step (c), the source address of a selected contact message corresponds to a proxy server when the proxy server address is identical to the source address of the selected contact message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, when a source address of the selected contact message does not correspond to a proxy server, the following rule is applied:

terminating a selected contact associated with the selected contact message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, when contact termination requires the selected contact to be bridged to a selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device served by the proxy server, further comprising application of the rules:

not activating a ringer in the selected subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device; and

bridging the contact to the selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein contact termination requires the selected contact to be bridged to the selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device, wherein a call appearance is selected on the selected subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device and an appropriate message displayed on the selected subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device'"'"'s display, thereby permitting the proxy server to apply user defined rules while permitting the selected subscriber to pick up the contact on the selected subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device and wherein the second contact message is received by the at least one of a switch and server and the proxy server is geographically dislocated from the at least one of the switch and server.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising application of a rule that a contact from a proxy server is not bridged even when a provisioned bridging field corresponding to an addressed subscriber communication device contains a rule to bridge to the specified address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the source address in the selected contact message is a proxy server, further comprising:

determining whether the selected contact associated with the selected contact message is an existing contact.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, when the selected contact referenced in the selected contact message is an existing contact, further comprising:

activating a ringer on the selected subscriber'"'"'s communication device; and

refusing the selected contact associated with the selected contact message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected contact is an existing contact when at least one of call identifier and source and destination address fields in the selected contact message matches the corresponding field(s) in a record of an existing contact and wherein, when the selected contact referenced in the selected contact message is not an existing contact, further comprising:

activating a ringer on the selected subscriber'"'"'s communication device; and

terminating the selected contact associated with the selected contact message.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the applying step (c) comprises the step of:

comparing at least one of a unique identifier and the source address contained in the selected contact message with a corresponding at least one of a stored unique identifier and source address and

when the at least one of a unique identifier and source address in the selected contact message are each the same as the corresponding at least one of a stored unique identifier and source address, the selected contact referenced in the selected contact message is deemed to be an existing contact.

13. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 1.

14. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a plurality of circuit-switched communication devices corresponding to a plurality of subscribers,

a plurality of packet-switched communication devices corresponding to the plurality of subscribers, and

at least one of a switch and server, wherein the at least one of a switch and server is in communication with a packet-switched network comprising a plurality of proxy servers and a circuit-switched network, wherein at least one proxy server has a set of predefined rules directing a contact for a first subscriber to the first subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device, wherein the at least one of a switch and server generates and sends a first contact message related to a first contact and comprising a source address other than a source address associated with the at least one proxy server and a destination address and wherein the at least one of a switch and server comprises a mobility agent operable to;

(a) apply the following rules;

(a1) when a source address of a selected contact message corresponds to a proxy server, not bridging the contact to a selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device; and

(a2) when the source address of a selected contact message does not correspond to a proxy server, bridging the contact to the selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device;

(b) receive a second contact message related to the first contact message and comprising a source address of the at least one proxy server and a destination address of at least one of the communication devices associated with the first subscriber;

(c) apply the rules (a1) and (a2); and

(d) in response, not bridge a second contact associated with the second contact message to the first subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one of a switch and server and communication devices in the telecommunication system are part of an enterprise telecommunications system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the apply operation (c) comprises the sub-operation:

comparing the source address of the second contact message with a proxy server address stored in a memory of the enterprise telecommunications system in association with the first subscriber.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein, in the apply operation (a), the source address of a selected contact message corresponds to a proxy server when the proxy server address is identical to the source address of the selected contact message.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein, when a source address of the selected contact message does not correspond to a proxy server, the following rule is applied by the mobility agent:

terminating a selected contact associated with the selected contact message.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein, when contact termination requires the selected contact to be bridged to a selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device served by the proxy server, further comprising application of the rules:

not activating a ringer in the selected subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device; and

bridging the contact to the selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein contact termination requires the selected contact to be bridged to the selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device, wherein a call appearance is selected on the selected subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device and an appropriate message displayed on the selected subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device'"'"'s display, thereby permitting the proxy server to apply user defined rules while permitting the selected subscriber to pick up the contact on the selected subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device and wherein the second contact message is received by the at least one of a switch and server and the proxy server is geographically dislocated from the at least one of the switch and server.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising application of a rule that a contact from a proxy server is not bridged even when a provisioned bridging field corresponding to an addressed subscriber communication device contains a rule to bridge to the specified address.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein, when the source address in the selected contact message is a proxy server, further comprising the operation:

determining whether the selected contact associated with the selected contact message is an existing contact.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein, when the selected contact referenced in the selected contact message is an existing contact, further comprising the operations:

activating a ringer on the selected subscriber'"'"'s communication device; and

refusing the selected contact associated with the selected contact message.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the selected contact is an existing contact when at least one of call identifier and source and destination address fields in the selected contact message matches the corresponding field(s) in a record of an existing contact and wherein, when the selected contact referenced in the selected contact message is not an existing contact, further comprising the operations:

activating a ringer on the selected subscriber'"'"'s communication device; and

terminating the selected contact associated with the selected contact message.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the determining operation (a) comprises the sub-operations:

comparing at least one of a unique identifier and the source address contained in the selected contact message with a corresponding at least one of a stored unique identifier and source address and

when the at least one of a unique identifier and source address in the selected contact message are each the same as the corresponding at least one of a stored unique identifier and source address, the selected contact referenced in the selected contact message is deemed to be an existing contact.

26. In a telecommunications system comprising a plurality of circuit-switched communication devices corresponding to a plurality of subscribers, a plurality of packet-switched communication devices corresponding to the plurality of subscribers, and at least one of a switch and server, the at least one of a switch and server being in communication with a packet-switched network comprising a plurality of proxy servers and a circuit-switched network and at least one of the proxy servers having a set of predefined rules requiring any contact for a first subscriber from a second subscriber not to be directed to the first subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched device, a method comprising:

(a) determining whether contact termination requires a selected contact to be bridged to a selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device served by the at least one proxy server by applying the following rules;

(A1) when a source address of a contact message corresponds to a proxy server, not bridging a corresponding contact to a subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device; and

(A2) when the source address of the contact message does not correspond to a proxy server, bridging the corresponding contact to the subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device; and

(b) when contact termination requires the selected contact to be bridged to a selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device served by the at least one proxy server, applying the following rules;

(b1) not activating a ringer in the selected subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device; and

(b2) bridging the contact to the selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device, thereby permitting the at least one proxy server to apply user defined rules; and

(c) when contact termination does not require the selected contact to be bridged to a selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device served by the at least one proxy server, not applying rules (b1) and (b2).

27. The method of claim 26, wherein contact termination requires a first contact to the first subscriber to be bridged to the first subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device, wherein a call appearance is selected on the first subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device and an appropriate message displayed on the first subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device'"'"'s display, thereby permitting the at least one proxy server to apply rules defined by the first subscriber while permitting the first subscriber to pick up the first contact on the first subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein a first subscriber has corresponding packet-switched and circuit-switched communication devices and wherein the set of predefined rules requires a contact for a first subscriber to be directed to the first subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched and packet communication devices and further comprising:

(c) setting up a first contact with a first subscriber'"'"'s circuit-switched communication device;

(d) bridging the first contact to the first subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device by sending a first contact message to the first subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device;

(e) in response to step (d), the at least one proxy server forwarding a second contact message to the at least one of a switch and server, the second contact message being related to the first contact message;

(f) receiving, from the at least one proxy server, the second contact message and comprising a source address of the at least one proxy server and a destination address of at least one of the communication devices associated with the first subscriber; and

(g) applaying the rules of step (a),

wherein, in response to step (g), a second contact associated with the second contact message is not bridged to the first subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein a common contact message contains the source and destination addresses and wherein the at least a switch and server and communication devices in the telecommunication system is part of an enterprise telecommunications system.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the determining step (g) comprises the step of:

comparing the source address of the second contact message with a proxy server address stored in a memory of the enterprise telecommunications system in association with the first subscriber.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the source address of a selected contact message corresponds to a proxy server when the proxy server address is identical to the source address of the selected contact message.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein, when a source address of the selected contact message does not correspond to a proxy server, the following rule is applied:

terminating a selected contact associated with the selected contact message.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein contact termination requires the selected contact to be bridged to a selected subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched communication device served by the proxy server, and wherein rules (b1) and (b2) are applied.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising application of a rule that a contact from a proxy server is not bridged even when a provisioned bridging field corresponding to an addressed subscriber communication device contains a rule to bridge to the specified address.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein, when the source address in the selected contact message is a proxy server, further comprising:

(h) determining whether the selected contact associated with the selected contact message is an existing contact.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein, when the selected contact referenced in the selected contact message is an existing contact, further comprising:

activating a ringer on the selected subscriber'"'"'s communication device; and

refusing the selected contact associated with the selected contact message.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the selected contact is an existing contact when at least one of call identifier and source and destination address fields in the selected contact message matches the corresponding field(s) in a record of an existing contact and wherein, when the selected contact referenced in the selected contact message is not an existing contact, further comprising:

activating a ringer on the selected subscriber'"'"'s communication device; and

terminating the selected contact associated with the selected contact message.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the determining step (g) comprises the step of:

comparing at least one of a unique identifier and the source address contained in the selected contact message with a corresponding at least one of a stored unique identifier and source address and

when the at least one of a unique identifier and source address in the selected contact message are each the same as the corresponding at least one of a stored unique identifier and source address, the selected contact referenced in the selected contact message is deemed to be an existing contact.

39. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 26.