Routing calls through a network

• US 7,363,381 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goodman, Lee, Eichen, Elliot, O'Brien, James D. Jr., Mussman, Harry Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Oanh
• Application Number:
  US10/339,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/232, 709/238, 709/249, 709/203, 370/352, 370/356, 370466-467, 370/252, 370/256
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Routing calls through networks includes a device configured to support a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between call endpoints, and to support a second protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a proxy device configured to support a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between call endpoints, and to support a second protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session, wherein the proxy device resolves an endpoint address of an endpoint in an egress network in response to receiving a call setup request from a first endpoint in a first network, wherein the call setup request is received via an ingress gatekeeper in an ingress network;

a directory gatekeeper configured to receive a location request message from the proxy device, the location request message requesting address information related to the endpoint in the egress network, the directory gatekeeper further configured to request the address information from an egress gatekeeper in the egress network and return the address information to the proxy device, wherein the directory gatekeeper and the proxy device are located in a call routing infrastructure between the ingress network and the egress network, and

wherein the egress gatekeeper is associated with a technology prefix that is used to indicate that the egress gatekeeper is the particular egress gatekeeper to be used to complete the call.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first protocol comprises a session initiation protocol.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the second protocol comprises a registration, admission, and status protocol.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the communication session is for a call complying with an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the ITU multimedia information protocol comprises an H.323 protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the communication session is for a call complying with a session initiation protocol.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the proxy device is also configured to route a call between endpoints by determining which one of a plurality of gateways should be selected as an endpoint for the call.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the gateways can respond to H.323 calls and session initiation protocol calls on a call by call basis.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the proxy device is configured to route a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call between endpoints.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 in which one of the call endpoints comprises a first endpoint included in a first network and a second one of the call endpoints comprises a second endpoint included in a second network, the device included in a third network and configured to route a call between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the call setup request identifies a dialed telephone number that is translated to include the technology prefix associated with the egress gatekeeper to indicate to the directory gatekeeper that the associated egress gatekeeper should be used to complete the call.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the call setup request identifies a dialed telephone number that is translated to include another technology prefix associated with a capability of a gateway, and wherein the gateway is selected based on the technology prefix included in the translated telephone number.

13. A system comprising:

a proxy device configured to route calls using an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol and calls using a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between endpoints using a second protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session and a third protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session, wherein the proxy device resolves an endpoint address of an endpoint in an egress network in response to a receiving a call setup request from a first endpoint in a first network, wherein the call setup request is received via an ingress gatekeeper in an ingress network;

a directory gatekeeper configured to receive a location request message from the proxy device, the location request message requesting address information related to the endpoint in thc egress network, the directory gatekeeper further configured to request the address information from an egress gatekeeper in the egress network and return the address information to the proxy device, wherein the directory gatekeeper and the proxy device are location in a call routing infrastructure between the ingress network and the egress network, and

wherein the egress gatekeeper is associated with a technology prefix that is used to indicate that the egress gatekeeper is the particular egress gatekeeper to be used to complete the call.

14. The system of claim 13 in which the first protocol comprises a session initiation protocol.

15. The system of claim 13 in which the second protocol comprises an H.323 protocol.

16. The system of claim 13 in which the third protocol comprises a registration, admission, and status protocol.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising a first endpoint included in a first network and a second endpoint included in a second network, the proxy device included in a third network and configured to route a call between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

18. The system of claim 13 further comprising an ingress proxy configured to use the first protocol and configured to receive a call request and send the call request to the proxy device.

19. The system of claim 13 further comprising an egress gatekeeper configured to determine address information for an endpoint and send the address information to the proxy device which can use the address information in routing calls between the endpoints.

20. The system of claim 13 further comprising a gateway configured to be an endpoint and to be responsive to calls using the first protocol and calls using the third protocol.

21. The system of claim 13 in which the proxy device is configured to route a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call between endpoints.

22. A method for routing calls through a communication network that includes an ingress network providing ingress into the communication network, a call routing infrastructure providing routing through the communication network, and an egress network providing egress out of the communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a call setup message from a first call endpoint at an ingress gatekeeper included in the ingress network, wherein the call setup message identifies a dialed telephone number;

forwarding the call setup message from the ingress gatekeeper to a device included in the call routing infrastructure, the device capable of handling session initiation protocol (SIP) call setup messages and handling registration, admission, and status (RAS) messages;

sending a RAS message from the device to a directory gatekeeper included in the call routing infrastructure, the directory gatekeeper capable of handling RAS messages;

receiving at the device from the directory gatekeeper RAS address information for a second call endpoint in the egress network;

translating the dialed telephone number by including a technology prefix in the telephone number, wherein the technology prefix is associated with a particular egress gatekeeper in the egress network to be used to complete a call; and

setting up the call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising setting up an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

24. The method of claim 23 in which the ITU multimedia information protocol comprises an H.323 protocol.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein setting up the call comprises setting up a SIP call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising setting up the call by forwarding the call setup message from the device to the second call endpoint in the egress network using the RAS address information.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising setting up the call by redirecting the call setup message from the device to the ingress gatekeeper and sending the call setup message from the ingress gatekeeper to the second call endpoint.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising enabling communication between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint in a real-time transport protocol (RTP) communication session.

29. The method of claim 22 further comprising sending the call setup message to the ingress gatekeeper from an endpoint capable of communication using an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol.

30. The method of claim 22 further comprising sending the call setup message to the ingress gatekeeper from an endpoint capable of communicating using SIP.

31. The method of claim 22 wherein translating the telephone number further comprises including a technology prefix in the telephone number to determine the address information for the second call endpoint, wherein the technology prefix distinguishes the second call endpoint as having a particular capability.

32. An article comprising a machine-readable medium which contains machine-executable instructions, the instructions causing a device to:

receive a session initiation protocol (SIP) call setup message from a first call endpoint via an ingress gatekeeper included in an ingress network, wherein the device is included in a call routing infrastructure, and wherein the call setup message identifies a dialed telephone number;

generate a registration, admission, and status (RAS) message based on the SIP call setup message;

send the generated RAS message from the device to a directory gatekeeper included in the call routing infrastructure;

receive at the device from the directory gatekeeper RAS address information for a second call endpoint in the egress network;

translate the dialed telephone number by including a technology prefix in the telephone number, wherein the technology prefix is associated with a particular egress gatekeeper in the egress network to be used to complete a call; and

cause a call to be set up between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

33. The article of claim 32 further causing the device to set up an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

34. The article of claim 33 in which the ITU multimedia information protocol comprises an H.323 protocol.

35. The article of claim 32 further causing the device to set up a SIP call between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint.

36. The article of claim 32 further causing the device to enable communication between the first call endpoint and the second call endpoint in a real-time transport protocol (RTP) communication session.

37. The article of claim 32 further causing the device to use a technology prefix to determine the address information for the second call endpoint, wherein the technology prefix distinguishes the second call endpoint as having a particular capability.

38. A network configuration comprising:

a session initiation protocol (SIP) device configured to use a registration, admission, and status (RAS) protocol in routing a call across multiple protocols and between a first endpoint in a first network and a second endpoint in an egress network, based on a SIP call request message received from the first endpoint via an ingress gatekeeper in an ingress network;

a directory gatekeeper configured to receive a RAS request message from the SIP device, the RAS request message requesting address information related to the second endpoint, the directory gatekeeper further configured to use a particular egress gatekeeper from among a plurality of egress gatekeepers in the egress network based on a technology prefix associated with the egress gatekeeper, the directory gatekeeper further configured to request the address information from the egress gatekeeper in the egress network and return the address information to the SIP device,

wherein the SIP device and the directory gatekeeper are located in a call routing infrastructure.

39. The network configuration of claim 38 in which the device is also configured to route SiP calls between two endpoints included in two different networks.

40. The network configuration of claim 38 in which the device is included in a network different from the networks including the endpoints.

41. The network configuration of claim 38 in which at least one of the two different networks includes an Internet Protocol network.

42. The network configuration of claim 38 in which at least one of the two different networks includes a public switched telephone network.

43. A system comprising:

a proxy device configured to route calls using an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol and calls using a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between endpoints using a second protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session and a third protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session and configured to redirect call messages, wherein the proxy device resolves one endpoint address by sending a request to a gatekeeper in an end network, and wherein the endpoint is selected using a technology prefix that distinguishes the endpoint as having one or more capabilities, and wherein the technology prefix is added to dialed telephone numbers associated with the calls; and

a second proxy device configured to receive redirected call messages from the proxy device and to route redirected calls using an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) multimedia information protocol and calls using a first protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session between endpoints using a second protocol for initiation, maintenance, and termination of a communication session and a third protocol for resolving endpoint addresses for the communication session.

44. The system of claim 43 in which the first protocol comprises a session initiation protocol.

45. The system of claim 43 in which the second protocol comprises an H.323protocol.

46. The system of claim 43 in which the third protocol comprises a registration, admission, and status protocol.

47. The system of claim 43 further comprising a gateway configured to be an endpoint and to be responsive to calls using the first protocol and calls using the third protocol.