Scaleable communications management network

• US 7,532,875 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virgin Mobile USA LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Virgin Mobile USA LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Parks, Michael, Bednarz, John, Gamm, James, Bamforth, John, Karsner, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; David Q
• Application Number:
  US11/062,194
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 455/407, 370/352, 379/114.2, 705/32
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

A communications management network for managing subscribers'"'"' communication sessions. The management network includes multiple sets of session management modules or servers (e.g., Intelligent Service Control Points), a services hub and a data warehouse. The network may also include a gateway for routing text messages. Each set of session management modules includes a plurality of modules, and each subscriber is assigned to one set of modules with one of the modules as a primary and another as a secondary or backup. Subscribers are grouped according to geographical area (e.g., by zip code, by area code), service area or other criteria, and all subscribers within a group are assigned to the same primary and secondary modules. Management of subscribers'"'"' communication sessions is load balanced by reassigning groups of subscribers to different sets of session management modules. Each module tracks account statuses (e.g., prepaid services balances) for its assigned subscribers.

Claims

1. A communications management network, comprising:

one or more session management server sets, each said server set comprising a plurality of session management servers configured to manage subscriber communication sessions;

a services hub coupled to said plurality of session management servers, wherein said services hub is configured to automatically provision a communications switching network for subscribers, said services hub further configured to load balance the subscribers among the one or more session management server sets; and

a data warehouse configured to map a location of a first subscriber to a first session management server set for managing communication sessions of the first subscriber, the data warehouse comprising;

subscriber information for facilitating division of the subscribers into multiple collections of subscribers, and

for each of the collections of subscribers, a service order code configured to identify a session management server set for managing communication sessions of subscribers in the collection.

2. The communications management network of claim 1, further comprising:

a text messaging gateway configured to route a text message from the first subscriber toward an intended recipient.

3. The communications management network of claim 1, wherein each said session management server comprises subscriber status information, including a prepaid communication services balance.

4. The communications management network of claim 1, wherein load balancing the subscribers comprises:

changing the service order code associated with one or more of the collections of subscribers; and

for each subscriber in the one or more collections, re-provisioning the communications switching network.

5. The communications management network of claim 1, wherein said services hub load balances the subscribers by:

re-assigning a plurality of subscribers between different collections of subscribers; and

for each of the plurality of subscribers, re-provisioning the communications switching network.

6. The communications management network of claim 1, wherein a session management server manages a communication session by:

receiving from the communications switching network notification of a call placed by the first subscriber; and

if the first subscriber has sufficient prepaid communication credits, instructing the communications switching network to complete the call.

7. The communications management network of claim 1, wherein a session management server manages a communication session by:

receiving from the communications switching network notification of a text message transmitted by the first subscriber; and

if the first subscriber has sufficient prepaid communication credits, forwarding the text message toward an intended recipient.

8. The communications management network of claim 1, wherein said data warehouse comprises:

information identifying the location of the first subscriber; and

a service order code representing the first session management server set;

wherein provisioning the communications switching network for the first subscriber comprises transmitting the service order code to the communications switching network.

9. The communications management network of claim 8, wherein the location of the first subscriber comprises an identifier of a geographical area.

10. The communications management network of claim 8, wherein the location of the first subscriber comprises a zip code.

11. The communications management network of claim 8, wherein the location of the first subscriber comprises a customer service area.

12. The communications management network of claim 1, wherein said first session management server set comprises:

a primary session management server configured to manage the first subscriber'"'"'s communication sessions; and

a backup session management server configured to manage the first subscriber'"'"'s communication sessions if said primary session management server is not available.

13. A method for operating a communications management network, the method comprising:

managing a plurality of subscriber communication sessions using one or more session management server sets, each said server set comprising a plurality of session management servers;

automatically provisioning a communications switching network for a plurality of subscribers by a services hub coupled to said plurality of session management servers;

load balancing the subscribers among the one or more session management server sets by the services hub;

mapping a location of a first subscriber to a first session management server set for managing communication sessions of the first subscriber, the mapping by a data warehouse that comprises;

subscriber information for facilitating division of the subscribers into multiple collections of subscribers, and

for each of the collections of subscribers, a service order code configured to identify a session management server set for managing communication sessions of subscribers in the collection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each said session management server comprises subscriber status information, including a prepaid communication services balance.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein load balancing the subscribers comprises:

changing the service order code associated with one or more of the collections of subscribers; and

for each subscriber in the one or more collections, re-provisioning the communications switching network.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the services hub load balances the subscribers by:

re-assigning a plurality of subscribers between different collections of subscribers; and

for each of the plurality of subscribers, re-provisioning the communications switching network.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein a session management server manages a communication session by:

receiving from the communications switching network notification of a call placed by the first subscriber; and

if the first subscriber has sufficient prepaid communication credits, instructing the communications switching network to complete the call.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein a session management server manages a communication session by:

receiving from the communications switching network notification of a text message transmitted by the first subscriber; and

if the first subscriber has sufficient prepaid communication credits, forwarding the text message toward an intended recipient.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first session management server set comprises:

a primary session management server configured to manage the first subscriber'"'"'s communication sessions; and

a backup session management server configured to manage the first subscriber'"'"'s communication sessions if said primary session management server is not available.