Method and dial plan for packet based voice communications functionality

• US 7,542,427 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Benhov GmbH, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Southland Telecom LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bollinger, William E., Refka, Gary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan; Melanie
• Application Number:
  US11/222,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network

Abstract

A dial plan for a gateway in a packet based voice system provides call re-direct functionality to the system. The dial plan allows a gateway to process all incoming and outgoing calls for an enterprise, thereby minimizing required interface with an existing PBX. The dial plan identifies a given call as an incoming call from a data network, an incoming call from the PSTN, or an outgoing call from the PBX at an enterprise. The dial plan further identifies a desired route for transmitting the call to a desired destination. If the desired route is over a data network, the dial plan tests the route to determine its availability, and if it is not available determines an alternate re-direct route over the PSTN.

Claims

1. A computer program product for use with a gateway to be used with a packet based voice system, the gateway connected to a PBX and to a data network, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable memory, the program instructions when executed causing the gateway to carry out the steps comprising:

receive a call and query said call for a termination number;

use said termination number to determine a desired route for said call by determining if said call should be routed to the PSTN, PBX, or data network; and

,

determine if said desired route is available if said desired route is over the data network and transmitting said call over the data network if said desired route is available, and to transmit said call over the PSTN if said desired route is not available;

wherein the program instructions when executed further cause the gateway to;

use said termination number to determine if said call is;

an intra-company inbound call coming over the data network wherein a desired route is determined to be over the PBX;

an inbound leaking call coming over the data network wherein a desired route is determined to be over the PSTN;

an outbound leaking call coming from the PBX wherein a desired route is determined to be over the data network;

or

an outbound call coming from the PBX wherein a desired route is determined to be over the PSTN.

2. A computer program product as defined by claim 1 and wherein the program instructions when executed further cause the gateway to truncate said termination number prior to transmitting said call over the PSTN.

3. A computer program product as defined by claim 1 and wherein the program instructions when executed further cause the gateway to:

transmit said call to the PSTN if said desired route for said call is over the PSTN; and

,

transmit said call to the PBX if said desired route for said call is over the PBX.

4. A method for using a gateway in a packet based voice system, the gateway connected to a PBX serving an enterprise, to a data network, and to a PSTN, the enterprise having a country code, a three digit area code, and an at least a three digit switch code;

the dial plan having a national enterprise list comprising at least an enterprise number, each of said at least an enterprise number having a three digit area code and an at least three digit switch code; and

wherein the method comprises the steps of using the gateway to;

receive a call and query said call by the gateway for a termination number;

categorize said call by the gateway as an;

inbound national long distance call from the data network if said termination number begins with a one, is followed by three digits that match the enterprise three digit area code, and is followed by at least three digits that match the enterprise at least three digit switch code;

outbound national long distance enterprise call if said termination number begins with a one and is followed by a three digit area code and an at least three digit switch code that match a three digit area code and an at least three digit switch code from one of said enterprise numbers from said national enterprise list; and

inbound call from the PSTN if said termination number has fewer than seven digits.

5. A method as defined by claim 4 and further including the steps of:

if said call is an inbound national long distance call to transmit said call over the PBX;

if said call is an outbound national long distance enterprise call to transmit said call over the data network; and

,

if said call is an inbound call from the PSTN to transmit said call over the PBX.

6. A computer program product for use with a packet based voice system, the system having at least a gateway connected to a PBX at an enterprise, the gateway also connected to a PSTN and to a data network, the program instructions when executed causing at least the following steps to be performed by the gateway to carry out steps comprising:

receiving a call at the gateway and querying said call for a termination number;

using said termination number to determine if said call is one of an intra-company call, a leaking call or an outbound call;

determining a desired route to transmit said call;

testing said desired route if said desired route is over the data network to detect if said desired route is available for transmitting said call and determining a desired re-direct route over the PSTN if said desired route over said data network is not available;

wherein said intra-company call is received from the data network and wherein a desired route for said intra-company call is over the PBX;

wherein said leaking call is from one of the data network wherein said desired route is over the PSTN or from the PBX wherein said desired route is over the data network; and

,

wherein said outbound call is from the PBX wherein said desired route is over the PSTN.

7. A gateway device for connection between a PBX of an enterprise, a data network, and a PSTN, the gateway device being programmed to:

a) receive and determine a desired route for transmission of each of a plurality of calls to and from the enterprise based on a termination number of each call, the calls including incoming calls from the PSTN, incoming calls from the data network, and outgoing calls from the PBX;

b) transmit a particular call over the PSTN or over the PBX if the determined desired route for the particular call is over the PSTN or over the PBX;

c) determine if the data network is available for transmitting the particular call if the determined desired route for the particular call is over the data network;

d) transmit the particular call over the data network if the data network is available; and

e) redirect transmission of the particular call over the PSTN in response to determining that the data network is not available;

wherein the gateway is further programmed to use the termination number to determine if the particular call is an intra-company inbound call coming over the data network wherein the desired route is determined to be over the PBX.

8. The gateway device as recited in claim 7, wherein the gateway is further programmed such that, if the determined desired route for the particular call is over the data network and the data network is not available, the gateway redirects transmission of the particular call over the PSTN if the data network is not available without transmitting the particular call to the PBX.

9. The gateway device as recited in claim 7, wherein the gateway is further programmed to truncate the termination number for transmission over the desired route if the particular call is received over the data network and is for routing over the PSTN.

10. The gateway device as recited in claim 7, wherein the gateway is further programmed to use the termination number to determine if the particular call is an inbound leaking call coming over the data network wherein the desired route is determined to be over the PSTN.

11. The gateway device as recited in claim 10, wherein the gateway is further programmed to use the termination number to determine if the particular call is an inbound leaking call coming from the PBX wherein the desired route is determined to be over the data network.

12. The gateway device as recited in claim 11, wherein the gateway is further programmed to use the termination number to determine if the particular call is an inbound call coming from the PBX wherein the desired route is determined to be over the PSTN.

13. A method for providing call redirect functionality for a packet based voice system, the system including a PBX interconnecting phones in an enterprise, and a gateway connected to the PBX, to a data network, and to a PSTN, the method comprising:

e) programming the gateway to receive and determine a desired route for transmission of each of a plurality of calls to and from the enterprise based on a termination number of each call, the calls including incoming calls from the PSTN, incoming calls from the data network, and outgoing calls from the PBX;

f) programming the gateway to transmit a particular call over the PSTN or over the PBX if the determined desired route for the particular call is over the PSTN or over the PBX;

g) programming the gateway to determine if the data network is available for transmitting the particular call if the determined desired route for the particular call is over the data network;

h) programming the gateway to transmit the particular call over the data network if the data network is available; and

i) programming the gateway to redirect transmission of the particular call over the PSTN in response to determining that the data network is not available.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising programming the gateway such that, if the determined desired route for the particular call is over the data network and the data network is not available, the gateway redirects transmission of the particular call over the PSTN if the data network is not available without transmitting the particular call to the PBX.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising programming the gateway to truncate the termination number for transmission over the desired route if the particular call is received over the data network and is for routing over the PSTN.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the gateway being programmed to use the termination number to determine if the particular call is an intra-company inbound call coming over the data network wherein the desired route is determined to be over the PBX.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the gateway being programmed to use the termination number to determine if the particular call is an inbound leaking call coming over the data network wherein the desired route is determined to be over the PSTN.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the gateway being programmed to use the termination number to determine if the particular call is an inbound leaking call coming from the PBX wherein the desired route is determined to be over the data network.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising the gateway being programmed to use the termination number to determine if the particular call is an inbound call coming from the PBX wherein the desired route is determined to be over the PSTN.

20. A gateway device for connection between a PBX of an enterprise, a data network, and a PSTN, the gateway device being programmed to:

j) receive and determine a desired route for transmission of each of a plurality of calls to and from the enterprise based on a termination number of each call, the calls including incoming calls from the PSTN, incoming calls from the data network, and outgoing calls from the PBX;

k) transmit a particular call over the PSTN or over the PBX if the determined desired route for the particular call is over the PSTN or over the PBX;

l) determine if the data network is available for transmitting the particular call if the determined desired route for the particular call is over the data network;

m) transmit the particular call over the data network if the data network is available; and

e) redirect transmission of the particular call over the PSTN in response to determining that the data network is not available;

wherein the gateway is further programmed such that, if the determined desired route for the particular call is over the data network and the data network is not available, the gateway redirects transmission of the particular call over the PSTN if the data network is not available without transmitting the particular call to the PBX.