Technique for providing intelligent features for calls in a communications network independent of network architecture

• US 7,616,623 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kelter, Leonard S., Kittredge, Barbara Joanne, Mansell, James J., Parrish, D. Mark, Sheinbein, Daniel, Timoney, Daniel J., Al Hakim, Chaker T., Hoffman, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US11/188,486
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 370/400, 370/401, 370/252, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

Subscriber calls in a communications network (10) are handled in accordance with the subscriber'"'"'s routing plan for either originating and/or terminating calls irrespective of the manner in which such calls originate and terminate. Upon receipt of a call, a query is launched to a database (36) to obtain a called party routing number for the call destination in accordance with the subscriber'"'"'s routing plan. Once the called party'"'"'s routing number is obtained in response to the query, the called party'"'"'s routing number is mapped a to physical port in the network when the routing number corresponds to a circuit-switched call destination or to an IP address when the called party'"'"'s routing number corresponds to a packet-based call destination. The call is routed to the call destination in accordance with the mapping.

Claims

1. A technique for handling subscriber calls in a communications network capable of circuit-switched and packet-based calls, using a routing plan prescribed by the subscriber independent of the manner in which the calls originate and terminate, comprising the steps of:

receiving in the network a call from a calling party to a called party,

launching a query to a database containing routing plans to obtain a called party routing number for the called party in accordance with a subscriber routing plan that is independent of whether call origination and termination are circuit-switched or packet-based;

mapping the called party routing number to a physical port in the network when the called party routing number corresponds to a circuit-switched call destination;

or to an IP address when the called party routing number corresponds to a packet-based call destination; and

routing the call to the call destination in accordance with the mapping.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the call is received in the network as a circuit-switched call having a packet-based destination.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the call is received in the network as a packet-based call having a circuit-switched destination.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the call is received in the network as a packet-based call having a packet-based destination.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the query includes at least one of the called party number and a number associated with the calling party.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the query is launched to the database to also determine whether the calling party should receive an announcement, and if so then providing an announcement to the calling party.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the query is launched to the database to also determine whether digits should be collected from the calling party, and if so then

collecting digits from the calling party.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the query is launched to the database to also determine whether the calling party should receive an announcement and digits should be collected from the calling party, and if so, then

providing an announcement to the calling party;

and

collecting digits from the calling party.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the routing plans in the database exist to support circuit-switched destinations and are augmented to handle packet-based destinations.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the database and the routing plans contained therein are entirely new.

11. A technique for handling subscriber calls in a communications network capable of circuit-switched and packet-based calls, using a routing plan prescribed by the subscriber independent of the manner in which the calls originate and terminate, comprising the steps of:

receiving in the network a call from a calling party to a called party,

launching a query to a database containing routing plans to (a) obtain a called party routing number for the called party in accordance with a subscriber routing plan that is independent of whether call origination and termination are circuit-switched or packet switched, and (b) obtain an indication of whether the calling party should receive an announcement;

providing the announcement when the query indicates that an announcement should be provided;

mapping the called party routing number to a physical port in the network when the called party routing number corresponds to a circuit-switched call destination;

or to an IP address when the called party routing number corresponds to a packet-based call destination; and

routing the call to the call destination in accordance with the mapping.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the call is received in the network as a circuit-switched call having a packet-based destination.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the call is received in the network as a packet-based call having a circuit-switched destination.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein the call is received in the network as a packet-based call having a packet-based destination.

15. The method according to claim 11 wherein the query includes at least one of the called party number and a number associated with the calling party.

16. A technique for handling subscriber calls in a communications network capable of circuit-switched and packet-based calls, using a routing plan prescribed by the subscriber independent of the manner in which the calls originate and terminate, comprising the steps of:

receiving in the network a call from a calling party to a called party,

launching a query to a database containing routing plans to (a) obtain a called party routing number for the called party in accordance with a subscriber routing plan that is independent of whether call origination and termination are circuit-switched or packet switched, and (b) obtain an indication of whether digits should be collected from the calling party;

collecting digits from the calling party when the query indicates digits should be collected;

mapping the called party routing number to a physical port in the network when the called party routing number corresponds to a circuit-switched call destination;

or to an IP address when the called party routing number corresponds to a packet-based call destination; and

routing the call to the call destination in accordance with the mapping.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the call is received in the network as a circuit-switched call having a packet-based destination.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the call is received in the network as a packet-based call having a circuit-switched destination.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein the call is received in the network as a packet-based call having a packet-based destination.

20. The method according to claim 16 wherein the query includes at least one of the called party number and a number associated with the calling party.

21. A technique for handling calls in a communications network using a routing plan prescribed by a subscriber independent of the manner in which the calls originate and terminate, comprising the steps of:

receiving in the network a call from a calling party to a called party,

launching a query to a database containing routing plans to obtain a called party routing number for the called party in accordance with a subscriber routing plan;

routing the call to a physical port in the network when the called party routing number corresponds to a circuit-switched call destination, or to an IP address when the called party routing number corresponds to a packet-based call destination;

determining if the routing of the call yields a busy indicator, and if so, then

establishing an alternate called party routing number by querying said database; and

routing the call to an alternate physical port in the network when the alternate called party routing number corresponds to a circuit-switched call destination, and to an alternate IP address when the alternate called party routing number corresponds to a packet-based call destination.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the call is received in the network as a circuit-switched call having a packet-based destination.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein the call is received in the network as a packet-based call having a circuit-switched destination.

24. The method according to claim 21 wherein the call is received in the network as a packet-based call having a packet-based destination.

25. The method according to claim 21 wherein the query includes at least one of the called party number and a number associated with the calling party.

26. The method according to claim 21 wherein the query is launched to the database to also determine whether the calling party should receive an announcement, and if so then

providing an announcement to the calling party.

27. The method according to claim 21 wherein the query is launched to the database to also determine whether digits should be collected from the calling party, and if so then

collecting digits from the calling party.

28. The method according to claim 21 wherein the query is launched to the database to also determine whether the calling party should receive an announcement and digits should be collected from the calling party, and if so, then

providing an announcement to the calling party;

and

collecting digits from the calling party.

29. The method according to claim 21 wherein the routing plans in the database exist to support circuit-switched destinations and are augmented to handle packet-based destinations.

30. The method according to claim 21 wherein the database and the routing plans contained therein are entirely new.