Methods, systems, and devices for providing voice-call services responsive to a dialed sequence

• US 7,656,862 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Shiejye Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag G
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH TRANG T
• Application Number:
  US11/214,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20070047518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/278, 370/356
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• 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 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

A connection is established in a communications network responsive to receiving a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signal at a port having an assigned sequence associated therewith. A dialed sequence corresponding to the received DTMF signal is identified. If the dialed sequence is associated with a request for a specified service, first and second fields of a packet-switched signaling protocol message are populated with the assigned sequence associated with the port. The populated packet-switched signaling protocol message is transmitted over a packet-switched network to request the specified service, and a connection is established to provide the specified service through the port. Related systems and devices are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a connection in a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signal at a port, the port having an assigned numerical sequence associated therewith;

identifying a dialed sequence corresponding to the received DTMF signal, wherein the dialed sequence is associated with a request for a specified service;

in response to identifying the dialed sequence as associated with the request for the specified service, populating a first field of a packet-switched signaling protocol message with the assigned numerical sequence and populating a different second field of the packet-switched signaling protocol message with the assigned numerical sequence, wherein each of the first and second fields of the packet-switched signaling protocol message are populated with the same assigned numerical sequence associated with the port at which the DTMF signal is received;

transmitting the populated packet-switched signaling protocol message over a packet-switched network to request the specified service; and

establishing a connection to provide the specified service through the port.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialed sequence is a shorter sequence than the assigned numerical sequence associated with the port.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

populating the first field with the assigned numerical sequence and populating the second field with the dialed sequence in response to identifying the dialed sequence as not associated with a request for a specified service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first field comprises an origination field and wherein the second field comprises a destination field.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the packet-switched signaling protocol message comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message, and wherein the specified service comprises a voicemail service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a dialed sequence and populating first and second fields of a packet-switched signaling protocol message comprises identifying the dialed sequence and populating the first and second fields of the packet-switched signaling protocol message at a Public-Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)/Internet Protocol (IP) gateway device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the PSTN/IP gateway device comprises a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the populated packet-switched signaling protocol message comprises transmitting the populated packet-switched signaling protocol message to a server configured to provide the specified service, and wherein establishing a connection comprises establishing a connection between the port and the server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the populated packet-switched signaling protocol message comprises transmitting the populated packet-switched signaling protocol message to an application server, wherein the application server is configured to transmit a request to a media server configured to provide the specified service, and wherein establishing a connection comprises establishing a connection between the port and the media server.

10. A computer program product for establishing a connection in a communications network, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

11. A network access device, comprising:

a port having an assigned numerical sequence associated therewith and operable to receive a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signal;

a controller operable to identify a dialed sequence corresponding to the received DTMF signal, populate a first field of a packet-switched signaling protocol message with the assigned numerical sequence, and populate a different second field of the packet-switched signaling protocol message with the assigned numerical sequence, wherein each of the first and second fields of the packet-switched signaling protocol message are populated with the same assigned numerical sequence associated with the port at which the DTMF signal is received in response to identification of the dialed sequence as associated with a request for a specified service; and

a transmitter operable to transmit the populated packet-switched signaling protocol message over a packet-switched network to request the specified service.

12. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the dialed sequence is a shorter sequence than the assigned numerical sequence associated with the port.

13. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further operable to populate the first field with the assigned numerical sequence and populate the second field with the dialed sequence in response to identification of the dialed sequence as not associated with the request for the specified service.

14. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the controller is operable to populate each of an origination field and a destination field of the packet-switched signaling protocol message with the assigned numerical sequence associated with the port.

15. The network access device of claim 14, wherein the packet-switched signaling protocol message comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message, and wherein the specified service comprises a voicemail service.

16. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the port is operable to receive the DTMF signal over a public telephone network, and wherein the controller is operable to provide an interface between the public telephone network and the packet-switched network.

17. The network access device of claim 16, wherein the network access device comprises a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) operable to provide a Public-Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)/Internet Protocol (IP) gateway.

18. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit the populated packet-switched signaling protocol message to a server operable to provide the specified service, and wherein the controller is operable to establish a connection between the port and the server.

19. The network access device of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit the populated packet-switched signaling protocol message to an application server, wherein the application server is operable to transmit a request to a media server operable to provide the specified service, and wherein the controller is operable to establish a connection between the port and the media server.