Convergence of circuit-switched voice and packet-based media services

• US 7,899,164 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Pyke, Craik R., Osterhout, Gregory, Villarica, R. Alberto, Yuhanna, Raheel, Sylvain, Dany
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US10/746,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20040258050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,624 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.23, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/93.01, 379/202.01, 379/204.01, 379/205.01, 379/93.21, 379/158, 370/261, 370/265
• US Class Current: 379/93.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication

Abstract

In one embodiment, a service node will recognize an attempt to initiate a call from a first terminal to a second terminal, and automatically provide information to media clients associated with the first and second terminals such that a media session can be readily established between the media clients in association with the call. The service node may be configured to interact with telephony switches that support the first or second terminals, directly or indirectly via a signaling adaptor. In a second embodiment, the service node will recognize an attempt to initiate a call and will route the call to a gateway, which is controllable by the service node. Once the call is sent to the gateway, the service node may provide instructions to the gateway for routing or otherwise processing the call.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) receiving a first message indicating a call is being established from a first terminal;

b) sending a second message to establish the call with a second terminal;

c) sending a third message to provide information to establish a media session associated with the call, wherein the third message is sent over a packet network; and

d) determining a state of at least one of the first and second terminals based on the call and providing presence information to a media client associated with one of the first and second terminals based on the state of the at least one of the first and second terminals.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the second message is sent to a signaling adaptor, which forwards a connect message to a telephony switch supporting the second terminal in response to the second message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second message is a session initiation protocol message and the connect message is an intelligent network protocol message.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining to route the call to the second terminal based on call routing logic defined by a user associated with the second terminal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first message indicates the call is intended for the second terminal.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the first message indicates the call is intended for a third terminal.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the third message is directed to a media client associated with the second terminal such that the media session can be established with the media client.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the third message is directed to a media client associated with the first terminal such that the media session can be established with the media client.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first terminal and the media client are integrated on one communication device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the media session is automatically initiated.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the media session is manually initiated.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the third message is directed to a first media client associated with the first terminal and further comprising sending a fourth message to provide information to establish the media session to a second media client associated with the second terminal, such that the media session can be established between the first media client and the second media client.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending call log information to a media client associated with at least one of the first and second terminals.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the call is established at least in part over a public switched telephone network.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the call is established at least in part over the packet network.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the first terminal is associated with a first media client and the second terminal is associated with a second media client, the method further comprising receiving a session initiation message from one of the first and second media clients and sending a proxied session initiation message to another of the first and second media clients to initiate the media session.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising

a) receiving a fourth message indicating the call is ending;

and

b) sending a fifth message to a media client associated with one of the first and second terminals to end the media session.

18. A system comprising:

a) at least one communication interface; and

b) a control system associated with the at least one communication interface and adapted to;

i) receive a first message indicating a call is being established from a first terminal;

ii) send a second message to establish the call with a second terminal; and

iii) send a third message to provide information to establish a media session associated with the call, wherein the third message is sent over a packet network; and

iv) determine to route the call to the second terminal based on call routing logic defined by a user associated with the second terminal,

wherein the second message is sent to a signaling adaptor, which forwards a connect message to a telephony switch supporting the second terminal in response to the second message.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the first message is received from the signaling adaptor, which sent the first message in response to an origination message from the telephony switch supporting the first terminal.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first message is a session initiation protocol message and the origination message is an intelligent network protocol message.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the second message is a session initiation protocol message and the connect message is an intelligent network protocol message.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the first message indicates the call is intended for the second terminal.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the first message indicates the call is intended for a third terminal.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the media session is automatically initiated.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein the media session is manually initiated.

26. The system of claim 18 wherein the third message is directed to a media client associated with the second terminal such that the media session can be established with the media client.

27. The system of claim 18 wherein the third message is directed to a media client associated with the first terminal such that the media session can be established with the media client.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the first terminal and the media client are integrated on one communication device.

29. The system of claim 18 wherein the third message is directed to a first media client associated with the first terminal and the control system is further adapted to send a fourth message to provide information to establish the media session to a second media client associated with the second terminal, such that the media session can be established between the first media client and the second media client.

30. The system of claim 18 wherein the control system is further adapted to send call log information to a media client associated with at least one of the first and second terminals.

31. The system of claim 18 wherein the call is established at least in part over a public switched telephone network.

32. The system of claim 18 wherein the call is established at least in part over the packet network.

34. The system of claim 18 wherein the first terminal is associated with a first media client and the second terminal is associated with a second media client, and the control system is further adapted to receive a session initiation message from one of the first and second media clients and send a proxied session initiation message to another of the first and second media clients to initiate the media session.

35. The system of claim 18 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) receive a fourth message indicating the call is ending; and

b) send a fifth message to a media client associated with one of the first and second terminals to end the media session.

33. A system comprising:

a) at least one communication interface; and

b) a control system associated with the at least one communication interface and adapted to;

i) receive a first message indicating a call is being established from a first terminal;

ii) send a second message to establish the call with a second terminal;

iii) send a third message to provide information to establish a media session associated with the call, wherein the third message is sent over a packet network; and

iv) determine a state of at least one of the first and second terminals based on the call and provide presence information to a media client associated with one of the first and second terminals based on the state of the at least one of the first and second terminals.