Method and apparatus for selecting network resources according to service subscription information

• US 7,948,965 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Croak, Marian, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oveissi, David
• Application Number:
  US11/025,398
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/522, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/466, 370/469, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for providing at least one service. Specifically, the method comprises obtaining at least one connection request associated with at least one user, determining the at least one service subscribed to by the at least one user where the at least one service comprises at least one service attribute and the at least one service attribute identifies at least one border element capable of supporting the at least one service, selecting the at least one border element according to the at least one service attribute, and responding to the at least one connection request using the at least one border element.

Claims

1. A method for providing a service, comprising:

obtaining a connection request associated with a user;

querying, via a network resource selection system, a service subscription database to determine

the service subscribed to by the user, the service comprising a service attribute, wherein the service attribute identifies a border element for supporting the service;

selecting, via the network resource selection system, the border element from a plurality of border elements according to the service attribute, wherein at least two of the plurality of border elements are configured to provide a different functionality to support the service and a service element that provides a network resource to support the service, wherein the service element comprises a call admission controller, a network routing engine, a service broker and a user profile engine; and

responding to the connection request using the border element and the service element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the border element supports a treatment, wherein the treatment comprises a handling treatment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises:

identifying a call handling treatment according to the service attribute, the call handling treatment for supporting the service;

identifying a media handling treatment according to the service attribute, the media handling treatment for supporting the service; and

selecting the border element according to a needed handling treatment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responding to a service request using the border element and the service element.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the service request comprises an in-band service request.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software program, that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

obtaining a connection request associated with a user;

querying, via a network resource selection system, a service subscription database to determine

the service subscribed to by the user, the service comprising a service attribute, wherein the service attribute identifies a border element for supporting the service;

selecting, via the network resource selection system, said at least one the border element from a plurality of border elements according to the service attribute, wherein at least two of said the plurality of border elements are configured to provide a different functionality to support the service and a service element that provides a network resource to support the service, wherein the service element comprises a call admission controller, a network routing engine, a service broker and a user profile engine; and

responding to the connection request using the border element and the service element.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the border element supports a treatment, wherein the treatment comprises a handling treatment.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the selecting comprises:

identifying a call handling treatment according to the service attribute, the call handling treatment for supporting the service;

identifying a media handling treatment according to the service attribute, the media handling treatment for supporting the service; and

selecting the border element according to a needed handling treatment.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

responding to a service request using the border element and the service element.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the service request comprises an in-band service request.

11. An apparatus for providing at least one service, comprising:

means for obtaining a connection request associated with a user;

a network resource selection system for querying a service subscription database to determine the service subscribed to by the user, the service comprising a service attribute, wherein the service attribute identifies a border element for supporting the service and for selecting the border element from a plurality of border elements according to the service attribute, wherein at least two of the plurality of border elements are configured to provide a different functionality to support the service and a service element that provides a network resource to support the service, wherein the service element comprises a call admission controller, a network routing engine, a service broker and a user profile engine; and

means for responding to the connection request using the border element and the service element.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the border element supports a treatment, wherein the treatment comprises a handling treatment.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the network resource selection system is further

for identifying a call handling treatment according to the service attribute, the call handling treatment for supporting the service,

for identifying a media handling treatment according to the service attribute, the media handling treatment for supporting the service, and

for selecting the border element according to a needed handling treatment.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for responding to a service request using the border element and the service element.