Call signaling approach to user self-provisioning of VoIP using a touch-tone interface
First Claim
1. An apparatus providing self-provisioning of VoIP telephony service to a subscriber of the VoIP telephony service comprising:
- one or more processors;
means for receiving a first notify command from an un-provisioned residential gateway that is associated with the subscriber, wherein said first notify command is sent in response to a telephone receiver connected to said residential gateway going off-hook;
wherein said un-provisioned residential gateway has not been provisioned into a provider delivery system and has not been assigned a residential gateway IP address;
means for provisioning said un-provisioned residential gateway, comprising;
means for instructing said residential gateway to collect a subscriber numeric identity that uniquely identifies said subscriber;
means for instructing said residential gateway to collect a Personal Identification Number (PIN) information that is associated with said subscriber;
means for receiving and verifying said subscriber numeric identity and Personal Identification Number (PIN) information;
means for assigning an IP address, that is associated with one or more Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) messages that are sent by said residential gateway, as the residential gateway IP address for said residential gateway in response to successful verifying of said subscriber numeric identity and PIN information associated with said subscriber; and
means for using said residential gateway IP address to provision said residential gateway that is associated with said subscriber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for providing self-provisioning of VoIP telephony to a subscriber of a VoIP telephony service is disclosed. An un-provisioned residential gateway that is associated with the subscriber is instructed to collect a subscriber numeric identity that uniquely identifies the subscriber and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) information that are associated with the subscriber. An example of a subscriber numeric identity that uniquely identifies the subscriber is the subscriber'"'"'s E.164 address. The E.164 address and Personal Identification Number (PIN) information is verified. A source IP address that is associated with one or more Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) messages that are sent by the residential gateway is used as a residential gateway IP address for the residential gateway. The residential gateway IP address is then used to provision the residential gateway that is associated with the subscriber. According to certain embodiments, the above steps are carried out by a call agent from a self-provisioning system of a provider of the VoIP telephony services. One or more VoIP connections are established between the residential gateway and an announcement server. The announcement server sends VoIP messages through the VoIP connections to the subscriber via the residential gateway. A protocol server offers the residential gateway, via a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, a limited access IP address, a location of one or more Domain Name System (DNS) servers, and a Media Gateway Protocol (MGCP) endpoint name of the call agent from the self-provisioning system.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus providing self-provisioning of VoIP telephony service to a subscriber of the VoIP telephony service comprising:
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one or more processors; means for receiving a first notify command from an un-provisioned residential gateway that is associated with the subscriber, wherein said first notify command is sent in response to a telephone receiver connected to said residential gateway going off-hook;
wherein said un-provisioned residential gateway has not been provisioned into a provider delivery system and has not been assigned a residential gateway IP address;means for provisioning said un-provisioned residential gateway, comprising; means for instructing said residential gateway to collect a subscriber numeric identity that uniquely identifies said subscriber; means for instructing said residential gateway to collect a Personal Identification Number (PIN) information that is associated with said subscriber; means for receiving and verifying said subscriber numeric identity and Personal Identification Number (PIN) information; means for assigning an IP address, that is associated with one or more Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) messages that are sent by said residential gateway, as the residential gateway IP address for said residential gateway in response to successful verifying of said subscriber numeric identity and PIN information associated with said subscriber; and means for using said residential gateway IP address to provision said residential gateway that is associated with said subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for providing self-provisioning of VoIP telephony to a subscriber of a VoIP telephony service, the apparatus comprising:
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a network interface that is coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom; a processor; one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of; receiving a first notify command from an un-provisioned residential gateway that is associated with said subscriber, wherein said first notify command is sent in response to a telephone receiver connected to said residential gateway going off-hook;
wherein said un-provisioned residential gateway has not been provisioned into a provider delivery system and has not been assigned a residential gateway IP address;provisioning said un-provisioned residential gateway by; instructing said residential gateway, via a call signaling command, to collect a subscriber numeric identity that uniquely identifies said subscriber; instructing said residential gateway, via a call signaling command, to collect a Personal Identification Number (PIN) information that is associated with said subscriber; receiving and verifying said subscriber numeric identity and Personal Identification Number (PIN) information; in response to successful verifying of said subscriber numeric identity and PIN information associated with said subscriber, assigning an IP address, that is associated with one or more Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) messages that are sent by said residential gateway, as the residential gateway IP address for said residential gateway; and using said residential gateway IP address to provision said residential gateway that is associated with said subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for providing self-provisioning of VoIP telephony service to a subscriber of the VoIP telephony service, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more processors; means for offering to a residential gateway a limited access IP address; means for offering to said residential gateway a location of one or more Domain Name System (DNS) servers;
wherein said residential gateway has not been provisioned into a provider delivery system and has not been assigned a residential gateway IP address;means for provisioning said un-provisioned residential gateway comprising; means for offering to said residential gateway a Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) endpoint name of a self-provisioning system call agent of a self-provisioning system that is associated with the provider of said VoIP telephony service; means for instructing said residential gateway, via a call signaling command, to collect a subscriber numeric identity that uniquely identifies said subscriber; means for instructing said residential gateway, via a call signaling command, to collect a Personal Identification Number (PIN) information that is associated with said subscriber; means for receiving and verifying said subscriber numeric identity and Personal Identification Number (PIN) information; means for assigning an IP address that is associated with one or more Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) messages that are sent by said residential gateway as the residential gateway IP address for said residential gateway in response to successful verifying of said subscriber numeric identity and PIN information associated with said subscriber; and means for using said residential gateway IP address to provision said residential gateway that is associated with said subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for providing self-provisioning of VoIP telephony service to a subscriber of the VoIP telephony service, the apparatus comprising:
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a network interface that is coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom; a processor; one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of; offering to a residential gateway a limited access IP address;
wherein said residential gateway has not been provisioned into a provider delivery system and has not been assigned a residential gateway IP address;provisioning said un-provisioned residential gateway by; offering to said residential gateway a location of one or more Domain Name System (DNS) servers; offering to said residential gateway a Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) endpoint name of a self-provisioning system call agent of a self-provisioning system that is associated with the provider of said VoIP telephony service; instructing said residential gateway, via a call signaling command, to collect a subscriber numeric identity that uniquely identifies said subscriber; instructing said residential gateway, via a call signaling command, to collect a Personal Identification Number (PIN) information that is associated with said subscriber; receiving and verifying said subscriber numeric identity and Personal Identification Number (PIN) information; in response to successful verifying of said subscriber numeric identity and PIN information associated with said subscriber, assigning an IP address that is associated with one or more Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) messages that are sent by said residential gateway as the residential gateway IP address for said residential gateway; and using said residential gateway IP address to provision said residential gateway that is associated with said subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for self-provisioning VoIP telephony service to a subscriber of the VoIP telephony service, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more processors; means for receiving a limited-access IP address, a location of one or more Domain Name System servers, and an endpoint name of a self-provisioning call agent that is associated with a provider of VoIP telephony service; means for sending, to said self-provisioning call agent and from said limited-access IP address, a Media Gateway Control Protocol notify command; means for receiving, via a first VoIP connection created in response to a command from said self-provisioning call agent, a request for a subscriber numeric identity that uniquely identifies said subscriber; means for sending to said self-provisioning call agent said subscriber numeric identity; means for receiving, via a second VoIP connection created in response to a command from said self-provisioning call agent, a request for a Personal Identification Number that is associated with said subscriber; means for sending to said self-provisioning call agent said Personal Identification Number; and means for receiving, from said self-provisioning call agent and in association with a remote reboot initiated by said self-provisioning call agent, a long-term IP address and an endpoint name of a standard call agent. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for self-provisioning VoIP telephony service to a subscriber of the VoIP telephony service, the apparatus comprising:
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a network interface that is coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom; a processor; one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of; receiving a limited-access IP address, a location of one or more Domain Name System servers, and an endpoint name of a self-provisioning call agent that is associated with a provider of VoIP telephony service; sending, to said self-provisioning call agent and from said limited-access IP address, a Media Gateway Control Protocol notify command; receiving, via a first VoIP connection created in response to a command from said self-provisioning call agent, a request for a subscriber numeric identity that uniquely identifies said subscriber; sending to said self-provisioning call agent said subscriber numeric identity; receiving, via a second VoIP connection created in response to a command from said self-provisioning call agent, a request for a Personal Identification Number that is associated with said subscriber; sending to said self-provisioning call agent said Personal Identification Number; and receiving, from said self-provisioning call agent and in association with a remote reboot initiated by said self-provisioning call agent, a long-term IP address and an endpoint name of a standard call agent. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification