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

• US 8,018,920 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Al Hakim, Chaker T., Hoffman, William, Kelter, Leonard S., Kittredge, Barbara Joanne, Mansell, James J., Parrish, D. Mark, Sheinbein, Daniel, Timoney, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US12/586,877
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 370/400, 370/401
• 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 communications system capable of circuit-switched and packet-based calls, comprising:

a call agent connected for modifying routing of calls to and from an IP backbone network, the call agent further connected to a circuit switched network to exchange signaling information;

a database containing routing instructions to determine a called party routing number in accordance with a subscriber routing plan that is independent of whether call origination and termination are circuit-switched or packet-based; and

at least one network control point connected to the circuit-switched network for receiving queries to obtain routing instructions for calls originating in the circuit switched network and connected to the call agent for receiving queries to obtain routing instructions for calls originating in the IP backbone network, the at least one network control point further being connected to the database for retrieving routing instructions in response to the queries;

the call agent being configured to map 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; and

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

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the circuit switched network is configured to obtain routing instructions for a circuit-switched call having a packet-based destination.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the routing agent is configured to obtain routing instructions for a packet-based call having a circuit-switched destination.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the routing agent is configured to obtain routing instructions for a packet-based call having a packet-based destination.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein each query received by the at least one network control point includes at least one of a called party number and a number associated with the calling party.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the routing instructions retrieved by the network control point include a determination whether the calling party should receive an announcement.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the routing instructions retrieved by the network control point include a determination whether digits should be collected from the calling party.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the routing instructions retrieved by the network control point include a determination whether the calling party should receive an announcement and whether digits should be collected from the calling party.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the database further contains routing instructions supporting circuit-switched destinations and are augmented to handle packet-based destinations.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one network control point comprises the database.

11. A communications system capable of circuit-switched and packet-based calls, comprising:

a call agent connected for modifying routing of calls to and from an IP backbone network, the call agent further connected to a circuit switched network to exchange signaling information;

a database containing routing instructions to determine a called party routing number in accordance with a subscriber routing plan that is independent of whether call origination and termination are circuit-switched or packet-based, and containing alternate routing instructions to determine an alternate routing number in accordance with the subscriber routing plan for use if the called party routing number yields a busy indicator; and

at least one network control point connected to the circuit-switched network for receiving queries to obtain routing instructions for calls originating in the circuit switched network and connected to the call agent for receiving queries to obtain routing instructions for calls originating in the IP backbone network, the at least one network control point further being connected to the database for retrieving routing instructions in response to the queries, and for retrieving alternate routing instructions if the routing instructions yield a busy indicator;

the call agent being configured to map 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; and

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

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the circuit switched network is configured to obtain routing instructions for a circuit-switched call having a packet-based destination.

13. The system according to claim 11 wherein the routing agent is configured to obtain routing instructions for a packet-based call having a circuit-switched destination.

14. The system according to claim 11 wherein the routing agent is configured to obtain routing instructions for a packet-based call having a packet-based destination.

15. The system according to claim 11 wherein each query received by the at least one network control point includes at least one of a called party number and a number associated with the calling party.

16. The system according to claim 11 wherein the routing instructions retrieved by the network control point include a determination whether the calling party should receive an announcement.

17. The system according to claim 11 wherein the routing instructions retrieved by the network control point include a determination whether digits should be collected from the calling party.

18. The system according to claim 11 wherein the routing instructions retrieved by the network control point include a determination whether the calling party should receive an announcement and whether digits should be collected from the calling party.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the database further contains routing instructions supporting circuit-switched destinations and alternate circuit-switched destinations, are augmented to handle packet-based destinations and alternate packet-based destinations.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one network control point comprises the database.