Telecommunications system

• US 8,144,713 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Kramer, Nicholas Peter, Patterson, James Peter, Swarbrick, Mark John, Saberwal, Harjot Singh, Cohen, Robert David, Farrimond, Peter George
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Chuong T
• Application Number:
  US12/514,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20100195658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-357, 370/401, 370/395.41, 370/395.42, 370/395.43, 709/230
• US Class Current: 370/395.41
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

Virtual dedicated voice connections between parties to a packet-switched system can be created by reserving capacity for such connections in the packet-switched system. The capacity reservable by any one party is limited to prevent over-subscription of resources in the packet switched. The system incorporates a call admission control processor for controlling access to the packet-switched call routing system such that a voice call attempt is successful only if capacity for such a dedicated connection has previously been reserved. The capacity reserved for the virtual connections is made available for use by other traffic when not required for voice sessions.

Claims

1. A method of creating virtual dedicated connections between parties to a packet-switched system, said method comprising:

populating a session parameter database with parameters for permitted sessions, and controlling access to a packet-switched call routing system such that, when a session request is set up between a first party and a second party, the session is connected only if specified parameters of the requested session, including identifies of the first party and the second party, have previously been stored in the session parameter database;

wherein said populating the session parameter database is controlled such that the total capacity required by the permitted sessions whose parameters are stored in the database does not exceed a predetermined value; and

wherein the capacity required to connect sessions meeting the parameter sets defined in the session parameter database is made available for use by general traffic when not required for sessions meeting the parameter set.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said populating the session parameter database is controlled such that the total capacity allocated to sessions connected by any one party is limited, to prevent over-subscription of resources in the packet-switched network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a definition of parameters for permitted sessions for a connection between two parties requires the cooperation of both parties.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein allowable parameters include the coding process to be used for the session.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein sessions are controlled such that only one session meeting a given parameter set may be connected at one time.

6. A method according to claim 5, in which a user may establish sessions to two or more other parties at once, each session satisfying a different parameter set.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein such general traffic is connected only if predetermined parameter are met.

8. A session control system for a packet-switching system, said call control system comprising:

a session parameter database, a data entry portal for populating the session parameter database with permitted session parameters, including the identifies of permitted combinations of calling party and called party, and

a session admission control processor for processing session requests received from calling parties, the session admission control processor comprising;

means for receiving a request from a first party to set up a session to a second party, data retrieval means for cooperating with the session parameter database to identify whether parameters corresponding to the session request have been stored in the session parameter database, and

session connection means for completing the connection if the specified parameters of the requested session have previously been stored in the session parameter database;

wherein the session parameter database has capacity-limiting means controllable such that the total capacity required by sessions whose parameters are stored in the session parameter database does not exceed a predetermined value; and

wherein the capacity required to connect sessions meeting parameter sets defined in the database is made available for use by general traffic when not required for sessions meeting the session parameter set.

9. A session control system according to claim 8, wherein the capacity-limiting means is controllable such that the total capacity allocatable to sessions connected by any one party does not exceed a predetermined value.

10. A session control system according to claim 8, wherein the data entry portal is arranged such that the cooperation of both parties to a session is required for the parameter set of such a session to be entered.

11. A session control system according to claim 8, wherein allowable parameters include the coding process to be used for the session.

12. A session control system according to claim 8, wherein the session admission control processor is controllable such that only one session meeting a given parameter set may be connected at one time.

13. A session control system according to claim 12, wherein the session admission control processor is controllable such that a user may establish sessions to two or more other parties at once, each session satisfying a different parameter set.

14. A session control system according to claim 8, wherein the session admission control processor comprises means for identifying between types of general traffic meeting different parameters and only connecting such traffic if it meets predetermined parameters.