Call control enabler abstracted from underlying network technologies

• US 8,230,449 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maes, Stéphane H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEYE, ABDOU K
• Application Number:
  US11/949,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328, 709/204
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for controlling a media session. According to one embodiment, a method for controlling a communication session can comprise receiving a request to perform a call control function from an application via a northbound interface of a call control enabler. The northbound interface can provide an abstract interface for invoking one or more of a plurality of call control functions. The call control function can be requested from a first network resource via a southbound interface of the call control enabler specific to the first network resource. In some cases, results of the call control function can be received from the first network resource via the southbound interface of the call control enabler. The results of the call control function can then be returned to the application via the northbound interface of the call control enabler.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a communication session, the method comprising:

receiving a request to perform a call control function of a first network resource of a plurality of network resources from an application via a northbound interface of a call control enabler, the northbound interface providing an abstract, network agnostic interface providing notification of network events and for invoking one or more of a plurality of call control functions of the first network resource for affecting, determining, or updating a state of the communication session based on the request, wherein the call control enabler is between the application and the first network resource and wherein the application interacts with the first network resource through the call control enabler; and

requesting the call control function from the first network resource via a southbound interface of an enabler instance of a plurality of enabler instances of the call control enabler, each of the plurality of enabler instances providing the southbound interface providing an interface specific to one of the network resources regardless of a network or protocol of the northbound interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving results of the call control function from the first network resource via the southbound interface of the call control enabler; and

returning the results of the call control function to the application via the northbound interface of the call control enabler.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the northbound interface of the call control enabler comprises an Application Program Interface (API).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the northbound interface comprises a Parlay call control API.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more call control functions comprise establishing a connection with a second network resource.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein establishing the connection with the second network resource is performed via a call control function of the first network resource.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein establishing the connection with the second network resource is performed via a third-party call control function of the first network resource.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein establishing the connection with the second network resource is performed via a multi-party call control function of the first network resource.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more call control functions comprise determining a state of an existing call.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more call control functions comprise modifying a state of an existing call.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the southbound interface comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) interface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the southbound interface comprises a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the southbound interface comprises a Parlay interface.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the southbound interface comprises a Public Branch Exchange (PBX) interface.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the southbound interface comprises an Internet Protocol Network (IN) interface.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the southbound interface comprises an IP Media Gateway (IMG) interface.

17. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the processor and having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute a call control enabler comprising an abstraction layer including one or more northbound interfaces providing an abstract, network agnostic interface for providing notification of network events and invoking one or more of a plurality of call control functions of a plurality of network resources, wherein the call control enabler is adapted to receive a request to perform a call control function of one of the network resources from an application via the northbound interface and a plurality of enabler instances for affecting, determining, or updating a state of the communication session based on the request, each of the plurality of enabler instances providing a southbound interface providing an interface specific to one of the network resources regardless of a network or protocol of the northbound interface, wherein the call control enabler is adapted to request the call control functions of one of the network resources via the southbound interface, wherein the enabler instance is between the plurality of network resources and the application and wherein the application interacts with the plurality of network resources through the call control enabler.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the call control enabler is adapted to receive a request to perform a call control function of a first network resource of the plurality of network resources from the application via the northbound interface and request the call control function of the first network resource via the southbound interface of the enabler instance of the plurality of enabler instances which provides an interface specific to the first network resource.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the call control enabler is further adapted to receive results of the call control function from the first network resource via the southbound interface of the enabler instance which provides an interface specific to the first network resource and return the results of the call control function to the application via the northbound interface of the call control enabler.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the northbound interface of the call control enabler comprises an Application Program Interface (API).

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the northbound interface comprises a Parlay call control API.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more call control functions comprise establishing a connection with a second network resource.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein establishing the connection with the second network resource is performed via a call control function of the first network resource.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein establishing the connection with the second network resource is performed via a third-party call control function of the first network resource.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein establishing the connection with the second network resource is performed via a multi-party call control function of the first network resource.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the southbound interface comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) interface.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the southbound interface comprises a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) interface.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the southbound interface comprises a Parlay interface.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the southbound interface comprises a Public Branch Exchange (PBX) interface.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the southbound interface comprises an Internet Protocol Network (IN) interface.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the southbound interface comprises an IP Media Gateway (IMG) interface.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the call control enabler is further adapted to receive a request to affect a communication session from an endpoint via a southbound interface of a call control enabler and notify an application of the request via a northbound interface of the call control enabler.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the application is adapted to determine one or more call control functions to be performed in response to the request and request the one or more call control functions via the northbound interface of the call control enabler.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the call control enabler is further adapted to receive the request to perform the one or more call control functions from the application via the northbound interface of the call control enabler and request the call control function from a network resource via the southbound interface of the call control enabler.

35. A machine-readable memory having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform call control by:

receiving a request to perform a call control function of a first network resource of a plurality of network resources from an application via a northbound interface of a call control enabler, the northbound interface providing an abstract, network agnostic interface providing notification of network events and for invoking one or more of a plurality of call control functions of the first network resource for affecting, determining, or updating a state of the communication session based on the request, wherein the call control enabler is between the application and the first network resource and wherein the application interacts with the first network resource through the call control enabler; and

requesting the call control function from the first network resource via a southbound interface of an enabler instance of a plurality of enabler instances of the call control enabler, each of the plurality of enabler instances of the southbound interface providing an interface specific to one of the network resources regardless of a network or protocol of the northbound interface.

36. The machine-readable memory of claim 35, further comprising:

receiving results of the call control function from the first network resource via the southbound interface of the call control enabler; and

returning the results of the call control function to the application via the northbound interface of the call control enabler.

37. The machine-readable memory of claim 35, wherein the northbound interface of the call control enabler comprises an Application Program Interface (API).

38. The machine-readable memory of claim 37, wherein the northbound interface comprises a Parlay call control API.

39. The machine-readable memory of claim 35, wherein the one or more call control functions comprise establishing a connection with a second network resource.

40. The machine-readable memory of claim 39, wherein establishing the connection with the second network resource is performed via a call control function of the first network resource.

41. The machine-readable memory of claim 39, wherein establishing the connection with the second network resource is performed via a third-party call control function of the first network resource.

42. The machine-readable memory of claim 39, wherein establishing the connection with the second network resource is performed via a multi-party call control function of the first network resource.