Method and system for securely authorizing VoIP interconnections between anonymous peers of VoIP networks

• US 8,238,329 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transnexus Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Transnexus Incorporated
• Inventors: Dalton, James P. G. Jr., Isakbayev, Dmitry
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Application Number:
  US12/288,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 379/112.01, 37911401-11403, 379/114.28, 379/115.01, 379/133, 379/220.01, 379/222
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1471 splitting of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0063 where the network is a peer-to-peer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0078 Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention

Abstract

A peering authority or settlement clearinghouse can be used to control access, collect session accounting information, and provide financial settlement of interconnect or session fees among anonymous Internet Protocol (IP) peers or networks. The addition of peering policy criteria, such as price and quality of service, to peer to peer route discovery mechanisms enable a trusted intermediary, such as the settlement clearinghouse, to authorize acceptable interconnection or peering sessions between anonymous IP peers. Any financial settlement transactions which result from the peering sessions may be subsequently executed by the settlement clearinghouse.

Claims

1. A method for securely authorizing VoIP interconnection between peers of VoIP networks:

identifying the one or more second peer computer networks that are capable of completing a VoIP call originating from a first peer computer network;

identifying peering criteria comprising price information for the VoIP call in an individual VoIP call authorization request;

sending each individual VoIP call authorization request comprising the peering criteria to a peering authority;

evaluating the peering criteria with the peering authority in which the peering authority compares prices in one or more pricing tables with the price for each individual VoIP call set forth in the peering criteria; and

generating one or more tokens corresponding to the one or more second peer computer networks.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if a VoIP call originating from the first peer computer network must be completed by one or more second peer computer networks that are separate from the first computer network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying peering criteria comprising at least one of bandwidth and network quality of service in an individual VoIP call authorization request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising completing the VoIP call with a token.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the one or more tokens to the first peer computer network;

and sending a call setup request comprising a token from the first peer computer network to the second computer network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more second peer computer networks further comprises reviewing available second peer computer networks stored in a routing table.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more second peer computer networks further comprises discovering second peer computer networks using route discovery protocols.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the peering criteria further comprises identifying a type of service requested in the peering criteria.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the peering criteria further comprises determining if pricing associated with the VoIP call are acceptable by one or more second peer computer networks.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the peering criteria further comprises determining if quality of service associated with the peering criteria are acceptable by one or more second peer computer networks.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the peering criteria further comprises comparing historical quality of service of the second computer network to the quality of service requested in the peering criteria.

12. A system for securely authorizing VoIP interconnection between devices of VoIP networks comprising:

a first call point control device of a first computer network, for identifying one or more second peer computer networks that are capable of completing a VoIP call from a first telephone to a second telephone;

the call point control device determining peering criteria comprising a price for the VoIP call; and

a peering authority coupled to the call point control device, for receiving the peering criteria and evaluating the peering criteria, for generating one or more tokens corresponding to the one or more second peer computer networks based on the evaluation of the peering criteria, each token establishing price for the VoIP interconnection in accordance with the peering criteria, the first call point control device selecting a token and contacting a second call point control device on a second computer network associated with the selected token for completing the VoIP call with the token.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first call point control device determines if a VoIP call originating from a first telephone to a second telephone must be completed by one or more second computer networks that are separate from the first computer network.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the peering criteria comprises at least one of bandwidth and a network quality of service for the VoIP call.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein each token further establishes at least one of bandwidth and quality of service for the VoIP interconnection in accordance with the peering criteria.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the peering authority and first and second call point control devices comprise computer servers with IP addresses.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the second call point control device receives the selected token and determines if the token is valid.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the second call point device validates a digital signature of the token using a public key generated by the peering authority.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the peering authority comprises a settlement clearing house.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the settlement clearing house comprises a computer server.