Dial plan routing for fragmented networks

• US 8,462,637 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sheridan Ross PC
• Inventors: Baldwin, Christopher David, Gillespie, Donald E., Mulberg, Alan Stuart, Gallensky, Neil Ellis, Gruen, Michael, Polese, Luigi Gentile
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, Wutchung
• Application Number:
  US11/231,203
• Time in Patent Office: 2,822 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370216-218, 370352-356, 370/360, 370384-386, 370/237, 379/221.03, 379/219, 37922101-22104, 37922114-22115, 379/229, 379/233, 379/234, 714 1- 4, 709/208, 709/223, 709/229, 709/239, 455/428, 455/455
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network

Abstract

In one configuration, the present invention is directed to an enterprise network that includes geographically dislocated first and second network regions communicating with one another through first and second networks and respectively comprising first and second gateways and first and second groupings of trunks. A media server is positioned in the first network region that includes a routing agent. When a WAN outage occurs, the routing agent, using a dial plan, maps the dialed digits to an electronic address addressable over the PSTN and routes the call over the PSTN to the destination second communication device in the second network region.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an enterprise network having geographically dislocated first and second network regions, wherein the first and second network regions are in communication with one another through first and second intermediate networks and, respectively, comprise first and second gateways and a plurality of communication devices;

in a first operational mode, controlling, by a common media server, the first and second network regions, wherein a majority of bearer channels for voice calls are routed over the first intermediate network;

the first network region receiving, from a first communication device of a first subscriber located in the first network region, a request to initiate a voice call to a second communication device of a second subscriber located in the second network region, the request comprising an abbreviated dial string including a directory number associated with the second communication device;

the first network region determining that the enterprise network is in a second operational mode, wherein the second operational mode corresponds to a state where a network failure has occurred and the first subscriber in the first network region is unable to directly dial the second subscriber in the second network region using the abbreviated dial string and the second network region is under control of a spare media server instead of the common media server;

in a dial plan, mapping, by the first network region, the abbreviated dial string to a corresponding electronic address for the second communication device, the corresponding electronic address having more digits than the abbreviated dial string and being in a form addressable over the second intermediate network; and

the first network region including a primary media server that, using the corresponding electronic address, routes the voice call over the second intermediate network to the second communication device, wherein the first intermediate network is packet switched, and wherein the second intermediate network is circuit-switched; and

after the call is routed over the second intermediate network to the second communication device, at least one of the first and second network regions transmitting in-band feature information, wherein the in band feature information is a reason code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational mode is in existence when the common media server is able to communicate with each of the first and second network regions over the first intermediate network, wherein the second operational mode is in existence when the common media server is unable to communicate with each of the first and second network regions over the first intermediate network and wherein the corresponding electronic address includes the directory number.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the common media server is the primary media server, wherein the second network region comprises the spare media server, wherein, in the second operational mode, the second network region is under the control of the spare media server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication device is a digital station connected to the second gateway, wherein the second communication device is not packet-switched, and wherein the second operational mode is deemed to be in existence when the second gateway is not registered with the common media server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication device is packet-switched, and wherein the second operational mode is deemed to be in existence when the second communication device not registered with the common media server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first set of trunks is not local to the second gateway, wherein a second set of trunks is local to the second gateway, and wherein, when the second operational mode is in effect, the first set of trunks is considered out-of-service for purposes of directing the voice call to the second network region and the second set of trunks is not considered out-of-service for purposes of directing the voice call to the second network region.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the dial plan is stored in the primary media and spare media servers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication device is packet-switched and further comprising:

determining whether the second subscriber is logged off the second communication device;

when it is determined that the second subscriber is logged off of the second communication device, deeming the first operational mode to be in existence; and

when it is not determined that the second subscriber is logged off of the second communication device, deeming the second operational mode to be in existence.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the least one of the first and second network regions transmitting the in-band feature information the other of the at least one of the first and second network regions implementing the reason code.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first network region playing ringback tones over the first communication device; and

during the playing of ringback tones, at least one of the first and second network regions in-band signaling further contact-related information to the other of the first and second network regions.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the second subscriber has failed to answer the second communication device in response to the incoming communication from the first subscriber;

determining that a voice mail server is located in the first network region; and

the second network region in-band signaling the first network region that the second subscriber has not answered the incoming communication; and

the first network region directing the communication from the first subscriber to the voice mail server to leave a voice message for the second subscriber.

12. An enterprise network comprising:

first and second intermediate networks and geographically dislocated first and second network regions, wherein the first and second network regions are in communication with one another through the first and second intermediate networks and, respectively, comprise first and second gateways and a plurality of communication devices, wherein, in a first operational mode, the first and second network regions are controlled by a common media server and bearer channels for voice calls are routed over the first intermediate network and wherein, in a second operational mode, the first and second network regions are not controlled by a common media server;

a routing agent located in the first network region and operable to;

receive, from a first communication device of a first subscriber located in the first network region, a request to initiate a voice call to a second communication device of a second subscriber located in the second network region, the request comprising an abbreviated dial string including a directory number associated with the second communication device;

determine that an enterprise network comprising the first and second network regions is in the second operational mode, wherein the second operational mode corresponds to a state where a network failure has occurred and the first subscriber in the first network region is unable to directly dial the second subscriber in the second network region and the second network region is under control of a spare media server;

map, in a dial plan, the abbreviated dial string to a corresponding electronic address for the second communication device, the corresponding electronic address having more digits than the abbreviated dial string and being in a form addressable over the second intermediate network;

use the corresponding electronic address to route the voice call over the second intermediate network to the second communication device, wherein the first intermediate network is a packet switched network, and wherein the second intermediate network is a circuit-switched network; and

after the call is routed over the second intermediate network to the second communication device, at least one of the first and second network regions transmitting in-band feature information, wherein the in band feature information is a reason code.

13. The enterprise network of claim 12, wherein the first operational mode is in existence when the common media server is able to communicate with each of the first and second network regions over the first intermediate network, wherein the second operational mode is in existence when the media server is unable to communicate with each of the first and second network regions over the first intermediate network and wherein the corresponding electronic address includes the directory number.

14. The enterprise network of claim 13, wherein the common media server is the primary media server, wherein the second network region comprises the spare media server, wherein, in the second operational mode, the second network region is under the control of the spare media server.

15. The enterprise network of claim 12, wherein the second communication device is a digital station connected to the second gateway, wherein the second communication device is not packet-switched, and wherein the second operational mode is deemed to be in existence when the second gateway is not registered with the common media server.

16. The enterprise network of claim 12, wherein the second communication device is packet-switched, and wherein the second operational mode is deemed to be in existence when the second communication device not registered with the common media server.

17. The enterprise network of claim 12, wherein a first set of trunks in the enterprise network is not local to the second gateway, wherein a second set of trunks in the enterprise network is local to the second gateway, and wherein, when the second operational mode is in effect, the first set of trunks is considered out-of-service for purposes of directing the voice call to the second network region and the second set of trunks is not considered out-of-service for purposes of directing the voice call to the second network region.

18. The enterprise network of claim 14, wherein the dial plan is stored in the primary media and spare media servers.

19. The enterprise network of claim 12, wherein the second communication device is packet-switched and wherein the routing agent:

determines whether the second subscriber is logged off the second communication device;

when the routing agent determines that the second subscriber is logged off of the second communication device, deems the first operational mode to be in existence; and

when the routing agent does not determined that the second subscriber is logged off of the second communication device, deems the second operational mode to be in existence.

20. The enterprise network of claim 12, wherein the other of the at least one of the first and second network regions implements the reason code.