Intelligent network and method for providing voice telephony over ATM and point-to-multipoint connectivity

• US 8,467,378 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Thomas Glenn Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US11/856,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20080075025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,101 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5663 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5671 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5687 Security aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/203 ATM switching fabrics with multicast or broadcast capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/255 Control mechanisms for ATM switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/35 : virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 : Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 : Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 : Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 : Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 : Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 : Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 : Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13242 : Broadcast, diffusion, multicast, point-to-multipoint (1 : N)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 : Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13296 : Packet switching, X.25, frame relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 : Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 : involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0066 : Bandwidth allocation or management

Abstract

An illustrative intelligent network and method for providing voice telephony over ATM and point-to-multipoint connectivity are provided that can provide significant advantages. A method for providing a point-to-multipoint service to control point-to-multipoint connections using an intelligent network and a switched virtual circuit over an ATM network includes receiving a request from a calling party to establish a point-to-multipoint connection, determining if the calling party is authorized to make point-to-multipoint connections, rejecting the request if the calling party is not authorized to establish point-to-multipoint connections, analyzing the request to determine if the bandwidth requested for the point-to-multipoint connection is within authorized bandwidth limits, and rejecting the request if the bandwidth requested is not within authorized bandwidth limits. An intelligent network for providing VToA and point-to-multipoint connectivity is also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

intercepting a connection request sent from a calling party to a first network device, where the connection request includes a point-to-multipoint Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode connection request;

determining, based on one or more values stored within the connection request, whether the connection request includes information identifying a Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode;

processing the connection request as a first type of request to establish a switched virtual circuit to provide Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode services, when the connection request includes the information identifying the Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode; and

processing the connection request as a second type of request, that is different than the first type of request, when the connection request does not include the information identifying the Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode.

2. The method of claim 1, where the connection request includes an Asynchronous Transfer Mode setup message.

3. The method of claim 1, where processing the connection request as the first type of request includes:

processing the connection request as the Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode request, and

where processing the connection request as the second type of request includes;

processing the connection request as a data transfer request.

4. The method of claim 3, where the connection request includes a called party phone number associated with a called party,

where the one or more values are stored within a called number parameter of the connection request, and

where processing the connection request as the Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode request includes:

identifying a called party Asynchronous Transfer Mode address based on the called party phone number, the called party Asynchronous Transfers Mode address being used to establish the switched virtual circuit to provide Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode services between the calling party and the called party.

5. The method of claim 1, where processing the connection request as the second type of request includes:

processing the connection request as a data transfer request.

6. The method of claim 1, where, prior to being intercepted, the connection request is received at a device side of the first network device, the method further comprising:

forming a second connection request in response to processing the connection request as the first type of request or the second request; and

transmitting the second connection request to a network side of the first network device for transmission to a second network device to establish a connection between the calling party and a called party identified based on the one or more values stored in the connection request.

10. The method of claim 1, where processing the connection request as the first type of request includes:

modifying the connection request to form a second connection request in response to processing the connection request as the first type of connection request, and

transmitting the second connection request to the first network device to establish the switched virtual circuit.

7. The method of 1, further comprising:

receiving a second connection request from the calling party that includes a request for a point-to-multipoint connection; and

determining, in response to receiving the second connection request, whether the calling party is authorized to make point-to-multipoint connections.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, when the calling party is authorized to make the point-to-multipoint connections, whether an amount of bandwidth requested for the point-to-multipoint connection is within authorized bandwidth limits.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising at least one of:

rejecting the second connection request when the calling party is not authorized to make the point-to-multipoint connections;

or

rejecting the second connection request when the amount of bandwidth requested is not within the authorized bandwidth limits.

11. A system comprising:

a network device to;

intercept a connection request sent from a calling party to a second network device,

determine, based on one or more values stored in the connection request, whether the connection request includes information identifying a Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode,

process the connection request as a Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode connection request to establish a switched virtual connection (SVC) to provide Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode services when the connection request includes the information identifying the Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode, and

process the connection request as a data transfer request when the connection request does not include the information identifying the Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfers Mode.

12. The system of claim 11, where the network device comprises:

an Asynchronous Transfer Mode signaling intercept processor, and

a multi-service control point.

13. The system of claim 11, where the connection request includes an Asynchronous Transfer Mode setup message.

14. The system of claim 11, where the connection request includes a called party phone number associated with a called party, and

where, when processing the connection request as the Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode connection request, the network device is to:

identify a called party Asynchronous Transfer Mode address based on the called party phone number, where the called party Asynchronous Transfers Mode address is used to establish a connection between the calling party and the called party.

15. The system of claim 11, where the network device is further to:

modify the connection request to form a second connection request in response to processing the connection request as the Voice Telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode connection request, and

transmit the second connection request to the second network device to establish the SVC.

16. The system of claim 11, where the second network device includes an Asynchronous Transfer Mode edge switch, and

where one or more nodes, of the system, serve as a network layer of the Asynchronous Transfer Mode edge switch.

17. A method comprising:

intercepting a first connection request sent from a calling party to a first network device;

determining, based on a content of the first connection request, that the first connection request includes a request for a point-to-multipoint connection;

determining, in response to determining that the first connection request includes a request for a point-to-multipoint connection, whether the calling party is authorized to make point-to-multipoint connections;

determining, in response to determining that the calling party is authorized to make point-to-multipoint connections, whether an amount of bandwidth requested for the point-to-multipoint connection is within authorized bandwidth limits; and

forwarding a second connection request to the first network device for establishing a connection between the calling party and a called party when the amount of bandwidth requested for the point-to-multipoint connection is determined to be within authorized bandwidth limits.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

rejecting the first connection request when at least one of;

the calling party is not authorized to make point-to-multipoint connections, or

the amount of bandwidth requested for the point-to-multipoint connection exceeds the authorized bandwidth limits.

19. The method of claim 17, where the first connection request includes an Asynchronous Transfer Mode setup message.

20. The method of claim 17, where the calling party is associated with a user group, and

where determining whether the calling party is authorized to make the point-to-multipoint connections includes:

analyzing privileges associated with the user group.