System and method for mapping a voice identity across multiple telephony networks with time attributes

• US 8,483,102 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhu, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US11/926,390
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/271, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 379/211.02, 379/211.03, 379/211.04, 379/207.03, 455/414.2, 455/414.4, 455/415
• US Class Current: 370/271
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/546 in private branch exchanges

Abstract

A method and system includes: one or more phone systems; a policy processor coupled to the phone systems; and a voice identity mapping policy stored in a data storage, the data storage being accessible to the policy processor. The voice identity mapping policy includes: a plurality of search voice identities mapped to one or more target voice identities, where the plurality of the search voice identities are applicable to a plurality of users, where each of the search voice identities and the target voice identities comprises a username for one of the plurality of users, and time attributes indicating when the voice identity mapping policies are valid. When a voice identity for a recipient of a call is received, the policy processor checks for the voice identity mapping policy associated with the voice identity. The call is then forwarded to the target voice identity in the voice identity mapping policy.

Claims

1. A system to map a voice identity, comprising:

one or more phone systems for providing one or more voice services, the phone systems comprising one or more telephony switches performing call routing of the voice identity;

at least one policy processor coupled to the telephony switches for receiving the voice identity from the one or more telephony switches; and

at least one voice identity mapping policy used in providing the voice services and stored in a data storage, the data storage being accessible to the at least one policy processor, the voice identity mapping policy comprising;

a plurality of search voice identities mapped to one or more target voice identities, wherein the plurality of the search voice identities are applicable to a plurality of users, and

time attributes indicating when the voice identity mapping policies are valid,

wherein in response to receiving the voice identity from the one or more telephony switches, the at least one policy processor matches the voice identity to a given search voice identity, wherein the given search voice identity is mapped by the policy processor to a given target voice identity according to the at least one voice identity mapping policy, wherein voice identity, the given search voice identity, and the given target voice identity each comprises a username,

wherein the at least one policy processor sends the given target voice identity comprising the username to the one or more telephony switches,

wherein in response to receiving the given target voice identity comprising the username, the one or more telephony switches routes the call using the username.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the phone systems comprises a private branch exchange (PBX), a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) network, or a wireless telephone network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one policy processor comprises a software application executed in at least one of the phone systems'"'"' application server, a stand-alone computer coupled to at least one of the phone systems, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) coupled to at least one of the phone systems.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the VOIP network provides a VOIP service based on instant message (IM) technologies.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the username comprises an IM identity or an email account identity.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the VOIP network provides a corporate phone service, wherein the username comprises an employee'"'"'s computer user identity.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of phone systems and a telephone operator for operating the at least one policy processor and the plurality of phone systems to provide a plurality of voice services used in the voice identity mapping policies, the telephone operator having access to the data storage.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of voice services comprises at least one of the following:

a corporate voice service;

a residential voice service;

a VOIP service;

or

a mobile voice service.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein at least two of the plurality of phone systems provide different voice services.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice identity mapping policy further comprises:

the plurality of search voice identities transitively mapped to the one or more target voice identities, wherein the plurality of search voice identities are applicable to the plurality of users, wherein a voice identity matches a first search voice identity of a first phone system, wherein the first search voice identity is mapped by the at least one policy processor to a first target voice identity of a second phone system according to a first mapping policy, wherein the first target voice identity matches a second search voice identity of a second mapping policy, wherein the second search voice identity is mapped by the at least one policy processor to a second target voice identity of a third phone system according to the second mapping policy, wherein the second target voice identity is different from the first search voice identity,

wherein the search voice identities, the first target voice identity, and the second target voice identity comprises the username for one of the plurality of users.

11. A method for processing voice identity mappings, comprising:

receiving a voice identity for a recipient of an initial voice call by at least one policy processor from one or more telephony switches performing call routing of the voice identity;

checking for at least one voice identity mapping policy associated with the voice identity, the at least one voice identity mapping policy comprising;

a plurality of search voice identities mapped to one or more target voice identities, wherein the plurality of the search voice identities are applicable to a plurality of users, and

a time attribute indicating when the voice identity mapping policy is valid;

in response to receiving the voice identity from the one or more telephony switches, matching the voice identity to a given search voice identity;

mapping the given search voice identity to a given target voice identity according to the at least one voice identity mapping policy, wherein the voice identity, the given search identity, and the given target identity each comprise a username; and

sending the given target voice identity comprising the username to the one or more telephony switches, wherein the one or more telephone switches routes the initial voice call to the target voice identity using the username.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the initial call is made from one of a plurality of phone systems, wherein the plurality of phone systems comprise a private branch exchange (PBX), a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) network, or a wireless telephone network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the checking is performed by the at least one policy processor, wherein the at least one policy processor comprises a software application executed in the phone system'"'"'s application server, a stand-alone computer coupled to the phone system, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) coupled to the phone system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the VOIP network provides a VOW service based on instant message (IM) technologies.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the username of the voice identity comprises an IM identity or an email account identity.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the VOIP network provides a corporate phone service, wherein the username of the voice identity comprises an employee'"'"'s computer user identity.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the checking is performed by a telephone operator for operating the at least one policy processor and a plurality of phone systems to provide a plurality of voice services used in the at least one voice identity mapping policy.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of voice services comprises at least one of the following:

a corporate voice service;

a residential voice service;

a VOIP service;

or

a mobile voice service.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein at least two of the plurality of phone systems provide different voice services.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one voice identity mapping policy further comprises:

the plurality of search voice identities transitively mapped to the one or more target voice identities, wherein the plurality of search voice identities are applicable to the plurality of users, wherein a voice identity matches a first search voice identity of a first phone system, wherein the first search voice identity is mapped by the at least one policy processor to a first target voice identity of a second phone system according to a first mapping policy, wherein the first target voice identity matches a second search voice identity of a second mapping policy, wherein the second search voice identity is mapped by the at least one policy processor to a second target voice identity of a third phone system according to the second mapping policy, wherein the second target voice identity is different from the first search voice identity,

wherein the search voice identities, the first target voice identity, and the second target voice identity comprises the username for one of the plurality of users.