Method and apparatus for providing end-to-end call completion status

• US 8,520,816 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Croak, Marian, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US13/595,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/112.06, 379/114.01, 379/114.14, 379/126, 379/127.02, 379/133, 379/134, 379/139, 370/236, 370/241, 370/242, 370/252, 370352-356, 370/401
• US Class Current: 379/126
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/96 Distributed calculation of charges, e.g. in different nodes like for mobiles between HLR and VLR, or between the terminal and the billing function

Abstract

The present invention enables a method for following the state of a call and generating defects as function of call completion success as opposed to discrete events that happen at individual network elements during the call. In one embodiment, the invention uses Call Detail Records (CDR) to analyze the end-to-end completion status to measure per call basis defects instead of using defect codes generated by network elements on a per equipment basis. CDR is data associated with a telephone call, including the calling and the called numbers, the date and timestamp, the duration, the call setup delay, and the final handling code of the telephone call.

Claims

1. A method for providing an end-to-end call completion status for a call in a packet network, comprising:

collecting call detail record data from a plurality of network components in the packet network; and

consolidating, by a processor, the call detail record data associated with the call to obtain the end-to-end call completion status for the call, and to extract a handling code from the call detail record data, wherein the handling code is a code that indicates a call completion status, wherein the call completion status is determined from a plurality of possible statuses comprising of;

the call has been completed successfully, the call has been blocked and the call has been cut off.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet network comprises an internet protocol network using a session initiation protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the internet protocol network comprises a voice over Internet protocol network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network components comprise a call control element, a border element, and an application server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the consolidating is performed by the processor of a server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the handling code as an indication of a defect in the packet network.

7. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for providing an end-to-end call completion status for a call in a packet network, the operations comprising:

collecting call detail record data from a plurality of network components in the packet network; and

consolidating, by a processor, the call detail record data associated with the call to obtain the end-to-end call completion status for the call, and to extract a handling code from the call detail record data, wherein the handling code is a code that indicates a call completion status, wherein the call completion status is determined from a plurality of possible statuses comprising of;

the call has been completed successfully, the call has been blocked and the call has been cut off.

8. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the packet network comprises an internet protocol network using a session initiation protocol.

9. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the internet protocol network comprises a voice over internet protocol network.

10. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the network components comprise a call control element, a border element, and an application server.

11. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the consolidating is performed by the processor of a server.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

using the handling code as an indication of a defect in the packet network.

13. An apparatus for providing an end-to-end call completion status for a call in a packet network, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

collecting call detail record data from a plurality of network components in the packet network; and

consolidating, by a processor, the call detail record data associated with the call to obtain the end-to-end call completion status for the call, and to extract a handling code from the call detail record data, wherein the handling code is a code that indicates a call completion status, wherein the call completion status is determined from a plurality of possible statuses comprising of;

the call has been completed successfully, the call has been blocked and the call has been cut off.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the packet network comprises an internet protocol network using a session initiation protocol.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the internet protocol network comprises a voice over internet protocol network.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the network components comprise a call control element, a border element, and an application server.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the consolidating is performed by the processor of a server.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

using the handling code as an indication of a defect in the packet network.