Method for providing local and toll services with LNP, and toll-free services to a calling party which originates the call from an IP location connected to a SIP-enabled IP network

• US 8,879,542 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Samarasinghe, Harish, Peters, Robert Yaeger Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US13/619,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20130010652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/401, 370/410, 370/522
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1275 Methods and means to improve the telephone service quality, e.g. reservation, prioritisation or admission control

Abstract

A method for providing combined local, toll, toll-free services, and number portability, to a calling party originating calls from an IP-based communication devices which are coupled to an IP-based multi-media service provider. The method includes receiving a SIP INVITE message, which includes a multi-media service identifier, at the multi-media provider. The SIP INVITE message represents a call request for a multi-media service. The SIP INVITE message is processed at the multi-media service provider for determining if the call request can be satisfied. If the multi-media service provider includes resources for satisfying the call, the multi-media service identifier of the SIP INVITE message is set to a first predetermined state and the call is processed. If the multi-media service provider does not include resources for satisfying the call, the multi-media service identifier of the SIP INVITE message is set to a second predetermined state and the call is processed elsewhere.

Claims

1. A method of forming a multi-media communication path between a first communication device and a second communication device, comprising:

receiving, by a call control element of a multi-media provider, a first invite message representing a first call request for a first multi-media service;

redirecting, by the call control element, the first invite message to a service broker associated with the multi-media provider for processing the first invite message for determining a first application server associated with the multi-media provider which includes first resources for processing the first invite message;

receiving, by the call control element, a first redirect message from the service broker responsive to the first invite message; and

processing, by the call control element, the first redirect message to generate a second invite message and including a multi-media service identifier, wherein the second invite message allows the first application server to determine whether the first application server includes resources for satisfying the first call request, and to allow a setting of the multi-media service identifier to a first state when it is determined that the first application server includes the resources for satisfying the first call request and a setting of the multi-media service identifier to a second state when it is determined that the first application server does not include the resources for satisfying the first call request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the multi-media service identifier is set to the first state representing that the first application server includes resources for satisfying the first call request, the method further includes:

processing the second invite message at the first application server using the first resources to satisfy the first call request;

receiving a second redirect message at the call control element from the first application server responsive to the second invite message and including the multi-media service identifier set to the first state;

detecting the first state of the multi-media service identifier at the call control element;

querying the service broker to determine whether the first call request requires further processing using other resources associated with another application server; and

processing the first call request at the another application server when the service broker determines that the first call request requires further processing.

3. The method of claim 2, further including:

repeating querying the service broker until it is determined that the first call request no longer requires further processing using other resources associated with the another application server.

4. The method of claim 3, further including:

generating a third invite message at the call control element responsive to a communication by the service broker representing that the first call request no longer requires processing;

receiving and processing the third invite message at a network routing element associated with the multi-media provider to determine an address associated with a border element located on the multi-media provider for which the second communication device is coupled; and

receiving a third redirect message at the call control element from the network routing element responsive to the third invite message and including the address associated with the border element; and

generating and sending a fourth invite message to the border element for forming the multi-media communication path between the first communication device and the second communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the multi-media service identifier to the first state includes setting a backhaul indicator to null.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the multi-media service identifier to the first state includes setting the multi-media service identifier to a geographic location parameter representing a location of a calling party operating at the first communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographic location parameter is determined from a charge number associated with the calling party operating at the first communication device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographic location parameter is determined from a network database based on a charge number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the second invite message at the first application server includes classifying the second invite message based on a distinction between toll calls and local calls.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the second invite message at the first application server includes classifying the second invite message based on a distinction between local calls, intraLATA toll calls, and interLATA toll calls.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the multi-media service identifier to the second state includes setting a backhaul indicator to backhaul.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the first application server includes the resources for satisfying the first call request includes comparing a first toll-free number associated with the second invite message to a second toll-free number associated with the first application server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein when the multi-media service identifier is set to the second state representing that the first application server does not include resources for satisfying the first call request, the method further includes:

receiving a second redirect message at the call control element from the first application server responsive to the second invite message and including the multi-media service identifier set to the second state;

detecting the second state of the multi-media service identifier at the call control element; and

generating a third invite message at the call control element responsive to detecting the second state of the multi-media service identifier.

14. The method of claim 13, further including:

receiving and processing the third invite message at a network routing element associated with the multi-media provider to determine an address associated with a border element located on the multi-media provider for which a local exchange carrier is coupled, wherein the processing includes determining porting information which relates to whether or not the primary routing number has been ported from one local carrier to another local carrier and communicating the porting information in the third redirect message communicated to the call control element;

receiving a third redirect message at the call control element from the network routing element responsive to the third invite message and including the address associated with the border element for which a local exchange carrier is coupled;

generating a fourth invite message at the call control element and including the address associated with the border element for which a local exchange carrier is coupled; and

sending the fourth invite message to the border element for forming a multi-media communication path between the first communication device and the second communication device, via the local exchange carrier.

15. A method of forming a multi-media communication path between a first communication device and a second communication device, comprising:

receiving, by a call control element of a first carrier, a first invite message representing a first call request for a first multi-media service;

redirecting, by the call control element, the first invite message to a service broker associated with the first carrier for processing the first invite message for determining an address of a remote application server associated with an industry toll-free database;

receiving, by the call control element, a first redirect message from the service broker responsive to the first invite message and including the address of the remote application server; and

processing, by the call control element, the first redirect message to generate a second invite message and including the address of the remote application server, wherein the second invite message allows the remote application server to determine an identifier associated with a carrier which includes resources for satisfying the first call request.

16. The method of claim 15, further including:

receiving a second redirect message at the call control element from the remote application server responsive to the second invite message and including the identifier of the carrier which includes resources for satisfying the first call request.

17. The method of claim 16, further including:

generating a third invite message at the call control element and including the identifier of the carrier which includes resources for satisfying the first call request; and

receiving and processing the third invite message at the service broker to determine whether the identifier of the carrier is associated with a multi-media provider.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein when service broker determines that the identifier of the carrier is associated with the multi-media provider, the method further includes:

receiving a third redirect message at the call control element form the service broker responsive to the third invite message; and

processing the third redirect message at the call control element to generate a fourth invite message and including and address associated with a first application server associated with the multi-media provider which includes resources for processing the first call request.

19. The method of claim 17, further including:

receiving and processing the fourth invite message at the first application server using resources of the first application server to satisfy the first call request;

generating a fourth redirect message at the first application server;

receiving and processing the fourth redirect message at the call control element from the first application server responsive to the fourth invite message;

querying the service broker to determine whether the first call request requires further processing using other resources associated with another application server associated with the multi-media provider; and

processing the first call request at the another application server when the service broker determines that the first call request requires further processing.

20. The method of claim 19, further including:

repeating querying the service broker until the first call request is determined to no longer require further processing using other resources associated with the another application server.