Controller for the intelligent interconnection of two communication networks, and method of use for same

• US 9,083,719 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: j2 Cloud Services, LLC (Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Focal IP, LLC
• Inventors: Wood, Samuel F., Klein, Jerry A., Asprey, Margaret Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US13/905,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20130322431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 379/220.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0003 Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0009 where voice calls remain entirely in the telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/129 Details of providing call progress tones or announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13242 Broadcast, diffusion, multicast, point-to-multipoint (1 : N)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 : Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 : Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A caller ID based call routing feature. A processing system in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) receives first identifying information for identifying the source of a telephone call and associates additional information stored in a memory with the first identifying information. The additional information may then be transmitted to the subscriber via the Internet for display. Another feature is a branch calling feature where the subscriber may program a processing system within the PSTN to forward an incoming call to two or more end units (e.g., telephones) simultaneously. If the call at an end unit is answered, answer supervision signaling is transmitted back to the processing system which then terminates all other calls. The processing system then connects the calling party to the subscriber. The branch calling may be made for any combination of local, long distance, and cellular telephone numbers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a controller call data which is associated with a first call via a first communication network;

accessing control criteria by the controller based upon the call data;

initiating a second call via a second communication network by the controller using the call data and the control criteria, wherein the first and the second communication networks are each a voice over IP (VOIP) network; and

enabling communication between the first call and the second call by the controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the call data includes a call request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the call data includes a telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the call data includes an IP address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the call data includes a VOIP signaling message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control criteria includes security measures.

7. The method of in claim 1, wherein the control criteria includes a selection of a telephone number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control criteria includes a feature selection.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the security measures include call logging.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the security measures include web based billing.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the security measures include a prevention of denial of service attacks.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the security measures include authentication of a calling party of the first call.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the security measures include no direct access to a gateway.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

supplying the control criteria via a packet interface.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the control criteria is derived from entries made by a user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the control criteria had been previously downloaded to the controller.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabled communication between the first call and the second call is routed through the controller.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabled communication between the first call and the second call is enabled via an external device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a distributed architecture spanning multiple discrete devices.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller is located at a border between the first communication network and the second communication network.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second calls is a voice call.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second calls is a data call.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second calls is a fax call.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second calls is a short text message.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second calls is a VOIP session.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the second call is a call leg.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first and the second communication networks is coupled to one of a plurality of switching facilities of a third communication network, wherein the third communication network comprises:

edge switches for routing calls from and to subscribers within a local geographic area, and

the plurality of switching facilities each for routing calls to the edge switches or to others of the plurality of switching facilities.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein one of the first and second communication networks is coupled to the one switching facility via a gateway.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the one switching facility is a PSTN Tandem Switch, and the controller is a Tandem Access Controller.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the coupling to the Tandem Switch includes an STP.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the coupling to the Tandem Switch uses SS7 signaling.

56. The method of claim 6, wherein the security measures include conditional call blocking.

32. A controller including circuitry and/or software configured to:

receive call data which is associated with a first call via a first communication network;

access control criteria based upon the call data;

initiate a second call via a second communication network using the call data and the control criteria, wherein the first and the second communication networks are each a voice over IP (VOIP) network; and

enable communication between the first call and the second call.

33. The controller of claim 32, wherein the call data includes a call request.

34. The controller of claim 32, wherein the call data includes a telephone number.

35. The controller of claim 32, wherein the call data includes an IP address.

36. The controller of claim 32, wherein the call data includes a VOIP signaling message.

37. The controller of claim 32, wherein the control criteria includes security measures.

38. The controller of claim 32, wherein the control criteria includes a selection of a telephone number.

39. The controller of claim 32, wherein the control criteria includes a feature selection.

40. The controller of claim 37, wherein the security measures include call logging.

41. The controller of claim 37, wherein the security measures include web based billing.

42. The controller of claim 37, wherein the security measures include a prevention of denial of service attacks.

43. The controller of claim 37, wherein the security measures include authentication of a calling party of the first call.

44. The controller of claim 37, wherein the security measures include no direct access to a gateway.

45. The controller of claim 37, wherein the security measures include conditional call blocking.

46. The controller of claim 32, wherein the enabled communication between the first call and the second call is routed through the controller.

47. The controller of claim 32, wherein the controller is configured to enable the communication between the first call and the second call via an external device.

48. The controller of claim 32, wherein the controller comprises a distributed architecture spanning multiple discrete devices.

49. The controller of claim 32, wherein the controller is located at a border between the first communication network and the second communication network.

50. The controller of claim 32 wherein one of the first and second calls is a voice call.

51. The controller of claim 32 wherein one of the first and second calls is a data call.

52. The controller of claim 32 wherein one of the first and second calls is a fax call.

53. The controller of claim 32 wherein one of the first and second calls is a short text message.

54. The controller of claim 32 wherein one of the first and second calls is a VOIP session.

55. The controller of claim 32 wherein the second call is a call leg.