Voice over network (VoN)/voice over internet protocol (VoIP) architect having hotline and optional tie line

• US 9,118,510 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kafka, Henry J., Adamczyk, Maria, Iffland, Frederick C., Simpson, Anita Hogans, LaPierre, Stephen R., McCourt, Karen M., Ruckart, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US13/917,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20130272298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Voice service over a next generation network is provided using Advanced Intelligent Network solutions. According to an exemplary embodiment, a Voice over Network system includes a communications device having a directory communication address in communication with a telecommunications network, means for decoding the directory communications address to identify a voice over internet protocol service feature of the communications address, and means for establishing an internet protocol telephony communications connection of the communications device with a called party'"'"'s communications address via a VoN hotline. According to further exemplary embodiments, the hotline may include a media gateway, an application server, a feature server, and means for communicating among the media gateway, the application server, and the feature server.

Claims

1. A method for providing a voice over network services, comprising:

decoding a voice over network setup communications signal to associate an internal communications address with a directory communications address, the internal communications address corresponding to a voice over network service of the directory communications address; and

determining a called party'"'"'s communications address from the directory communications address,

wherein the internal communications address comprises a data format that is the same as a data format of the directory communications address, and

wherein the internal communications address comprises a shadow line number that is unknown to a user that is associated with the directory communications address, wherein the shadow line number comprises a data format that is the same as the data format of the directory communications address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a voice over network hotline for the directory communications address using the internal communications address, the voice over network hotline providing voice over internet protocol communications for communications with the directory communications address;

initiating a voice over network communications signal to the called party'"'"'s communications address from the voice over network hotline; and

establishing the voice over network communications signal from the directory communications address to the called party'"'"'s communications address via the voice over network hotline.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal communications address further comprises a communications service feature of the directory communications address that includes a caller identification service feature.

4. A voice over network system comprising:

means for decoding a directory communications address of a communications device to identify a voice over internet protocol service feature of the directory communications address via an association with an internal communications address that includes a same format as the directory communications address and wherein the internal communications address comprises a shadow line number that is unknown to a user that is associated with the directory communications address, wherein the shadow line number comprises a data format that is the same as the data format of the directory communications address, wherein the communications device in is communication with a telecommunications network, wherein the means for decoding comprises a media server;

wherein the media server is to communicate the dial tone to the communications device via the bearer communications path, to receive the called party'"'"'s communications address from the communications device via the bearer communications path, and to communicate the called party'"'"'s communications address to a feature server.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for establishing, using the internal communications address, a voice over network hotline to provide the voice over internet protocol service feature, the voice over network hotline communicating internet protocol telephony communications signals, the voice over network hotline further establishing an internet protocol telephony communications connection of the communications device with a called party'"'"'s communications address.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for decoding the directory communications address to identify a mid-call service feature of the directory communications address, the mid-call service feature comprising a three way call service feature, and wherein the means for decoding the directory communications address to identify a voice over internet protocol service feature of the directory communications address comprises a feature server and an application server.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the voice over network hotline further comprises a media gateway, the application server, a media server, the feature server, and means for communicating among the media gateway, the application server, and the feature server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for communicating between the media gateway, the application server, and the feature server comprises an internet protocol telephony switching device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the media gateway is to communicate with the internet protocol telephony switching device to initiate setup of the voice over network hotline.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the feature server is to communicate with the application server to establish a bearer communications path from the media server to the media gateway, the feature server further instructing the media server to communicate a dial tone to the media gateway and further instructing the media gateway to communicate the called party'"'"'s communications address.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the application server is to initiate communication of the internet protocol telephony communications signal to the called party'"'"'s communications address and to instruct the media gateway to establish the internet protocol telephony communications connection of the communications device with a called party'"'"'s communications address via the bearer path.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for decoding the directory communications address of the communications device is further to detect the voice over network hotline and to communicate the bearer path to the media gateway.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for decoding the directory communications address of the communications device is to use a direct tie line via in-band signaling to the media gateway.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the media gateway is to communicate with the internet protocol telephony switching device to initiate communications setup, the internet protocol telephony switching device to communicate with the application server to establish communications with the bearer communications path via the media server, and the application server further to instruct the media server to communicate the dial tone to the called party'"'"'s communications address.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the media server is to communicate the dial tone to the communications device via the direct tie line.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the media server is to receive the called party'"'"'s communications address from the communications device via the direct tie line and to communicate the called party'"'"'s communications address to the application server.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the application server is to initiate communication of the internet protocol telephony communications signal to the called party'"'"'s communications address and to instruct the internet telephony switching device to route the internet protocol telephony communications signal to the media server to establish the internet protocol telephony communications connection of the communications device with a called party'"'"'s communications address.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

decoding a voice over network setup communications signal to associate an internal communications address with a directory communications address, the internal communications address comprising a voice over network service of the directory communications address and including a data format that is the same as a data format of the directory communications address;

presenting a dial tone to a communications device of the directory communications address, the dial tone indicating availability to communicate voice over internet protocol communications signals; and

receiving a called party'"'"'s communications address from the directory communications address, and

wherein the internal communications address comprises a shadow line number that is unknown to a user that is associated with the directory communications address, wherein the shadow line number comprises a data format that is the same as the data format of the directory communications address.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

establishing, using the internal communications address, a voice over network hotline for the directory communications address, the hotline providing voice over internet protocol communications for communications with the directory communications address;

initiating a voice over network communications signal to the called party'"'"'s communications address from the hotline; and

establishing the voice over network communications signal from the directory communications address to the called party'"'"'s communications address via the voice over network hotline.

20. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the internal communications address further comprises a communications service feature of the directory communications address that includes a voicemail service feature.