System and method for performing signaling-plan-specific call progress analysis

• US 20020176557A1
• Filed: 03/22/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dialogic, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Showshore Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Burger, Eric W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/207.02
• 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 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8292 Charging for signaling or unsuccessful connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/48 Sending information over a non-traffic network channel or another connection than the one actually used, e.g. signalling, D-channel, data and voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/06 using auxiliary connections for control or supervision , e.g. where the auxiliary connection is a signalling system number 7 link
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/129 : Details of providing call progress tones or announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 : Signaling in general, in-band signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 : Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 : Network testing or monitoring arrangements

Abstract

Call progress analysis is performed in a telephone system employing different in-band signaling plans are used. From address information for a call destination in a call initiation message, it is determined which type of in-band signaling plans is utilized by equipment associated with the call destination, for example by examining country codes in a dialed telephone number. Based upon the determined signaling plan type, a corresponding type of call progress analysis resource is selected and allocated for use with the call. The analysis resource may include a digital signal processor (DSP) programmed with an analysis routine tailored to the determined signaling plan. The DSP may be pre-programmed with such a routine or may be loaded at call time with analysis parameters appropriate to the signaling plan. The telephone system may employ a packet network and packet-based telephony transmission, a media gateway controller or a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy server, an a media server. A telephone network employing more traditional time-division-multiplexed (TDM) based media transmission may also be utilized.

Claims

1. A method of performing call progress analysis in a telephone system in which different types of in-band signaling plans are used, comprising:

determining, from address information for a call destination contained in a call initiation message, which of different types of in-band signaling plans is utilized by equipment associated with the call destination; and

based upon the signaling plan type determination, selecting a corresponding type of call progress analysis resource and allocating the selected call progress analysis resource to the call.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the signaling plan types correspond to different national telephone administration plans.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the signaling plan types correspond to different national telephone administration plans, and wherein the address information comprises an internationally-recognized country code forming part of a telephone number.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the address information comprises an internationally-recognized country code forming part of a telephone number.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the address information comprises an alphanumeric string translatable by the telephone system to physical call destination information.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the selected resource is one of plurality of programmable resources, each programmable resource being pre-loaded with a corresponding call progress analysis routine.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein each programmable resource comprises a digital signal processor.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the selected resource includes one of plurality of sets of analysis parameters and a programmable resource, each set of analysis parameters corresponding to a different type of signaling plan, and further comprising loading the selected set of parameters into the available programmable resource.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the programmable resource comprises a digital signal processor.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the call destination and the call initiator employ different media formats, and further comprising transcoding between the different media formats so as to enable the call between the call destination and call initiator to proceed.

11. A telephone system providing analog call progress analysis, comprising:

a packet network operative to provide packet-based transmission of media and signaling traffic;

a first node coupled to the packet network, the first node being operative to perform a routing function, the routing function determining, from address information for a call destination contained in a call initiation message received from a call initiator coupled to the packet network, which of different types of in-band signaling plans is utilized by equipment associated with the call destination; and

a second node coupled to the packet network, the second node being operative to perform a media processing function, the media processing function selecting, based upon the signaling plan type determination, a corresponding type of call progress analysis resource and allocating the selected call progress analysis resource to the call.

12. A telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the signaling plan types correspond to different national telephone administration plans.

13. A telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the signaling plan types correspond to different national telephone administration plans, and wherein the address information comprises an internationally-recognized country code forming part of a telephone number.

14. A telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the address information comprises an internationally-recognized country code forming part of a telephone number.

15. A telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the address information comprises an alphanumeric string translatable by the telephone system to physical call destination information.

16. A telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the selected resource is one of plurality of programmable resources, each programmable resource being pre-loaded with a corresponding call progress analysis routine.

17. A telephone system according to claim 16, wherein each programmable resource comprises a digital signal processor.

18. A telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the selected resource includes one of plurality of sets of analysis parameters and a programmable resource, each set of analysis parameters corresponding to a different type of signaling plan, and further comprising loading the selected set of parameters into the available programmable resource.

19. A telephone system according to claim 18, wherein the programmable resource comprises a digital signal processor.

20. A telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the first and second nodes are separate physical network nodes.

21. A telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the first and second nodes are the same physical network node.

22. A telephone system according to claim 11, further comprising a media gateway coupled to the packet network and to a country network to which the equipment associated with the call destination is also coupled, and wherein the routing function comprises a media gateway controller communicatively coupled to the media gateway to control the operation thereof.

23. A telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the call destination and the call initiator employ different media formats, and wherein the media processing function provides for transcoding between the different media formats so as to enable a call between the call destination and call initiator to proceed.

24. A telephone system providing analog call progress analysis, comprising:

a signaling network operative to provide transmission of call signaling traffic;

a media network operative to provide time-division-multiplexed based transmission of call media;

a controller coupled to the signaling network, the controller being operative to perform a routing function, the routing function determining, from address information for a call destination contained in a call initiation message received from a call initiator, which of different types of in-band signaling plans is utilized by equipment associated with the call destination; and

a media processing node coupled to the media network, the media processing node being operative to perform a media processing function, the media processing function selecting, based upon the signaling plan type determination, a corresponding type of call progress analysis resource and allocating the selected call progress analysis resource to the call.