Setting up calls over circuit and packet-switched resources on a network

• US 20030117999A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lu, Hui-Lan, Abrams, Robert J., Yang, ZhongJin, Li, Zhian
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6402 Hybrid switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network

Abstract

A method of setting up calls over circuit-switched and packet-switched resources (117 and 121) on a single network comprising the steps of receiving (601) a request from a user for a call comprised of one or more resources and allocating (607 and 619) the one or more resources among packet-switched resources and circuit-switched resources associated with a communication network to set up the call. The call may be a multi-media call. Resources may be allocated based on one or more call characteristics that may be in a request (503) for resources by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

setting up a first part of a multi-media call utilizing packet-switched resources on a communication network;

setting up a second part of the multi-media call utilizing circuit-switched resources on the communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically assigning a part of the multi-media call to at least one of a packet-switched resource and a circuit-switched resource based on at least one of bandwidth, quality of service request, and real-time requirement for the part of the multi-media call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of setting up a third part of the multi-media call without affecting the resources allocated to the first part of a multi-media call and the second part of the multi-media call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein call control for the multi-media call is handled by a single point of control.

5. A computer-readable signal-bearing medium comprising computer readable program code that performs the steps of claim 1.

6. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a user for a call comprised of one or more resources;

allocating the one or more resources among packet-switched resources and circuit-switched resources associated with a communication network to set up the call.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of receiving a request for an additional resource for the call.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether resources as requested by the user are available for the call;

when resources as requested by the user are not available for the call, offering to the user resources different that the resources requested by the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the resources requested by the user are circuit-switched resources and the resources offered to the user are packet-switched resources.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the resources requested by the user are packet-switched resources and the resources offered to the user are circuit-switched resources.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the resources are offered to the user by at least one of quality of service, bandwidth, and real-time vs. non-real time.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the call is a multi-media call.

13. A computer-readable signal-bearing medium comprising computer readable program code that performs the steps of claim 6.

14. A method comprising the steps of:

initiating a call with a first party over a communication network;

requesting at least one resource for the call according to at least one call characteristic, wherein the at least one resource is at least one of a plurality of circuit-switched resources and packet-switched resources.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of requesting resources in the call to add a second party to the call.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the call comprises any combination of voice, video, and data.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of selecting at least one characteristic by which the at least one resource is requested.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of bandwidth, quality of service, and real-time transmission needs.

19. A computer-readable signal-bearing medium comprising computer readable program code that performs the steps of claim 14.