Network interoperability

• US 20080056242A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Ltd. (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Comverse Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hersent, Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method in a communication network for connecting at least one application server (AS) (213) of an internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) (200) to an intelligent network (IN) (100) through an interface unit (301). The IMS (200) comprises a call server control function (CSCF) unit (205) connected to the at least one AS (213) arranged for processing call signaling. In the method the interface unit (301) directs the call signaling to the at least one AS (213) through the CSCF unit (205) and the at least one AS (213) processes the call signaling and sends the processed call signaling through the CSCF unit (205) back to the interface unit (301). Based on the information received in the call signaling processed by the at least one AS (213), the interface unit (301) then directs the call to a destination.

Claims

1. A method in a communication network for connecting at least one application server (AS) of an internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) to an intelligent network (IN) through an interface unit, wherein the IMS comprises a call server control function (CSCF) unit connected to the at least one AS arranged for processing call signaling, wherein the method comprises the following steps with respect to a call:

the interface unit directing call signaling to the at least one AS through the CSCF unit;

the at least one AS processing the call signaling and sending the processed call signaling through the CSCF unit back to the interface unit; and

based on the information received in the call signaling processed by the at least one AS, the interface unit directing the incoming call to a destination.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the interface unit communicating with the at least one application server by use of a first access protocol and the interface unit communicating with the intelligent network by use of a second access protocol, the first access protocol being different from the second access protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call signaling is associated with a phone number and the method further comprises the at least one application server modifying the phone number.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call originates from/terminates to an endpoint identified by a public identifier and the method further comprises the interface unit registering the public identifier of the endpoint onto the call server control function unit.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the interface unit returning the processed call signaling un modified to the call server control function unit in case the call is destined to the internet protocol multimedia subsystem.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the destination is one of the following:

an intelligent network unit, a voice over internet protocol gateway and an announcement server.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein directing the call to a destination comprises the intelligent network instructing a service switching point of the intelligent network to route the call over the intelligent network at least in case of intelligent network to intelligent network calls.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein directing the call to a destination comprises the intelligent network instructing a service switching point of the intelligent network to route the call through a voice over internet gateway over the internet protocol multimedia subsystem at least in one of the following situations:

intelligent network to internet protocol calls, internet protocol to intelligent network calls or when call handling capabilities of the application server exceed the capabilities of a service switching point of the intelligent network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interface unit acts as a last originating side application server.

10. A computer readable medium encoded with a program product for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1-9.

11. An interface unit arranged for connecting at least one application server (AS) of an internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) to an intelligent network (IN), wherein the IMS comprises a call server control function (CSCF) unit connected to the at least one AS arranged for processing call signaling, wherein the interface unit comprises:

means for directing signaling pertaining to call to the at least one AS through the CSCF unit;

means for receiving processed call signaling from the at least one AS; and

means for directing the call to a destination based on the information received in the call signaling processed by the at least one AS.