SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO MINIMIZE CUSTOMER EQUIPMENT DOWNTIME IN A VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL (VOIP) SERVICE NETWORK

• US 20090296567A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jackson, James, Ku, Bernard, Yasrebi, Mehrad
• Granted Patent: US 8,125,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3025 Domain name generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS

Abstract

Systems and methods to minimize customer premises equipment downtime in a Voice over Internet Protocol service network are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving a replacement internet protocol (IP) address to replace a first IP address in a residential gateway associated with a first network service provider, sending a re-authenticate message from the residential gateway to a customer premises equipment associated with a second network service provider, and receiving the re-authenticate message in the customer premises equipment.

Claims

1. A method to minimize customer premises equipment downtime in a Voice over Internet Protocol service network, the method comprising:

receiving a replacement internet protocol (IP) address to replace a first IP address in a residential gateway associated with a first network service provider; and

sending a re-authenticate message from the residential gateway to a customer premises equipment.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein sending the re-authenticate message comprises at least one of forwarding, transmitting, or pushing the re-authenticate message to the customer premises equipment before receiving a register message from the customer premises equipment.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising sending the re-authenticate message to two or more customer premises equipment.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein sending the replacement IP address from the residential gateway to the customer premises equipment comprises sending a session initiation protocol message.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the session initiation protocol message comprises at least one of a session initiation protocol Notify message or a session initiation protocol Info message.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising sending the re-authenticate message in response to the residential gateway receiving the replacement IP address.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving the replacement IP address further comprises receiving the replacement IP address from a dynamic host configuration protocol server.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein replacement IP address is received in response to the residential gateway requesting an IP address.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

linking a private IP address associated with the customer premises equipment to the replacement IP address after receiving a register message from the customer premises equipment; and

sending the register message including the replacement IP address to a second network service provider associated with the customer premises equipment.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the second network service provider is the same as the first network service provider.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising sending an IP address replacement message to a lost subscriber time server in response to receiving the replacement IP address.

12. A residential gateway to minimize customer premises equipment downtime in a Voice over Internet Protocol service network, the residential gateway comprising:

an internet protocol (IP) address requester configured to receive a replacement IP address from a first network service provider, the replacement IP address to replace a first IP address; and

a notifier to send a re-authenticate message to a customer premises equipment to initiate registration.

13. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, wherein the notifier sends the re-authenticate message by at least one of forwarding, transmitting, or pushing the re-authenticate message to the customer premises equipment before receiving a register message from the customer premises equipment.

14. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, wherein the notifier sends the re-authenticate message in response to the IP address requester receiving the replacement IP address.

15. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

an IP address cache to store the replacement IP address;

a residential gateway processor to control the IP address requester and the notifier; and

a port to communicatively couple the notifier to the customer premises equipment device.

16. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, wherein the notifier sends the re-authenticate message from the residential gateway to the customer premises equipment by sending a session initiation protocol message.

17. The residential gateway as defined in claim 16, wherein the session initiation protocol message comprises at least one of a session initiation protocol Notify message or a session initiation protocol Info message.

18. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, wherein the IP address requester requests the replacement IP address from the first network service provider.

19. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, wherein the IP address requester receives the replacement IP address from a dynamic host configuration protocol server associated with the first network service provider.

20. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, wherein the IP address requester receives the replacement IP address in response to requesting the replacement IP address.

21. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, further comprising an IP address resolver to link a private IP address associated with the customer premises equipment to the replacement IP address after receiving a register message from the customer premises equipment.

22. The residential gateway as defined in claim 21, wherein the IP address resolver sends the register message including the replacement IP address to a second network service provider associated with the customer premises equipment.

23. The residential gateway as defined in claim 22, wherein the second network service provider is the same as the first network service provider.

24. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, wherein the IP address requester sends an IP address replacement message to a lost subscriber time server in response to receiving the replacement IP address.

25. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive a replacement internet protocol (IP) address to replace a first IP address in a residential gateway associated with a first network service provider; and

send a re-authenticate message from the residential gateway to a customer premises equipment.

26-121. -121. (canceled)