System and method for establishing a call telecommunications path

• US 5,751,706 A
• Filed: 06/05/1996
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cignal Global Communications, Inc. (Liberty Global Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cignal Global Communications, Inc. (Liberty Global Plc)
• Inventors: Land, Mark S., Kruy, Steven J., Walvick, Edward A., Perlman, Andrew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BNIMOUSSA, ABDELHAMID
• Application Number:
  US08/659,677
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/356, 370/401, 370/466, 370/475, 370/395, 379/114, 379/115
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5663 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5671 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6486 Signalling Protocols
• 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 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks

Abstract

This invention provides a path establishment device and method for establishing a path for a telecommunications call. In a preferred embodiment, the path establishment device of this invention includes an originating call processor in communication with an originating telecommunications network and a packet-based telecommunications network, a terminating call processor in communication with the packet-based telecommunications network and a public telecommunications network, and means for establishing a communication path from the originating telecommunications network through the packet-based telecommunications network to a destination served by the public telecommunications network. The path establishment device and method of the present invention thus provides, among other advantages, for the use of a potentially less expensive packet-switched telecommunications network as a long distance carrier between two public switched telecommunications networks.

Claims

1. A system for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising:

a terminating call processor, in communication with a packet-based telecommunications network and a public telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network, and

means for converting the destination code to a destination address associated with a destination served by the public telecommunications network;

an originating call processor, in communication with an originating telecommunications network and the packet-based telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a predetermined code from the originating telecommunications network,

means, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, for identifying the terminating call processor,

means, responsive to the predetermined code, for determining the destination code, and

means for transmitting the destination code to the packet-based telecommunications network;

means, responsive to the destination address, for establishing a call telecommunications path, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based telecommunications network, and the public telecommunications network, to the destination; and

wherein characteristics of the public telecommunications network determine the format of the destination address.

2. A system for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising:

a terminating call processor, in communication with a packet-based telecommunications network and a public telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network, and

means for converting the destination code to a destination address associated with a destination served by the public telecommunications network;

an originating call processor, in communication with an originating telecommunications network and the packet-based telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a predetermined code from the originating telecommunications network,

means, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, for identifying the terminating call processor,

means, responsive to the predetermined code, for determining the destination code, and

means for transmitting the destination code to the packet-based telecommunications network;

means, responsive to the destination address, for establishing a call telecommunications path, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based telecommunications network, and the public telecommunications network, to the destination; and

wherein the predetermined code includes a personal identification number (PIN).

3. A system for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising:

a terminating call processor, in communication with a packet-based telecommunications network and a public telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network, and

means for converting the destination code to a destination address associated with a destination served by the public telecommunications network;

an originating call processor, in communication with an originating telecommunications network and the packet-based telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a predetermined code from the originating telecommunications network,

means, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, for identifying the terminating call processor,

means, responsive to the predetermined code, for determining the destination code, and

means for transmitting the destination code to the packet-based telecommunications network;

means, responsive to the destination address, for establishing a call telecommunications path, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based telecommunications network, and the public telecommunications network, to the destination; and

wherein the predetermined code includes a telephone number, and wherein characteristics of the originating telecommunications network determine the format of the telephone number.

4. A system for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising:

a terminating call processor, in communication with a packet-based telecommunications network and a public telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network, and

means for converting the destination code to a destination address associated with a destination served by the public telecommunications network;

an originating call processor, in communication with an originating telecommunications network and the packet-based telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a predetermined code from the originating telecommunications network,

means, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, for identifying the terminating call processor,

means, responsive to the predetermined code, for determining the destination code, and

means for transmitting the destination code to the packet-based telecommunications network;

means, responsive to the destination address, for establishing a call telecommunications path, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based telecommunications network, and the public telecommunications network, to the destination;

means, responsive to a sequence of signals from a call originator, for generating the predetermined code; and

means for transmitting the predetermined code from the generating means to the originating telecommunications network.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the predetermined code includes billing identification;

and wherein the system further comprises means for validating the billing identification.

6. A system for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising:

a terminating call processor, in communication with a packet-based telecommunications network and a public telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network, and

means for converting the destination code to a destination address associated with a destination served by the public telecommunications network;

an originating call processor, in communication with an originating telecommunications network and the packet-based telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a predetermined code from the originating telecommunications network,

means, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, for identifying the terminating call processor,

means, responsive to the predetermined code, for determining the destination code, and

means for transmitting the destination code to the packet-based telecommunications network;

means, responsive to the destination address, for establishing a call telecommunications path, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based telecommunications network, and the public telecommunications network, to the destination; and

wherein the means for establishing a call telecommunications path, and comprises

means for monitoring the status of the call telecommunications path, and

means, responsive to the monitoring means, for deriving billing information.

7. A system for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising:

a terminating call processor, in communication with a packet-based telecommunications network and a public telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network, and

means for converting the destination code to a destination address associated with destination served by the public telecommunications network;

an originating call processor, in communication with an originating telecommunication network and the packet-based telecommunication network, having

means for receiving a predetermined code from the originating telecommunications network,

means, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, for identifying the terminating call processor,

means responsive to the predetermined code, for determining the destination code, and

means for transmitting the destination code to the packet-based telecommunications network;

means, responsive to the destination address, for establishing a call telecommunications path, through the originating telecommunication network, the packet-based telecommunications network, and the public telecommunications network, to the destination; and

means for amplifying communications received from or transmitted to the originating telecommunications network.

8. A system for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising:

a terminating call processor, in communication with a packet-based telecommunications network and a public telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network, and

means for converting the destination code to a destination address associated with a destination served by the public telecommunications network;

an originating call processor, in communication with an originating telecommunications network and the packet-based telecommunications network, having

means for receiving a predetermined code from the originating telecommunications network,

means, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, for identifying the terminating call processor,

means, responsive to the predetermined code, for determining the destination code, and

means for transmitting the destination code to the packet-based telecommunications network;

means, responsive to the destination address, for establishing a call telecommunications path, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based telecommunications network, and the public telecommunications network, to the destination; and

means for suppressing echoes on communications generated or occurring in the call telecommunications path.

9. A method for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising the steps of:

receiving into an originating call processor a predetermined code from an originating telecommunications network;

identifying, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, a terminating call processor;

determining, responsive to the predetermined code, a destination code;

transmitting the destination code from the originating call processor to a packet-based telecommunications network;

receiving, using the terminating call processor, the destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network;

converting the destination code obtained from the receiving step to a destination address associated with a destination served by a public telecommunications network;

establishing a call telecommunications path, responsive to the destination address, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based network, and the public telecommunications network to the destination; and

wherein characteristics of the public telecommunications network determine the format of the destination address.

10. A method for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising the steps of:

receiving into an originating call processor a predetermined code from an originating telecommunications network;

identifying, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, a terminating call processor;

determining, responsive to the predetermined code, a destination code;

transmitting the destination code from the originating call processor to a packet-based telecommunications network;

receiving, using the terminating call processor, the destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network;

converting the destination code obtained from the receiving step to a destination address associated with a destination served by a public telecommunications network;

establishing a call telecommunications path, responsive to the destination address, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based network, and the public telecommunications network to the destination; and

wherein the predetermined code includes a personal identification number ("PIN").

11. A method for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising the steps of:

receiving into an originating call processor a predetermined code from an originating telecommunications network;

identifying, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, a terminating call processor;

determining, responsive to the predetermined code, a destination code;

transmitting the destination code from the originating call processor to a packet-based telecommunications network;

receiving, using the terminating call processor, the destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network;

converting the destination code obtained from the receiving step to a destination address associated with a destination served by a public telecommunications network;

establishing a call telecommunications path, responsive to the destination address, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based network, and the public telecommunications network to the destination; and

wherein the predetermined code includes a telephone number, and wherein characteristics of the originating telecommunications network determine the format of the telephone number.

12. A method for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising the steps of:

receiving into an originating call processor a predetermined code from an originating telecommunications network;

identifying, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, a terminating call processor;

determining, responsive to the predetermined code, a destination code;

transmitting the destination code from the originating call processor to a packet-based telecommunications network;

receiving, using the terminating call processor, the destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network;

converting the destination code obtained from the receiving step to a destination address associated with a destination served by a public telecommunications network;

establishing a call telecommunications path, responsive to the destination address, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based network, and the public telecommunications network to the destination;

generating, responsive to a sequence of symbols from a call originator, the predetermined code; and

transmitting the predetermined code to the originating telecommunications network.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the predetermined code includes billing identification;

and wherein the method further comprises the step of validating the billing identification.

14. A method for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising the steps of:

receiving into an originating call processor a predetermined code from an originating telecommunications network;

identifying, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, a terminating call processor;

determining, responsive to the predetermined code, a destination code;

transmitting the destination code from the originating call processor to a packet-based telecommunications network;

receiving, using the terminating call processor, the destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network;

converting the destination code obtained from the receiving step to a destination address associated with a destination served by a public telecommunications network;

establishing a call telecommunications path, responsive to the destination address, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based network, and the public telecommunications network to the destination; and

wherein the step of establishing a call telecommunications path further comprises the steps of;

monitoring the status of the call telecommunications path, and

deriving, responsive to the monitoring step, billing information.

15. A method for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising the steps of:

receiving into an originating call processor a predetermined code from an originating telecommunications network;

identifying, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, a terminating call processor;

determining, responsive to the predetermined code, a destination code;

transmitting the destination code from the originating call processor to a packet-based telecommunications network;

receiving, using the terminating call processor, the destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network;

converting the destination code obtained from the receiving step to a destination address associated with a destination served by a public telecommunications network;

establishing a call telecommunications path, responsive to the destination address, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based network, and the public telecommunications network to the destination; and

amplifying communications received from or transmitted to the originating telecommunications network

16. A method for establishing a call telecommunications path, comprising the steps of:

receiving into an originating call processor a predetermined code from an originating telecommunications network;

identifying, responsive to a preselected portion of the predetermined code, a terminating call processor;

determining, responsive to the predetermined code, a destination code;

transmitting the destination code from the originating call processor to a packet-based telecommunications network;

receiving, using the terminating call processor, the destination code from the packet-based telecommunications network;

converting the destination code obtained from the receiving step to a destination address associated with a destination served by a public telecommunications network;

establishing a call telecommunications path, responsive to the destination address, through the originating telecommunications network, the packet-based network, and the public telecommunications network to the destination; and

suppressing echoes generated or occurring in the call telecommunications path.