Intelligent processing for establishing communication over the internet

• US 6,298,120 B1
• Filed: 06/28/1996
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Civanlar, Seyhan, Saksena, Vikram R., Leighton, William J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/671,747
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/380, 370/389, 370/392, 370/396, 370/401, 370/404, 370/427, 370/435, 370/450, 370/465, 370/485, 370/400, 379/88.17, 379/90.01, 379/219, 379/93.01, 379/220.01, 379/93.05, 379/229, 379/242, 379/93.09, 379/244, 379/900, 379/100.15, 379/901, 379/904, 379/100.16, 709/227, 709/228, 707/104, 707/3, 707/4, 707/10
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security 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 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13504 client/server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/901 Virtual networks or virtual private networks

Abstract

A method is disclosed for establishing communication between an originating station and a destination station over a computer network such as the Internet, for example. In accordance with the invention, at least one service attribute requested by the originating station is received over a signaling path. A communication path is then established between the originating and destination stations in conformance with the requested service attribute. The signaling path is an out-of-band signaling path with respect to the communication path.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communication via a packet network between an originating station connected to said packet network and a destination station connected to said packet network comprising the steps of:

said originating station connecting to an agent subsystem, which is a subsystem that participates in said communication but is distinct from network elements that are included in a dataflow path of said communication;

said originating station sending a message to said agent subsystem, over a signaling network that uses physical links of said packet network but is logically disjoint from a communication network composed on elements of said packet network, where said message includes at least one service attribute from a set containing end-point attributes, path attributes or call attributes requested by the originating station; and

said agent subsystem establishing a communication path between said originating station and said destination station, over said communication network, in conformance with said requested service attribute.

2. The method of claim 1 where said signaling network is logically disjoint from a communicating network that is formed from said physical links and which is used for communication information between stations over said packet network.

3. The method of claim 1 where said agent subsystem, in establishing said communication path between said originating station and said terminating station, is coupled to said communication path, and acts as a virtual originating station to said destination station.

4. The method of claim 1 where said agent subsystem, in establishing said communication path between said originating station and said destination station, is coupled to said communication path, and acts as a virtual destination station to said destination station.

5. The method of claim 1 where said agent subsystem employs information to assist in said step of establishing said communication path, which information relates to data paths that are available in said communication network, and attributes relating to quality of service.

6. The method of claim 5 where said information that is employed by said agent subsystem is included in databases maintained by said agent subsystem.

7. The method of claim 5 where said information that is employed by said agent subsystem is obtained by said agent subsystem from a network control point located in a telephone network.

8. The method of claim 1 where said service attribute relates to name of said destination station or address of said destination station.

9. The method of claim 1 where said service attribute relates to type of file transmission that is desired or media that is to be employed is said communication between said originating station and said destination station.

10. The method of claim 1 where said service attribute relates to type of communication medium that is to be employed in establishing said communication path.

11. The method of claim 1 where said service attribute relates to quality of service in said communication between said originating station and said destination station.

12. The method of claim 1 where said service attribute relates to billing preferences, time and data at which said communication path is to be established, or whether proxy service on the part of said agent subsystem are called for.

13. The method of claim 1 where said service attribute relates to a service that requires processing other than merely processing that attends the establishment of a communication path.

14. The method of claim 13 where said processing includes one or more of a set that includes address validation, billing record generation, application translation service, authentication check, security check, credit card validation, customer care, protocol address translation, and directory services.

15. The method of claim 1 where said step of said originating station connecting to an agent subsystem results in said agent subsystem providing a web page to said originating station, and said step of said originating station sending a message that employs said web page.

16. The method of claim 1 where said agent subsystem is a server connected to said packet network.

17. The method of claim 1 where said agent subsystem is distributed over a number of physically disjoint apparatus.

18. The method of claim 17 where said physically disjoint apparatus are all connected to said packet network.

19. A method for providing communication between an originating station and a destination station over a packet-based computer network having a communication path with a user-defined quality of service options, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting to the originating station over a signaling path on said packet-based computer network a signal requesting the originating station to make a selection of quality of service;

receiving, in response to said request, at least one quality of service option requested by the user;

establishing a communication path between the originating and destination stations in conformance with said requested quality of service option, wherein said signaling path resides in said packet-based computer network the same as the communications path but is out of band path with respect to the communication path.

20. A method for establishing communication via a packet network between an originating station connected to said packet network and a destination station connected to said packet network comprising the steps of:

said originating station connecting to an agent subsystem;

said originating station sending a message to said agent subsystem, over a signaling network, where said message includes at least one service attribute from a set containing end-point attributes, path attributes or call attributes; and

said agent subsystem establishing a communication path between said originating station and said destination station, over a communication network composed of elements of said packet network, in conformance with said requested service attribute, where said communication network is logically disjoint from said signaling network.

21. A method for establishing communication via a packet network between an originating station connected to said packet network and a destination station connected to said packet network comprising the steps of:

said originating station connecting to an agent subsystem;

said originating station sending a message to said agent subsystem, over a signaling network that uses physical links of said packet network, where said message includes at least one service attribute from a set containing end-point attributes, path attributes or call attributes requested by the originating station; and

said agent subsystem establishing a communication path between said originating station and said destination station, over a communication network that is composed of elements of said packet network, in conformance with said requested service attribute, where said communication network is logically disjoint from said signaling network;

where said agent subsystem is an http server that is connected to said packet network and that is commercially controlled by other than the party that controls said originating station or the party that controls said destination station.

22. A method for establishing communication via a packet network between an originating station connected to said packet network and a destination station connected to said packet network comprising the steps of:

said originating station connecting to an agent subsystem;

said originating station sending a message to said agent subsystem, over a signaling network that uses physical links of said packet network, where said message includes at least one service attribute requiring intelligent processing from a set including a plurality of service attributes requested by the originating station; and

said agent subsystem establishing a communication path between said originating station and said destination station, over a communication network that is composed of elements of said packet network, in conformance with said requested service attribute, where said communication network is logically disjoint from said signaling network;

where said agent subsystem downloads an application to said originating station prior to said agent subsystem establishing communication between said originating station and said destination station.

23. The method of claim 22 where said application is necessary to facilitate communication between said originating stations and said terminating station.