Method for making available features for alternative connections of primary connections

• US 7,353,293 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2002
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hipfinger, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US10/497,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13145 Rerouting upon failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for creating alternative routes to primary connections, particularly to voice-over IP connections, in which the data transmission occurs in a primary network, and an alternative data transmission occurs in a, as a rule, less efficient secondary network. According to the invention, a system architecture with geographically distributed gateways can be used, said gateways being controlled by a central call processing server. In the event that a disturbance of a signaling path of the communications connection of the primary network is detected, an alternative connection for the signaling path is established via the secondary network, the signaling path of the primary network is logically linked to the created signaling path of the secondary network, and connection data, which were made available by means of the signaling path of the primary network, are made available for the signaling path of the secondary network.

Claims

1. A method for creating an alternative communication connection to a communication connection from a first gateway of a first subscriber via a primary network to a second gateway of a second subscriber, the communication connection having a data path and a signaling path, the method comprising:

detecting a fault in the signaling path of the communication connection of the primary network; and

in response to detecting the fault;

creating an alternative communication connection having an alternative signaling path via an alternative network and a call processing server, the alternative signaling path created independently of the data path, the call processing server centrally controlling the first and second gateways;

logically linking the signaling path of the primary network with the created signaling path of the alternative network;

storing, in the call processing server, a feature of the communication connection of the primary network relating to connection data which is provided by the signaling path of the primary network such that the feature is available in the call processing server for the alternative signaling path of the alternative network,

retrieving the stored data by the call processing server; and

transferring the retrieved data by the call processing server directly via the alternate signaling path.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein an outgoing part of the alternative signaling path is linked with an incoming part of the alternative signaling path via the link from the signaling path of the primary network to the signaling path of the alternative network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a packet-switched network is used as the primary network and a circuit-switched network is used as the alternative network.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein a packet-switched network is used as the primary network and a circuit-switched network is used as the alternative network.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the internet and/or a corporate or organizational intranet is used as the packet-switched primary network.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein a public telephone network is used as a circuit-switching alternative network.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein a public telephone network is used as a circuit-switching alternative network.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein a transfer of digitized voice signals via a voice-over IP connection is used as the communication connection.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein a transfer of digitized data signals via a an internet or intranet connection is used as the communication connection.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein a multimedia transfer of digitized video and/or audio signals via an internet or intranet connection is used as the communication connection.

11. A method for creating an alternative communication connection to a communication connection from a first gateway of a first subscriber via a primary network to a second gateway of a second subscriber, the communication connection having a data path and a signaling path, the method comprising:

detecting a fault in the signaling path of the communication connection of the primary network; and

in response to detecting the fault;

creating an alternative communication connection having an alternative signaling path via an alternative network and a call processing server, the alternative signaling path created independently of the data path, the call processing server centrally controlling the first and second gateways;

logically linking the signaling path of the primary network with the created signaling path of the alternative network;

storing, in the call processing server, a feature of the communication connection of the primary network relating to connection data which is provided by the signaling path of the primary network such that the feature is available in the call processing server for the alternative signaling path of the alternative network,

retrieving the stored data by the call processing server; and

transferring the retrieved data by the call processing server directly via the alternate signaling path,

wherein in the case of an invalid data path, between a calling terminal allocated to the first gateway and a called terminal allocated to the second gateway, the method further comprises;

requesting the first gateway to reach the called terminal under an alternative call number for the alternative network;

storing a feature of the invalid data path;

linking an originally dialed call number and the alternative call number;

recording an incoming connection request at the second gateway;

identifying an incoming part of the alternative communication connection;

requesting the stored feature of the invalid data path; and

signaling the incoming connection request to the called terminal.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the link between the outgoing part and the incoming part of the alternative communication connection is created via a dialed call number, if this call number uses an analog trunk circuit.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the link between the outgoing part and the incoming part of the alternative connection is created via a dialed call number and an artificial calling party number, if digital trunk circuits with a plurality of B-channels are used.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein in the link between the outgoing and incoming part of an alternative connection an alternative call number for the called terminal is dynamically allocated from a quantity of reusable alternative call numbers with the help of the call processing server.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein in the link between the outgoing and incoming part of an alternative connection an alternative call number for the called terminal is dynamically allocated from a quantity of reusable alternative call numbers with the help of the call processing server.

16. A call processing server for executing switching functions on the internet, wherein the server is adapted for performing a method for creating an alternative connection to a communication connection from a first subscriber via a primary network to a second subscriber, the communication connection having a data path and a signaling path, the method comprising:

detecting a fault in the signaling path of the communication connection of the primary network; and

in response to detecting the fault;

creating an alternative signaling path via an alternative network, independently of the data path;

logically linking the signaling path of the primary network with the created signaling path of the alternative network;

storing a feature of the communication connection of the primary network relating to connection data which is provided by the signaling path of the primary network retrieving the stored data by the call processing server; and

transferring the retrieved data by the call processing server directly via the alternate signaling path.

17. A method for creating an alternative connection comprising:

providing a first communication connection between a first gateway for a first subscriber and a second gateway for a second subscriber, the first connection comprising

a data path between the first and the-second gateways via a primary network, and

a signaling path via the primary network and a call processing server;

detecting a data path failure;

detecting a signaling path failure;

in response to the data path and signaling failures;

creating an alternative communication connection comprising;

a data path between the first and second gateways via a first alternative network, and

a signaling path via a second alternative network and a call processing server; and

storing a feature provided by the first connection such that the feature is available to the alternative connection.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the communication connection via a first number,

wherein the signaling of the alternative connection path includes an incoming part from the first gateway and an outgoing part to the second gateway,

the method further comprising

wherein the alternative communication connection is set up via a alternative number relating to the second subscriber, the alternative number being different than the first number.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the alternative number is provided by the call processing server to the first gateway.