Methods and apparatus to authorize and allocate resources for outdial communication services

• US 7,830,867 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP A Nevada Partnership
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cunetto, Philip Charles, Schneider, Marco, Lemay, John Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Application Number:
  US12/206,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 370/207.02, 370352-356, 379/93.02, 379/207.02, 379/243
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00312 with a digital transmission apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, SMS or ISDN device transmitting or receiving via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network or the internet H04N1/00214; transmission of digital information H04L

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to authorize and allocate resources for outdial communication services are disclosed. An example disclosed method comprises determining a first local access transport area (LATA) useable to route an outdial call initiated by a message center, identifying a first set of unified sub-groups within the first LATA having a first sub-group type and having unused capacity, each unified sub-group comprising a logical grouping of communication resources partitioned among at least one of a plurality of features or a plurality of subscriber categories, determining whether any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets a first selection preference, and if any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets the first selection preference, selecting a first unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the first set meeting the first selection preference to route the outdial call.

Claims

1. A method for routing an outdial call initiated by a message center, the method comprising:

determining a first local access transport area (LATA) useable to route the outdial call;

identifying a first set of unified sub-groups within the first LATA having a first sub-group type and having unused capacity, each of the unified sub-groups in the first set comprising a logical grouping of communication resources partitioned among at least one of;

(1) a plurality of features or (2) a plurality of subscriber categories;

determining whether any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets a first selection preference; and

if any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets the first selection preference, selecting a first unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the first set meeting the first selection preference to route the outdial call.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising, if none of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets the first selection preference,

determining whether any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets a second selection preference;

and

if any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets the second selection preference, selecting a second unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the first set meeting the second selection preference to route the outdial call.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising, if no unified sub-group within the first LATA has the first sub-group type and has unused capacity,

identifying a second set of unified sub-groups within the first LATA having a second sub-group type and having unused capacity;

determining whether any of the unified sub-groups in the second set meets the first selection preference; and

if any of the unified sub-groups in the second set meets the first selection preference, selecting a second unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the second set meeting the first selection preference to route the outdial call.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising, if no unified sub-group within the LATA has the first sub-group type,

determining a second LATA useable to route the outdial call;

identifying a second set of unified sub-groups within the second LATA having the first sub-group type and having unused capacity;

determining whether any of the unified sub-groups in the second set meets the first selection preference; and

if any of the unified sub-groups in the second set meets the first selection preference, selecting a second unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the second set meeting the first selection preference to route the outdial call.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the first sub-group type comprises at least one of an outdial call type, a distance type, a feature type, a subscriber type based on a first subscriber categorization or a circuit type based on a second subscriber categorization.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the first selection preference comprises at least one of a preference for support of two B-channel transfer (TBCT) link release, a preference for support of one-way communication services or a preference for support of two-way communication services.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising allocating a resource of the first unified sub-group selected to route the outdial call, the allocation based on static and dynamic constraints associated with a capacity state of the selected first unified sub-group and based on a feature type of the outdial call.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the static and dynamic constraints comprise:

a first static constraint that a specified set of reserved capacities corresponding to a respective specified set of features does not exceed a total capacity of the selected first unified sub-group;

a second static constraint that a specified reserved capacity for a respective specified feature does not exceed a specified maximum capacity for the specified feature and that the specified maximum capacity for the specified feature does not prevent utilization of the specified set of reserved capacities;

a first dynamic constraint that allocation of the resource to the outdial call will not cause a current capacity associated with the feature type of the outdial call to exceed a maximum capacity specified for that particular feature; and

a second dynamic constraint that allocation of the resource to the outdial call will not prevent utilization of the specified set of reserved capacities.

9. A method as defined in claim 7 further comprising:

adjusting a static constraint associated with the capacity state of the selected first unified sub-group; and

not allocating a resource of the selected first unified sub-group to route the outdial call until the capacity state of the selected first unified sub-group meets the static and dynamic constraints, including the at least one adjusted static constraint.

10. A tangible article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

determine a first local access transport area (LATA) useable to route an outdial call initiated by a message center;

identify a first set of unified sub-groups within the first LATA having a first sub-group type and having unused capacity, each unified sub-group comprising a logical grouping of communication resources partitioned among at least one of a plurality of features or a plurality of subscriber categories;

determine whether any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets a first selection preference; and

if any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets the first selection preference, select a first unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the first set meeting the first selection preference to route the outdial call.

11. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 10 wherein the first sub-group type comprises at least one of an outdial call type, a distance type, a feature type, a subscriber type based on a first subscriber categorization or a circuit type based on a second subscriber categorization, and wherein the first selection preference comprises at least one of a preference for support of two B-channel transfer (TBCT) link release, a preference for support of one-way communication services or a preference for support of two-way communication services.

12. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 10, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to allocate a resource of the first unified sub-group selected to route the outdial call, the allocation based on static and dynamic constraints associated with a capacity state of the selected first unified sub-group and based on a feature type of the outdial call, wherein the static and dynamic constraints comprise:

a first static constraint that a specified set of reserved capacities corresponding to a respective specified set of features does not exceed a total capacity of the selected first unified sub-group;

a second static constraint that a specified reserved capacity for a respective specified feature does not exceed a specified maximum capacity for the specified feature and that the specified maximum capacity for the specified feature does not prevent utilization of the specified set of reserved capacities;

a first dynamic constraint that allocation of the resource to the outdial call will not cause a current capacity associated with the feature type of the outdial call to exceed a maximum capacity specified for that particular feature; and

a second dynamic constraint that allocation of the resource to the outdial call will not prevent utilization of the specified set of reserved capacities.

13. An apparatus for routing an outdial call initiated by a message center, the apparatus comprising:

a processor programmed to perform a method comprising;

determining a first local access transport area (LATA) useable to route the outdial call;

identifying a first set of unified sub-groups within the first LATA having a first sub-group type and having unused capacity, each of the unified sub-groups in the first set comprising a logical grouping of communication resources partitioned among at least one of;

(1) a plurality of features or (2) a plurality of subscriber categories;

determining whether any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets a first selection preference; and

if any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets the first selection preference, selecting a first unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the first set meeting the first selection preference to route the outdial call.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises, if none of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets the first selection preference,

determining whether any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets a second selection preference;

and

if any of the unified sub-groups in the first set meets the second selection preference, selecting a second unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the first set meeting the second selection preference to route the outdial call.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises, if no unified sub-group within the first LATA has the first sub-group type and has unused capacity,

identifying a second set of unified sub-groups within the first LATA having a second sub-group type and having unused capacity;

determining whether any of the unified sub-groups in the second set meets the first selection preference; and

if any of the unified sub-groups in the second set meets the first selection preference, selecting a second unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the second set meeting the first selection preference to route the outdial call.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises, if no unified sub-group within the LATA has the first sub-group type,

determining a second LATA useable to route the outdial call;

identifying a second set of unified sub-groups within the second LATA having the first sub-group type and having unused capacity;

determining whether any of the unified sub-groups in the second set meets the first selection preference; and

if any of the unified sub-groups in the second set meets the first selection preference, selecting a second unified sub-group having a lowest current load from the unified sub-groups in the second set meeting the first selection preference to route the outdial call.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises allocating a resource of the first unified sub-group selected to route the outdial call, the allocation based on static and dynamic constraints associated with a capacity state of the selected first unified sub-group and based on a feature type of the outdial call.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein the static and dynamic constraints comprise:

a first static constraint that a specified set of reserved capacities corresponding to a respective specified set of features does not exceed a total capacity of the selected first unified sub-group;

a second static constraint that a specified reserved capacity for a respective specified feature does not exceed a specified maximum capacity for the specified feature and that the specified maximum capacity for the specified feature does not prevent utilization of the specified set of reserved capacities;

a first dynamic constraint that allocation of the resource to the outdial call will not cause a current capacity associated with the feature type of the outdial call to exceed a maximum capacity specified for that particular feature; and

a second dynamic constraint that allocation of the resource to the outdial call will not prevent utilization of the specified set of reserved capacities.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 17 the method performed by the processor further comprises:

adjusting a static constraint associated with the capacity state of the selected first unified sub-group; and

not allocating a resource of the selected first unified sub-group to route the outdial call until the capacity state of the selected first unified sub-group meets the static and dynamic constraints, including the at least one adjusted static constraint.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 13 further comprising a memory to store rules for use in selecting the first unified sub-group.