Systems and methods to minimize customer equipment downtime in a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) service network

• US 8,125,999 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• 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: Yasrebi, Mehrad, Jackson, James, KU, BERNARD
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C
• Application Number:
  US12/130,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20090296567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/401
• 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 reduce customer premises equipment downtime in a Voice over Internet Protocol service network, the method comprising:

receiving a replacement internet protocol address to replace a first internet protocol 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;

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

sending the register message including the replacement internet protocol address to a second network service provider associated with the customer premises equipment; and

sending an internet protocol address replacement message to a lost subscriber time server in response to receiving the replacement internet protocol address.

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 the register message from the customer premises equipment.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the customer premises equipment comprises first customer premises equipment, and sending the re-authenticate message further comprises sending the re-authenticate message to a second customer premises equipment.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein sending the replacement internet protocol 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, wherein sending the re-authenticate message is performed in response to the residential gateway receiving the replacement internet protocol address.

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

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

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second network service provider is associated with the first network service provider.

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

an internet protocol address requester to receive a replacement internet protocol address from a first network service provider and to send an internet protocol address replacement message to a lost subscriber time server in response to receiving the replacement internet protocol address, the replacement internet protocol address to replace a first internet protocol address;

a notifier to send a re-authenticate message to a customer premises equipment to initiate registration, link a private internet protocol address associated with the customer premises equipment to the replacement internet protocol address after receiving a register message, and to send the register message including the replacement internet protocol address to a second network service provider associated with the customer premises equipment, the notifier to send 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;

an internet protocol address cache to store the replacement internet protocol address;

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

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

11. The residential gateway as defined in claim 10, wherein the notifier is to send the re-authenticate message in response to the internet protocol address requester receiving the replacement internet protocol address.

12. The residential gateway as defined in claim 10, wherein the notifier is to send the re-authenticate message from the residential gateway to the customer premises equipment by sending a session initiation protocol message.

13. The residential gateway as defined in claim 12, wherein the session initiation protocol message comprises at least one of a session initiation protocol Notify message or a session initiation protocol Info message.

14. The residential gateway as defined in claim 10, wherein the internet protocol address requester is to request the replacement internet protocol address from the first network service provider.

15. The residential gateway as defined in claim 10, wherein the internet protocol address requester is to receive the replacement internet protocol address from a dynamic host configuration protocol server associated with the first network service provider.

16. The residential gateway as defined in claim 10, wherein the internet protocol address requester is to receive the replacement internet protocol address in response to requesting the replacement internet protocol address.

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

an internet protocol address requester to receive a replacement internet protocol address from a first network service provider and to send an internet protocol address replacement message to a lost subscriber time server in response to receiving the replacement internet protocol address, the replacement internet protocol address to replace a first internet protocol address;

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

an internet protocol address resolver to link a private internet protocol address associated with the customer premises equipment to the replacement internet protocol address after receiving a register message from the customer premises equipment and to send the register message including the replacement internet protocol address to a second network service provider associated with the customer premises equipment.

18. The residential gateway as defined in claim 17, wherein the second network service provider is associated with the first network service provider.

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

an internet protocol address requester to;

receive a replacement internet protocol address from a first network service provider, the replacement internet protocol address to replace a first internet protocol address; and

send an internet protocol address replacement message to a lost subscriber time server in response to receiving the replacement internet protocol address; and

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

20. The residential gateway as defined in claim 19, wherein the lost subscriber time server is to record customer premises equipment downtime based on a time between receiving the replacement internet protocol address and registering the customer premises equipment.

21. A tangible machine accessible medium, excluding propagating signals, having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

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

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

link a private internet protocol address associated with the customer premises equipment to the replacement internet protocol address after receiving a register message from the customer premises equipment;

send the register message including the replacement internet protocol address to a second network service provider associated with the customer premises equipment; and

send an internet protocol address replacement message to a lost subscriber time computer in response to receiving the replacement internet protocol address.

22. The machine accessible medium as defined in claim 21, wherein the instructions cause the machine to at least:

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