Universal voice over packet protocol call structure

• US 8,971,309 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Reams, Orin Paul III
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoque, Nafiz E
• Application Number:
  US11/209,441
• Time in Patent Office: 3,479 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 379/67.1
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/35 containing special prefixes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• 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 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a universal voice over packet (VOP) protocol call structure. The present invention allows VOP calls to be made across different service providers without traversing through a public switched telephone network (PSTN). The calls occur as On-Net calls. Email addresses may be used to call different parties. In addition, telephone numbers may be used to reach parties in the PSTN through an Off-Net carrier causing Off-Net calls.

Claims

1. A method for establishing inter-vendor and inter-carrier voice over packet (VOP) calls without using a public switched telephone network (PSTN), comprising:

receiving a called party'"'"'s email address from a calling party over an email network at a computing device that provides voice services in a service provider network;

initiating a request by the computing device to have a query of the email address performed by a domain name system (DNS) server to obtain a record of another computing device that includes the called party'"'"'s email address, wherein the another computing device is located respectively in another service provider network, wherein the record is an entry in a table, wherein the record comprises an internet protocol (IP) address, a domain name, and a VOP protocol, wherein the another computing device provides voice services with voice exchange records, wherein the voice exchange records are located in a table where each voice exchange record identifies a unique signaling protocol that is used in a VOP call, and wherein the voice exchange records are used to direct incoming VOP calls to an appropriate VOP server;

with the computing device, communicating with the another computing device using the record to request a VOP session with the called party'"'"'s email address; and

establishing the VOP session between the computing device and the another computing device without traversing the PSTN, wherein establishing the VOP session comprises forwarding the calling party to the another computing device to leave a voice message, recording the voice message at the another computing device, and sending the voice message to the called party'"'"'s email address,

wherein each of the computing device and the another computing device has a processor coupled to a memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the query of the email address comprises performing a DNS server lookup.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the VOP session comprises:

notifying the called party of a call from a calling party;

at least one of accepting the call, declining the call, and sending the call to voice mail; and

if the call is accepted, continuing the call between the calling party and the called party.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein continuing the call comprises implementing a VOP protocol between the calling party and the called party for the call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising locating the called party'"'"'s email address at the another computing device, and if not located at the another computing device, registering the called party'"'"'s email address.

6. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon and executed for performing the method of claim 1.

7. A method for establishing inter-vendor and inter-carrier voice over packet (VOP) calls without using a public switched telephone network (PSTN), comprising:

receiving a request from a calling party to initiate a VOP session at a first computing device that communicates between VOP networks, the first computing device being a member of a first service provider packet network and the first computing device provides voice services with voice exchange records, wherein the voice exchange records are located in a table where each voice exchange record identifies a unique signaling protocol that is used in a VOP call, and wherein the voice exchange records are used to direct incoming VOP calls to an appropriate VOP server;

obtaining an internet protocol (IP) address, a domain name, a VOP protocol, and a record from a domain name system (DNS) server using an information in the request to enable the first computing device to locate a second computing device that communicates between VOP networks, the second computing device being a member of a second service provider packet network and the second computing device provides voice services; and

providing for a communication between the first computing device and the second computing device to establish the VOP session without using the PSTN wherein providing for the communication comprises forwarding a calling party to the second computing device to leave a voice message for a called party, recording the voice message at the second computing device, and sending the voice message to the called party'"'"'s email address,

wherein each of the first computing device and the second computing device has a processor coupled to a memory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the request comprises at least one of receiving an email address to be called, receiving a first data to register a client information at the first computing device, and receiving a second data to verify an existence of the client information at the first computing device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising locating a called party'"'"'s information at the second computing device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein providing for the communication between the first computing device and the second computing device to establish the VOP session comprises:

notifying a called party of a call from a calling party;

at least one of accepting the call, declining the call, or sending the call to voice mail; and

if the call is accepted, continuing the call between the calling party and the called party.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein continuing the call comprises implementing a VOP protocol between the calling party and the called party for the call.

12. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for performing the method of claim 7.

13. A system for establishing inter-vendor and inter-carrier voice over packet (VOP) calls without using a public switched telephone network (PSTN), comprising:

a computing device in a service provider network operable to receive a called party'"'"'s email address from a calling party over an email network, to initiate a request to have a query of the email address performed by a domain name system (DNS) server to obtain a record of another computing device in another service provider network;

to communicate with the another computing device using the record to request a VOP session with the called party'"'"'s email address, and to provide for the establishment of the VOP session with the another computing device without traversing the PSTN, wherein the calling party is forwarded to the another computing device to leave a voice message, the voice message is recorded at the another computing device, and the voice message is sent to the called party'"'"'s email address, wherein the record is an entry in a table and comprises an internet protocol (IP) address, a domain name, and a VOP protocol, wherein the computing device provides voice services, wherein the another computing device provides voice services with voice exchange records, wherein the voice exchange records are located in a table where each voice exchange record identifies a unique signaling protocol that is used in a VOP call, wherein the voice exchange records are used to direct incoming VOP calls to an appropriate VOP server, and wherein each of the computing device and the another computing device has a processor coupled to a memory.