Network session management for telephony over hybrid networks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- receiving over a packet switched network at a call control object a request to initiate a communication session between a calling terminal and a called terminal, the request identifying a user account associated with the calling terminal and including an address of the called terminal;
sending a request from the call control object to a unitary logical object, the unitary logical object including authentication, authorization, usage accounting, and pricing information for the user in a distributed database containing the user account;
at the unitary logical object, authenticating, account validating and authorizing the communication session;
receiving at the call control object a response from the unitary logical object indicating the communication session is authorized;
determining a lowest cost gateway that connects the packet switched network and a circuit switched network through which to connect the communication session;
establishing the communication session between the calling terminal and called terminal via the determined lowest cost gateway;
distributing the unitary logical object over multiple physical systems;
at a billing system object, having an extraction interface for selectively polling for extracting usage records from the unitary logical object; and
at a credit card provider interface in communication with the billing system object, placing a charge against a credit card account number associated with the user account.
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Abstract
A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system includes an authorization and account control object in the packet switched network, multiple gateways between the circuit switched and packet switched networks providing controlled connectivity between those networks, and an information retrieval object in the packet switched network.
927 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving over a packet switched network at a call control object a request to initiate a communication session between a calling terminal and a called terminal, the request identifying a user account associated with the calling terminal and including an address of the called terminal; sending a request from the call control object to a unitary logical object, the unitary logical object including authentication, authorization, usage accounting, and pricing information for the user in a distributed database containing the user account; at the unitary logical object, authenticating, account validating and authorizing the communication session; receiving at the call control object a response from the unitary logical object indicating the communication session is authorized; determining a lowest cost gateway that connects the packet switched network and a circuit switched network through which to connect the communication session; establishing the communication session between the calling terminal and called terminal via the determined lowest cost gateway; distributing the unitary logical object over multiple physical systems; at a billing system object, having an extraction interface for selectively polling for extracting usage records from the unitary logical object; and at a credit card provider interface in communication with the billing system object, placing a charge against a credit card account number associated with the user account. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system, comprising:
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a call control object connected over a packet switched network to a calling terminal, the call control object configured to receive a request from the calling terminal over the packet switched network to initiate a communication session between the calling terminal and a called terminal, the request identifying a user account associated with the calling terminal and includes an address of the called terminal; an authorization and usage recording object communicatively coupled to the call control object and including authentication, authorization, usage accounting, and pricing information for the user in a distributed database containing the user account, and configured to receive an authorization request from the call control object, determine whether to authorize the communication session, and send a response signal indicating that the communication session is authorized to proceed, wherein the authorization and usage recording object comprises a unitary logical object distributed over multiple physical systems; a billing system object having an extraction interface to selectively poll to extract usage records from the unitary logical object; and a credit card provider interface in communication with the billing system object to place a charge against a credit card account number associated with the user account. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification