U.S. patent number 6,298,062 [Application Number 09/178,178] was granted by the patent office on 2001-10-02 for system providing integrated services over a computer network.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Verizon Laboratories Inc.. Invention is credited to Steven E. Gardell, Israel B. Zibman.
United States Patent |
6,298,062 |
Gardell , et al. |
October 2, 2001 |
System providing integrated services over a computer network
Abstract
A telecommunications system operating over a packet-based
network that enable calls seeking to connect with an unavailable
destination to be completed, and for the intended called party to
elect the call disposition on either a call-by-call basis, or for
all incoming calls. Automatic disposition of incoming calls is
performed in the event that the user does not elect such
disposition to make use of the interactive interface for call
disposition.
Inventors: |
Gardell; Steven E. (North
Andover, MA), Zibman; Israel B. (Newton, MA) |
Assignee: |
Verizon Laboratories Inc.
(Waltham, MA)
|
Family
ID: |
26680197 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/178,178 |
Filed: |
October 23, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/401; 370/230;
370/237; 370/352; 370/395.1; 370/465; 379/211.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
3/4281 (20130101); H04M 3/53308 (20130101); H04M
3/54 (20130101); H04M 7/128 (20130101); H04Q
11/0457 (20130101); H04Q 11/0471 (20130101); H04Q
2213/13034 (20130101); H04Q 2213/1305 (20130101); H04Q
2213/13103 (20130101); H04Q 2213/13141 (20130101); H04Q
2213/13176 (20130101); H04Q 2213/13179 (20130101); H04Q
2213/13196 (20130101); H04Q 2213/13202 (20130101); H04Q
2213/13204 (20130101); H04Q 2213/13209 (20130101); H04Q
2213/13256 (20130101); H04Q 2213/13375 (20130101); H04Q
2213/13389 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04Q
11/04 (20060101); H04M 3/428 (20060101); H04M
3/50 (20060101); H04M 7/00 (20060101); H04M
3/42 (20060101); H04M 3/54 (20060101); H04M
3/533 (20060101); H04J 003/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;370/230,237,252,351,352,401,402,412,465,466,467,379,381,382,383,384,400,395
;358/400,425 ;379/201,220,230 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
4885739 |
December 1989 |
Read et al. |
5042027 |
August 1991 |
Takase et al. |
5291302 |
March 1994 |
Gordon et al. |
6031896 |
February 2000 |
Gardell et al. |
6069890 |
May 2000 |
White et al. |
6122357 |
September 2000 |
Farris et al. |
6122363 |
September 2000 |
Friedlander et al. |
|
Other References
Labriola, Don, "Here's Looking at You," Computer Shopper, Sep.
1997, p. 335-362. .
Kahane, Opher et al., Call Management Agent System: Requirements,
Function, Architecture and Protocol, IMTC VoIP Forum Contribution,
Jan. 15, 1997, 44 pages..
|
Primary Examiner: Olms; Douglas
Assistant Examiner: Hom; Shick
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Suchyta; Leonard Charles Weixel;
James K.
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATIONS FILED CONCURRENTLY HEREWITH
This invention is related to the following inventions, all of which
are filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the assignee of the
rights in the present invention: Ser. No. 06/105,326, of Gardell et
al. entitled "A HIGH SPEED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM OPERATING OVER A
COMPUTER NETWORK"; Ser. No. 09/177,712, of Gardell et al. entitled
"MULTI-LINE TELEPHONY VIA NETWORK GATEWAYS"; Ser. No. 09/178,130,
of Gardell et al. entitled "NETWORK PRESENCE FOR A COMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEM OPERATING OVER A COMPUTER NETWORK"; Ser. No. 09/178,271, of
Gardell et al. entitled "SPEAKER IDENTIFIER FOR MULTI-PARTY
CONFERENCE"; Ser. No. 09/177,415, of Gardell et al. entitled
"REAL-TIME VOICEMAIL MONITORING AND CALL CONTROL, now U.S. Pat. No.
6,031,896"; Ser. No. 09/177,700, of Gardell et al. entitled
"MULTI-LINE APPEARANCE TELEPHONY VIA A COMPUTER NETWORK".
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A communication system for operating over a computer network and
for interacting with a switched circuit network, the system
comprising:
a gateway in communication with the switched circuit network, the
gateway being operative to translate switched circuit
network-compatible signals into computer network-compatible
signals;
an association table associating a plurality of terminal end-points
with one or more network-resident service sub-systems; and
a signal routing agent in communication with the gateway and with
the terminal end-points, the signal routing agent being operative
to receive incoming calls from the gateway addressed to respective
ones of the terminal end-points and programmed to route the calls
to the respective terminal end-points, the signal routing agent
being responsive to one of the terminal end-points being
unavailable to automatically route a corresponding call to one of
the network-resident service sub-systems using the association
table.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal routing agent is
responsive to receipt of a preselected signal from one of the
terminal end-points being called and the gateway to automatically
route a corresponding call to the network-resident service
sub-system.
3. The system of claim 1 further including a service node in
communication with the signal routing agent, the service node being
responsive to receipt of an identity of an intended called party to
determine an appropriate destination for calls directed to the
intended called party in the event the called party is
unavailable.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the incoming call is in the form
of a facsimile message, and wherein the signal routing agent is
programmed to determine if the one terminal end-point is in use
and, if so, to route the facsimile message to the service
sub-system.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal routing agent and
gateway are H.323-defined entities.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal routing agent
comprises a call control service entity.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal routing agent
comprises a call routed gatekeeper.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal routing agent is
programmed to determine if the one terminal end-point is
unavailable by placing a call to the one terminal end-point and
waiting for a predetermined amount of time.
9. A communication system for operating over a computer network and
for interacting with a switched circuit network, the system
comprising:
a gateway in communication with the switched circuit network, the
gateway being operative to translate switched circuit
network-compatible signals into computer network-compatible
signals; and
a signal routing agent in communication with the gateway and with a
plurality of terminal end-points, the signal routing agent being
operative to receive incoming calls from the gateway addressed to
respective ones of the terminal end-points and programmed to route
the calls to the respective terminal end-points, the signal routing
agent being responsive to one of the terminal end-points being
unavailable to automatically route a corresponding call to a
preselected network-resident service sub-system, the signal routing
agent being programmed to determine if the one terminal end-point
is unavailable by accessing, before forwarding the corresponding
call to the one terminal end-point, an association table listing
the one terminal end-point and an associated call destination.
10. A communication system for operating over a computer network
and for interacting with a switched circuit network, the system
comprising:
a gateway in communication with the switched circuit network, the
gateway being operative to translate switched circuit
network-compatible signals into computer network-compatible
signals;
a signal routing agent in communication with the gateway and with a
plurality of terminal end-points, the signal routing agent being
operative to receive incoming calls from the gateway addressed to
respective ones of the terminal end-points and programmed to route
the calls to the respective terminal end-points, the signal routing
agent being responsive to one of the terminal end-points being
unavailable to automatically route a corresponding call to a
network-resident service sub-system;
a configuration database associating the respective terminal
end-points with one or more network-resident service sub-systems;
and
a service node in communication with the signal routing agent and
responsive to receipt of a signal from the signal routing agent
corresponding to the one terminal end-point to access the
configuration database, determine an associated one of the one or
more network-resident service sub-systems to receive the
corresponding call, and to signal the signal routing agent to route
the corresponding call to the associated network-resident service
sub-system.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein:
the configuration database is in the form of an association
table.
12. A method for disposing of incoming calls in a packet based
network, comprising:
storing an association table that associates a plurality of
terminal end-points with one or more network-resident service
nodes;
receiving one of the incoming calls addressed to a particular one
of the terminal end-points;
routing the one incoming call to the terminal end-point;
determining whether the terminal end-point is unavailable to
receive the one incoming call;
if the terminal end-point is unavailable, determining an
appropriate one of the network-resident service nodes to receive
the one incoming call based on the association table; and
routing the one incoming call to the appropriate network-resident
service node.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of determining whether
the terminal end-point is unavailable comprises monitoring whether
the terminal end-point accepts the one incoming call within a
preselected time period.
14. A method for disposing of incoming calls in a packet based
network, comprising:
receiving one of the incoming calls addressed to a particular
terminal end-point;
routing the one incoming call to the terminal end-point;
determining whether the terminal end-point is unavailable to
receive the one incoming call by accessing a configuration database
to determine if the terminal end-point is associated with a
network-resident service sub-system, the accessing being performed
a preselected amount of time after routing the one incoming call to
the terminal end-point;
if the terminal end-point is unavailable, determining an
appropriate network-resident service sub-system to receive the one
incoming call; and
routing the one incoming call to the appropriate network-resident
service node.
15. A method for disposing of incoming facsimile messages in a
packet based network, comprising:
storing an association table that associates a plurality of
terminal end-points with one or more message stores;
receiving one of the incoming facsimile messages addressed to a
particular one of the terminal end-points;
determining if a line corresponding to the terminal end-point is in
use;
if the line is in use, routing the one incoming facsimile message
to the message store associated with the terminal end-point in the
association table; and
if the line is not in use, routing the one incoming facsimile
message to the terminal end-point.
16. A communication system for operating over a computer network
and for interacting with a switched circuit network, the system
comprising:
a gateway in communication with the switched circuit network, the
gateway being operative to translate switched circuit
network-compatible signals into computer network-compatible
signals;
an association table associating a plurality of terminal end-points
with one or more network-resident service sub-systems; and
a signal routing agent in communication with the gateway and with
the terminal end-points, the signal routing agent being operative
to receive incoming calls from the gateway addressed to respective
ones of the terminal end-points and programmed to determine whether
the respective terminal end-points are unavailable, the signal
routing agent being responsive to one of the terminal end-points
being unavailable to automatically route one of the incoming calls
to a preselected one of the network-resident service sub-systems
when the association table indicates that the preselected
network-resident service sub-system is associated with the one
terminal end-point.
17. The system of claim 16 further including a service node in
communication with the signal routing agent, the service node being
responsive to receipt of an identity of an intended called party to
determine an appropriate destination for calls directed to the
intended called party in the event the called party is
unavailable.
18. The system of claim 16 wherein the service sub-system comprises
a voice and facsimile messaging sub-system.
19. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal routing agent and
gateway are H.323-defined entities.
20. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal routing agent
comprises a call control service entity.
21. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal routing agent
comprises a call routed gatekeeper.
22. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal routing agent is
programmed to determine if the one terminal end-point is
unavailable, before routing a call to the one terminal end-point,
by accessing the association table linking the one terminal
end-point and an associated call destination for initial call
presentation.
23. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal routing agent is
programmed to determine if the one terminal end-point is
unavailable by placing a call to the one terminal end-point and
monitoring whether the one terminal end-point accepts the call
within a predetermined amount of time.
24. The system of claim 16 and further including:
a configuration database associating the respective terminal
end-points with respective service sub-systems; and
a service node in communication with the signal routing agent and
responsive to receipt of a signal from the signal routing agent
identifying one of the terminal end-points to access the
configuration database, determine a corresponding service
sub-system to receive the one incoming call, and to signal the
signal routing agent to route the one incoming call to the
corresponding service sub-system.
25. The system of claim 24, wherein the configuration database
includes the association table.
26. The system of claim 24, wherein the configuration database
comprises an initial call presentation database and the association
table, and the service node is responsive to receipt of an initial
call presentation signal from the signal routing agent to access
the initial call presentation database to determine an appropriate
destination for the one incoming call, and responsive to receipt of
a second signal from the signal routing agent to access the
association table to determine the appropriate destination for the
one incoming call.
27. A method for disposing of incoming calls in a packet based
network, comprising:
receiving an incoming call addressed to a particular terminal
end-point;
accessing an initial call presentation database to determine an
appropriate destination for the incoming call;
routing the incoming call to the terminal end-point, if the
terminal end-point is the appropriate destination for the incoming
call;
routing the incoming call to a service sub-system, if the service
sub-system is the appropriate destination for the incoming
call;
determining whether the terminal end-point is unavailable to
receive the incoming call, if the call is routed to the terminal
end-point;
determining an appropriate network-resident service sub-system to
receive the call, if the terminal end-point is unavailable; and
routing the incoming call to the appropriate network-resident
service sub-system.
28. A communication system in a packet-based network,
comprising:
a database configured to store routing instructions;
a signal routing agent configured to receive destination addresses
for signals from a switched circuit network destined for terminal
end-points in the packet-based network, and identify ones of the
terminal end-points based on the destination addresses; and
a service node configured to receive indications of the identified
terminal end-points from the signal routing agent, determine
whether to route the signals to the identified terminal end-points
based on the routing instructions in the database, and instruct the
signal routing agent to transmit the signals based on a result of
the determination.
29. The communication system of claim 28, wherein the database
includes:
a presentation table configured to identify destinations to receive
signals directed to corresponding ones of the terminal
end-points.
30. The communication system of claim 29, wherein at least one of
the destinations identifies a network-resident service
sub-system.
31. The communication system of claim 28, wherein the signal
routing agent is further configured to contact the identified
terminal end-points and determine whether the identified terminal
end-points are available.
32. The communication system of claim 31, wherein the database
includes:
a presentation table configured to identify alternate destinations
corresponding to each of the terminal end-points.
33. The communication system of claim 32, wherein the service node
is further configured to access the presentation table to identify
alternate destinations corresponding to unavailable ones of the
terminal end-points and instruct the signal routing agent to
transmit the signals to the alternate destinations.
34. The communication system of claim 33, wherein the alternate
destinations include at least one network-resident service
sub-system.
35. The communication system of claim 28, wherein the signals
include at least one of voice calls and facsimile messages.
36. The communication system of claim 28, wherein the signal
routing agent is further configured to contact the identified
terminal end-points, determine whether the identified terminal
end-points are available, and direct the signals corresponding to
unavailable terminal end-points to at least one service sub-system.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of data
transmission over a computer network. More particularly, the
invention relates to the provision of integrated communication,
information, and transaction services over such a computer
network.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer networks which are capable of transmitting data or
information between locations, such as local area networks (LANs),
wide area networks (WANs), and the Internet, are currently being
used to transmit audio information between respective computers of
the network. At the transmitting computer, a person's voice is
digitized using a conventional analog to digital (A/D) converter
and transmitted to the receiving location where it is passed
through a conventional digital to analog (D/A) converter and
presented as audio.
This type of computer telephony system suffers from several major
disadvantages. First, the system is limited to only those people
who have access to compatible end-point software and a shared
network such as the Internet. In addition, while Internet access
has now widely proliferated, it has not reached the near universal
accessibility of traditional telephone service over public switched
telephone networks (PSTNs) and the like. Thus, such a computer
telephony system is totally useless if a user on the Internet
desires to communicate with someone who does not have access to the
Internet.
On the other hand, IPIPSTN gateways allow people on a computer
network, such as the Internet, to communicate with people on a
conventional telephone network, such as a PSTN, general switched
telephone network (GSTN), integrated services digital network
(ISDN), or other switched circuit network (SCN), using, for
example, an H.323 protocol. Such gateways provide the appropriate
translation between SCN and PBN data formats and between different
communication procedures, allowing a user on one system (such as
the PSTN) to communicate with a user on an otherwise incompatible
system (such as a PBN).
While IP/PSTN gateways and their associated components effectively
support communication between two otherwise incompatible networks,
current use of those systems has been limited. Those systems are
designed to support communication between two parties, and also
provide for conferencing of multiple parties in a single call.
However, those systems do not presently address the provision of
more traditional phone behavior offered in PSTN and other
conventional telecommunications networks. This is a significant
drawback, especially for those who are already reluctant to convert
from conventional telecommunications networks for their
telecommunications needs.
As an example, one shortcoming associated with existing computer
network-based communications systems is that there is no procedure
for intelligently routing or otherwise disposing of an incoming
call when a called party is unavailable, such as when the called
party is "on-line" or away from his or her terminal.
In addition, with the Internet gaining ever-increasing popularity,
many people spend significant amounts of time "on-line" on the
Internet every day. In the case of individuals accessing the
Internet from their residences, their telephone line is unavailable
for receiving telephone calls while they are using the Internet via
a dial-up connection. In the case of people who are logged onto the
Internet for long periods of time, this can create a significant
problem, forcing some people to install a second telephone line
simply for accessing the Internet, which is inefficient and
undesirable.
Accordingly, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the
art that there continues to be a need for a communications system
that provides for communication between a party on a packet based
network (PBN) and a party on a conventional switched circuit
network (SCN), while simultaneously providing various services for
handling an incoming call in the event the called party is
unavailable, for example when the called party is logged onto the
Internet. The present invention addresses these needs and
others.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a method and apparatus are
provided with novel capabilities for telephonic communications over
a computer network. The invention provides telecommunications
service capabilities in a computer network in instances where the
called party is unavailable. A called party is unavailable for the
purposes of the present invention when 1) the called party's line
is in use, 2) when the called party does not wish to accept a call
and has previously informed the network, or 3) when the caller
cannot accept a call (i.e., when the call is not answered within a
preselected number of rings). The invention is operative in these
scenarios to route the incoming calls to service sub-systems
offering services such as voice mail services.
The present invention is incorporated in a network-based system to
support communication with conventional SCNs, or between computer
networks. The network-based system includes a gateway that provides
for communication between two dissimilar networks, a signal routing
agent that controls operation and transmits signals based upon user
profile, and one or more service nodes to selectively receive
incoming calls and provide various services. The system is
programmed to detect when terminal end-points are unavailable,
either when there is no answer at the terminal end-point or when
the terminal end-point chooses to be unavailable for a period of
time. In either of these events, the system automatically forwards
the call to the network-resident service node. Thus, the system
provides call routing services for calls originating in a SCN as
well as for calls originating in an IP network.
Thus, the present invention in one illustrative embodiment is
directed to a communication system for operating over a computer
network and for interacting with a switched circuit network, the
system comprising: a gateway in communication with the switched
circuit network, the gateway being operative to translate switched
circuit network-compatible signals into computer network-compatible
signals; and a signal routing agent in communication with the
gateway and with a plurality of terminal end-points, the signal
routing agent being operative to receive incoming calls from the
gateway addressed to respective ones of the terminal end-points and
programmed to route the calls to the respective terminal
end-points, the signal routing agent being responsive to one of the
terminal end-points being unavailable to automatically route the
corresponding call to a preselected network-resident service
sub-system.
A preferred method of the present invention includes the steps of
receiving an incoming call addressed to a particular terminal
end-point; routing the incoming call to the terminal end-point;
determining whether the terminal end-point is unavailable to
receive the incoming call; if the terminal end-point is
unavailable, determining an appropriate network-resident service
sub-system to receive the call; and routing the incoming call to
the appropriate service sub-system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention discussed
in the above summary of the invention will be more clearly
understood from the following detailed description of preferred
embodiments, which are illustrative only, when taken together with
the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer network-based
communications system comprising one illustrative embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing various components included in
the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a configuration database generated
and maintained by the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the
system of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a timing diagram for the signaling sequence of the system
of FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting the operational flow of the
systems of FIGS. 1 and 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows the major components of an intelligent call
disposition system 10 according to one illustrative embodiment of
the present invention. This system 10 may be incorporated in a
high-speed computer-based communications network as described in
co-pending U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/105,326, filed on
Oct. 23, 1998 and now expired, and entitled "HIGH SPEED
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM OPERATING OVER A COMPUTER NETWORK", which is
incorporated herein by reference. Generally, the call disposition
system 10 of the network according to the present invention
includes a gateway 12, a signal routing device, for example a
gatekeeper 14, a network-resident service node 16, one or more call
handling sub-systems 18, and plural terminal end-points 20. In the
preferred embodiment, the system 10 is operative to receive plural
incoming calls from, for example, a public switched telephone
network 22 (PSTN) that seek to establish communication with one or
more of the terminal end-points, determine whether the terminal
end-point or end-points are available and, if one or more of the
end-points are unavailable, route the incoming calls to one of the
sub-systems 18 as determined by the network-resident service node
16.
The gateway 12 comprises an H.323-defined entity, and provides
signal conversion capabilities between a switched circuit network,
for example the PSTN 22, and a PBN, to support communication
therebetween. The gateway also allows for interworking with other
H-series terminals, GSTN or ISDN voice terminals, or GSTN or ISDN
data terminals. The gateway is operative to accept a call
originating on, for example, the PSTN 22, to convert the signal to
a packet-based format, and to pass it into the gatekeeper 14 of the
computer network. The gateway may also perform the opposite
function, namely take a call originating at an IP terminal, convert
the signal to a PSTN-compatible format, and pass it on to the PSTN
22. The gateway is responsible for passing, in addition to the
voice signals, caller-ID data, number-dialed data, and other such
information in both directions. Various telephony signaling
technologies may be used by the gateway to perform these functions,
as are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
The gatekeeper 14 provides admissions control and address
translation services, and uses a suitable protocol, for example, an
H.323 protocol. In addition, the gatekeeper may also be configured
to provide call control services and route call control signals to
the terminal end-points 20. The gatekeeper is connected to the
gateway for communication with the gateway, and initially receives
a translated phone number dialed by a caller on the PSTN 22 from
the gateway. The gatekeeper accesses a translation table (not
shown) to determine the corresponding IP address of the terminal
end-point, and coordinates initial call presentation procedures, as
described in greater detail below.
The gatekeeper 14 typically includes a gatekeeper server 40 (FIG.
2) in the form of a computer or router that is dedicated to running
the gatekeeper. The computer or router is programmed with software
to provide H.323 specified gatekeeper functionality.
In one illustrative embodiment, the gatekeeper 14 comprises a call
routed gatekeeper to serve as a signal routing agent for the system
10, and is therefore responsible for attempting to connect a caller
with a particular terminal end-point 20 (FIG. 1). Alternatively,
the system 10 may incorporate a call control service entity
("CCSE") to serve as the signal routing agent. In either case, the
signal routing agent is provided with the address of the
appropriate terminal end-point for receiving the call, and routes a
call setup signal to the terminal end-point in an attempt to
complete the call, as is described in greater detail below.
The system 10 further includes the service node 16 (FIG. 1), which
is operative to determine whether to present a call to a called
end-point or to direct the call to a service sub-system, based upon
status of the called party's line and the called party's profile.
In the event a called terminal end-point 20 is deemed unavailable,
the service node is programmed to access a configuration database
24 to determine the proper service sub-system for receiving the
incoming call, as is described in greater detail below. The called
party's profile may be established before the incoming call is
received, and indicates to the service node the appropriate
destination for incoming calls in the event the called party is
unavailable.
While the service node 16 is shown in one illustrative embodiment
as being a discrete component, it will be apparent that the service
node can be contained within the signal routing agent for
communication with the signal routing agent. The signal routing
agent, after determining that a terminal end-point is unavailable,
transmits a corresponding signal to the service node that
identifies the terminal end-point being called and alerts the
service node that the terminal end-point is unavailable. The
service node then accesses the configuration database 24,
determines the appropriate destination for the call, for example to
one of the service sub-systems 18, and transmits a corresponding
signal back to the signal routing agent with the appropriate output
parameters, such as the address of the service sub-system to
receive the call. This signaling between the signal routing agent
and service node can be done through the use of call-backs, or any
other similar manner.
The configuration database 24 in one illustrative embodiment is in
the form of association or look-up tables 27 and 28 (FIG. 3). The
association tables comprise plural address lines 29, each of which
provides a segment to link a terminal end-point with a
corresponding service sub-system 18. In the embodiment shown, the
first association table 27 defines an initial call presentation
table and provides links for each terminal end-point to appropriate
end-points, whether they are to the terminal end-point itself
(referred to as "No Link" in the figure) or to a service
sub-system. The second association table 28 defines an unavailable
terminal table, and provides links for each terminal end-point to
the appropriate service sub-system in the event the terminal
end-point is deemed unavailable, thereby indicating that a
particular terminal end-point is a subscriber to the particular
service, for example voice mail. Thus, the first association table
is preferably accessed before an incoming call is routed to the
called terminal end-point 20 to determine whether a service
sub-system has been selected to receive all incoming calls directed
to that terminal end-point. For example, a user at the terminal
end-point, for example T2, may select to temporarily have all
incoming calls routed to voice mail. Thus, the first table is
dynamic and will change often. The second table is preferably
accessed only after a call has been presented to a terminal
end-point, and the terminal end-point fails to connect with the
call within a predetermined period of time or signals to the signal
routing agent a refusal to accept the call.
The entries in the first association table 27 are dynamic and may
be changed frequently. For example, when a user at a terminal, such
as T2, is about go on-line, he or she may select to have all
incoming calls routed to the voice mail service sub-system or other
service sub-system. Such information is received by the gatekeeper
14 and is stored in the appropriate field in the first association
table 27. When the user logs off of the Internet, he or she may
select to be presented with all incoming calls, such as users T1
and T3. This information is received by the gatekeeper, which
updates the appropriate field in the first association table.
The second association table 28 is accessed only after the signal
routing agent 14 determines that the terminal end-point is
unavailable, either by timing out waiting for the terminal
end-point to accept a call, or by being signaled by the user at the
terminal end-point, as is described in greater detail below. As is
shown in FIG. 3, the users T1 and T2 are subscribers to the voice
mail service, and thus all calls to those terminal end-points that
are not accepted will be directed to the voice messaging
sub-system. T3 is not a subscriber and is not linked, and thus
calls to T3 that are not answered by T3 will not be completed.
While in the embodiment disclosed there are two association tables
27 and 28 maintained by the configuration database 24, it will be
understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that one
association table or some other data storage method may
alternatively be used, which includes the various links for each
terminal end-point 20.
The network-resident service node 16 is operative to receive called
party unavailable signals from the signal routing agent 14 (either
the call routed gatekeeper or CCSE) and determine the appropriate
manner of disposing of the call, including routing of the call to
one of the service sub-systems to handle the incoming call.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the service
logic of the service sub-system 18 will vary depending on the type
of service being offered. For example, in the case of a voice mail
service, the service logic includes code for playing a prerecorded
digital or analog message, preferably a message recorded by the
user of the terminal end-point being called. After the message is
played, the service logic accepts input from the caller, and stores
the message for future playback when the user of the called
terminal end-point accesses the voice mail service.
The terminal end-points 20 in one illustrative embodiment include
both input and output equipment for supporting video and audio.
Preferably, the terminals include graphical user interfaces (GUIs)
for presenting line appearances in various formats, as is described
in more detail below.
As shown in FIG. 2, the PSTN 22 includes a plurality of different
types of devices, such as standard telephone devices 26, a "WINDOWS
95"-based and/or a "WINDOWS NT"-based client (WIN-95/NT Client) 28,
and a facsimile (FAX) device 30. Each of the PSTN devices are
connected to a gateway 32 preferably housed in a low-level point of
presence ("POP") 18, which also includes a router 34. In one
illustrative embodiment, the gateway comprises the combination of
an integrated modem, a Fax-Gateway, and an H.323 Gateway, in order
to communicate with the various devices of the PSTN. The low-level
POP and gateway are described in greater detail in co-pending U.S.
Patent Application Ser. No. 60/105,326, of Gardell et al. entitled
"A HIGH SPEED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM OPERATING OVER A COMPUTER
NETWORK", which was filed concurrently herewith, the disclosure of
which is hereby incorporated by reference. Alternatively, the
router 34 and gateway 32 may be housed in a central office of the
PSTN or in any other suitable location.
The low-level POP 18 is preferably connected to a regional POP 36
that includes a router 38 as well as a gatekeeper server 40
programmed to control the router 38. The regional POP preferably
further includes a database server 42, a sigma service node server
44, a sigma client services server 46, and a sigma message
unification server 48. The sigma service node server 44 is a
dedicated server for controlling the service node functions, as
described in greater detail below. The sigma client services server
46 is a dedicated server for running the various client services
provided by the system 10, and the message unification server 48 is
a dedicated server that operates to unify messages in the message
store for delivery to the user upon request.
The gatekeeper server 40 is a dedicated server for controlling
gatekeeper functions as defined by the H.323 standard. In addition,
other gatekeeper functions may be performed by using, for example,
a Cisco H.323 gatekeeper unit as the H.323 gatekeeper server.
The database server 42 maintains persistent private branch exchange
(PBX) profiles and user profiles, and also stores persistent data
such as billing records pertaining to the network 10 in a database.
The database server may be, for example, a "UNIX"-based
computer.
The special features of the network system 10 of the present
invention are implemented, at least in part, by software programs
stored in memory. The software programs are accessible by the
components of the system, the function of which is described in
greater detail in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 6, one preferred method of the present
invention will be described. A call placed by a user on the PSTN 22
is transmitted to the gateway 12, at step 50. The system is
preferably multi-threaded to accommodate multiple calls
concurrently, but only one call will be described. Initially, the
gateway performs the necessary translation of the signal into the
packet based network format. Next, the translated signal is
transmitted to the gatekeeper 14, which receives the signal and
performs the access control function in order to authorize the call
from the caller. Possible reasons for rejection may include
restricted access to or from particular terminals or gateways,
restricted access during certain time periods, and the like.
Assuming that the caller is authorized, operation proceeds and the
gatekeeper 14 directs the gateway 12 to establish a signaling path
directly to the signal routing device, in this case to the call
routed gatekeeper itself. The gatekeeper receives the logical
address for the call through the gateway. The gatekeeper then
accesses a database and uses the logical address to determine the
corresponding terminal IP address. In one illustrative embodiment,
the gatekeeper then signals the service node 16, which accesses the
first association table 27 of the configuration database 24 at step
52. At step 54, the service node searches the first association
table for the, address line 29 corresponding to the called terminal
end-point 20 to determine whether a service sub-system, such as the
voice mail service sub-system, has been linked with that terminal
end-point, which is the case when the user at the terminal
end-point has communicated to the system 10 that he or she wishes
all calls be directed to voice mail. If no service sub-system is
linked with the terminal end-point in the first association table,
then operation proceeds to step 56, and the call is routed to the
terminal end-point and presented to the user. If, on the other
hand, the voice mail service sub-system is linked with the terminal
end-point in the first association table, operation instead
proceeds to step 58, and the call is routed to the service
sub-system, which handles the incoming call. In that event,
operation then proceeds back to step 50, and the system 10 handles
the next incoming call.
If the call is routed to the terminal end point 20, operation flows
to step 60, and the signal routing agent 14 monitors whether the
call is accepted by the terminal end-point 20. For example, the
signal routing agent may monitor whether an alert or connect signal
is received from the terminal end-point within a predetermined
period of time. If so, the call is completed at step 62, operation
flows back to step 50, and the system 10 handles the next incoming
call. If the call is not accepted within a predetermined period of
time, for example ten seconds, or if the user at the terminal
end-point indicates to the signal routing agent that he or she
refuses to accept the call, operation proceeds to step 64, and the
system determines if the terminal end-point is a subscriber of the
voice mail (or other) sub-system 18 possibly by checking the second
association table 28. If not, the call goes unanswered, and
operation proceeds back to step 50. If the terminal end-point is a
subscriber, then at step 66 the signal routing agent automatically
connects the incoming call with the voice mail (or other) service
sub-system for disposition of the call. Operation then proceeds to
step 51, and the system is done with that incoming call.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a second illustrative
embodiment of the network system 70 of the present invention. The
network system comprises a gateway 72, plural gatekeepers 74, 76,
and 78, a CCSE 80 which serves as the signal routing agent in this
embodiment, at least one terminal end-point 82 ("T1"), and a
network-resident voice mail service sub-system 84. The gateway 72
is in communication with a PSTN 86 for two-way communication
therebetween, as described above in connection with the first
described embodiment. Alternatively, instead of being in
communication with the PSTN, it will be understood by those of
ordinary skill in the art that the gateway could be in
communication with another PBN, some other SCN, or directly with
other IP devices.
The first gatekeeper 74 is in communication with the gateway 72 to
receive a translated called party address from the gateway. The
first gatekeeper 74 is operative to multicast a location request to
plural gatekeepers (only the affirmatively responding gatekeeper 76
is shown in FIG. 4) to locate the gatekeeper that services a
particular dialed number, as is described in greater detail
below.
The CCSE 80 is also connected to the gateway 72 for communication
therewith, as well as with the affirmatively responding gatekeeper
76. The CCSE serves as the signal routing agent for the call
signals, and communicates directly with the gateway after the
second gatekeeper 76 responds to the first gatekeeper 74 with the
address of the CCSE. As with the previous embodiment, a call
routing gatekeeper can be used in the place of the CCSE. The CCSE
is also in communication with the terminal end-point T1, and with
the network-resident voice mail service sub-system 84.
The second gatekeeper 76 is also in communication with terminal
end-point T1, and with a third gatekeeper 78. The third gatekeeper,
in turn, is connected with the network-resident voice mail service
sub-system 84.
Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a timing diagram for the
signaling involved according to one illustrative embodiment of the
present invention, namely when an incoming call is not answered at
the called party's terminal end-point within a predetermined amount
of time, or when the called party signals the CCSE that he or she
does not wish to accept the call. An outgoing call placed from a
telephone device A in, for example, the PSTN 86 is transmitted as a
Setup signal (1) through the PSTN local exchange carrier (LEC)
switching network (SW), and to the gateway 72 as a Setup signal
(2). The gateway then transmits an admission request signal ARQ (3)
that is received by the first gatekeeper 74. The first gatekeeper
then multicasts a location request signal LRQ (4) to locate the
gatekeeper that services the number dialed by the telephone device
A. The second gatekeeper 76, which services the dialed number, then
transmits a location confirmation signal LCF (5) back to the first
gatekeeper 74, informing the first gatekeeper as to the location of
the corresponding terminal end-point. The first gatekeeper then
transmits an admission confirmation signal ACF (6) to the gateway
72 along with the IP address of the corresponding signal routing
agent, in this case the CCSE 80, that services the number dialed.
The ACF signal (6) also serves to direct the gateway to establish a
direct signaling path to the CCSE.
The gateway 72 then transmits a setup signal (7) to the CCSE 80,
corresponding to step 50 in FIG. 6. The CCSE responds with a Call
Proceeding signal (8) transmitted back to the gateway to inform the
gateway that the CCSE is attempting to contact the intended called
party's terminal end-point. The CCSE then transmits a signal, ARQ
(9), to the second gatekeeper 76 requesting that a communication
path be established with the terminal end-point T1. If the call is
authorized, the second gatekeeper 76 then transmits an ACF signal,
ACF (10), back to the CCSE authorizing the CCSE to communicate
directly with the end-point T1. A second ARQ signal (11) is
transmitted by the CCSE to the second gatekeeper, which responds
with a second ACF signal (12). The first ARQ signal, ARQ(9), is an
admissions check for the incoming call, and the second ARQ signal,
ARQ(11), is an attempt to map an H.323 alias, determined from the
information input by the calling party, to an IP address in order
to complete the call.
Once the IP address is determined, the CCSE 80 then transmits a
setup signal, Setup (13), to T1, which in one illustrative
embodiment appears in the form of a line appearance at the
graphical user interface ("GUI") of T1. If the user at terminal
end-point T1 is already involved in a conversation with another
caller, the line appearance may be in the form of a popup screen or
the like, as described in greater detail in co-pending U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/177,700 of Gardell et al. entitled
"MUILTI-LINE APPEARANCE TELEPHONY VIA A COMPUTER NETWORK", which
was filed concurrently herewith, and which is incorporated herein
by reference. The terminal T1 transmits a Call proceeding signal
(14) back to the CCSE to inform the CCSE that the call is being
placed. The terminal end-point T1 then transmits an ARQ signal, ARQ
(15), to the second gatekeeper 76. The gatekeeper responds with an
ACF signal, ACF (16), which includes the call signaling channel
transport address of the CCSE for direct communication between the
terminal end-point and the CCSE. The end-point T1 then transmits an
alert signal, Alert (17), directly to the CCSE indicating that the
call is proceeding and is being presented at terminal end-point T1.
Respective alert signals (Alert (18), Alert (19), and Alert (20))
are transmitted through the gateway 72 and PSTN 86 to the caller's
telephone device A, such as in the form of audible ringing as is
well known.
The CCSE 80 is then programmed to wait for a predetermined period
of time for the terminal end-point T1 to accept the call,
corresponding to step 60 in FIG. 6. If, after the predetermined
amount of time has elapsed, the CCSE has not received a connect
signal from the terminal end-point, a service node (not shown) or
the CCSE may be programmed to access the second association table
28 to determine if the terminal end-point T1 is linked to the voice
mail service sub-system 84, corresponding to step 64 in FIG. 6.
Alternatively, while the call is being placed, the called party may
signal the CCSE to route the call to voice mail with any
preselected signal, such as by depressing one or more buttons on a
keypad or clicking on an icon on the GUI with the mouse or the
like.
Assuming the predetermined amount of time elapses and the terminal
end-point 20 is associated with the voice mail sub-system VM.sub.1
84, the CCSE 80 then automatically transmits an appropriate ARQ
signal, ARQ(21), to the second gatekeeper 76 seeking to establish
communication with the voice mail sub-system VM.sub.1. Thus, in the
illustrative embodiment the system 70 automatically defaults to the
voice mail sub-system if the called party does not accept the call
or signal the CCSE to route the call to voice mail. In this case,
the second gatekeeper then transmits a LRQ signal, LRQ(22), which
is responded to by the third gatekeeper 78 in the form of a LCF
signal, LCF(23), which informs the second gatekeeper as to the
location and IP address of the voice mail sub-system. The second
gatekeeper then transmits an admission confirmation signal, ACF
(24), to the CCSE 80 with the IP address of VM.sub.1. The ACF
signal (24) also serves to direct the CCSE to establish a direct
signaling path to VM.sub.1. The CCSE then communicates directly
with VM.sub.1 in the form of a Setup signal (25), corresponding to
step 66 in FIG. 6. VM.sub.1 responds with a signal, CallProceeding
(26), back to the CCSE, and transmits a signal ARQ(27) to the third
gatekeeper 78. The third gatekeeper transmits a corresponding
signal ACF(28) to VM.sub.1, which responds with a signal Alert(29)
to the CCSE 80, followed by a signal Connect (30) which is received
by the CCSE. The CCSE then transmits a signal Connect(31) to the
gateway 72, which sends a signal Connect(32) to the PSTN switch SW,
which in turn transmits a signal Connect(33) to the caller's
communication device A, thereby establishing a communication
channel between the caller and VM.sub.1, such that the caller is
informed that the called party is unavailable and is prompted to
leave a voice mail message for the called party.
In one illustrative embodiment, before the ARQ signal (9) is
transmitted by the CCSE 80, the CCSE 80 or a service node (not
shown) signaled by the CCSE may access the first association table
27 of the configuration database 24 to determine whether the
terminal end-point T1 is linked with a service sub-system such as
voice mail for initial call presentation. If so, the next signal
transmitted is the ARQ signal (21) to the second gatekeeper 76. If
not, the signaling proceeds as shown in FIG. 5 and as described
above.
It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that
the user may be signaled regarding an incoming call in various
different manners. One illustrative embodiment includes an
interactive interface, for example in the form of a pop-up screen
on the graphical user interface, which alerts the user that a
caller seeks to connect with the user. The system may include icons
on the screen corresponding, respectively, to an acceptance of the
call and routing of the call to voice mail, which may be clicked by
a mouse as is well known in the art, and which is shown in
co-pending application Ser. No. 09/177,700, which has been
incorporated herein by reference.
Thus, the system 10 of the present invention allows users to elect
call disposition, either before any calls are received (with the
election being stored in the association table 27 of the
configuration database 24) or when a caller is attempting to
connect to the user. The user has the option of accepting the call,
or having the call routed to the voice mail sub-system 18 for call
disposition.
In another illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the
system 10 is operative to automatically forward facsimile messages
to the voice and fax messaging sub-system 18 when the user's phone
line is in use. For example, when the user logs onto the Internet
or other network via a modem, a "transfer on busy" signal is
generated by the PSTN 22, as is well known in the art. Then, when
the signal routing agent 14 of the system 10 attempts to connect a
call with the user, the signal routing agent receives the "transfer
on busy" signal from the PSTN via the gateway 12. The signal
routing agent is programmed to recognize that signal from the PSTN
and to automatically redirect the facsimile data to the data store
of the sub-system 18. Later, when the user is no longer on-line,
the user may signal the signal routing agent to retrieve the data
from the data store and begin transmitting the data to the user's
facsimile device.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the network system 10
of the present invention modifies existing computer network-based
communications systems to provide a network presence in the event a
terminal end-point is unavailable, and provides various services at
the network level rather than at the client level.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with
reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood
by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and
details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
* * * * *