Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Combined circuit switching and packet switching
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-10
2003-09-02
Patel, Ajit (Department: 2664)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Combined circuit switching and packet switching
C370S356000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06614784
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application discloses subject matter related to the subject matter disclosed in the following co-assigned patent application: “System and Method for Providing Access to Service Nodes from Entities Disposed in an Integrated Telecommunications Network,” filed Dec. 27, 1999, Ser. No. 09/472,410, in the names of: Roch Glitho and Christophe Gourraud.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrated telecommunication systems and, more particularly, to a system and method for provisioning Supplementary Services (SS) in an integrated telecommunications network. The integrated telecommunications network may comprise a packet-switched network (PSN) portion that is coupled to a circuit-switched network (CSN). For example, a network using the Internet Protocol (IP) may comprise the PSN portion. Also, for example, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) may comprise a CSN portion. Furthermore, the teachings of the present invention are applicable to pure PSNs also.
2. Description of Related Art
Coupled with the phenomenal growth in popularity of the Internet, there has been a tremendous interest in using packet-switched network infrastructures (e.g., those based on IP addressing) as a replacement for, or as an adjunct to, the existing circuit-switched network infrastructures used in today's telephony. From the network operators' perspective, the inherent traffic aggregation in packet-switched infrastructures allows for a reduction in the cost of transmission and the infrastructure cost per end-user. Ultimately, such cost reductions enable the network operators to pass on the concomitant cost savings to the end-users.
Some of the market drivers that impel the existing Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology are: improvements in the quality of IP telephony; the Internet phenomenon; emergence of standards; cost-effective price-points for advanced services via media-rich call management, et cetera. One of the emerging standards in this area is the well-known H.323 protocol, developed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for multimedia communications over packet-based networks. Using the H.323 standard, devices such as personal computers can inter-operate seamlessly in a vast inter-network, sharing a mixture of audio, video, and data across all forms of packet-based networks which interface with circuit-switched network portions.
The H.323 standard defines four major types of components for forming an inter-operable network: terminals, gateways, gatekeepers and Multipoint Control Units (MCUs). In general, terminals, gateways and MCUs of an H.323-based network are referred to as “endpoints.” Gateways are typically provided between networks (or network portions) that operate based on different standards or protocols. For example, one or more gateways may be provided between a packet-switched network (PSN) portion and a circuit-switched network (CSN) portion. Terminals are employed by end-users for accessing the network or portions thereof, for example, for placing or receiving a call, or for accessing multimedia content at a remote site.
The gatekeeper is typically defined as the entity on the network that provides address translation and controls access to the network for other H.323 components. Usually, a gatekeeper is provided with the address translation capability for a specified portion of the network called a “zone.” Accordingly, a plurality of gatekeepers may be provided for carrying out address translation that is necessary for the entire network, each gatekeeper being responsible for a particular zone. In addition, gatekeepers may also provide other services to the terminals, gateways, and MCUs such as bandwidth management and gateway location.
As is well-known in the telecommunications industry, services and service provisioning are the raison d'être of a telecommunications network, including VoIP networks. Services are typically categorized into (i) “basic services” (i.e., services which allow basic call processes such as call establishment and termination) or (ii) “advanced services” which are also commonly referred to as Value-Added Services (VAS). Examples of advanced services include split charging, 800-services, credit card calls, call forwarding, etc. It is also well-known that advanced services operate as factors for market differentiation and are crucial for network operators' (or service providers') success.
Value-Added Services in H.323-based VoIP networks are known as Supplementary Services (SS) and the provisioning thereof is based on the principles set forth in the ITU's H.450.X Recommendations. A Supplementary Service Control (SS-C) entity functions as the cornerstone of the service architecture. The generic architecture is described in Recommendation H.450.1 while architectures for specific services are described in separate Recommendations, for example, H.450.2 Recommendation for call transfer and H.450.3 Recommendation for call diversion. Similarly, H.450.4 through H.450.7 Recommendation Series are underway for call hold, call park-call pickup, call waiting, and message indication, respectively.
While service provisioning schemes based on the H.450/H.323 service architecture offer certain strengths (e.g., flexibility in role mapping for realizing services with end-to-end connectivity and having intelligence distributed to the “edges” of the network), there exist several disadvantages and drawbacks. It should be appreciated that these inadequacies arise from the requirement that service provisioning be based primarily on interactions among SS-C entities provided within the H.323 entities of the network. Also, in general, the SS-C entities are defined on a service-by-service basis only. In other words, every VAS (i.e., SS) has its own set of control entities and control messages, wherein signaling for the realization of the services is based on H.450.X messages encapsulated in H.225.0 signaling.
The generic architecture of the SS-C entities, which exchange messages for the support of Supplementary Services, only partly addresses service utilization. Further, it does not address service creation at all. More significantly, the H.450.X-based service architecture does not provide for universal access that is independent of location and mobility of subscribers. Moreover, no provision exists for inter-operability with the existing service logic base that is market-tested and already satisfies most of the desirable architectural requirements set forth hereinbelow.
Although there have been considerable advances in the H.450.X-based service architecture technology, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that these advances do not adequately address the shortcomings and weaknesses that still exist in the state-of-the-art service provisioning schemes in H.323-based VoIP networks as set forth above. For example, some of the critical phases of a service life cycle such as service creation, deployment and withdrawal are not addressed by the H.450.X-based service architecture. Also, more importantly from the network operators' perspective, no provision is made for independent service logic development and user profile management.
Another critical shortcoming is that because of the “service-by-service” approach of the H.450 service architecture, a rather “skimpy” generic specification is provided with a fairly thick specification for each particular service or a variant thereof. It should be appreciated that because the standardization process for each new service is typically quite lengthy, service providers' need for quick service creation and rapid deployment, key elements in-market penetration, is not met by such a bifurcated approach to service architecture.
Based on the foregoing, it is apparent that there has arisen an acute need for a service provisioning solution for use within the context of the burgeoning VoIP technology which overcomes these and other shortco
Glitho Roch
Gourraud Christophe
Patel Ajit
Shah Chirag
Smith & Danamraj, PC
Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
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