Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Combined circuit switching and packet switching
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-24
2001-09-25
Jung, Min (Department: 2663)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Combined circuit switching and packet switching
C370S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295292
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to methods and systems for managing signaling and communication sessions across networks, and to a scalable methodology and system for managing telephony over hybrid networks such as combined switched telephone networks and packet switched internetworks, such as the Internet. More particularly the invention relates to authorization processing on the inbound gateway side of such networks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is disclosed in the above identified parent applications, and hereinafter herein, a comprehensive architecture and methodology for providing telephony services over hybrid systems of circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as combinations of telephone networks and data networks typified by public switched telephone networks (PSTNs) and the Internet. In order to provide maximum flexibility and usability of such combinations it is desirable to enable and facilitate cooperative usage of the architecture and methodology by multiple service provider entities which supplement one another and which, in many instances, are competitors. This requires that it be possible to provide among such entities an acceptable and efficient resource allocation, usage allocation, usage accounting, and billing and settlement arrangement.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary objective of the present invention to respond to these needs.
It is another objective of the invention to provide an architectural environment and methodology which would permit an entity to be able to economically locate a terminating Internet telephony gateway anywhere in the world and rely on intercarrier agreements for partnering to complete calls in widely different geographic areas. The invention comprehends an arrangement that permits retail companies dealing with end users to manage their customers in real time without disclosing the customer identity or database contents to the terminating Internet telephony gateway supplier. In this arrangement the gateway operator may be considered to be a wholesaler dealing with a retailer who actually sells the service to the billed party. The retailer is selling services to the caller or customer and the wholesaler is providing the gateway, and perhaps other facilities, that the retailer uses for specific calls. The user benefits from the value of being able to complete calls anywhere instead of being restricted to the network of the retail supplier. Both the wholesaler and the retailer benefit in that the wholesaler deals with known retailer customers and the retailer deals with and collects from known retail customers. The confidentiality of the account databases of all parties are safeguarded.
The system operates without the retail customer necessarily knowing that the wholesale entity is terminating the call. The service therefore may have the brand of the retail company. The service is transparent to the customer as to the identity of the entity which is actually terminating the call. This facilitates handling of advertising and set up costs and enables the wholesale operation to achieve improved efficiency.
Existing databases and vertical services are supported without requiring architectural changes. Thus, as described in regards to the system disclosed in the parent applications, the retail entity may employ real time account management and provide the customer with real time call pricing and display or report of that price as a call progresses. It becomes possible to manage a customer account database uniquely, even though that customer account database is being queried by carriers other than the database owner. The retail carrier, who constitutes a customer to the wholesale carrier, has a predefined set of secure retail customer databases. At the same time, the wholesaler has a secure database of trusted retailers. The wholesale company with the wholesale terminating resource is in possession of a predefined list of trusted retailers and can use a secure link to that retailer to validate an individual transaction. As a result, it is not forced to trust information incoming from an unknown retail caller. The wholesaler has real time validation and authentication from the retailer.
It is another objective of the invention that the foregoing described objectives and advantages of the invention be made available with minimal limitations on the type of terminal equipment which may be employed by the users. Thus it is an object to provide a system and method which is capable of implementing convenient cross-network telephone communication regardless of whether the originator of a communication utilizes a computer or a plain old telephone (POT), and regardless of whether the destination of the telephone call is directed to a POTS terminal or a telephony equipped computer.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
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Yang, C. “INETPhone: Telephone Services and Servers on the Internet,” http://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc1789.txt (Feb. 12, 1997).
Balkovich Edward E.
Farris Robert D.
Gadre Jayant G.
Goodman William D.
Voit Eric A.
Bell Atlantic Network Services Inc.
Jung Min
McDermott & Will & Emery
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