Abstract:
Limiting or controlling access to various services thereby performing a firewall function. An access router may permit or deny a packet based on at least a portion of a unique bit string (or context information) which replaced layer 2 header information (e.g., the layer 2 (e.g., MAC) address). Further, a particular quality of service may be indicated by at least a part of the unique bit string (or context information). The service provided to a group of customers, that group of customers being defined by at least a portion of the unique bit string (or context information), may be monitored. Multicast groups may be supported by checking at least a part of the unique bit string (or context information) to determine whether or not a customer associated with that port is permitted to join the multicast group.
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, wherein the authorization and account control object maintains a substantially real time record of user accounts and usage, and the information and retrieval object provides substantially real time retrieval of selected information from the authorization and account control object. The retrieval object provides on demand to terminals which provide authentication for access to an identified account information regarding that account. The information regarding the account is substantially real time information including information with respect to communications in progress which are chargeable to the account which has been authenticated. The authorization and account control object is preferably a unitary logical object having distributed instances thereof handling multitudinous accounts of widely separated terminals. The retrieval object provides isolation of the authorization and account control object permitting simultaneous multitasking by the authorization and account control object and the retrieval object respectively.
Abstract:
Offering vertical services to subscribers and service providers is an avenue to immediately improve the competitiveness of digital subscriber line access service, for example of the type offered by a local exchange carrier. To deliver high-quality vertical services, however, the underlying ADSL Data Network (ADN) or the like needs to establish Quality of Service (QoS) as a core characteristic and offer an efficient mechanism for insertion of the vertical services. The inventive network architecture introduces QoS into the ADN, in a manner that enables the delivery of sophisticated and demanding IP-based services to subscribers, does not affect existing Internet tiers of service, and is cost-effective in terms of initial costs, build-out, and ongoing operations. The architecture utilizes a switch capable of examining and selectively forwarding packets or frames based on higher layer information in the protocol stack, that is to say on information that is encapsulated in the layer-2 information utilized to define normal connectivity through the network. The switch enables segregation of upstream traffic by type and downstream aggregation of Internet traffic together with traffic from a local vertical services domain. Systems coupled to the network and software in a user's computer enable a method for automated, end-to-end provisioning of a logical data circuit, in response to a customer's request for bundled broadband services.
Abstract:
The quality of service existing in a data packet network during the course of communication of a voice call through a data network, such as the Internet, is monitored. A minimum acceptable level of service may be predefined with a threshold quality level stored in the user's Call Processing Record (CPR) in the AIN Integrated Services Control Point (ISCP). If the monitored quality is maintained in excess of the stored threshold, communication of the call continues through the established course of transmission. If the measured quality of service on the data network is not satisfactory, the routing of the call is changed to communication solely through a voice telephone network connection, which may include an Interexchange Carrier link, without terminating the call. The packet data network is thereby bypassed to obtain voice grade quality while maintaining the call.
Abstract:
An internetwork (such as the Internet) telephony system and method incorporating architecture and methodology which facilitates a high degree of scalability. The scalability provides improvement dealing with usage recording, usage pricing, billing account management, and fraud control. The scalability is achieved primarily by bundling of usage recording, pricing, authorization and billing practices in one logical database object which may be physically distributed. A predefined set of network elements are provided access to the database object to obtain authorization for a call along with limitations on the maximum cost or duration of the call for the particular account involved. The database object records usage statistics relating to the completed call, including pricing, and this data is available for virtually immediate billing. The database object provides to customers on a virtual real time basis the customer's usage statistics, including statistics for a call in progress. The operation proceeds in the following manner. Each Internet telephone service subscriber will have at least one billing and authorization account maintained in a database on the Internet. During set-up of a call, the hop-off gateway will obtain identification and password information from the caller. The gateway then communicates with the database to determine if the call is authorized and to negotiate the overall billing algorithm. When the call if finished, the gateway will report usage data to the database for billing purposes.
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 provides an architecture and methodology for handling resource allocation across carriers or service providers, settlements between carriers and service providers, usage accounting across carriers and service providers, and usage allocation among carriers or service providers. A first provider of packet switched services controls a directory of addresses of gateways between the packet switched and data switched networks, and an authentication database of account data. A second provider of packet switched services controls a multiplicity of the gateways and a database of addresses of authentication databases.
Abstract:
A system and method using enhanced processing, responsive to domain name translation requests, to provide selective routing services through a public packet switched data network. The name processing applies to translation of a domain name into a group of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and to providing routing information for a packet data network such as the Internet. Following name translation into a group of addresses communication is automatically established between a calling terminal and a terminal designated by one of the addresses and determined through processing which effects linkage with the first terminal to respond. The selective routing is particularly advantageous for processing of voice telephone communications through the Internet packet data network based on domain name translations. One or more domain names can be translated into a group of addresses which may include a mixture of Internet (IP) addresses and telephone number addresses, along with routing procedures with respect to the addresses.
Abstract:
An enhanced name translation server, for use on a packet data network such as the Internet, executes a conditional analysis in response to at least some queries or requests for name translations. For example, the server may return a different destination address at different times or in response to translation requests from different terminals. The server also can query a primary destination terminal device, and condition the response to the calling terminal on the status of the primary terminal. For example, if the primary terminal is `live` the server forwards the address of that terminal to the calling terminal device to set up communications. Otherwise, the server returns alternate destination address information. The server also supports a wide variety of different types of translations, including domain name to address, domain name to telephone number, and telephone number to address. The enhanced translations offer called customers numerous options for controlling communications directed toward them, and the customers may elect to apply these options both to their data communications services and their voice communications services through the packet data network.
Abstract:
An Internet telecommunication system in accord with the invention combines the capabilities of the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) with those of the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. Functions associated with the Internet Domain Name Server system are enhanced using AIN data and processing. Voice grade telephone calls from a fixed position Internet PC to a roaming wireless personal communication system are enabled. Home Location Register data from the control point of the AIN is forwarded into the Internet Domain Name Server for conditioning the IP lookup and addressing to determine the ultimate call routing. Internet calls may also be automatically completed by the system to addresses other than the ones entered by the caller.
Abstract:
A system and method for concurrent delivery of voice and text data to a service agent including a failure management system using an advanced intelligent network based information distribution system is provided. The system includes a central office switching system, a network controller, at least one service switching point and at least one service transfer point. The system includes an intelligent peripheral/call server combination, responsively connected to, and disposed between, the network controller and the central office switching system, and external databases responsively connected to the intelligent peripheral/call server combination, storing subscriber specific data associated with each of the subscribers. The IP/call server acquires information from a customer regarding a subject telephone number and destination work center, and determines a proper network controller to route the customer initiated call. The network controller validates a customer entered NPA-NXX, and determines an appropriate central switching office system to route the customer initiated call, and processes a customer record, and requests subscriber specific data from at least one of the external databases. The IP/call server receives and processes the request for the subscriber specific data from the at least one of the external databases. The network controller completes processing of the customer record, and the customer initiated call is transferred to a queue in an appropriate central switching office system. The customer specific data is sent to an agent system via the IP/call server, and the customer initiated call is completed to the agent via the appropriate central office switching system, delivering concurrently voice and data to the agent.
Abstract translation:提供了一种用于将语音和文本数据并发传送到包括使用基于高级智能网络的信息分发系统的故障管理系统的服务代理的系统和方法。 该系统包括中央局交换系统,网络控制器,至少一个服务交换点和至少一个服务转移点。 该系统包括智能外设/呼叫服务器组合,响应地连接到网络控制器和中央局交换系统之间并配置在其间,并且响应地连接到智能外设/呼叫服务器组合的外部数据库,存储与每个 的订阅者。 IP /呼叫服务器从客户端获取关于主题电话号码和目的地工作中心的信息,并且确定适当的网络控制器来路由客户发起的呼叫。 网络控制器验证进入NPA-NXX的客户,并确定适当的中央交换局系统以路由客户发起的呼叫,并处理客户记录,并从至少一个外部数据库请求订户特定的数据。 IP /呼叫服务器从至少一个外部数据库接收并处理对用户特定数据的请求。 网络控制器完成客户记录的处理,并将客户发起的呼叫转移到适当的中央交换局系统的队列中。 客户特定的数据通过IP /呼叫服务器发送给代理系统,客户发起的呼叫通过适当的中心局交换系统完成给代理,并将语音和数据传送给代理。