US 7,539,155 B1
Centralized feature platform in a packetized network
Husnain Bajwa, Austin, Tex. (US); Samuel R Shiffman, Austin, Tex. (US); and J. Michael Holloway, Austin, Tex. (US)
Assigned to Michael Holloway, Austin, Tex. (US); Samuel Shiffman, Austin, Tex. (US); and UniPont Holdings, Inc.,
Filed on Nov. 22, 2000, as Appl. No. 9/721,220.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/225600, filed on Aug. 15, 2000.
Int. Cl. H94B 7/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 370—310.2  [370/352; 370/400; 370/410; 370/466; 370/475; 455/408; 455/411] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating voice traffic bearing packet switched network, comprising the steps of:
receiving at a gateway of the packet-switched network a call originated from a voice terminal connected to the gateway, the call comprising a call initiation information and the call initiation information comprising a call destination identifier of the packet-switched network for a call destination;
packetizing the call at the gateway, if the call is not packetized as received by the gateway;
querying by the gateway over the packet-switched network to a gatekeeper of the packet-switched network, the gatekeeper controls communication of the call over the packet-switched network;
responding by the gatekeeper to the gateway over the packet-switched network, in respect of the step of querying by the gateway, with a network address of the packet-switched network for a centralized feature platform of the packet-switched network, the centralized feature platform capable of performing a call service for the call;
directing the call by the gateway, in response to the gatekeeper, over the packet-switched network, to the centralized feature platform having the network address of the packet-switched network for the centralized feature platform;
determining by the centralized feature platform if the call service should be performed for the call by the centralized feature platform;
(i) performing the call service by the centralized feature platform for the call, if the centralized feature platform determines that the call service applies for the call;
(ii) skipping the step of performing the call service if the centralized feature platform determines that the call service does not apply for the call;
requesting by the centralized feature platform a network routing information of the packet-switched network for the call from the gatekeeper, after the step of performing;
responding by the gatekeeper with a network destination address of the packet-switched network for the call, whereby if the call is permissible, the network destination address corresponds to the call destination identifier;
disassociating the call from the centralized feature platform after the step of responding;
routing the call, disassociated from the centralized feature platform, over the packet-switched network by network protocols, to the network destination address for the call; and
connected the call if the call is permitted, by the packet-switched network per network protocols of the packet-switched network via the network destination address for the call destination identifier, between the gateway and a target device corresponding to the call destination.