System and method for call routing through a data network
In some embodiments, the present invention provides a distributed monitoring, evaluation and routing (“DiMER”) system capable of active management of data network-based telephony. Such a system, and data network-based telephony incorporating the same, advantageously routes calls to meet call quality standards, connection speed and/or cost goals, among other targets. To meet such quality standards, the system incorporates preferences with periodically obtained call-related data and analysis, and revises call routing, as appropriate, by shifting or reallocating call traffic between available terminating gateways (based on their performance and caller preferences).
1. A telephone system comprising:
a data network;
an originating gateway operable to place a telephone call onto the data network;
a plurality of terminating gateways operable to receive the call and route the call to a telephone;
a data acquisition element for acquiring at least one call metric from each terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways, wherein the at least one call metric comprises average call duration, percentage of call completion, port utilization, monetary cost, quality of service and speed of transmission;
a portfolio generator for generating a portfolio that lists a percentage of calls terminated at each terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways as a function of a DNIS and a time of each call; and
wherein the originating gateway cross-correlates the at least one call metric with the portfolio to generate banding data and selects a terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways and routes the call to the selected terminating gateway.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a central collector for collecting consolidated processed call metrics from the consolidated metrics processor.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first PSTN, wherein the call is placed over the first PSTN to the originating gateway.
4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a second PSTN, wherein the call is carried by the second PSTN to the telephone.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a data acquisition element that acquires call metrics from the plurality of terminating gateways;
a data analysis element that receives the call metrics from the data acquisition element and compares the call metrics to historical data;
a file for storing established preferences of the originating gateway; and
a call routing element operable to:
receive results of the comparison; and
generate routing information based, in part, on the comparison and the established preferences of the originating gateway.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the data acquisition element is operable to organize at least a portion of the call metrics into portfolios, wherein each portfolio provides, per DNIS, an allocation of call attempts to each terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the data analysis element is operable to compare the call metrics to historical performance by:
using historical data to define a band of acceptable performance; and
determining whether the call metrics fall within the band.
8. A system for routing a call through a data network, comprising:
an originating gateway for routing the call into the data network;
a plurality of terminating gateways operable to receive the call and route the call to a telephone;
a data acquisition element for acquiring at least one call metric from each terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways, wherein the at least one call metric comprises average call duration, percentage of call completion, port utilization, cost and quality of service;
a portfolio generator for generating a portfolio that lists a percentage of calls terminated at each terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways as a function of a DNIS and a time of each call, and
wherein the originating gateway cross-correlates the at least one call metric with the portfolio to generate banding data, utilizes the banding data in combination with at least one of a monetary cost, a quality of service, and a speed of transmission of the plurality of terminating gateways to select a terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways and routes the call to the selected terminating gateway.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the originating gateway utilizes routing information to select the terminating gateway, the routing information specifying an allocation of call attempts between the originating gateway and each terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways further comprising:
a data acquisition element that acquires call metrics associated with the terminating gateways;
a data analysis element that receives the call metrics from the data acquisition element and evaluates data network telephony performance by comparing the call metrics to historical performance;
a call routing element operable to:
receive the evaluated performance from the data analysis element; and
supply to the originating gateway updated routing information specifying another allocation of call attempts between the originating gateway and each of the terminating gateways.
10. A system for routing a call through a data network, comprising:
an originating gateway for routing the call into the data network;
a plurality of terminating gateways operable to receive the call and route the call to a telephone,
wherein the originating gateway selects a terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways as a function of at least one of a monetary cost, a quality of service, and a speed of transmission and routes the call to the selected terminating gateway and stores an allocation of call attempts between the originating gateway and each of the terminating gateways in a routing table;
a data acquisition element that acquires call metrics associated with the terminating gateways;
a data analysis element that receives the call metrics from the data acquisition element and evaluates data network telephony performance by comparing the call metrics to historical performance;
a preference file for storage of the function of at least one of a monetary cost, a quality of service, and a speed of transmission related to the originating gateway; and
a call routing element operable to:
receive the evaluated performance from the data analysis element, select another terminating gateway in the plurality of terminating gateways based on the evaluated performance and the function of at least one of a monetary cost, a quality of service, and a speed of transmission, and supply to the originating gateway an updated routing table specifying another allocation of call attempts between the originating gateway and each of the terminating gateways,
wherein the data acquisition element comprises:
a first metrics collector that receives the call metrics originating from the originating gateway and the plurality of terminating gateways;
a second metrics processor that processes the call metrics into a form suitable for use by the data analysis element for analyzing the call metrics, and wherein the routing information specifies plural terminating gateways, the terminating gateways being reachable by different paths from a single originating gateway or from different originating gateways and wherein the routing information does not specify the path to be used through the network to reach the selected terminating gateway;
a consolidated metrics processor that consolidates processed call metrics received from the originating gateway and the plurality of terminating gateways; and
a portfolio generator for organizing collected consolidated processed call metrics by DNIS and for allocating a first portion of calls to a specified DNIS to one of the terminating gateways, a second portion of calls to a second of the terminating gateways, both first and second portions passing through one originating gateway.
11. A system for routing calls through a data network, comprising:
a plurality of originating gateways for routing the calls into the data network, the plurality of originating gateways operating under a plurality of respective sets of telephony parameters;
a plurality of terminating gateways operable to receive the calls and transmit the calls out of the data network;
a data acquisition element that acquires call metrics associated with the terminating gateways,
a call routing element for establishing an allocation of calls, from each said originating gateway, among the terminating gateways, based on the telephony parameters of each said originating gateway and the acquired call metrics;
a consolidated metrics processor that consolidates processed call metrics received from the originating gateways and the plurality of terminating gateways
a data analysis element that receives the call metrics from the data acquisition element and evaluates data network telephony performance by comparing the call metrics to historical performance; a preference file for storage of one or more the telephony parameters of each originating gateway, the one or more telephony parameters being selected from the group consisting of monetary cost, quality of service, and speed of transmission, said data analysis element also comprising a metrics collector that receives the call metrics originating from the originating gateways and the plurality of terminating gateways; and a metrics processor that processes the call metrics into a form suitable for use by the data analysis element for analyzing the call metrics; and
a portfolio generator for organizing collected consolidated processed call metrics by DNIS and for allocating a first portion of calls to a specified DNIS to one of the terminating gateways, a second portion of calls to a second of the terminating gateways, both first and second portions passing through one originating gateway.