Method and apparatus for call routing via gateway brokering

1. A method for gateway brokering a new call to a callee, the method comprising:

determining a destination IP address of the callee based on initial conditions established in a first network for gateway brokering the new call from the first network to a second network;

determining based on the destination IP address, the initial conditions, and a gateway selection policy, by a gateway broker, a destination gateway of a plurality of gateways associated with the gateway broker, wherein the gateway broker is configured:

to maintain a respective pool of telephone numbers assigned to each of the plurality of gateways and

to allocate temporarily, for the new call, one of a plurality of telephone numbers associated with the destination gateway;

providing routing information of the destination gateway, including the allocated telephone number, to the first network; and

completing set up of the new call using information provided by the gateway broker.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial conditions in the first network are established by:

determining if the callee is part of an IP network or part of a CS network; and

converting a phone number of the callee to an SIP URL if the callee is part of the IP network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining if the callee is part of an IP network or part of a CS network is performed by recognizing a prefix identifying an IP destination in the callee phone number.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the callee phone number is converted to the SIP URL by accessing a server in the CS network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the destination IP address of the callee further comprises:

interrogating a location server in the second network, wherein the second network is where the new call is to be terminated.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the destination IP address of the callee is conducted by an SDHLR subcomponent.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interrogation and determination is made by an HLR and translator subcomponents of the second network, wherein the second network is where the new call is to be terminated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first network is a home network of the callee that a phone number of the callee is assigned; and

the second network is a visiting network of the callee, where the callee is physically located.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the routing information of the destination gateway further comprises:

sending information to components in the first network that are in communication with gateways in the second network.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

releasing the allocated telephone number upon receiving an INVITE request associated with the destination IP address.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

releasing the allocated telephone number if the INVITE request associated with the terminating IP address fail to arrive within a pre-determined period of time.

12. A computer readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation of gateway brokering a new call from a first network to a second network, the operation comprising:

determining a destination IP address of a callee for the new call based on initial conditions established in the first network for gateway brokering the new call from the first network to the second network;

determining based on the destination IP address, the initial conditions, and a gateway selection policy, by a gateway broker, a destination gateway of a plurality of gateways associated with the gateway broker, wherein the gateway broker is configured:

to maintain a respective pool of telephone numbers assigned to each of the plurality of gateways and

to allocate temporarily, for the new call, one of a plurality of telephone numbers associated with the destination gateway;

providing routing information of the destination gateway, including the allocated telephone number, to the first network; and

completing set up of the new call using information provided by the gateway broker.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the initial conditions in the first network are established by determining if the callee is part of an IP network or part of a CS network and converting a phone number of the callee to an SIP URL if the callee is part of the IP network.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the determining if the callee is part of an IP network or part of a CS network is performed by recognizing a prefix identifying an IP destination in the callee phone number.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the callee phone number is converted to the SIP URL by accessing a server in the CS network.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the determining the destination IP address of the callee further comprises:

interrogating a location server in the second network, wherein the second network is where the new call is to be terminated.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the determining the destination IP address of the callee is conducted by an SDHLR subcomponent.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the determining the destination IP address of the callee is made by an HLR and translator subcomponents of the second network, wherein the second network is where the new call is to be terminated.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein:

the first network is a home network of the callee that a phone number of the callee is assigned to; and

the second network is a visiting network of the callee where the callee is physically located.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the providing the routing information of the destination gateway further comprises:

sending information to components in the first network that are in communication with gateways in the second network.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for maintaining a respective pool of telephone numbers assigned to each of a plurality of telephony gateways, the plurality of telephony gateways being associated with the apparatus;

means for determining an optimal gateway of the plurality of telephony gateways based on at least a terminating IP address of a callee;

means for selecting a temporary telephone number for the optimal gateway among telephone numbers of the respective pool of telephone numbers assigned to the optimal gateway;

means for storing a mapping of the temporary telephone number to the terminating IP address of the callee; and

means for releasing the temporary telephone number from the mapping to the terminating IP address.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the means for maintaining is configured to maintain an availability status of each telephone number within each of the corresponding pool of telephone numbers.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the means for maintaining is further configured to select randomly the temporary telephone number to be mapped to the terminating IP address among available telephone numbers of a pool of telephone numbers assigned to the optimal gateway.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the means for determining determines the optimal gateway of the plurality of telephony gateways based also on at least an originating address of a caller.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the means for releasing release the temporary telephone number from the mapping to the terminating IP address upon receiving an INVITE request associated with the terminating IP address.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising:

a means for releasing the temporary telephone number from the mapping to the terminating IP address if the INVITE request associated with the terminating IP address fail to arrive within a pre-determined period of time.

27. A gateway broker comprising:

a TRIP server configured to determine an optimal gateway of a plurality of telephony gateways based on at least a terminating IP address of a callee, the plurality of telephony gateways being associated with the gateway broker; and

a temporary SIP gateway number (TSGN) Manager in communication with the TRIP server, the TSGN Manager configured to:

maintain, for each of the plurality of telephony gateways, a corresponding pool of telephone numbers assigned to the telephony gateway;

maintain an availability status of each telephone number within each of the corresponding pool of telephone numbers;

to select, for the optimal gateway, a temporary telephone number among available telephone numbers assigned to the optimal gateway;

to store a mapping of the temporary telephone number to the terminating IP address of the callee; and

to release the temporary telephone number from the mapping to the terminating IP address of the callee.