Voice virtual private network
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the present invention include a Voice Virtual Private Network (Voice VPN) and methods for providing access to remote peer users across same. In one embodiment, voice and communication services of one or more corporate network are provided to remote user terminals across a Voice VPN Gateway. The level and type of access to voice and communication services provided can be determined statically, dynamically, or adaptively based on user data or user habits or history.
1. A voice network comprising:
a voice virtual private network (VPN) comprising at least one server for providing corporate voice services within the voice VPN;
an access network external to the voice VPN; at least one user terminal external to the voice VPN and coupled to the access network; and
at least one voice VPN gateway coupled to the voice VPN and the access network, wherein the voice VPN gateway comprises:
a voice VPN activator for receiving a request to access the corporate voice services, a voice VPN signaling mediator for, in response to the request to access the corporate voice services, sending a request to a voice VPN session mediator to reserve a corporate side voice session resource for establishing a corporate side voice session, to reserve a user side voice session resource for establishing the user side voice session, and to reserve a resource for mediating between the user side voice session and the corporate side voice session, and
the voice VPN session mediator for, in response to the request from the voice VPN signaling mediator, establishing the corporate side voice session with the server using the corporate side voice session resource, establishing the user side voice session with the user terminal using the user side voice session resource, and mediating communications between the user side voice session and the corporate side voice session using the resource for mediating,
wherein the server provides the corporate voice services to the user terminal via the voice VPN gateway as if the user terminal is accessing the corporate voice services from within the voice VPN.
2. The network of claim 1 , wherein the access network is an Internet.
3. The network of claim 1 , wherein the access network is an extranet.
4. The network of claim 1 , wherein the corporate voice services comprise telephone services provided within the voice VPN.
5. The network of claim 1 , wherein the corporate voice services comprises at least one of a list comprising:
a call transfer service; a corporate phone directory service; a service for making a call to a corporate phone number in a corporate phone directory; a corporate voice mail service; and a call recording service.
6. A method for providing access to corporate voice services provided within a voice virtual private network (VPN) by an access network external to the voice VPN, comprising:
(a) receiving by a voice VPN activator of a voice VPN gateway a request to access the corporate voice services, wherein the voice VPN gateway further comprises a voice VPN signaling mediator and a voice VPN session mediator;
(b) in response to the request received by the voice VPN activator, sending by the voice VPN signaling mediator a request to the voice VPN session mediator to reserve a corporate side voice session resource for establishing a corporate side voice session, to reserve a user side voice session resource for establishing a user side voice session, and to reserve a resource for mediating between the user side voice session and the corporate side voice session;
(c) in response to the request from the voice VPN signaling mediator, establishing by the voice VPN session mediator the corporate side voice session with at least one server within the voice VPN using the corporate side voice session resource, the server providing the corporate voice services within the voice VPN, and establishing the user side voice session with a user terminal using the user side voice session resource, the user terminal being external to the voice VPN and coupled to an access network external to the voice VPN; and
(d) mediating by the voice VPN session mediator communications between the user side voice session and the corporate side voice session using the resource for mediating, wherein the server provides the corporate voice services to the user terminal via the voice VPN gateway as if the user terminal is accessing the corporate voice services from within the voice VPN.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the corporate voice services comprises at least one of a list comprising:
a call transfer service; a corporate phone directory service; a service for making a call to a corporate phone number in a corporate phone directory; a corporate voice mail service; and a call recording service.
8. A computer program product comprising a computer useable storage medium having a computer readable program, wherein when the computer readable program is executed by a computer, causes the computer to:
(a) receive by a voice virtual private network (VPN) activator of a voice VPN gateway a request to access corporate voice services provided within a voice VPN, wherein the voice VPN gateway further comprises a voice VPN signaling mediator and a voice VPN session mediator;
(b) in response to the request received by the voice VPN activator, send by the voice VPN signaling mediator a request to the voice VPN session mediator to reserve a corporate side voice session resource for establishing a corporate side voice session, to reserve a user side voice session resource for establishing a user side voice session, and to reserve a resource for mediating between the user side voice session and the corporate side voice session;
(c) in response to the request from the voice VPN signaling mediator, establish by the voice VPN session mediator the corporate side voice session with at least one server within the voice VPN using the corporate side voice session resource, the server providing the corporate voice services within the voice VPN, and establish the user side voice session with a user terminal using the user side voice session resource, the user terminal being external to the voice VPN and coupled to an access network external to the voice VPN; and
(d) mediate by the voice VPN session mediator communications between the user side voice session and the corporate side voice session using the resource for mediating, wherein the server provides the corporate voice services to the user terminal via the voice VPN gateway as if the user terminal is accessing the corporate voice services from within the voice VPN.