Method and apparatus for routing voice traffic over a residential gateway
View Patent ↗A system and method for managing voice communication between devices located within a local network and other devices. The present invention permits the managing and selective routing of voice communications over VoIP systems, circuit-based cellular systems and public switched telephone network systems based upon predefined criteria such as Quality of Service (QoS) considerations, geographic considerations, cost considerations and other factors.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving an indication of an attempted initiation of a voice communication with a contact at a gateway device;
determining whether an instruction has been placed for all attempted communications to use a particular communication link;
if an instruction for using a particular communication link has been placed, routing the attempted communication using the particular communication link;
if an instruction for using a particular communication link has not been placed, automatically selecting a voice communication link from a group of available communication links based upon predefined criteria; and
routing the attempted communication for completion with the contact using the selected communication link,
wherein the predefined criteria includes a list of contact for which a particular communication link is to be used.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the group of available communication links includes a VoIP system link.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the group of available communication links includes a public switched telephone network link.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the group of available communication links includes a circuit switched cellular communication link.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined criteria includes criteria based upon the cost for the attempted communication using at least one of the communication links.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined criteria includes criteria based upon the geographical location of the contact.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined criteria includes criteria based upon the quality of the attempted communication when completed using at least one of the communication links.
8. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:
computer code for receiving an indication of an attempted initiation of a voice communication with a contact at a gateway device;
computer code for determining whether an instruction has been placed for all attempted communications to use a particular communication link;
computer code for, if an instruction for using a particular communication link has been placed, routing the attempted communication using the particular communication link;
computer code for, if an instruction for using a particular communication link has not been placed, selecting a voice communication link from a group of available communication links based upon predefined criteria; and
computer code for routing the attempted communication for completion with the contact using the selected communication link,
wherein the predefined criteria includes a list of contact for which a particular communication link is to be used.
9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the group of available communication links includes a VoIP system link.
10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the group of available communication links includes a public switched telephone network link.
11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the group of available communication links includes a circuit switched cellular communication link.
12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the predefined criteria includes criteria based upon the cost for the attempted communication using at least one of the communication links.
13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the predefined criteria includes criteria based upon the geographical location of the contact.
14. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the predefined criteria includes criteria based upon the quality of the attempted communication when completed using at least one of the communication links.
15. A gateway device, comprising:
a wide area network module for enabling communication with devices within the at least one wide area network;
a voice module for enabling communication with local telephony devices;
a processor operatively connected to the wide area network module and the voice module; and
a memory unit operatively connected to the processor and including:
computer code for receiving an indication of an attempted initiation of a voice communication from a local telephony device to a contact at the gateway device;
computer code for determining whether an instruction has been placed for all attempted communications to use a particular communication link;
computer code for, if an instruction for using a particular communication link has been placed, routing the attempted communication using the particular communication link;
computer code for, if an instruction for using a particular communication link has not been placed, selecting a voice communication link from a group of available communication links based upon predefined criteria; and
computer code for routing the attempted communication for completion with the contact using the selected communication link,
wherein the predefined criteria includes a list of contact for which a particular communication link is to be used.
16. The gateway device of claim 15 , wherein the group of available communication links includes a VoIP system link.
17. The gateway device of claim 15 , wherein the group of available communication links includes a public switched telephone network link.
18. The gateway device of claim 15 , wherein the group of available communication links includes a circuit switched cellular communication link.
19. The gateway device of claim 15 , wherein the predefined criteria includes criteria based upon the cost for the attempted communication using at least one of the communication links.
20. The gateway device of claim 15 , wherein the predefined criteria includes criteria based upon the geographical location of the contact.
21. The gateway device of claim 15 , wherein the predefined criteria includes criteria based upon the quality of the attempted communication when completed using at least one of the communication links.