Controlling services in a circuit-switched network from a packet network
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to providing services for circuit-switched calls from an Internet Protocol (IP) based packet network. In essence, a call originating from or intended for a subscriber that is served by a telephony switch, such as an end office or mobile switching center, in a circuit-switched network is intercepted and routed by the telephony switch to a service node via a subscriber emulator. The subscriber emulator acts as a liaison between the telephony switch of the circuit-switched network and the service node of the packet network. Preferably, the subscriber emulator presents itself to the service node as a user agent, which acts on behalf of a subscriber that is served the telephony switch. The service node provides any requisite processing of the call to implement services for the call.
1. A method of operating a subscriber emulation system comprising:
detecting that a call either originates from or is intended for a subscriber being served by a telephony switch residing in a circuit-switched network, wherein the telephony switch includes an end office (EO) or a mobile switching center (MSC), and wherein detecting that the call originates from or is intended for a subscriber being served by the telephony switch includes receiving an Intelligent Network trigger that indicates one of a group consisting of:
an incoming call intended for the subscriber was received by the telephony switch; and
an outgoing call originated from the subscriber was detected by the telephony switch;
instructing the telephony switch residing in the circuit-switched network to intercept and reroute the call signaling and bearer paths toward the subscriber emulation system, wherein the subscriber emulation system includes a packet-switched interface and a circuit-switched interface, wherein instructing the telephony switch to reroute the call comprises instructing the telephony switch to route the call through the circuit-switched network to a gateway that routes the call to at least one of a trunk agent or a line agent, which is configured to act on behalf of an entity that initiated the call, wherein the gateway, the trunk agent, and the line agent are associated with the subscriber emulation system;
receiving the call from the telephony switch via the circuit-switched interface of the subscriber emulation system; and
routing the call to a service node in an Internet Protocol-based packet network via the packet network, wherein the subscriber emulation system is presented as a user agent that registers the subscriber into the packet network and acts on behalf of the subscriber to the service node and the service node processes the call to provide services for the call.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein when the call is an outgoing call originated from the subscriber, and instructing the telephony switch to reroute the call comprises instructing the telephony switch to route the call through the circuit-switched network to the gateway that routes the call to the line agent, which provides the user agent that acts on behalf of the subscriber, wherein the gateway and the line agent are associated with the subscriber emulation system.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the gateway is adapted to interwork circuit-switched network signaling and packet network signaling for the call between the telephony switch and the line agent.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the line agent accesses an Intelligent Network server that is associated with the subscriber emulation system to determine how to route the call to the service node.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the call associated with the subscriber is detected by the Intelligent Network server, and the Intelligent Network server instructs the telephony switch to reroute the call toward the subscriber emulation system.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein when the call is an incoming call intended for the subscriber, further comprising receiving the call back from the service node via the packet network and routing the call to the telephony switch for presentation to the subscriber.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein instructing the telephony switch to reroute the call comprises instructing the telephony switch to route the call through the circuit-switched network to a gateway that routes the call to the trunk agent, which provides a remote user agent that acts on behalf of an entity that initiated the call and routes the call to the service node, wherein the gateway and the trunk agent are associated with the subscriber emulation system.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the trunk agent accesses an Intelligent Network server that is associated with the subscriber emulation system to determine how to route the call to the service node.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the call associated with the subscriber is detected by the Intelligent Network server and the Intelligent Network server instructs the telephony switch to reroute the call toward the subscriber emulation system.
10. The method of claim 6 wherein the call is received back from the service node at the line agent, which provides the user agent that acts on behalf of the subscriber and further routes the call toward the telephony switch.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the call is routed from the line agent to the telephony switch through the gateway, wherein the line agent and the gateway are associated with the subscriber emulation system.
12. The method of claim 6 wherein the gateway is adapted to interwork circuit-switched network signaling and packet network signaling for the call between the telephony switch and both the line agent and trunk agent.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephony switch serves a plurality of subscribers, and calls associated with a first group of the plurality of subscribers are redirected through the subscriber emulation system and presented to the service node for delivery of services, and calls associated with a second group of the plurality of subscribers are not redirected through the subscriber emulation system.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephony switch is a wireline switch that supports the subscriber though a telephony line.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephony switch is a mobile switching center for a cellular network and supports the subscriber through a cellular access network.
16. A subscriber emulation system comprising:
an Intelligent Network server adapted to detect that a call either originates from or is intended for a subscriber being served by a telephony switch residing in a circuit-switched network and instruct the telephony switch to intercept and reroute the call signaling and bearer paths toward the subscriber emulation system, wherein the telephony switch includes an end office (EO) or a mobile switching center (MSC), and wherein detecting that the call originates from or is intended for a subscriber being served by the telephony switch includes receiving an Intelligent Network trigger that indicates one of a group consisting of:
an incoming call intended for the subscriber was received by the telephony switch; and
an outgoing call originated from the subscriber was detected by the telephony switch;
a gateway adapted to receive the call from the telephony switch via the circuit-switched network, the gateway being configured to route the call to at least one of a trunk agent or a line agent, which is configured to act on behalf of an entity that initiated the call, and wherein the gateway, the trunk agent, and the line agent are associated with the subscriber emulation system; and
wherein the at least one trunk agent or line agent is adapted to route the call to a service node in an internet protocol-based packet network via the packet network wherein the subscriber emulation system is presented as a user agent that registers the subscriber into the packet network and acts on behalf of the subscriber to the service node and the service node processes the call to provide services for the call.
17. The subscriber emulation system of claim 16 wherein the call is an outgoing call originated from the subscriber, and to instruct the telephony switch to reroute the call, the Intelligent Network server is further adapted to instruct the telephony switch to route the call through the circuit-switched network to the gateway, which routes the call to the line agent, which provides the user agent that acts on behalf of the subscriber.
18. The subscriber emulation system of claim 16 wherein the call is an incoming call intended for the subscriber and the line agent is adapted to:
act as the user agent on behalf of the subscriber;
receive the call back from the service node via the packet network; and
route the call through the gateway to the telephony switch for presentation to the subscriber.
19. The subscriber emulation system of claim 18 wherein instructing the telephony switch to reroute the call comprises instructing the telephony switch to route the call through the circuit-switched network to the gateway that routes the call to the trunk agent, which provides a remote user agent that acts on behalf of an entity that initiated the call, wherein the gateway and the trunk agent are associated with the subscriber emulation system.
20. The subscriber emulation system of claim 19 wherein the trunk agent is adapted to access the Intelligent Network server to determine how to route the call to the service node and route the call to the service node.