Private packet network backbone exchange with variable call termination location capability
A private packet network backbone exchange (PPNBE) may include a capability for determining a variable call termination location corresponding to a called party. The PPNBE may directly query one or more data sources administered by a communications service provider other than the provider of the PPNBE to determine a current location to which an originating call is to be terminated, and the PPNBE may provide a “one-hop” call connection between the originating entity and the terminating entity of the call without traversing or communicating with any other exchanges. The PPNBE may re-direct established calls by directly querying the one or more data sources. Multiple data sources administered by one or more other communications service provider may be directly accessed by the PPNBE for call termination and/or re-direction purposes.
1. A private packet network backbone exchange (PPNBE) having variable call termination location capability, comprising:
a logical call control entity coupled to a single logical routing database;
a plurality of call content delivery connections to a plurality of exchanges;
a signaling connection to a signaling network, the signaling connection being coupled to the logical call control entity and the signaling network being communicatively coupled to at least one exchange of the plurality of exchanges;
a private packet network; and
a communication link to a location data source administered by a provider other than a provider of the PPNBE, wherein:
the logical call control entity is configured to:
receive an incoming call from a first exchange of the plurality of exchanges via a first call content delivery connection, wherein the incoming call indicates a called party, wherein signaling from the first exchange indicates that a call termination location at which the called party receives calls varies over time, and wherein the first exchange is an originating exchange corresponding to the incoming call;
cause to be transmitted, via the communication link, a direct query of the location data source to determine a single current location corresponding to a second exchange of the plurality of exchanges, the second exchange capable of terminating the incoming call to the called party at the single current location, and
establish, in conjunction with the single logical routing database, a one-hop communication session to deliver, over the private packet network, a content of the incoming call between the first call content delivery connection to the first exchange and a second call content delivery connection to the second exchange of the plurality of exchanges without traversing any other of the plurality of exchanges, the second exchange delivering the content of the incoming call to the called party at the single current location.
2. The PPNBE of claim 1 , wherein the first exchange and the second exchange are controlled by different communication carriers.
3. The PPNBE of claim 1 , wherein a first local access technology by which a first customer-premise equipment (CPE) originates the incoming call and a second local access technology by which a second CPE to which the incoming call is to be terminated are different local access technologies.
4. The PPNBE of claim 1 , wherein the signaling network is an SS7 network.
5. The PPNBE of claim 1 , wherein the private packet network uses an Internet Protocol, an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol, or other packet protocol.
6. The PPNBE of claim 1 , wherein a payload of the direct query is processed by the location data source and the payload of the direct query is not processed by any intermediate computing device between the PPNBE and the location data source.
7. The PPNBE of claim 1 , wherein the direct query of the location data source is compatible with one of: a Telecommunications Industry Association Interim Standard 41 (IS-41) standard, a GSM Mobile Application Part (MAP) standard, or an E.164 Number Mapping (ENUM) standard.
8. The PPNBE of claim 1 , wherein the location data source includes at least one of a Home Location Register/Visiting Location Register (HLR/VLR) data source or an E.164 Number Mapping (ENUM) data source.
9. The PPNBE of claim 1 , wherein the communication link is a particular communication link included in a plurality of communication links to a plurality of location data sources, and wherein the logical call control entity is further configured to select the particular communication link.
10. A method for providing communication service to variable call termination locations, comprising:
receiving, from a first exchange at a logical call control entity of a private packet network backbone exchange (PPNBE), a first call control signal corresponding to an incoming call to a called party, wherein at least a portion of contents of the first call control signal indicates that a call termination location of the incoming call varies over time, and wherein the first exchange is an originating exchange corresponding to the incoming call;
directly querying, by the logical call control entity via a communication link, a location data source to determine a single current location of the called party, the location data source administered by a provider other than a provider of the PPNBE;
determining, by the logical call control entity in conjunction with a single logical routing database of the PPNBE, and based on the single current location of the called party, a second exchange corresponding to the single current location to which the incoming call is to be delivered, wherein the second exchange is capable of terminating the incoming call to the called party at the single current location;
providing, via a private packet network included in the PPNBE, a call path for delivery of a content of the incoming call between the first exchange and the second exchange without traversing any other exchanges, wherein the first exchange and the second exchange are each controlled by different communication carriers; and
causing a second call control signal corresponding to the incoming call to be transmitted from the logical call control entity of the PPNBE to the second exchange.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein causing the second call control signal corresponding to the incoming call to be transmitted from the logical call control entity of the PPNBE to the second exchange comprises causing the second call control signal corresponding to the incoming call to be transmitted from the logical call control entity of the PPNBE to the second exchange using a signaling network coupled to the PPNBE.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the communication link is a particular communication link included in a plurality of communication links to a plurality of location data sources, and wherein the method further comprises selecting the particular communication link based on a called party indicated by the incoming call.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein directly querying the location data source via the communication link comprises:
generating, by the logical call control entity, a query that is compatible with one of a Telecommunications Industry Association Interim Standard 41 (IS-41) standard, a GSM Mobile Application Part (MAP) standard, or an E.164 Number Mapping (ENUM) standard; and
causing the query to be transmitted from the PPNBE to the location data source using the communication link and without a payload of the query being processed by any intermediate computing device.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein directly querying the location data source comprises directly querying a Home Location Register/Visiting Location Register (HLR/VLR).
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein directly querying the location data source comprises directly querying an E.164 Number Mapping (ENUM) data source.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the call path for delivery of the content of the incoming call via the private packet network comprises providing the call path for delivery of the content of the incoming call using an Internet Protocol or another packet or cell switching technology supported by the private packet network.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the call path for the delivery of the content of the incoming call is a first call path, and the method further comprises:
receiving, at the logical call control entity, an indication to re-direct the incoming call to terminate at another location different from the current location;
causing to be transmitted, by the logical call control entity via a signaling network coupled to the PPNBE to a particular exchange corresponding to another location, control signaling corresponding to the incoming call; and
providing, via the private packet network of the PPNBE, a second call path for the delivery of the content of the incoming call to the particular exchange corresponding to the another location.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the another location corresponds to:
a home exchange corresponding to the called party;
a particular call termination location or a particular Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) indicated by the called party; or
an exchange to provide secondary call treatment of the incoming call.
19. A call control entity for providing communication service to variable call termination locations, comprising:
a first connection to a signaling network;
a second connection to a private packet network;
a third connection to a location data source administered by a provider other than a provider of the call control entity;
a computing device including a processor and a memory; and
computer-executable instructions stored on the memory and executable by the processor to:
receive, from a first exchange coupled to the private packet network, a first call control signal corresponding to an incoming call to a called party, wherein the first call control signal indicates that a call termination location of the incoming call varies over time, and wherein the first exchange is an originating exchange corresponding to the incoming call;
generate a query to directly access, using the third connection, the location data source to determine a single current location of the called party, wherein a payload of the query is not processed by any intermediate computing device between the call control entity and one or more computing devices on which the location data source is stored;
determine, based on the single current location of the called party, a second exchange corresponding to the single current location, coupled to the private packet network and to which the incoming call is to be delivered, wherein the second exchange is capable of terminating the incoming call to the called party at the single current location;
provide, via the second connection, an indication of a logical call path through the private packet network for delivery of a content of the incoming call between the first exchange and the second exchange; and
cause a second call control signal corresponding to the incoming call to be transmitted via the first connection from the call control entity to the second exchange.
20. The call control entity of claim 19 , wherein the first connection, the second connection, the third connection, the private packet network and the call control entity are included in a private packet network backbone (PPNBE), and wherein the signaling network, the location data source, the first exchange and the second exchange are each coupled to the PPNBE.
21. The call control entity of claim 19 , wherein the provider of the call control entity, a provider of the first exchange, and a provider of the second exchange are different communication service providers.
22. The call control entity of claim 19 , wherein the signaling network is the public Internet.
23. The call control entity of claim 19 , wherein the signaling network is an SS7 (Signaling System 7) network.
24. The call control entity of claim 19 , wherein the location data source is a particular location data source included in a plurality of location data sources, and wherein the third connection is a particular communication link included in a plurality of communication links to the plurality of location data sources.
25. The call control entity of claim 19 , wherein the query is compatible with one of: a Telecommunications Industry Association Interim Standard 41 (IS-41) standard, a GSM Mobile Application Part (MAP) standard, or an E.164 Number Mapping (ENUM) standard.
26. The call control entity of claim 19 , wherein the location data source is one of a Home Location Register/Visiting Location Register (HLR/VLR) or an E.164 Number Mapping (ENUM) data source.
27. The call control entity of claim 19 , wherein the logical call path is established within the private packet network using an Internet Protocol (IP), an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol, or another packet protocol.
28. The call control entity of claim 19 , wherein the logical call path is a first logical call path, and wherein the computer-executable instructions stored on the memory are further executable by the processor to:
receive, via the first connection, an indication to re-direct the incoming call to terminate at another location different from the current location;
cause a third call control signal corresponding to the incoming call to be transmitted to a particular exchange corresponding to the another location; and
provide, via the second connection, an indication of a second logical call path through the private packet network for the delivery of the content of the incoming call to the particular exchange corresponding to the another location.
29. The call control entity of claim 28 , wherein the another location corresponds to:
a home exchange corresponding to the called party;
a particular call termination location or a particular Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) indicated by the called party; or
an exchange to provide secondary call treatment of the incoming call.