Claims
- 1. A device for enabling communications comprising:
a connection logic control module including
a SIP protocol driver; a SIP proxy engine coupled to the SIP protocol driver; a QoS policy manager coupled to the SIP proxy engine; a gate controller coupled to the SIP proxy engine; and a transaction state manager coupled to the SIP proxy engine.
- 2. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, wherein the device is operable as a proxy server.
- 3. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, wherein the SIP protocol driver is configured to provide connection control for a SIP device.
- 4. The device for enabling communications of claim 3, wherein the SIP protocol driver is configured to establish a connection in either Transmission Control Protocol or User Datagram Protocol.
- 5. The device for enabling communications of claim 3, wherein the SIP protocol driver is configured to convert a SIP message from a text format to a SIP object.
- 6. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, wherein the SIP proxy engine is configured to receive a SIP object and to execute a call logic.
- 7. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, wherein the QoS policy manager is configured to implement the QoS policy decision point requirements of the Internet Engineering Task Force.
- 8. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, wherein the gate controller is configured to determine whether to allow a connection.
- 9. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, wherein the gate controller is configured to provide security through a firewall.
- 10. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, wherein the gate controller is configured to provide security through a proxy function.
- 11. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, wherein the transaction state manager is configured to store a transaction record.
- 12. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, wherein the transaction state manager includes a database and a database management system.
- 13. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, further comprising
a subscriber and policy service module including
a subscriber database; a locator module coupled to both the subscriber database and to the SIP proxy engine; a directory service module coupled to the SIP proxy engine; and an authentication module coupled to the SIP proxy engine.
- 14. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the device is operable as a registration server.
- 15. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the subscriber and policy service module is coupled to the connection logic control module by a local satellite processor.
- 16. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the subscriber database stores subscriber information.
- 17. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the locator module is a static locator module.
- 18. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the locator module is a dynamic locator module.
- 19. The device for enabling communications of claim 18 further including a static locator module coupled to both the subscriber database and to the SIP proxy engine.
- 20. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the directory service module is coupled to an external database.
- 21. The device for enabling communications of claim 20, wherein the directory service module is configured to update, search, perform lookups, and perform basic directory operations upon the external database.
- 22. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the directory service module is configured to use a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.
- 23. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the authorization module is coupled to an external database.
- 24. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the authorization module is configured to accept an authentication request and to verify an identity of a signaling party.
- 25. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the subscriber and policy service module further includes an interface module configured to couple together the locator module, the directory service module, and the authorization module.
- 26. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, wherein the interface module is also coupled to a local satellite processor.
- 27. The device for enabling communications of claim 13, further comprising a service logic control module including
Parlay interfaces coupled to the SIP proxy engine; and a location service engine coupled to the Parlay interfaces and to the SIP proxy engine.
- 28. The device for enabling communications of claim 27, wherein the device is operable as a location server.
- 29. The device for enabling communications of claim 27, wherein the location service engine is coupled to the Parlay interfaces by a local satellite processor.
- 30. The device for enabling communications of claim 27, wherein the Parlay interfaces map a Parlay API Specification onto a SIP transaction model.
- 31. The device for enabling communications of claim 27, wherein the location service engine is made up of a state machine, java script, or CGI script to handle an individual transaction.
- 32. The device for enabling communications of claim 31, wherein the location service engine includes a CPL service subsystem and an individual transaction is executed according to rules established in the CPL services subsystem.
- 33. The device for enabling communications of claim 32, wherein the location service engine further includes a call state services subsystem configured to maintain state information for the duration of a session.
- 34. The device for enabling communications of claim 27, wherein the location service engine further includes a feature services subsystem to provide support for a call feature code that is not recognizable as a caller address.
- 35. The device for enabling communications of claim 27, wherein the location service engine further includes an e-mail services subsystem to provide support for an e-mail notification.
- 36. The device for enabling communications of claim 27, wherein the location service engine further includes a paging services subsystem to provide support for a paging notification.
- 37. The device for enabling communications of claim 27, wherein the location service engine is configured to act as a SIP portal to an external service that is accessible with SIP.
- 38. The device for enabling communications of claim 1, further comprising
a service logic control module including
Parlay interfaces coupled to the SIP proxy engine, and a location service engine coupled to the Parlay interfaces and to the SIP proxy engine; and an FCAPS module including
a log server coupled to the connection logic control module; an element manager object server coupled to the log server; and an element manager craft client and interface coupled to both the log server and the element manager object server.
- 39. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the device is operable as a SIP portal.
- 40. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the log server is coupled to the connection logic control module by a local satellite processor.
- 41. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the log server is configured to communicate high priority information to both the element manager object server and the element manager craft client and interface.
- 42. The device for enabling communications of claim 41, wherein the high priority information includes an alarm or a call trace.
- 43. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the log server includes a performance stack and a diagnostic stack.
- 44. The device for enabling communications of claim 43, wherein the log server is configured to direct medium priority information to either the performance stack or the diagnostic stack.
- 45. The device for enabling communications of claim 44, wherein the medium priority information includes performance or customer initiated diagnostic information.
- 46. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the log server includes a short term system log database that maintains a log of information including high priority information, medium priority information, or low priority information.
- 47. The device for enabling communications of claim 46, wherein the log server is configured to direct low priority information to the short term system log database.
- 48. The device for enabling communications of claim 47, wherein the low priority information includes system initiated diagnostic information or general logging information.
- 49. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager craft client and interface is configured to allow an operations personnel to configure, diagnose, manually provision, or monitor the device.
- 50. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager craft client and interface is configured to initiate a maintenance operation.
- 51. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager object server is configured to allow secure access to an external database.
- 52. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager object server is configured to gather information about performance or an alarm and to format the information to be transmitted to a network management system.
- 53. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager object server is configured to host a security object capable of implementing a security policy.
- 54. The device for enabling communications of claim 53, wherein the security policy regulates access of the element manager craft client and interface to information in an external database.
- 55. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager object server is configured to host a provisioning object capable of allowing a data element to be exposed to a provisioning system.
- 56. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager object server is configured to host a billing object capable of allowing an accounting data element to be exposed to a billing system.
- 57. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager object server is configured to host a performance object capable of exposing a performance message to a network management system.
- 58. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager object server is configured to host an alarm object capable of exposing an alarm to the element manager craft client and interface.
- 59. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, wherein the element manager object server is configured to host a diagnostic object capable of exposing call trace or diagnostic information to the element manager craft client and interface.
- 60. The device for enabling communications of claim 38, further comprising
a subscriber and policy service module including
a subscriber database; a locator module coupled to both the subscriber database and to the SIP proxy engine; a directory service module coupled to the SIP proxy engine; and an authentication module coupled to the SIP proxy engine.
- 61. The device for enabling communications of claim 60, wherein each module is coupled to each of the other modules by a local satellite processor.
- 62. A device for enabling communications comprising:
a connection logic control module including
a SIP protocol driver configured to provide connection control for a SIP device and to convert a SIP message from a text format to a SIP object; a SIP proxy engine coupled to the SIP protocol driver and configured to execute call logic; a QoS policy manager coupled to the SIP proxy engine and configured to process a Quality of Service function; a gate controller coupled to the SIP proxy engine and configured to provide proxy functions and security through firewalls; and a transaction state manager coupled to the SIP proxy engine and configured to maintain transaction records.
- 63. The device for enabling communications of claim 62, wherein the device is operable as a proxy server.
- 64. The device for enabling communications of claim 62, further comprising:
a subscriber and policy service module including
a subscriber database; a locator module coupled to the subscriber database and the SIP proxy engine and configured to access and update information in the subscriber database; a directory service module coupled to the SIP proxy engine and configured to allow interaction with an external database; and an authentication module coupled to the SIP proxy engine and configured to accept authorization requests.
- 65. The device for enabling communications of claim 64, wherein the communications device is a registration server.
- 66. The device for enabling communications of claim 64, further comprising:
a service logic control module that includes
Parlay interfaces, operably connected with the SIP proxy engine, that maps the Parlay API specification onto the SIP transaction model; and a location service engine, operably connected to SIP proxy engine and the directory service module, that locates an address of a destination party and maintains call/session states.
- 67. The device for enabling communications of claim 66, wherein the communications device is a location server.
- 68. The device for enabling communications of claim 62, further comprising:
a connection logic control module that includes
a SIP protocol driver that provides connection control for SIP devices and converts SIP messages from text format to SIP objects; a SIP proxy engine, operably connected with the SIP protocol driver, that executes call logic; a QoS policy manager, operably connected with the SIP proxy engine, that processes Quality of Service functions; a gate controller, operably connected with the SIP proxy engine, that provides security through firewalls and proxy functions; and a transaction state manager, operably connected with the SIP proxy engine, that maintains transaction records; and an FCAPS module that includes
a log server, operably connected to the transaction state manager for gathering and sorting performance and alarm data; an element manager object server operably connected to the log server and the directory service module; and an element manager craft client operably connected to the element manager object server.
- 69. The device for enabling communications of claim 68, wherein the communications device is a SIP portal.
- 70. The device for enabling communications of claim 68, further comprising:
a subscriber and policy service module that includes
a subscriber database; a locator module, operably connected to the subscriber database and the SIP proxy engine, that can update and look up information in the subscriber database; a directory service module, operably connected with the SIP proxy engine, that allows interaction with databases; an authentication module, operably connected with the SIP proxy engine, that accepts authorization requests.
- 71. A device for enabling communications comprising:
a connection logic control module that receives SIP messages and provides connection management, signaling, and quality of service functions and generates requests to other modules; a subscriber and policy service module that, in response to an appropriate request, provides access control, call control, call features, and call management; a subscriber and policy service module that, in response to an appropriate request, provides call routing, SIP address translations, user authentication, and directory services; and an FCAPS module that, in response to an appropriate request, provides fault functions, configuration functions, accounting functions, performance monitoring, and security functions.
- 72. A method of processing a communication command, comprising:
receiving the communication command through a connection logic control module; generating, in the connection logic control module, an authentication request in response to the receipt of the communication command; generating, in a subscriber and policy service module, an approval in response to the authentication request if the communication command was generated by an approved source; generating, in the connection logic control module, a billing request in response to the approval; generating, in the connection logic control module, a CPL script in response to the approval and the communication command; generating, in a service logic control module, an instruction based on the CPL script; processing the instruction in the connection logic control module; generating, in the connection logic control module, a status report; processing the billing request in a FCAPS module; and processing the status report in the FCAPS module.
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority of Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/316,709, filed Aug. 31, 2001 and entitled “Communications Engine Architecture,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60316709 |
Aug 2001 |
US |