Communication between call controllers by amending call processing messages

Abstract

Call Control entities in a network communicate between themselves by amending call processing messages to include encrypted network information. As such, a call may be established whose path through the network is dependent on the paths of other calls. Information of a scope larger than a Call Controller normally possesses can, as a result of this communication, be made available to Call Controllers for constraining call establishment. This information could relate to other calls and connections associated with those other calls. The information may also relate to gateways in and to adjacent networks and the Call Controllers in the adjacent networks that are related to the current Call Controller.

We claim:  
     
         1 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected call controllers, a method of optimally establishing multiple calls between a source client call controller and a destination client call controller comprising: 
 receiving a call processing message;    amending said call processing message to include encrypted network information, resulting in an amended call processing message; and    sending said amended call processing message to one of said plurality of interconnected call controllers.    
     
     
         2 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected call controllers, a call controller comprising: 
 an input network interface adapted to receive a call processing message;    a processor adapted to amend said call processing message to include encrypted network information, resulting in an amended call processing message; and    an output network interface adapted to send said amended call processing message to another of said plurality of interconnected call controllers.    
     
     
         3 . The call controller of  claim 2  wherein said encrypted network information includes an identity of an intermediate path segment end point in a path for a call.  
     
     
         4 . The call controller of  claim 2  wherein said encrypted network information comprises path information, said path information including identification of network-internal path segments.  
     
     
         5 . The call controller of  claim 2  wherein said encrypted network information relates to a path, said path comprising network interfaces.  
     
     
         6 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected call controllers, a call controller comprising: 
 means for receiving a call processing message;    means for amending said call processing message to include encrypted network information, resulting in an amended call processing message; and    means for sending said amended call processing message to another of said plurality of interconnected call controllers.    
     
     
         7 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when performed by processor in a call controller in a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected call controllers, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         8 . A method of, at a client call controller, requesting the establishment of a second call from a source to a destination, where a path for said second call uses path segments distinct from path segments used in a previously determined path for a first call, said method comprising, responsive to receiving a call processing message, where said call processing message includes encrypted network information, sending a message, to a network call controller, requesting establishment of said second call, where said message includes said encrypted network information.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said encrypted network information comprises an identity of an end point for one of said path segments to be used in said path for said second call.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said encrypted network information comprises an identity of an end point for one of said path segments used in said previously determined path for said first call.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said message additionally includes non-encrypted network information.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said destination is connected to a second network and said non-encrypted network information comprises an identity of an external network to network interface to said second network.  
     
     
         13 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected call controllers, a client call controller comprising: 
 an input network interface adapted to receive a call processing message, where said call processing message includes encrypted network information;    a processor adapted to include said encrypted network information in a call request message, said call request message requesting establishment of a second call; and    an output network interface adapted to send said call request message to a network call controller.    
     
     
         14 . The client call controller of  claim 13  wherein said processor is further adapted to include non-encrypted network information in said call request message.  
     
     
         15 . The client call controller of  claim 14  wherein said non-encrypted network information comprises an identity of an external network to network interface.  
     
     
         16 . The client call controller of  claim 14  wherein said non-encrypted network information comprises an identity of a network call controller from which said call processing message was received.  
     
     
         17 . The client call controller of  claim 13  wherein said network information comprises an identity of a network.  
     
     
         18 . The client call controller of  claim 13  wherein said network information comprises an identity of an ingress call controller.  
     
     
         19 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected call controllers, a client call controller comprising: 
 means for receiving a call processing message, where said call processing message includes encrypted network information;    means for including said encrypted network information in a call request message, said call request message requesting establishment of a second call; and    means for sending said call request message to a network call controller.    
     
     
         20 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when performed by processor in a call controller in a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected call controllers, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 8 .  
     
     
         21 . At a source client call controller connected to a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a method of requesting the establishment of a given call to a destination client call controller, said method comprising: 
 receiving a notification, from a first network call controller, that a first call request message has been rejected, where said notification includes encrypted network information related to a path to be used by said given call and non-encrypted network information;    selecting a second network call controller based on said non-encrypted network information; and    responsive to said receiving said notification, sending a second call request message, to said second network call controller, requesting establishment of said given call, where said second call request message includes said encrypted network information.    
     
     
         22 . A client call controller connected to a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, said client call controller comprising: 
 an input network interface adapted to receive a notification, from a first network call controller, that a first call request message has been rejected, where said notification includes encrypted network information related to a path to be used by said given call and non-encrypted network information;    a processor adapted to select a second call controller based on said non-encrypted network information; and    an output network interface adapted to send a second call request message, to said second call controller, requesting establishment of said given call, where said second call request message includes said encrypted network information.    
     
     
         23 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when performed by processor in a client call controller connected to a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 21 .  
     
     
         24 . At a network call controller in a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a method of call processing comprising: 
 a step for receiving a call request message requesting establishment of a given call to a specified destination;    a step for, responsive to said receiving, determining a path to a client call controller connected to said specified destination; and    a step for amending said call request message to include encrypted information relating to said path to result in an amended call request message.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising, where said call request message indicates that a second call request message will follow: 
 a step for determining said path to said call controller connected to said specified destination such that an alternate path to said call controller may be determined, where said alternate path uses path segments distinct from path segments used in said path determined for said given call.  
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising: 
 a step for determining said alternate path to said call controller connected to said specified destination, where said alternate path uses path segments distinct from path segments used in said path determined for said given call; and  
 a step for including encrypted information relating to said alternate path in said amended call request message.  
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said call request message includes an identity of an alternate source user to network interface.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising: 
 storing said identity of said alternate source user to network interface; and  
 where said alternate path to said call controller connected to said specified destination, determined in said step for determining said alternate path, includes said alternate source user to network interface.  
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24  wherein said call request message includes an identity of an alternate destination user to network interface.  
     
     
         30 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a network call controller comprising: 
 an input network interface adapted to receive a call request message requesting establishment of a given call to a specified destination;    a processor adapted to: 
 determine a path to a call controller connected to said specified destination; and  
 amend said call request message to include encrypted information relating to said path to result in an amended call request message.  
   
     
     
         31 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when performed by processor in a call controller in a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected call controllers, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 24 .  
     
     
         32 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a method of call processing at a network call controller comprising: 
 receiving a call request message requesting establishment of a given call to a specified destination;    responsive to said receiving, determining a path to a network call controller that acts as a gateway to a network having a connection to said specified destination; and    amending said call request message to include information relating to said path to result in an amended call request message.    
     
     
         33 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a network call controller comprising: 
 an input network interface adapted to receive a call request message requesting establishment of a given call to a specified destination;    a processor adapted to: 
 responsive to said receiving, determining a path to a network call controller that acts as a gateway to a network having a connection to said specified destination; and  
 amend said call request message to include information relating to said path to result in an amended call request message.  
   
     
     
         34 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when performed by processor in a network call controller in a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected call controllers, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 32 .  
     
     
         35 . At a network call controller in a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a method of call processing comprising: 
 receiving a call request message requesting establishment of a given call to a specified destination;    responsive to said receiving, decrypting call path information included in said call request message; and    further processing said given call based on said decrypted call path information.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said further processing comprises determining a path for said given call.  
     
     
         37 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a network call controller comprising: 
 an input network interface adapted to receive a call request message requesting establishment of a given call to a specified destination;    a processor adapted to: 
 responsive to said receiving, decrypt call path information included in said call request message; and  
 further process said given call based on said decrypted call path information.  
   
     
     
         38 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when performed by processor in a network call controller in a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 35 .  
     
     
         39 . At a client call controller connected to a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a method of using information about a first call when requesting a second call, said method comprising: 
 sending a query to a network call controller, said query requesting information about said first call;    receiving said information in encrypted form; and    sending a call request message for said second call to a network call controller, where said call request message includes said encrypted information.    
     
     
         40 . A client call controller connected to a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, said client call controller comprising: 
 an input network interface adapted to: 
 send a query to a network call controller, said query requesting information about a first call;  
 receive said information in encrypted form; and  
 send a call request message for a second call to a network call controller;  
   a processor adapted to include said encrypted information in said call request message.    
     
     
         41 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when performed by processor in a client call controller connected to a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 39 .  
     
     
         42 . At a network call controller in a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a method of message processing comprising: 
 receiving a query that requests information about a first call; and    sending said information, to a source of said query, in encrypted form.    
     
     
         43 . In a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a network call controller comprising: 
 an input network interface adapted to receive a query that requests information about a first call; and    an output network interface adapted to send said information, to a source of said query, in encrypted form.    
     
     
         44 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when performed by processor in a network call controller in a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 42 .  
     
     
         45 . At a client call controller connected to a connection-oriented network including a plurality of interconnected network call controllers, a method of requesting a call comprising: 
 sending a call request message to a network call controller in said connection-oriented network over a first user to network interface; and    including, in said call request message, an identifier of a second user to network interface connecting said client call controller to said connection-oriented network.    
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45  wherein said call request message relates to a call to a destination and includes an identity of a first destination user to network interface connected to said destination, said method further comprising including, in said call request message, an identifier of a second destination user to network interface connecting said destination to said connection-oriented network.