Telecommunication network

Abstract

A telecommunication network 30 for telecommunications between telecommunication end point devices 36,37,38, such as telephones or video phones, the telecommunication network 30 comprising a plurality of telecommunication device control systems 40 implemented by a computer system. Each telecommunication device control system 40 is shared by telecommunication end point devices 36,37,38 allocated to it and is configured to control communication connections involving telecommunications originating from telecommunication end point devices 36,37,38 allocated to it and other telecommunication end point devices. At least some functionality of the plurality of telecommunication device control systems 40 is shared by at least some parts of the computer system.

1 . A telecommunication network for telecommunications between telecommunication end point devices, the telecommunication network comprising:
 a plurality of telecommunication device control systems implemented by a computer system, each telecommunication device control system being shared by telecommunication end point devices allocated to it, and each telecommunication device control system being configured to control communication connections involving telecommunications originating from telecommunication end point devices allocated to it and other telecommunication end point devices,   wherein at least some functionality of the plurality of telecommunication device control systems are shared by at least some parts of the computer system.   
     
     
         2 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of telecommunication device control systems is allocated to each of the telecommunication end point devices according to one or more of the following:
 geographical location of a telecommunication end point device,   latency of communications with the telecommunication end point device,   available bandwidth of communication to and/or from the telecommunication end point device,   monetary cost of communication to and/or from the telecommunication end point device, and   impact on maintaining service level agreements to and/or from the telecommunication end point devices.   
     
     
         3 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 2 , wherein the provisioning computer system is further configured to allocate computerized telecommunication resources to each telecommunication end point device. 
     
     
         4 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 3 , wherein the computerized telecommunication resources comprise one or more of the following:
 media resource, such as on-hold audio or the like,   border controller for controlling telecommunication across a border, such as a firewall or the like, and   conference call controller.   
     
     
         5 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 4 , wherein the computerized telecommunication resources comprise a plurality of conference call controllers. 
     
     
         6 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 5 , wherein the provisioning computer system is configured to allocate telecommunication end point devices to one of the conference call controllers of the plurality of conference call controllers based on at least one predetermined criterion. 
     
     
         7 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 6 , wherein the at least one predetermined criterion comprise one or more of:
 physical proximity of telecommunication end point device to a conference call controller,   the number of conference call controllers on the telecommunication network,   the number of media streams between conference call controllers, and   the number of telecommunications end point devices forming the conference call.   
     
     
         8 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 4 , wherein the computerized telecommunication resources are configured to be shared by some of the plurality of telecommunication end point devices. 
     
     
         9 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 1 , wherein the telecommunication device control systems are configured to control a telecommunication end point device connected to the Internet once a valid identity of the telecommunication end point device is received from the telecommunication end point device. 
     
     
         10 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 9 , wherein the identity comprises at least one of a signal generated in response to a hardware token applied to the telecommunication end point device and/or credentials entered into a user interface of the telecommunication end point device. 
     
     
         11 . A telecommunication network for telecommunications between telecommunication end point devices, the telecommunication network comprising:
 a plurality of computerized telecommunication resources, each computerized telecommunication resource being configured to provide telecommunication resources to a plurality of different telecommunication events; and   a computerized telecommunication resource allocator for allocating at least one of the plurality of computerized telecommunication resources to a telecommunication event between telecommunication end point devices on the network, the computerized telecommunication resource allocator being configured to assess the telecommunication resource requirements of a telecommunication event and at least one predetermined criterion comprising at least one of the following:   geographical location of at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource,   latency of at least some communication to and/or from at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource,   available bandwidth of at least some communication to and/or from at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource,   monetary cost of at least some communication to and/or from at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource, and   impact on maintaining service level agreements of at least some communication to and/or from at least some of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource; and   the computerized telecommunication resource allocator being further configured to allocate at least one of the plurality of computerized telecommunication resources accordingly.   
     
     
         12 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 11 , wherein the computerized telecommunication resources comprise one or more of the following:
 media resource, such as on-hold audio or the like,   border controller for controlling telecommunication across a border, such as a firewall or the like, and   conference call controller.   
     
     
         13 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 11 , wherein the computerized telecommunication resources are shared by some of the plurality of telecommunication end point devices. 
     
     
         14 . A telecommunication network according to  claim 11 , wherein the end point devices comprise telephones and/or video phones. 
     
     
         15 . A computerized telecommunication resource allocator for allocating at least one of a plurality of computerized telecommunication resources to a telecommunication event between telecommunication end point devices on a telecommunication network, the computerized telecommunication resource allocator being configured to assess telecommunication resource requirements of a telecommunication event and at least one predetermined criterion comprising at least one of the following:
 geographical location of at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource,   latency of at least some communication to and/or from at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource,   available bandwidth of at least some communication to and/or from at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource,   monetary cost of at least some communication to and/or from at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource, and   impact on maintaining service level agreements of at least some communication to and/or from at least some of the telecommunication end point devices and/or telecommunication resource; and   the computerized telecommunication resource allocator being further configured to allocate at least one of a plurality of computerized telecommunication resources accordingly.   
     
     
         16 . A computer system for enabling telecommunication connections through a firewall, the computer system comprising:
 a relay system configured to be located on the public Internet on one side of a firewall and configured to be shared by a plurality of telecommunication end point devices each on another, private side of a firewall, the relay system being configured to relay media to and from each telecommunication end point device that share the relay system, the relay system being configured to be allocated to particular telecommunication end point devices based on at least one predetermined criterion.   
     
     
         17 . A computer system according to  claim 16 , wherein the predetermined criterion comprise:
 geographical location of at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or relay system,   latency of at least some communication to and/or from at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or relay system,   available bandwidth of at least some communication to and/or from at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or relay system,   monetary cost of at least some communication to and/or from at least one of the telecommunication end point devices and/or relay system, and   impact on maintaining service level agreements of at least some communication to and/or from at least some of the telecommunication end point devices and/or relay system.