Patent ID: 6795867
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
In an Internet Telephony system that includes a plurality of Gatekeepers coupled to the Internet that manage and route Internet Telephony calls, a method of distributing load on the plurality of Gatekeepers comprising:receiving a setup message from a some endpoint at an assigned Gatekeeper of the plurality of Gatekeepers, the setup message requesting an Internet Telephony call between the source endpoint and a destination endpoint; determining a servicing Gatekeeper of the plurality of Gatekeepers to service the Internet Telephony call based upon the status of the plurality of Gatekeepers; when the assigned Gatekeeper is the servicing Gatekeeper, the assigned Gatekeeper setting up the Internet Telephony call and residing in an Internet routing path for the Internet Telephony call; and when the assigned Gatekeeper is not the servicing Gatekeeper: sending a redirect message to the source endpoint; directing the source endpoint to send a setup message to the servicing Gatekeeper; and the servicing Gatekeeper servicing the Internet Telephony call by setting up the Internet Telephony call and residing in an Telephony routing path for the Internet Telephony call.