Patent ID: 9036547
Filing Date: 2015-05-19
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for routing communications between users of one or more communications network operators, the one or more communications network operators including at least a first network operator and a second network operator, the first network operator having at least a first packet switched network and a first circuit switched network, the method comprising the following steps: receiving, at a serving call session control function node (S-CSCF node), a request communication which is addressed to a recipient user; A) receiving, at a service identifier node of the first network operator from the first packet switched network of the first network operator, the request communication which is addressed to the recipient user, wherein the communication request is a SIP INVITE message, the recipient user being a user of the second network operator, said request communication including one or more communication features, the first network operator being for providing communications to the users of the first network operator, the second network operator being for providing communications to the users of the second network operator, the second network operator having at least a second packet switched network and a second circuit switched network, the first circuit switched network being connected to the second circuit switched network through mobile switching circuits, the first packet switched network being connected to the second packet switched network through network-network interface session border controllers, the first packet switched network being connected to the first circuit switched network through a first media gateway control function node, the second packet switched network being connected to the second circuit switched network through a second media gateway control function node; B) comparing, by the service identifier node, the said communication features of the request with feature tags for a type of communication requested, said predetermined communication features being associated with one or more of: predetermined users of the first network operator; or, predetermined users of the second network operator; C) routing the communication to the recipient user through the second circuit switched or second packet switched network of the said one or more network operators in dependence upon the comparison; wherein the feature tags are indicators of the type of communication required and codecs to be used for each type of communication, and sequential steps comprising: the service identifier node modifying the SIP INVITE, by adding a prefix which indicates the request be routed towards the second circuit switched network, in dependence upon the comparison: the service identifier node routing the modified SIP INVITE to the S-CSCF node before onward routing; sending the modified SIP INVITE from the S-CSCF node to the first media gateway control function node; and sending the modified SIP INVITE from the first media gateway control function node to the recipient user via at least one of the mobile switching circuits.