Abstract:
Systems and methods for providing communications path through a selected communications network in the event of a transmission failure on the initial, real-time, communications network are presented. The selected network operates in a non-real-time manner and is configured such that communications may be scheduled for transfer, rather than requiring instantaneous access. The use of the selected network reduces both the loading of and access costs to the real-time network. For example, a user who places an unanswered long-distance call may leave a message for the recipient, and that message is transferred to the recipient over the alternate network as time is available on the network, rather than over the primary long-distance voice network. The selected network may be a network that is entirely separate from the real-time network or, the “two” networks may be a single coextensive network having voice and data attributes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the transmission of communications over a communications network. More particularly, this invention relates to providing communication transmissions through an alternate network that is exclusive of the initial network, in the event of a failure during the transmission through the initial network. 
     Long-distance voice communications (i.e., communications between two different local exchange carriers—“LECS”) are typically accomplished through an inter-exchange service provider (“IXP”) that utilizes traditional analog transmission circuitry and signals. For example, assume a person in New York wishes to call someone in Texas. The New Yorker dials the Texas phone number on a phone serviced by NYNEX (i.e., the LEC in New York). NYNEX directs the call to the New Yorker&#39;s long-distance provider (e.g., AT&amp;T) who utilizes conventional fiber-optic networks to connect the caller to the LEC in Texas (i.e., Southwestern Bell). The Texas LEC completes the call by directing the call from the long-distance provider (via an “access tandem”) to the central office (“CO”) that the Texas phone number is connected to. 
     The communication is completed in a normal fashion provided the person on the receiving end answers the phone. However, if the call goes unanswered, a failure occurs in the communication. A typical solution to the failed communication occurs when the called party subscribes to “call answer” service through his/her local LEC, in which case the call “goes through,” but to the service instead of the called party. Another solution provides an alternate way for the caller to leave a message, for when the called party does not have an answering service. For example, the caller could leave a message on a local server of the long-distance provider, which would periodically attempt to call the recipient to deliver the message. This solution, however, requires multiple transmissions through the networks, which are relatively expensive and may often be heavily loaded. 
     It would therefore be desirable to provide a technique in which the caller of a failed long-distance call could provide a communication to the recipient without producing additional, expensive, communications through the traditional analog/fiber-optic transmission networks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the principles disclosed herein, systems and methods for improving communication transmissions are provided. Advantages of the disclosed system and method are obtained by utilizing an alternate network in which communications transmission may be made on a scheduled basis instead of real-time as is normally used for communications. This results in reduced loading on the real-time voice network, enhanced loading of the alternate network, and reduced access costs (i.e., from the LEC to the IXP networks). 
     A local server at the caller&#39;s location of the IXP detects the failed communication attempt and notifies the caller that the call did not go through. The caller is able to leave a message for the recipient—even if the recipient does not have an answering machine or subscribe to “call answering” from the local LEC—in a manner that increases the efficiency of the traditional voice network. The message, which is initially stored on the local server, is sent to a server of the IXP that is local to the recipient&#39;s location on a scheduled basis, rather than in real-time, through an alternate network. The alternate network may be a digital data network in which message packets and the like provide further improvements in efficiency; however, the alternate, separate, network may be formed from the same components as a traditional voice network. While it may be said that packet networks inherently forward packets in non-real time manner because a node may congested and packets may be delayed or re-routed, what is meant by stating that the message is forwarded in non-real time manner is that even the commencement of the sending of the message may be delayed. Moreover, it may be delayed a substantial amount of time, relative to the delay that normally occurs in packet networks. A two seconds, or even a few minutes, delay normally would not matter to a caller who was unable to reach a called party and chose to leave a message. The caller&#39;s insensitivity to delay allows the “luxury” of forwarding the message when the alternate network is not busy, or has spare capacity. To clearly distinguish between the two types of non-real time transmissions, the type contemplated herein is called “delay permissible non-real time” transmission. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a traditional communication network that may be used to place long-distance telephone calls; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communications system that includes two networks for transmitting information in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing the operation of the multi-path communication system shown in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a representative local server of the communication system shown in FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides improved efficiency in real-time network communications by removing communications from the real-time network that do not require real-time access or, at least, can tolerate near-real-time communication. A conventional real-time communications system  100  is shown in FIG.  1 . The basic components of the system  100  include a local exchange carrier (“LEC”)  102  in a first region  104 , a local server  106  of an inter-exchange provider (“IXP”) located in region  104 , an access tandem  108  that provides an interface between LEC  102  and server  106 , a real-time network  110 , a LEC  112  located in a second region  114 , a local server  116  located in region  114  and an access tandem  118  for coupling server  116  to LEC  112 . Real-time network  110  is shown to be partially located in both region  104  and region  114 , as well as being located somewhere in between. This is to indicate that the network need only have an interface in each region to the local server and that the majority of the network may be located wherever is convenient. 
     LEC  102  provides local communication services to a number of local users  120 - 128  in region  104 , while LEC  112  may provide substantially similar services to local users  130 - 138  in region  114 . As long as the services required by the local users fall within the local region serviced by the corresponding LEC, the inter-exchange provider&#39;s services are not utilized. Thus, for example, when local user  122  in region  104  wishes to communicate with local user  134  in region  114 , the selected inter-exchange provider completes the communication link between LECs  102  and  112 . 
     The inter-region communication is made by LEC  102  directing local user  122 &#39;s communication to a port in access tandem  108  designated for the selected inter-exchange provider. Local server  106  takes the communication from the port and directs it into real-time network  110  such that the communication is addressed to local user  134 , who is connected to LEC  112 . Real-time network  110  continues the process by contacting local server  116  which utilizes access tandem  118  as an entry point into LEC  112 . LEC  112  then attempts to complete the connection to local user  134 . Once local user  134  acknowledges the communication (i.e., answers the phone), bi-directional real-time communication takes place between local users  122  and  134 . 
     Deficiencies in communication system  100  occur, however, when local user  134  does not acknowledge the attempted communication (i.e., a failed communication occurs because the called party does not answer), or when the network itself is blocked for some reason. Even though the actual connection is not established between telephones  122  and  134  until a user answers phone  134  by going “off-hook,” network resources are nevertheless occupied to maintain the necessary signaling. In some situations, where the subscriber of telephone  134  has previously subscribed to “call answer” message leaving service with LEC  112 , after a predetermined number of rings (the specific method used to determine how many rings and whether the called party&#39;s phone is “busy” or “unanswered” is LEC dependent) the call is transferred to a message platform selected by the called subscriber which is local to the called subscriber. The connection is “cut through” from telephone  122  through the network of LEC  102 , through the IXP network, and through the network of LEC  112  so the user of telephone  122  can then leave a message for the local user of telephone  134 . 
     The disadvantages of conventional communication system  100  are overcome by the present invention, one embodiment of which is shown in FIG.  2 . Communication system  200  includes many of the same components as communication system  100  (and those components are numbered using the same numbering convention as in FIG.  1 ). Communication system  200  also includes alternate network  210  that provides a secondary path for communications (that do not require real-time access). As shown in FIG. 2, alternate network  210  provides a parallel path between two local servers located in two different regions. Network  210  may be a data network that utilizes known techniques for data transfer, such as data packet switching, to further increase the efficiency of communications. Alternatively, alternate network  210  may be a separate analog/fiber optic network similar to network  110 , so that an essentially independent secondary communications path is provided. 
     Alternate network  210  can have many uses, and one of those uses may be an enhanced message leaving service. In accordance with one approach of the present invention, a message leaving service is provided to all users, without requiring either the calling parties or the called parties to subscribe to the service. The enhanced message leaving service is illustratively realized through the use of alternate network  210  and through the use of an approach for minimizing the load on the network associated with the process of leaving a message. 
     More specifically, the message left for users is first stored close to the location of the calling party, employing as little of network resources as practicable. Next, the message is forwarded from the node where it is first stored to a platform which is accessed by the called party and which presumably is relatively close to the called party. The interesting aspect of this step is that the message is forwarded in non-real time, when capacity is available on the telecommunications network. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the message is forwarded over alternate network  210 . In the arrangement currently existing in the United States, where the LEC networks and the IXP networks are owned by different commercial entities, the embodiment presented in FIG. 2 employs local servers in the IXP network as the nodes for storing messages. 
     Assuming once again that the communication between local user  122  and local user  134  has failed in the sense that user  134  has not answered (or local user  134 &#39;s telephone is busy), in the FIG. 2 embodiment, a message is left by user  122  for local user  134  that is initially stored on local server  106  (while local server  106  is shown in FIG. 2 as being within the IXP, the local server may, alternatively, be a local server of either LEC (i.e., LEC  102  or LEC  112 ) if the LEC provides the messaging service instead of the IXP, in which case the local server would simply be part of LEC  102  or LEC  112 , or the local server may a third party server that provides message services either through a LEC or an IXP). Local server  106 , in accordance with the principles disclosed herein, communicates with network  210  to establish a scheduled time at which the transfer of the message to local server  116  will occur (if the local servers are part of the LEC instead of the IXP, they would still be connected together through alternate network  210 ). 
     The scheduled time is based on the loading of the alternate network such that the resources used to send the message are, in essence, merely spare resources that are temporarily not being used. Because the message does not require bi-directional real-time communication, there can be some delay in the transfer of the message. Then, local server  106  sends the message to the remote local server (i.e., local server  116 ) at the scheduled time. Further, because the message is sent through alternate network  210  instead of real-time network  110 , the system loading on real-time network  110  is reduced. 
     Other advantages of the present invention may be achieved by providing a direct link  222  between LEC  102  and local server  106  (and a similar direct link  224  between LEC  112  and server  116 ). The direct links provide an avenue for the server to place direct local communications—through the local LEC—to the recipient so that messages may be transferred without incurring additional long distance FCC mandated access charges. Under such circumstances, the remote local server appears the same as a local user to the LEC (e.g., as applied to the example shown in FIG. 2, LEC  102  would have six local users including local server  106  and local users  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126  and  128 ). 
     The specific steps involved in providing an alternate communication path in the event of a failed communication attempt (i.e., the called party does not answer) are shown in detail in the flow diagram shown in FIG.  3 . One hardware configuration for the local servers that effectuates the steps shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG.  4 . The first step  302  is initiated by a local user (e.g., local user  122 ) who attempts to communicate with a user located in a region served by a “foreign” LEC (i.e., not the LEC that services local user  122 ). In a step  304 , processor  420  (see FIG. 4) in the sending local server receives a “Failed Communication Attempt” message from the foreign LEC. The local server, in a step  306 , contacts the sending local user and receives a message for the recipient (assuming the local user wishes to send a message). 
     The processor in the local server communicates, in a step  308 , with the alternate network to establish available time slots (i.e., when the network has spare capacity) for transfer of the message across the network. The processor in the local server then selects an available time slot based on loading and, in a step  310 , schedules the message for transfer. At the scheduled time, which may be immediate or which may not be until network loading is reduced below a predetermined level, the local server processor, in a step  312 , sends the message through the alternate network to the remote local server, where received. The received message may be immediately placed in a mailbox dedicated to the called party (see step  318  below) or it may be stored in a queue for further processing by the remote local server (depending on the loading of the remote local server). 
     The remote local server, in a step  314 , determines whether the recipient has a “mailbox” on the remote local server. If no mailbox exists, the remote local server, in a step  316 , creates a mailbox—even if the recipient is not a subscriber to the inter-exchange provider. Once it has been established that a mailbox exits, the processor in the remote local server, in a step  318 , transfers the message to the mailbox (either directly or from the queue, as described above). The process is complete when, in step  320 , the remote local server initiates a procedure to notify the recipient that a message is waiting. The procedure for notifying the recipient may include: (1) directly communicating with the recipient from the remote server (i.e., the remote server repeatedly attempts to place a call to the recipient through the remote LEC); (2) contacting the recipient through a pager or cellular phone; or (3) directing the remote LEC to send a “message waiting” signal to the recipient (e.g., such that a message light, stutter dial tone or other means notifies the recipient that a message is waiting). 
     If the paging notification is used, the message may be sent to the local server where, instead of being stored in a mailbox, a page is sent to the recipient containing the message (or, if the mailbox is utilized, the page would simply notify the recipient that a message has arrived). If a cellular phone is used to contact the recipient, similar alternatives are available (i.e., sending the message to the recipient or merely sending a call to the recipient as notification that a message is waiting). Under the paging and cellular phone scenarios, they would most likely only be utilized if the recipient subscribed to a message receiving service and has selected paging or cellular phone service for notification (to prevent the sender from incurring unexpectedly high messaging costs). 
     FIG. 4 shows a simplified schematic diagram of representative circuitry of a local server (e.g., local server  406 ) that is part of communication system  200 . As shown in FIG. 4, local server  406  includes four basic components: processor  420 , input/output interface  422 , processor memory  424 , and system memory  426 . Processor  420  may be as simple as preprogrammed controller, or it may be as complex as a multi-processor array that performs multi-task processing. Processor memory  424  preferably includes cache memory and may also include processor registers (which may, instead, be included within processor  420 ). Additionally, processor  420  and processor memory  424  may be combined within a single integrated circuit or combined onto a single circuit board without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Input/output interface  422  performs various functions to interface processor  420  with the “outside world.” The outside world includes analog network  110  and alternate network  210 , as well as LEC  402  and access tandem  408  for long-distance communications, as described above. System memory  426  may include random access memory (RAM), hard drives, magneto-optical drives, tape drives, or any other conventional apparatus used to store information in a computer system. 
     As set forth in the flow chart of FIG. 3, a message is received at the sending local server through input/output interface  422  (from LEC  402  or through tandem access  408 ) and is stored in processor memory  424 . The message may be processed through processor  420  or instead, it may be directly loaded from input/output interface  422  to processor memory  424  based on the instructions from processor  420 . Once the scheduled time for message transmission occurs, processor  420  sends the message from memory  424  through input/output interface  422  to alternate network  210 , which passes the message to another instance of server  406  (i.e., remote server  406 ). It may be noted that the message need not be sent in a single burst, but could instead be sent “piece meal” in multiple individual packets as network capacity permits. 
     The message passes into remote server  406  through input/output interface  422  and into processor  420  (or processor  420  directs the message into processor memory  424 ). Processor  420  then examines the message to determine the recipient and checks to see if a mailbox exists in system memory  426  for the recipient. If no mailbox exists, processor  420  creates a mailbox in memory  426 . Once a mailbox exists for the recipient, processor  420  acts to direct the message to the mailbox in system memory  426  and initiates the appropriate procedure to notify the recipient of the pending mail message. 
     Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, and the present invention is limited only by the claims which follow.