Cisco Technology, Inc.

Gene Ma

Andrew M Gutman

Telecommunications apparatus between a voice frame network gatekeeper and an intelligent peripheral, e.g. an interactive voice response unit (IVR), includes a voice frame network connection for coupling the same. The apparatus further includes a protocol over the connection that provides supplemental service messaging therebetween, the protocol enabling the gatekeeper to selectively insert one or more messages to the intelligent peripheral and to selectively intercept one or more messages therefrom. Preferably such insertion is of one or more GR-1129-CORE send-to-resource (STR) messages and such interception is of one or more ITU-T H.323 FACILITY messages including a RETURN RESULTS component. An invocation mechanism within the gatekeeper and a performance mechanism within the IVR permits the gatekeeper to set a defined task to the IVR, also preferably in accordance with the ITU-T H.323 and H.450 standards. The method involves configuring the gatekeeper as a supplemental services provider (SSP) and configuring the IVR as an intelligent peripheral, under ITU-T H.450. The method further involves conveying requests from the gatekeeper to the IVR and conveying responses thereto from the IVR to the gatekeeper, wherein the gatekeeper selectively intercepts one or more messages from the IVR and, optionally, also selectively inserts one more messages to the IVR.

Interception call signaling method and apparatus between a gatekeeper and an intelligent peripheral in a voice frame network

Telecommunications apparatus between a voice frame network gatekeeper and intelligent peripheral such as an interactive voice response unit (IVR) is described. The apparatus includes a voice frame network connection for coupling a gatekeeper to an intelligent peripheral; a protocol over the connection that provides supplemental services messaging between the gatekeeper and the intelligent peripheral, the protocol conveying a request from the gatekeeper to the intelligent peripheral and a response from the intelligent peripheral to the gatekeeper; and a command structure embedded in such request/response protocol, the command structure including a call-transfer request/response sequence to which the gatekeeper is responsive. The interfacing method includes configuring the gatekeeper as a supplemental services provider (SSP) under International H.450 standard; configuring an IVR as an intelligent peripheral under International H.450 standard; first conveying requests from the gatekeeper to the IVR over the voice frame network in accordance with a defined protocol; and second conveying responses to the requests from the IVR to the gatekeeper over the voice frame network in accordance with a defined protocol. The first conveying invokes a call-transfer request/response sequence to which the IVR is responsive to route a given call to a different telephone line, the number of which is provided in conjunction with the call-transfer request/response sequence. Preferably, the protocol and the command structure comply with International H.323 and H.450 standards.

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Irvine, CA, United States of America

Gene Ma