Patents Represented by Attorney John C. Heuton
  • Patent number: 8265259
    Abstract: According to various embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods for local number portability in a telecommunication network are disclosed. An embodiment of a method includes receiving a telephone number (TN) to test for its porting activity as part of a local number portability (LNP) order, accessing a LNP call tester (LCT) to determine a current local routing number (LRN) for the TN, and determining, based on the TN and current LRN, whether the porting activity is completed for the TN in relation to a core telecommunications carrier servicing an owner of the TN. The porting activity may include at least one of port in, port out, and migration of the TN. In one embodiment, the planned porting activity for the TN associated with the LNP order is known prior to determining whether the porting activity has been completed. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory K. Brown, James Carlson, Maria Farnon, Greg A. Land, Bill Long, Troy D. Lynette, Richard D. Moore
  • Patent number: 8265970
    Abstract: A method for managing a business process in an enterprise includes executing a business process model, wherein executing the business process model comprises generating a plurality of business level messages associated with business level tasks, generating one or more system level messages associated with system level tasks to be performed by one or more enterprise subsystems, wherein the one or more system level messages are in a common format that is accessible by the one or more enterprise subsystems, and broadcasting the one or more system level messages over a communication channel communicably coupling the plurality of enterprise subsystems. A system includes a communication channel carrying system level messages in a generic format, a plurality of business subsystems communicably coupled to the communication channel, adapters operable to translate messages from the generic format into associated business subsystem specific formats and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Michael Conroy, Jay Miller, Edward C. Ericson, Steven Rdzak, John Andrew Huth, Chris Swift, Douglas E. Naufel
  • Patent number: 8265258
    Abstract: According to various embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods for local number portability in a telecommunication network are disclosed. An embodiment of a method includes submitting a local number portability (LNP) order for the TN directly to a first telecommunications carrier that the TN is to be transferred from, triggering a port of the TN in accordance with the LNP order, and porting the TN from the first telecommunications carrier to the second telecommunications carrier, wherein the second telecommunications carrier is bypassed by the customer during the submitting and the triggering of the LNP order. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory K. Brown, James Carlson, Maria Farnon, Greg A. Land, Bill Long, Troy D. Lynette, Richard D. Moore
  • Patent number: 8265250
    Abstract: A calling network capable of accepting voice and data information includes a voice distribution server, wherein the voice distribution server is communicably coupled to an integrated access device, wherein the voice distribution server is associated with a computer readable medium, and wherein the computer readable medium includes a customer profile; and wherein the customer profile includes at least one registered access number associated with the integrated access device, and at least two quasi-registered access numbers associated with the integrated access device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Daryl William Malas, Richard D. Terpstra
  • Patent number: 8194565
    Abstract: An objective, service-level specific voice call listening quality test scheme for a Voice Over IP (VOIP) network is presented. Test probes are deployed along the border of the VOIP network. Each test probe is capable of placing calls over the VOIP network to the other test probes at different levels of service and measuring call quality using an objective measurement algorithm such as PAMS or PSQM. The measurement results are collected on an ongoing basis to obtain information on the VOIP network's voice call quality. The information is compared to thresholds to measure performance against Service Level Agreement guarantees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Inventor: Lee Goodman
  • Patent number: 8089972
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically registering a communication device are disclosed. As one example, a communication network architecture is disclosed that includes multiple feature servers, multiple registration redirect servers (RRSs), and multiple communication devices. The feature servers provide services to the communication devices. The RRSs each service a shared virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address and perform load balancing of registration requests on behalf of multiple feature servers located geographically proximate to the RRS. The communication devices are configured to issue initial registration requests intended for any of the feature servers to the shared virtual IP address, whereby upon issuing an initial registration request, a communication device is directed to a particular feature server that is associated with a RRS that is closest to the communication device, and where the particular feature server is selected by a load balancing routine executing on the RRS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Richard D. Terpstra, John Hearty, Daryl William Malas
  • Patent number: 8031616
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for intercepting transmissions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes an internet protocol media gateway. The internet protocol media gateway is communicably coupled to a soft switch, an acquisition facility, and a communicator. The internet protocol media gateway is associated with a processor and a computer readable medium, and the computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the processor to receive a transmission identified with the communicator, and to direct the transmission to the acquisition facility. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Pelletier, Elliot Eichen
  • Patent number: 7965645
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for intercepting transmissions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes a media gateway communicably coupled to a soft switch and an acquisition facility. A first processor and a first computer readable medium are associated with the soft switch. The computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the processor to receive a transmission originating from a first communicator and indicating at least a second communicator, and to direct the transmission to the acquisition facility via the media gateway. A second processor and second computer readable medium are included, and the second computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the second processor to direct the transmission from the media gateway to the second communicator such that direction of the transmission to an acquisition facility is obscured from at least the second communicator. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey P. Pelletier
  • Patent number: 7961720
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a method for routing an Internet Protocol (IP)-based call through a first IP-based network to a second IP-based network. The method includes receiving an IP-based call request in the first network; identifying one or more geographic trunk groups that can be used to route the call request out of the first network, wherein each of the one or more geographic trunk groups represents a logical grouping of one or more IP trunk groups between the first IP-based network and the second IP-based network; selecting one of the one or more geographic trunk groups; and routing the received call request via the selected geographic trunk group to an IP address associated with the selected geographic trunk group. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Terpstra, Greg Gualtieri
  • Patent number: 7924734
    Abstract: A method for optimizing a network configuration of network resources includes receiving service attribute data associated with network resources and the traffic demand, based at least in part on the service attribute data, determining one or more network resources for providing communication between end user devices and a carrier network, i.e., one or more metro and/or backbone networks, and determining an optimal configuration of the one or more network resources within the network, wherein the optimal configuration optimizes one or more predetermined criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Nicolas Pujet, David Rodrian
  • Patent number: 7904555
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method for use in performing interoperability testing between two network architectures includes forming multiple transaction signatures that each characterizes a communication transaction conducted over the two networks and analyzing each of the transaction signatures to determine if the transaction signature matches a previously classified pattern. The method may further include generating a report identifying each of the communication transactions and indicating that each of the communication transactions is classified with a classification associated with a previously classified pattern or are of unknown classification. Another method includes receiving a transaction signature composed of multiple transaction elements, and determining whether the received transaction signature corresponds to a previously identified transaction signature pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Ricky L. Nooner, Gerald H. Gorsegner, Jr., Danny R. Rock, Patrick S. Callahan
  • Patent number: 7813335
    Abstract: A system includes a core routing engine operable to receive a call setup request and identify one or more IP trunk groups through which the call setup request can be routed, select one of the one or more identified IP trunk groups and route the call setup request to an internal IP address associated with the selected IP trunk group. The system may further include an IP edge node associated with the internal IP address, the IP edge node in the backbone network and operable to receive the call setup request and route the call setup request to one of a plurality of IP addresses associated with a plurality of carrier edge nodes in the carrier network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Terpstra, Greg Gualtieri
  • Patent number: 7752297
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method for use in performing interoperability testing between two network architectures includes forming multiple transaction signatures that each characterizes a communication transaction conducted over the two networks and analyzing each of the transaction signatures to determine if the transaction signature matches a previously classified pattern. The method may further include generating a report identifying each of the communication transactions and indicating that each of the communication transactions is classified with a classification associated with a previously classified pattern or are of unknown classification. Another method includes receiving a transaction signature composed of multiple transaction elements, and determining whether the received transaction signature corresponds to a previously identified transaction signature pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Ricky L. Nooner, Gerald H. Gorsegner, Jr., Danny R. Rock, Patrick S. Callahan