Patents by Inventor Robert V. Epley

Robert V. Epley has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8948752
    Abstract: Disclosed are a network-based device, method and computer readable medium for operating an IMS to provide IMS services to originating sessions from a device upon which the user is not registered. The method includes receiving communication from a user on a device upon which the user is not registered at a 2-stage dialing server, authenticating the user, determining a Public User ID (PUID) for the user, receiving an identification of a called party from the user, arranging for IMS services to be provided to the user on the device, sending an INVITE signal from the 2-stage dialing server on behalf of the user PUID to the called party and setting up the media connection from the device to the device associated with the called party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven A. Siegel, Siroos K. Afshar, Walter Cooper Chastain, Robert V. Epley, Karen M. McCourt, Arnold Chester McQuaide, Jr., Leopold Strahs
  • Patent number: 8767717
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) that provides IMS services to terminating non-IP (TNIP) devices. The method includes receiving a message to register a Public User Identity (PUID) at a TNIP device at a network-based device, the TNIP device being at an E.164 routing address, establishing, in a network device accepting communications where to send sessions destined for a PUID and providing information where to send sessions, the routing address as a final destination of sessions to the PUID based on the registration and an IP address of a network device with routing functionality based on telephone numbers as immediate destinations and using information from the registration to route to the TNIP device, after providing IMS services, using the relationship between the PUID, the routing address and the IP address of the network device with routing functionality based on telephone numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P., AT&T Mobility II LLC
    Inventors: Steven A. Siegel, Siroos K. Afshar, Walter Cooper Chastain, Robert V. Epley, Karen M. McCourt, Arnold Chester McQuaide, Jr., Leopold Strahs, Maria Adamczyk
  • Publication number: 20130286944
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) that provides IMS services to terminating non-IP (TNIP) devices. The method includes receiving a message to register a Public User Identity (PUID) at a TNIP device at a network-based device, the TNIP device being at an E.164 routing address, establishing, in a network device accepting communications where to send sessions destined for a PUID and providing information where to send sessions, the routing address as a final destination of sessions to the PUID based on the registration and an IP address of a network device with routing functionality based on telephone numbers as immediate destinations and using information from the registration to route to the TNIP device, after providing IMS services, using the relationship between the PUID, the routing address and the IP address of the network device with routing functionality based on telephone numbers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Steven A. SIEGEL, Siroos K. AFSHAR, Walter Cooper CHASTAIN, Robert V. Epley, Karen M. McCourt, Arnold Chester McQuaide, JR., Leopold Strahs, Maria Adamczyk
  • Patent number: 8472431
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) that provides IMS services to terminating non-IP (TNIP) devices. The method includes receiving a message to register a Public User Identity (PUID) at a TNIP device at a network-based device, the TNIP device being at an E.164 routing address, establishing, in a network device accepting communications where to send sessions destined for a PUID and providing information where to send sessions, the routing address as a final destination of sessions to the PUID based on the registration and an IP address of a network device with routing functionality based on telephone numbers as immediate destinations, and using information from the registration to route to the TNIP device, after providing IMS services, using the relationship between the PUID, the routing address and the IP address of the network device with routing functionality based on telephone numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven A. Siegel, Siroos K. Afshar, Walter Cooper Chastain, Robert V. Epley, Karen M. McCourt, Arnold Chester McQuaide, Jr., Leopold Strahs, Maria Adamczyk
  • Publication number: 20090191871
    Abstract: Disclosed are a network-based device, method and computer readable medium for operating an IMS to provide IMS services to originating sessions from a device upon which the user is not registered. The method includes receiving communication from a user on a device upon which the user is not registered at a 2-stage dialing server, authenticating the user, determining a Public User ID (PUID) for the user, receiving an identification of a called party from the user, arranging for IMS services to be provided to the user on the device, sending an INVITE signal from the 2-stage dialing server on behalf of the user PUID to the called party and setting up the media connection from the device to the device associated with the called party.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: AT&T Labs
    Inventors: Steven A. Siegel, Siroos K. Afshar, Walter Cooper Chastain, Robert V. Epley, Karen M. McCourt, Arnold Chester McQuaide, JR., Leopold Strahs
  • Publication number: 20090190573
    Abstract: Disclosed is a network-based device in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) that provides IMS services to terminating non-IP devices. The method embodiment includes receiving a REGISTER message that initiates registration of a Public User Identity (PUID) at a terminating non-IP device at a network-based device in an IMS, wherein the terminating non-IP device is specified as being at an E.164 routing address, establishing, in a network device that accepts communications regarding where to send sessions destined for a specific PUID and provide information regarding where to send sessions, the E.164 routing address as a final destination of sessions to the PUID based on the registration and an IP address of a network device that includes routing functionality based on telephone numbers as an immediate destination for the session and using this information from the registration to route to the terminating non-IP device after providing IMS services by using the relationship between the PUID, the E.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: AT&T
    Inventors: Steven A. SIEGEL, Siroos K. Afshar, Walter Cooper Chastain, Robert V. Epley, Karen M. McCourt, Arnold Chester McQuaide, JR., Leopold Strahs, Maria Adamczyk
  • Patent number: 7443855
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for using partially non-geographic addresses. One example method includes: determining whether addressing information in a received message comprises a scoped code; examining, upon determination of a scoped code, a non-geographic portion of the addressing information; obtaining forwarding information corresponding to the non-geographic portion of the addressing information; and forward the message in accordance with the forward information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: AT & T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Robert V. Epley
  • Patent number: 6876658
    Abstract: A communications process and apparatus is provided with scoped, partially non-geographic addressing. The processes are carried out by one or more switches in a communications system. A first device in the system has a scoped address, including at least one geographic identifier and a customer identifier. A second device sends a setup message with addressing information to a switch in the system. The switch examines the message and consults a database with the customer identification to determine forwarding information. The switch forwards the message to a second device according to the forwarding information obtained from the database. The second device sends a connect message to the first device, thereby establishing a connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
    Inventor: Robert V. Epley
  • Patent number: 6603764
    Abstract: A communications process and apparatus is provided with scoped, partially non-geographic addressing. The processes are carried out by one or more switches in a communications system. A first device in the system has a scoped address, including at least one geographic identifier and a customer identifier. A second device sends a setup message with addressing information to a switch in the system. The switch examines the message and consults a database with the customer identification to determine forwarding information. The switch forwards the message to a second device according to the forwarding information obtained from the database. The second device sends a connect message to the first device, thereby establishing a connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Corp.
    Inventor: Robert V. Epley
  • Publication number: 20010014094
    Abstract: A communications process and apparatus is provided with scoped, partially non-geographic addressing. The processes are carried out by one or more switches in a communications system. A first device in the system has a scoped address, including at least one geographic identifier and a customer identifier. A second device sends a setup message with addressing information to a switch in the system. The switch examines the message and consults a database with the customer identification to determine forwarding information. The switch forwards the message to a second device according to the forwarding information obtained from the database. The second device sends a connect message to the first device, thereby establishing a connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Inventor: Robert V. Epley
  • Patent number: 5732131
    Abstract: A system and method for routing communications to a terminating station associated with a porting subscriber directory number when the porting subscriber line 14a is cut-over from a donor switch 12a to a donee switch 12b. Upon cut-over of the porting subscriber line 14a, a local number portability (LNP) activation telephone call is placed to a dial-in platform 50 that activates a previously provisioned but inactive LNP database entry for the porting subscriber directory number. The LNP database entry is located in an LNP database 42a at a service control point (SCP) 28a. The dial-in platform 50 also activates a previously provisioned but inactive directory-number-level trigger for the porting subscriber directory number at the donor switch 12a. Activating the directory-number-level trigger for the porting subscriber directory number at the donor switch 12a causes the donor switch 12a to hold a subsequently received telephone call directed to the porting subscriber directory number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: BellSouth Corporation
    Inventors: Prasad V. Nimmagadda, Robert V. Epley
  • Patent number: 5251255
    Abstract: This invention relates to arrangements for controlling processing of telephone calls from feature processors. Feature processors are data bases, usually shared among a plurality of switching systems, and usually comprising data for customers served by these switching systems, for altering the processing of telephone calls from and to these customers in accordance with that data. In order to perform this modification, data messages are exchanged between the switching systems and the feature processor. In a departure from the prior art, these data messages include functional indicators, i.e., indicators of basic characteristics of a call, each of which may be associated with many features and which may influence the execution of other features, wherein the execution of at least some of the features of the two groups can be influenced by the feature processor. Advantageously, the use of functional indicators helps to reduce the amount of data to be transmitted between the switching systems and feature processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventor: Robert V. Epley