Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Koan Seng Chong · Brian D. Freeman · Jay Gabin · Daryl Goins · Galia Merhav · Lina O'Connor · Chesla C. Wechsler ·
Assignee(s)	AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P. ·  View assignee updates
Primary Examiner	Gerald Gauthier ·
Application Number	US11291023
Filing date	11/30/2005
Issue date	09/28/2010
Prior Publication Data	US20070070990 - 03/29/2007
Predicted expiration date	06/10/2029
Patent term adjustment	1288
U.S. Classifications	370/356  · 713/1  · 709/224  · 370/352  ·
International Classifications	H04L1266  ·
Kind Code	B2
Related U.S. Application Data	This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/719,106 filed on Sep. 21, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference. The present invention relates generally to communication networks and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for detecting subscriber service address change in communication networks, e.g., packet networks such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks.

Patent Family

Abstract

A method and apparatus for allowing VoIP service providers to detect service address changes of IP service subscribers are disclosed. Specifically, when a power cycle, e.g., powering off and on, of a particular VoIP endpoint device, such as a Terminal Adaptor (TA) or a soft phone client, is detected, a service provider may assume that the service address of the subscriber has changed. Therefore, appropriate actions can be taken by the service provider to obtain the latest service address from the subscriber to ensure accurate service address information is available, e.g., in support of an emergency call through the particular VoIP endpoint device.

Independent Claims | See all claims (13)

1. 1. A method for detecting a service address change in a communication network, comprising: receiving a plurality of location management messages from an endpoint device in said communication network; detecting an occurrence of a power cycle or a reboot event based on said plurality of location management messages for said endpoint device, wherein said detecting comprises: recording a timestamp associated with each of said plurality of location management messages; and detecting said occurrence of said power cycle or said reboot event if a difference in time for successive location management messages is greater than a predefined threshold; and determining that a service address change is detected for said endpoint device based upon said occurrence of said power cycle or said reboot event being detected.
2. 9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps of a method for detecting a service address change in a communication network, comprising: receiving a plurality of location management messages from an endpoint device in said communication network; detecting an occurrence of a power cycle or a reboot event based on said plurality of location management messages for said endpoint device, wherein said detecting comprises: recording a timestamp associated with each of said plurality of location management messages; and detecting said occurrence of said power cycle or said reboot event if a difference in time for successive location management messages is greater than a predefined threshold; and determining that a service address change is detected for said endpoint device based upon said occurrence of said power cycle or said reboot event being detected.
3. 13. An apparatus for detecting a service address change in a communication network, comprising: means for receiving a plurality of location management messages from an endpoint device in said communication network; means for detecting an occurrence of a power cycle or a reboot event based on said plurality of location management messages for said endpoint device, wherein said detecting means comprises: means for recording a timestamp associated with each of said plurality of location management messages; and means for detecting said occurrence of said power cycle or said reboot event if a difference in time for successive location management messages is greater than a predefined threshold; and means for determining that a service address change is detected for said endpoint device based upon said occurrence of said power cycle or said reboot event being detected.