Method and apparatus for clearing hang calls
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsYury Bakshi, Eric Noel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for clearing hang calls in a communication network are disclosed. For example, the method detects a failure of an adjacent call stateful network element in a signaling path, identifies one or more calls that are affected by the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element, tests a media path of the one or more calls for activity and clears the one or more calls that are affected by the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element if the media path of the one or more calls is inactive.
Claims20
A method for clearing a call in a communication network, the method comprising:
- detecting, by a processor of a call stateful network element in a signaling path of the call, a failure of an adjacent call stateful network element in the signaling path of the call, wherein the adjacent call stateful network element comprises a next hop network element in the signaling path, wherein the communication network comprises a voice over internet protocol network, wherein the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element in the signaling path of the call is detected via a heartbeat message from the processor of the call stateful network element to the adjacent call stateful network element, wherein the heartbeat message is sent independent of a plurality of calls processed by the call stateful network element including the call;
- identifying, by the processor, a plurality of existing calls that is affected by the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element, wherein the plurality of existing calls includes the call;
- sending, by the processor, a call release notification message via another adjacent call stateful network element in a call release path of each of the plurality of existing calls to notify a call stateful media component of each of the plurality of existing calls of the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element;
- monitoring, by the processor, a predefined time period;
- and
- clearing, by the processor, the call when the predefined time period has elapsed.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of a call stateful network element in a signaling path of a call in a communication network, cause the processor to perform operations for clearing the call, the operations comprising:
- detecting a failure of an adjacent call stateful network element in the signaling path of the call, wherein the adjacent call stateful network element comprises a next hop network element in the signaling path, wherein the communication network comprises a voice over internet protocol network, wherein the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element in the signaling path of the call is detected via a heartbeat message from the processor of the call stateful network element to the adjacent call stateful network element, wherein the heartbeat message is sent independent of a plurality of calls processed by the call stateful network element including the call;
- identifying a plurality of existing calls that is affected by the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element, wherein the plurality of existing calls includes the call;
- sending a call release notification message via another adjacent call stateful network element in a call release path of each of the plurality of existing calls to notify a call stateful media component of each of the plurality of existing calls of the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element;
- monitoring a predefined time period;
- and
- clearing the call when the predefined time period has elapsed.
An apparatus for clearing a call in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:
- a processor of a call stateful network element in a signaling path of the call;
- and
- a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- detecting a failure of an adjacent call stateful network element in the signaling path of the call, wherein the adjacent call stateful network element comprises a next hop network element in the signaling path, wherein the communication network comprises a voice over internet protocol network, wherein the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element in the signaling path of the call is detected via a heartbeat message from the processor of the call stateful network element to the adjacent call stateful network element, wherein the heartbeat message is sent independent of a plurality of calls processed by the call stateful network element including the call;
- identifying a plurality of existing calls that is affected by the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element, wherein the plurality of existing calls includes the call;
- sending a call release notification message via another adjacent call stateful network element in a call release path of each of the plurality of existing calls to notify a call stateful media component of each of the plurality of existing calls of the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element;
- monitoring a predefined time period;
- and
- clearing the call when the predefined time period has elapsed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.