Communications unit for selecting the least-cost route

Easy communication agent devices to select your best communications service provider are others known as the "Call Manager" and "Call Captain" and on the Internet at the address http://www.CallManage.com/ with subtitles about.html, howitworks.html and described faq.html. Such communications agent unit is by a personal computer (PC) with a navigation software and a billing software module implemented and a time module and between the communication device of the user and a Communications network connected. The communication agent unit selected depending on the input by the user network address, as the E.164 network address of a desired communication partner taking into account the fee structure multiple service providers the best service provider from and causes a connection using this best service provider.

Especially in private branch exchanges and corporate networks are so-called "least-cost routing facilities" for routing of compounds, ie to set the route, needed, where appropriate to select a service provider, known. Such Least Cost Routing devices choose depending on the network address, such as the E.164 network address, a called party, for example, the Gateway from a corporate network to a public network by cost considerations. Here, in many cases the Kommunikationswegführung within the company network possible for long distances or for costly, possibly international Network transitions are used so that the external to a Communications services provider fee payable possible is low. If a communications network or a private branch exchange that such a least-cost routing facility contains, at a plurality of communication networks, for example, to mobile networks of different network providers and is connected to an ISDN network, selects the Least-cost routing means depends on the number of to calling communication partner and the communications network and thus the communication or the service provider from, about an outgoing call is to be performed. Let, for example, the initial digits of a called communication partner recognize that the called terminal this Communication partner mobile network a wireless service provider is to the private branch exchange or the corporate network have immediate access, as is the outgoing call via this network out, and there is a toll-cheap, mobile network internal connection is established. In this case is the selected communication type wireless transmission and, if the service provider of the selected mobile radio network deviates from the service provider of a fixed network, selected a service provider.

Other selectable communication modes include telephony ISDN, telephony over IP networks (IP = Internet Protocol), Telephony via the analog signal network or 7 kHz telephony. In addition, for example, between half rate and Full-rate mobile can be selected.

The known communication agents described units have in common that they independent from the user communication parameters or specify the location of a gateway. The usual communication behavior of the user, so the Subscriber to whom the communication agent unit assigned to each is is taken into account in any way.

Object of the present invention is to provide a communication agent unit to select best communication conditions provide that the specific communication behavior the user account.

This object is achieved by the invention by a communication agent unit the processor controlling the communication behavior a participant, the communication agent unit is associated with observed regularities. This is determined by comparing of the communication agent device detectable, observed at different time points Communication parameters of calls reached that these participants performs. Also determines the processor control, whether such regularity in by the communication behavior the subscriber's fixed fee-relevant Communication parameters has been found. Unless at this watching a regularity in fee-relevant Communication parameters has been found, selects the Processor control the expected best service provider detected depending on the former at a time and specified by the communication behavior of the participant toll-relevant communication parameters from.

Another embodiment of a communication agent device according to the invention has a processor control, which, if they different when observing of this subscriber Times conducted Call a regularity in set the by the communication behavior of the participant established fee-relevant communication parameters has, the expected effective communication detected depending on the earlier and specified by the communication behavior of the participant toll-relevant communication parameters selects.

A communication agent device according to the invention, in addition to the control functions already described above, a way to access a billing module and In addition to a time module. Such a billing module and such a time module do not need this necessarily be part of the communications agent unit. It is sufficient if the communication unit by means of such agents Modules the exact time and the results of billing operations can detect and optionally such can cause billing operations.

The time module contains in another embodiment a communications agent unit, a calendar module, the addition to the consideration of the time also consider toll-relevant time periods in determining Regularities allows.

A communications agent unit is generally a Participants assigned. This may mean, for example, that a single existing hardware and software Communications agent unit one participant available stands. Such communications agent unit, a constitute an independent unit, when required, to a is communication terminal of a subscriber connected. But it can also be part of a communication terminal of a be participant.

One embodiment of a communications agent unit may provide that a participant of several assigned Terminals of the same communications agent unit can access that therefore a communications agent unit is associated with a plurality of terminals of a subscriber. If a communications agent unit several terminals a subscriber is available, this can be each by spatial arrangement of these communications agent unit happen at different terminals of the subscriber. It but is also an access of terminals over a communications network or data network to a communications agent unit the subscriber's possible.

Another implementation, a communications agent unit provides that a single hardware arrangement for realizing multiple, different participants assigned Communications agent units is provided. Such Communications agent unit, for example, as a central Means within a range of a communications network be or data network provided and several or all be associated in this area of ​​communication or data network subscribers or terminals. Here, at least an optionally provided communication partner directory module and a data base with each participant a communications agent unit individually assigns, wherein stored in the data base communication parameters are leading to the identification of regularities in communication behavior be used.

Individual software modules can also sharable be. In such a case, for example, when setting a communications agent unit for a subscriber or when activating a communications agent unit a participant a program instance of a joint program or a common number of program modules instantiated said program instance, together with the Hardware a this subscriber associated communication agent unit represents. Information resources, on the one Communication agent unit accesses, such as a billing module, a time module and a communication partner directory module may, regardless of the Mode of implementation of a communications agent unit, centrally be implemented in a communication network or data network, so that communications agent units respectively central to this can access information resources.

Among the detectable by the communication agent unit communication parameters For example, at least a portion the address of a called party or the entire include address of the called party and the time the start of an outgoing call and / or the duration of a outgoing call. In addition, the calling party can selected connection quality, such as still image or Moving image in video telephony, 7 kHz or 3 kHz telephony, or an optionally low currently example with the aid of Telephony over Internet Protocol attainable quality, Such detectable by the communication agent unit communication parameters be. The quality of a telephony-over-Internet Protocol connection here is currently especially with respect to the reliability of the connection in general less than that of a Telefonwählnetzverbindung.

The participants from, the communications agent unit an inventive is associated, securable communication parameters can be, for example:<sl><li>The type of communication such as moving picture with audio, Still image with audio, e-mail or a pure audio connection or fax;</li><li>the fixable by address select terminal type of the called Communication partner, such as mobile radio telephone, Telephone network terminal or Internet Protocol network terminal;</li><li>the time of onset, duration, or the timing of the Terminating a connection;</li><li>the desired, defined by the type of connection of communication such as PSTN or ISDN Wählnetzverbindung, Telephony over Internet Protocol LAN connection;</li><li>the quality of service such as the desired audio bandwidth, the desired voice codec, the desired image change frequency in slow moving video; also a certain boundary conditions chosen by the participants Service provider.</li></sl>

There are types of communication that have become essential for longer communication links from exceeding a certain enable connection time a cost-effective communication than other types of communication. There is also a service provider, the continuing for longer connections from favorable exceeding a specific connection time offer conditions as other service providers. A use case, in which the invention advantageously be used can happen if the normally selected communication type or the commonly chosen service provider not for longer lasting compounds the more favorable conditions to offer. If, in this case in a subscriber Communications to a certain communication partner several times in a row, the aforementioned specific connection time exceeds, according to the invention in this Behavior found a regularity and for the Prolonged communications effective communication or the cheaper service provider pointed.

In this case, the regularity providing communication parameters at least one number or a network address the communication partner and the duration of individual Communications. Other communication parameters For example, the time of individual communications and their allocation to specific days or periods the same number of different phones / network addresses Communication partner and their allocation to this communication partner by means of a communication partner directory module be. In the latter case, the communications agent unit also possibility to access this Communication partner directory module.

The billing module to which an inventive Communications agent unit accesses, considered for the Case that the communication agent device the best Service provider chooses, when calculating charges the fee rates different service providers.

Also considered the billing module, if the Communications agent unit for selecting the best Communication is provided in calculating fees the fee formulas for different types of communication.

In a favorable embodiment of a communications agent unit relates the processor control while observing the communication behavior of the participant not only the selected a terminal address of a communication partner, but also checked by means of an access to a communication partner directory module, whether different terminal addresses belong to the same communication partner are.

More favorable conditions for communication, for example, besides the already mentioned lower communication costs also achieving a better transmission quality. For example, particularly in short-haul routes, a guided over an ISDN network connection despite higher Transmission quality equal to or only slightly high higher fees than cause an equally long maintained Connection over an Internet Protocol network with lower Transmission quality.

Hereinafter, the invention based on embodiments inventive communications agent units under Explained in more detail with reference to the figures.

It shows<dl tsize="8" compact="compact"><dt>figure 1</dt><dd>an embodiment of a communications agent unit in a schematic block diagram;</dd><dt>figure 2</dt><dd>schematic block diagram of a first type of Communication agent device, with a calling Terminal and a network; and</dd><dt>figure 3</dt><dd>schematic block diagram of a second type of Communication agent device, with a calling Terminal and a network.</dd></dl>

Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a communication agent device according to the invention KAE with a central processor unit CPU and a memory MEM. The communication agent unit KAE shown accesses information resources RES to which, inter alia, a communication partner directory module Addd, a billing module CHARGE and a time module TD. In addition, the communications agent unit KAE accesses a man-machine interface MMI to. This man-machine interface MMI, for example, a voice synthesizer with electro-acoustic transducer or a text output module having a display device (not shown in the figure). The memory MEM is the processor control under others for storing detected communication parameters, needed to obtain possibly present regularities in communication behavior are needed or to store identified regularities in communication behavior. Such communication parameters are preferably in the form of a Database stored. Here, the use is recommended a data base on the basis of a personal, specific communication partner directory.

The communication agent unit shown in Figure 1 KAE also has access to a communication module COMM that the subscriber, which includes the communications agent unit KAE is associated, for example by means of a communication terminal assign is. This communication module COMM is the illustrated example to a data network LAN and also connectable to an ISDN communications network.

The communication agent unit KAE shown in Figure 1, as mentioned, associated with a subscriber, which also includes the Communication module COMM belongs. The communication module COMM is carried out in this example as a gateway unit, for example, as a modem or network access card a communication terminal not shown in FIG. 1 By having access to the communication module COMM , the central processor unit CPU of the communications agent unit KAE observe the communication behavior of the participant and communication parameters of communications Participant's record and evaluate. By accessing on the information resources RES, the processor control CPU from the detected communication parameters of individual Communications of the participant communication conditions identify each communication session.

Using the communication module COMM, the billing module CHARGE and the time module TD determines the Processor control CPU of the communications agent unit KAE, whether regularities in by the communication behavior of Subscriber established toll-relevant communication parameters available. The processor control CPU selects depends of fee-relevant communication parameters detected at an earlier time as regularly occurring and by the communication behavior of the participant have been determined, the expected effective communication and / or the expected best service provider out. The processor controller starts out from the Assumption that the regular communication behavior also maintaining the current communication event.

The selectable from the central processor unit CPU communication styles For example, telephony via INP-N-data networks, such as LAN, telephony via ISDN digital communication networks or, not shown in the figure 1, Telephony include over a cellular network.

A selected communication type is from the processor control CPU communication agent unit KAE the communication module COMM informed that then a corresponding Connection according to the selected communication type caused by the associated communication network.

If the communications agent unit KAE other hand, the As expected, best service provider is selected, transmits the control processor CPU which this service provider information assigned to the communication module COMM. The communication module COMM then causes a Connection using the selected Service provider associated access address.

Figure 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a first of implementation of the communication agent unit KAE according to figure 1. The communication agent unit represented KAE1 here is a calling terminal T1 and thus a Participants directly associated physically and this Terminal T1 connected to an Internet protocol network INP-N. In the Internet Protocol network INP-N are information resources RES provided, to which the communication agent device KAE1 can access. The man-machine interface MMI for outputting messages from the communication agent unit KAE1 to the subscriber is in the Terminal T1 included.

In Figure 2 is only one connection from the terminal T1 to the internet protocol network INP-N shown. Of course but can also connectivity for example made to telephone or mobile networks.

Figure 3 shows a block diagram of a second mode of implementation the communication agent unit KAE. The illustrated Communications agent unit KAE2 is more to Einein Internet Protocol subnet INP-NS1 connected devices T1, T3, T4, T5, Tn allocated locally. If the communications agent unit KAE2, for a terminal T1, T3, T4, T5 Tn is activated, they instantiated for this terminal T1, T3, T4, T5, Tn in each case a control INS1, INS3, INS4, INS5, INSn which the respective terminal T1, T3, T4, T5, Tn and thus assigned to its participants noted. In the Internet Protocol subnet INP-NS1 are connecting operations of a Network controller NC controlled. Information resources RES, on the communication agent unit KAE2 can access, be provided in the internet protocol subnet INP-NS1. These information resources RES belong to the shown embodiment for each participant, which the Communications agent unit KAE2 can be assigned a Communication partner directory module AddD1, AddD3, AddD4, AddD5, AddDn with specific information of communication partners (Addresses, communication parameters). The Internet Protocol subnet INP-NS1 forms together with other internet protocol subnetworks INP-NS2, NS3 INP an internet protocol network INP-N with other connectable terminals T2.