SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTING A DESTINATION NUMBER UPON RECEIVING A DIALED NUMBER FROM A CALLING PARTY

• US 20020057780A1
• Filed: 08/10/1998
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: GRUCHALA, CAROL SHIFRIN, MICHALSKI, ROBERT ANTHONY, BUELL, DONALD W., BLOOM, RONALD MICHAEL, BRAND, RODNEY T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,813,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A method and system are provided for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party. The preferred embodiments include a telecommunications system that, after receiving a dialed number from a calling party, selects a particular destination number and routes the call to that number. In one preferred embodiment, information about the calling party'"'"'s end office, such as an originating point code, is used to select a destination number. In another preferred embodiment, destination numbers are stored in a plurality of database locations in the system, and the zip code of the calling party is used to select the appropriate database to query for the destination number. Since the database location selection is independent of the dialed number, the system—not the number dialed by the calling party—determines the appropriate database location to query. These preferred embodiments can be used in a variety of situations and find particular use in a non-emergency service environment.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party, said calling party being associated with an end office, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a dialed number from a calling party;

(b) sending a query comprising information identifying the calling party'"'"'s end office; and

(c) selecting a destination number using the information identifying the calling party'"'"'s end office.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises sending a query comprising an originating point code of the calling party'"'"'s end office;

and wherein step (c) comprises selecting a destination number using the originating point code of the calling party'"'"'s end office.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises receiving a three-digit number from a calling party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination number is associated with a non-emergency service center.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of (d) establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and the destination number selected in step (c).

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of (d) establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and the destination number selected in step (c) in response to a time the dialed number is received from a calling party.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of (d) establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and a default destination number in response to a selection not being made in step (c).

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of (d) providing the calling party with an indication that a telecommunications connection cannot be established in response to a selection not being made in step (c).

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(d) requesting the calling party enter a calling party number; and

(e) collecting the calling party number from the calling party.

10. A method for use in a telecommunications system comprising a first and second database location each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a dialed number from a calling party;

(b) determining a zip code associated with the calling party;

(c) selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, the first or second database location, the selecting being independent of the dialed number; and

(d) selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, a destination number from said plurality of destination numbers associated with the database location selected in (c).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (a) comprises receiving a three-digit number from a calling party.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (a) comprises receiving 311 from a calling party.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said respective plurality of destination numbers are associated with a respective plurality of non-emergency service centers.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of (e) establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and the destination number selected in step (d).

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of (e) establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and the destination number selected in step (d) in response to a time the dialed number is received from a calling party.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of (e) establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and a default destination number in response to a selection not being made in step (d).

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of (e) providing the calling party with an indication that a telecommunications connection cannot be established in response to a selection not being made in step (d).

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

(e) requesting the calling party enter a calling party number; and

(f) collecting the calling party number from the calling party.

20. The invention of claim 19, wherein the signal switch point is characterized by an originating point code.

19. A system for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party, the system comprising:

a signal switching point, said signal switching point being characterized by identification information; and

a service control point coupled with the signal switching point and operative to select a destination number using the signal switching point identification information.

21. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party, the computer readable program code comprising:

first computer readable program code for sending a query comprising end office identification information; and

second computer readable program code for returning a destination number in response to said query.

22. A system for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party, the system comprising:

a first database location;

a second database location, the first and second database locations each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers;

a destination number selector coupled with the first and second database locations;

a database location selector coupled with the destination number selector; and

a zip code selector coupled with the database location selector.

23. A system for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party, the system comprising:

a first database location;

a second database location, the first and second database locations each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers,

first means for selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, the first or second database location, said selecting being independent of the dialed number; and

second means for selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, a destination number from said plurality of destination numbers associated with the database location selected by the first means.

24. A system for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party, the system comprising:

a first database location;

a second database location, the first and second database locations each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers; and

a service control point coupled with the first and second database locations and operative to select, using a calling party'"'"'s zip code, the first or second database location independent of the dialed number and further operative to select, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, a destination number from said plurality of destination numbers associated with the selected database location.

25. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party, the computer readable program code comprising:

first computer readable program code for selecting, using a calling party'"'"'s zip code, a database location, the selecting being independent of the dialed number; and

second computer readable program code for selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, a destination number from said plurality of destination numbers associated with the selected database location.

26. A method for use in a telecommunications system comprising a first and second database location each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a dialed number from a calling party;

(b) sending a query comprising information identifying the calling party'"'"'s end office, said sending a query being performed in response to an availability of the information identifying the calling party'"'"'s end office;

(c) selecting a destination number using the information identifying the calling party'"'"'s end office, said selecting being performed in response to a singular destination number being associated with the information identifying the calling party'"'"'s end office;

(d) determining a zip code associated with the calling party;

(e) selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, the first or second database location, the selecting being independent of the dialed number; and

(f) selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, a destination number from said plurality of destination numbers associated with the database location selected in (e).