System and method for enhanced internet service connections

• US 20030138093A1
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system and method for marking telephone calls from a subscriber to an Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) with a class of service marker. Using this system and method, subscribers can obtain enhanced connections to their ISPs based on their class of service. An ISP can designate several different levels, or classes of service which their subscribers may choose. Generally, with higher the classes of service, the subscriber will have a greater opportunity for a successful dial-up connection to the ISP. The telephone service provider uses a class of service scheme provided by the ISP to determine the best route for the call. Additionally, the class of service marker is made available to the ISP in a manner such that the ISP can determine the caller'"'"'s class of service without actually answering the call. Thus, two levels of enhanced ISP connections are provided. First, the telephone service provider (“telco”) can use the COS to determine the best route for each individual call. Second, once a call has been routed to the ISP, the ISP can determine the COS prior to answering the call and can make a business decision whether or not the call should be answered.

Claims

1. A method for establishing telephone connections between a subscriber and an internet service provider comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a class of service for the subscriber and a route counter for a telephone call from a subscriber telephone number to a first telephone access number;

(b) marking the telephone call with the class of service and the route counter;

(c) setting a called party number field in the telephone call to a second telephone access number according to the class of service and the route counter;

(d) processing the telephone call on at least one service switching point;

(e) updating the route counter; and

(f) repeating steps (b) through (e) if the telephone call is not terminated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises writing a class of service code in a first portion of a calling party number field, and writing the route counter in a second portion of the calling party number field, said first and second portions not occupied by the subscriber telephone number.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first portion is a first digit in the calling party number field and the second portion is a second digit through a fifth digit in the calling party number field.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first portion is the fifth digit in the calling party number field and the second portion is the first digit through a fourth digit in the calling party number field.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of repeating steps (b) through (e) if the telephone call is not answered.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a busy signal to the subscriber if the route counter indicates all routes have been exhausted.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of initializing the route counter if the route counter indicates all routes have been exhausted.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of playing an announcement to the subscriber, then disconnecting the call if the route counter indicates all routes have been exhausted.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises incrementing the route counter.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of providing a busy signal to the subscriber if the route counter is greater than a pre-defined number.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of initializing the route counter if the route counter is greater than a predefined number.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of playing an announcement to the subscriber, then disconnecting the call if the route counter is greater than a pre-defined number.

13. In an intelligent switched telecommunications network including a switch, a service control point, and a signaling network, a method for connecting a subscriber to an internet service provider, comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a database on the service control point, said database comprising a class of service marker, a class of service scheme, a public telephone access number and a plurality of private telephone access numbers;

(b) receiving at the switch a telephone call from a subscriber telephone number to the public telephone access number;

(c) sending a database query from the switch to the service control point;

(d) sending a response from the service control point to the switch, said response having the class of service marker inserted in a first portion of a calling party number field, a route counter inserted in a second portion of said calling party number field, the public telephone access number in a redirecting party number field, and a called number in a called party number field, wherein the called number is selected from the plurality of private telephone access numbers according to the route counter, the public telephone access number and the class of service marker;

(e) routing the telephone call according to the called party number field;

(f) updating the route counter; and

(g) repeating steps (c) through (f) if the telephone call is not terminated.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first portion is a first digit in the calling party number field and the second portion is a second digit through a fifth digit in the calling party number field.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first portion is the fifth digit in the calling party number field and the second portion is the first digit through a fourth digit in the calling party number field.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of repeating steps (c) through (f) if the telephone call is not answered.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of providing a busy signal to the subscriber if the route counter indicates all telephone access numbers in the plurality of private telephone access numbers have been exhausted.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of initializing the route counter if the route counter indicates all telephone access numbers in the plurality of private telephone access numbers have been exhausted.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of playing an announcement to the subscriber then disconnecting the call if the route counter indicates all telephone access numbers in the plurality of private telephone access numbers have been exhausted.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein step (f) comprises incrementing the route counter.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of providing a busy signal to the subscriber if the route counter is greater than a number of telephone access numbers in the plurality of private telephone access numbers.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of initializing the route counter if the route counter is greater than a predefined number.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of playing an announcement to the subscriber then disconnecting the call if the route counter is greater than a pre-defined number.

24. A telecommunications system for connecting a subscriber to an internet service provider, comprising:

(a) a service control point in communication with a service switching point;

(b) a database on the service control point comprising a plurality of subscriber telephone numbers, a plurality of subscriber class of service markers, a plurality of public telephone access numbers, and a plurality of a class of service schemes;

(c) a means for suspending on the service switching point a telephone call from the subscriber to the internet service provider;

(d) means for determining a subscriber class of service marker, a next route and a route counter using the database;

(e) means for marking the telephone call with the subscriber class of service marker and the route counter;

(f) means for routing the telephone call according the next route; and

(g) means for detecting whether or not the telephone call is terminated and whether or not the call is answered.

25. The telecommunications system of claim 24, further comprising an access server in communication with a modem on a telephone line corresponding to the next route, said access server having means for retrieving the class of service marker without answering the telephone call when said telephone call is terminated.

26. The telecommunications system of claim 24, wherein the means for marking the telephone call with the subscriber class of service marker comprises a first computer-readable medium encoded with a first computer-readable program code for causing the service control point to insert the class of service marker into a first portion of a calling party number field.

27. The telecommunications system of claim 26, wherein the means for marking the telephone call with the route counter further comprises a second computer-readable medium encoded with a second computer-readable program code for causing the service control point to insert the route counter into a second portion of a calling party number field.

28. The telecommunications system of claim 24, wherein the means for determining a subscriber class of service marker, a next route and a route counter using the database, and the means for marking the telephone call with the subscriber class of service marker and the route counter, and the means for routing the telephone call according the next route comprise a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer-readable program code operating on the service control point.

29. A telecommunications system for marking a subscriber'"'"'s call with a class of service marker and routing the call to an internet service provider according a subscriber'"'"'s class of service scheme comprising:

(a) a first service switching point connected to a subscriber telephone line;

(b) a second service switching point connected to a plurality of internet service provider telephone lines; and

(c) a service control point in communication with the first and second service switching points, having a first database comprising a plurality of subscriber records storing a plurality of subscriber telephone numbers and a plurality of associated class of service markers, and a second database comprising a plurality of internet service provider records storing a plurality of public telephone access numbers and a plurality of class of service schemes,

wherein, when the subscriber calls a selected one of the plurality of public telephone access numbers the service control point sets a redirecting party number field to the selected public telephone access number, the service control point sets a first portion of a calling party number field to the class of service marker, wherein the class of service marker is determined using the first database and the calling party number field, the service control point sets a second portion of the calling party number field to a route counter, and the service control point sets a route according to the route counter and a selected one of the plurality of class of service schemes according to the redirecting party number field and the class of service marker,

wherein, when the first service switching point processes the subscriber'"'"'s call with the second service switching point, if the subscriber'"'"'s call is not terminated the service control point updates the route counter in the second portion of the calling party number field and the service control point sets a next route according to the class of service scheme and the updated route counter.

30. The telecommunications system of claim 29, wherein the plurality of class of service schemes comprises a plurality of ordered lists of private telephone access numbers.

31. The telecommunications system of claim 29, further comprising an access server in communication with a plurality of modems connected to the plurality of private telephone access numbers, wherein the access server comprises a first computer-readable medium encoded with a first computer-readable program code for causing the access server to retrieve the class of service marker from the first portion of the calling party number field before answering the subscriber'"'"'s call.

32. The telecommunications system of claim 31, wherein the access server further comprises a second computer-readable medium encoded with a second computer-readable program code for causing the access server to selectively answer the subscriber'"'"'s call according the class of service marker.

33. The telecommunications system of claim 29, wherein the first service switching point and the second service switching point comprise a single service switching point.

34. The telecommunications system of claim 29, wherein the first database and the second database comprise a single database.