Services node routing service

• US 20040091094A1
• Filed: 08/04/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ekstrom, Gayle R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,324,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/545 with loop avoiding arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

A method and system for treating telephone calls at a services node prior to completing the telephone call. The services node may provide a variety of services to treat the telephone call such as a Personal Access Service or playing a pre-recorded message. After treatment at the services node, the system recognizes that the telephone call has already been treated at a services node and the call is completed.

Claims

1. A method of treating a telephone call to a telephone number comprising:

querying a service control point regarding treatment of the telephone call at a services node;

associating the telephone number with a services node;

forwarding the telephone call to the services node for treatment; and

treating the telephone call at the services node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the service control point comprises associating a Called Party Telephone Number with a terminating telephone number of the services node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the service control point comprises comparing a Calling Party Telephone Number with an originating telephone number of a services node to determine if the telephone call was originated from the services node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service control point is queried by a service switching point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein treating the telephone call comprises identifying the telephone number where the telephone call will be completed by a personal access service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment plays a message to callers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the message comprises a pre-recorded announcement played for callers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message comprises a menu of choices for callers to select.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is based on the time of the day.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is based on the day of the week.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is based on the Calling Party Telephone Number.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is based on the station type of the calling party.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is conditioned on a switch to enable/disable forwarding.

14. A method of treating a call, the method comprising:

(a) with a service switching point, receiving a call from a calling party to a called party;

(b) sending a query from the service switching point to a service control point;

(c) sending an identification of a services node associated with the called party from the service control point to the service switching point;

(d) with the service switching point, connecting the call to the services node; and

(e) with the services node, treating the call.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein (e) comprises playing a message to the calling party.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein (e) comprises playing a menu of options to be selected to the calling party.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein (e) comprises determining a terminating number for the telephone call.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the services node is identified using the calling party'"'"'s number.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein (d) is performed only if the call has not been previously treated by the services node.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining whether the calling party is a subscriber to a services node treating service.

21. A system for treating a call, the system comprising:

a service switching point operative to receive a call from a calling party to a called party;

a services node coupled with the service switching point; and

a service control point coupled with the service switching point and operative to instruct the service switching point to route the call to the services node;

wherein the services node is operative to treat the call.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the services node is operative to play a message to the calling party.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the services node is operative to play a menu of options to be selected to the calling party.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the services node is operative to determine a terminating number for the call.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the service control point is further operative to instruct the service switching point to route the call to the services node only if the call has not been treated by the service node.