System and method for providing advanced telephony services using a virtual telephone number

• US 20040110465A1
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Bedingfield, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.05
• 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 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing advanced telephony services to telephone numbers served by telecommunications networks lacking the infrastructure to provide these advanced services directly are described. In an embodiment of the present invention, a service-providing network, which has the capability of providing advanced telephony services to a service subscriber for calls that traverse it, provides advanced telephony services to calls directed to a telephony device on a native transport network. The native transport network is a network that naturally carries a subscriber'"'"'s calls but does not have the capabilities required to provide advanced services. In one embodiment, the system uses a virtual number to map a service in the service-provider network with a device in the native transport network.

Claims

1. A method for providing a service to a telephony device, comprising:

providing a virtual telephone number in a service-providing network, wherein said virtual telephone number utilizes a telecommunications service provided by a first element of said service-providing network;

associating a telephony device with said virtual telephone number;

receiving a call directed to said virtual telephone number;

providing said telecommunications service to said call; and

routing said call to said telephony device through a native transport network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said telecommunications service comprises a service selected from the group consisting of a call delivery service, a call forwarding service, a call rescue service, a custom ring-pattern service, a call logging service, a call reporting service, a voice mail service, a custom messaging service, a message waiting indicator service, a message notification service, a caller identification (caller ID) service, a privacy director service, an anonymous call rejection service, and a personal identification number (PIN) override service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating said telephony device with said virtual telephone number comprises storing said virtual telephone number in a database in said service-providing network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating said telephony device with said virtual telephone number comprises storing said virtual telephone number in a memory device of said telephony device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said telephony device is a telephony device selected from the group consisting of a wireline telephony device, a wireless telephony device, and a packet-based telephony device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said service-providing network is a network selected from the group consisting of a wireline network, a wireless network, and a packet-switching network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said telephony device comprises an identifier; and

said associating said telephony device with said virtual telephone number comprises storing said identifier and said first directory number in a database.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said database comprises a subscriber profile.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said native transport network is a network selected from the group consisting of a wireline network, a wireless network, and a packet-switching network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a caller identifier associated with said call.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a preference associated with said telecommunications service.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising modifying said telecommunications service based upon said preference.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising billing a telecommunications provider of said native transport network for provision of said telecommunications service.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising billing a subscriber for provision of said telecommunications service.

15. A system for providing a service to a wireless device, comprising:

a telephony device;

a native transport network in communication with said telephony device;

a service-providing network in communication with said native transport network;

a database in communication with said service-providing network, wherein said database comprises an association between said virtual telephone number and said telephony device;

a first element in said service-providing network, wherein said first element is operable for providing a telecommunications service to a call directed to said telephony device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said telephony device is a telephony device selected from the group consisting of a wireline telephony device, a wireless telephony device, and a packet-based telephony device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said telecommunications service comprises a service selected from the group consisting of a call delivery service, a call forwarding service, a call rescue service, a custom ring-pattern service, a call logging service, a call reporting service, a voice mail service, a custom messaging service, a message waiting indicator service, a message notification service, a caller identification (caller ID) service, a privacy director service, an anonymous call rejection service, and a personal identification number (PIN) override service.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said telephony device comprises a memory device, and wherein said virtual telephone number is stored in said memory device.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an identifier of said telephony device; and

.

a database for storing said identifier and said first directory number.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said database comprises a profile.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein said service-providing network comprises an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN).

22. The system of claim 15, wherein said service-providing network comprises a packet-switching network.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein said first element comprises a service control point (SCP).

24. The system of claim 15, wherein said first element comprises a media gateway controller.