Advanced intelligent signal telephone number routing

• US 20040190706A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gaffney, Gwen H., Fleischer, Harold C. III, Thompson, Brenda S., Merlotti, James C., Boeckman, Michael W., Eiffert, Susan D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,980,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 : Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors

Abstract

A method, system and computer readable medium are provided for defining a service area served by a service location of a telecommunications network customer. The method includes ascertaining a geographic designator of a geographic area. The geographic area includes a plurality of geographic sub-areas that each correspond to a geographic sub-designator. The method also includes determining whether any two of the plurality of geographic sub-areas are not served by the same service location. When any two of the plurality of geographic sub-areas are not served by the same service location, the service area is defined by only the sub-designators corresponding to the geographic sub-areas served by the service location. When each of the plurality of geographic sub-areas are served by the same service location, the service area is defined by the geographic designator.

Claims

1. An apparatus that routes an originating call to a subscriber location within a local communication network in response to a local call request from a calling party, said network including a plurality of subscriber locations and call signaling logic, said apparatus comprising:

a geographic determiner that determines a geographic location of the calling party based upon an originating telephone number of the calling party;

a recognizer that recognizes an exception interval;

a router that routes the call request to a selected one of the subscriber locations, based on a predetermined percent allocation, when the call request is placed during the exception interval;

a processor that determines which of the subscriber locations is closest to the geographic location of the calling party when the call request is placed outside the exception interval; and

the router routes the originating call to the determined closest subscriber location when the call request is outside the exception interval.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the geographic determiner further includes:

a receiver that receives the originating telephone number; and

a translator that translates the originating telephone number into a zip code of a location of the calling party.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the router forwards the originating call to a predetermined default telephone number when the originating telephone number is not received by the receiver.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a limiter that limits incoming calls to calls originating within a predefined geographic area.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the limiter is actuated after a service is identified and before said processor is actuated.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predefined geographic area defines a market area of the subscriber.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the router further routes calls originating outside of said predefined geographic area to an informational announcement.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor includes:

a comparer that compares the ascertained geographic location with a predefined list of subscriber service areas.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predefined list correlates each geographic location within the subscriber service area with a predefined terminating number of one of the plurality of subscriber locations.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, the geographic determiner further comprising:

a querier that queries a database that includes a list of service provider customer telephone numbers and corresponding customer geographic information.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, said customer information including zip code information.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a responder that responds to the querier by transmitting the geographic information related to the originating telephone number.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the router further forwards the call request to a terminating telephone number of the closest subscriber location to the geographic location.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a responder that responds to the querier by transmitting predetermined default geographic information when the originating telephone number is not listed in the database.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, said geographic determiner further comprising:

a timer that times a response to the query to the database; and

the router routes the call request to a predetermined default routing telephone number when a response is not received within a predetermined period.

16. A method of routing an originating call to a subscriber location within a local communication network in response to a local call request from a calling party, the network including a plurality of subscriber locations and call signaling logic, the method comprising:

determining a geographic location of the calling party based upon an originating telephone number of the calling party;

recognizing an exception interval;

routing the call request to a selected one of the subscriber locations, based on a predetermined percent allocation, when the call request is placed during the exception interval;

determining which of the plurality of subscriber locations is closest to the geographic location of the calling party when the call request is placed outside the exception interval; and

routing the originating call to the determined closest subscriber location when the call request is placed outside the exception interval.

17. An apparatus that routes an originating call to a subscriber location within a local communication network in response to a local call request from a calling party, said network including a plurality of subscriber locations and call signaling logic, said apparatus comprising:

a geographic determiner that determines a geographic location of the calling party based upon an originating telephone number of the calling party;

a recognizer that recognizes an exception interval;

a router that routes the call request to a selected one of the subscriber locations when the call request is placed during the exception interval;

a processor that determines which of the subscriber locations is closest to the geographic location of the calling party when the call request is placed outside the exception interval; and

the router routes the originating call to the determined closest subscriber location when the call request is placed outside the exception interval,

wherein the geographic location is the most specific geographic location available to the geographic determiner.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the geographic determiner further includes:

a receiver that receives the originating telephone number; and

a translator that translates the originating telephone number into a zip code of a location of the calling party.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a limiter that limits incoming calls to calls originating within a predefined geographic area.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, the determiner further comprising:

a querier that queries a database that stores a list of service provider customer telephone numbers and corresponding customer geographic information.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the router forwards the call request to one of the plurality of alternate routing telephone numbers based on a predetermined percent allocation.

22. A computer readable medium storing a computer program that routes an originating call to a subscriber location within a local communication network in response to a local call request from a calling party, the network including a plurality of subscriber locations and call signaling logic, the computer readable medium having instructions for:

determining a geographic location of the calling party based upon an originating telephone number of the calling party;

recognizing an exception interval;

routing the call request to a selected one of the subscriber locations, based on a predetermined percent allocation, when the call request is placed during the exception interval;

determining which of the plurality of subscriber locations is closest to the geographic location of the calling party when the call request is placed outside the exception interval; and

routing the originating call to the determined closest subscriber location when the call request is placed outside the exception interval.