Methods, systems, and storage mediums for providing an optimized call routing service

• US 20050281398A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Starling, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US10/869,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20050281398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.02
• 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 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to methods, systems, and storage mediums for providing call routing services. The method includes retrieving vendor pricing data in response to a call received from a caller. The call seeks termination at a destination party number. The method also includes retrieving customer preference data for the caller, analyzing the vendor pricing data and the customer preference data in light of the destination party number, generating a call routing plan resulting from the analyzing, and executing the call in accordance with the call routing plan.

Claims

1. A method for providing call routing services, comprising:

retrieving vendor pricing data in response to a call received from a caller, said call seeking termination at a destination party number;

retrieving customer preference data for said caller;

analyzing said vendor pricing data and said customer preference data in light of said destination party number;

generating a call routing plan resulting from said analyzing; and

executing said call in accordance with said call routing plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon said executing said call, updating a billing account for said caller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said vendor pricing data includes available rates offered and categorized by at-least one of:

time of day;

day of week;

day of year;

location of calling party; and

location of destination party.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said customer preference data is operable for selecting a vendor for handling call routing based upon at least one of:

said vendor pricing data;

customer personal preference; and

percentage allocation including allocating call transmissions between at least two vendors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating a call routing plan includes selecting a vendor to execute transmission of said call.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said generating a call routing plan includes selecting a vendor to execute transmission of said call.

6. A method for establishing a call routing service account, comprising:

receiving a request for said call routing service account from a caller, said caller identified by a calling party number;

prompting said caller to select call routing preferences;

assigning an account code to said calling party number; and

activating said call routing service account for said caller;

wherein said call routing preferences are selectable based upon at least one of;

vendor pricing data;

customer personal preference; and

percentage allocation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

associating said call routing service account with a billing account for said caller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said vendor pricing data includes available rates offered and categorized by at least one of:

time of day;

day of week;

day of year;

location of calling party; and

location of destination party.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said percentage allocation includes allocating call transmissions between at least two vendors.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein initiation of said request for a call routing service account occurs via at least one of:

a public-switched telephone network;

a packet-switched network; and

a manual entry process.

11. A system for providing call routing services, comprising:

a service control server storing vendor pricing data and customer preference data;

wherein in response to a call received from a caller, said service control server retrieves said vendor pricing data and said customer preference data;

an analysis engine executing on said service control server, said analysis engine operable for;

analyzing said vendor pricing data and said customer preference data in light of a destination party number associated with said call; and

generating a call routing plan resulting from said analyzing; and

at least one vendor system in communication with said service control server, said at least one vendor system identified in said call routing plan;

wherein said at least one vendor system executes said call in accordance with said call routing plan.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a billing server in communication with said service control server, said billing server operable for updating a billing account for said caller upon execution of said call routing plan.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said vendor pricing data includes available rates offered and categorized by at least one of:

time of day;

day of week;

day of year;

location of calling party; and

location of destination party.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said customer preference data is operable for selecting a vendor for handling call routing based upon at least one of:

said vendor pricing data;

customer personal preference; and

percentage allocation including allocating call transmissions between at least two vendors.

16. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program code for providing call routing services, said program code including instructions for causing a server to implement a method, comprising:

retrieving vendor pricing data in response to a call received from a caller, said call seeking termination at a destination party number;

retrieving customer preference data for said caller;

analyzing said vendor pricing data and said customer preference data in light of said destination party number;

generating a call routing plan resulting from said analyzing; and

executing said call in accordance with said call routing plan.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for causing said server to implement:

upon said executing said call, updating a billing account for said caller.

18. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein said vendor pricing data includes available rates offered and categorized by at least one of:

time of day;

day of week;

day of year;

location of calling party; and

location of destination party.

19. The storage medium of claim 18, wherein said customer preference data is operable for selecting a vendor for handling call routing based upon at least one of:

said vendor pricing data;

customer personal preference; and

percentage allocation including allocating call transmissions between at least two vendors.

20. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein said generating a call routing plan includes selecting a vendor to execute transmission of said call.