System and method for jurisdictional routing

• US 20060177035A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Cope, Warren B., McConnell, Von K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/12 Discriminative metering , charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• 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 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2006 Fixed telephone network, e.g. POTS, ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/70 Identification of class of calling subscriber

Abstract

A method and system for routing a call based on calling device type is disclosed. In a communication network, an originating switch may receive a call request from a calling device seeking to connect with a dialed number. The originating switch may responsively send into a signaling system a call-setup message that conveys information including a calling device type indicator, such as a serial number of the calling device. A controller may then use the calling device type as a basis to select a destination to which the call should be routed in order to facilitate connecting with the dialed number. The invention can be usefully employed to facilitate routing of customer service calls concerning a calling device.

Claims

1. In a communication system in which a device operates under an assigned directory number and has a device type, a method comprising:

receiving into a network node a request to set up call from the device to a dialed number;

determining the device type; and

based at least in part on the device type, selecting a destination to which the call should be routed in order to establish a connection to the dialed number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing the call to the selected destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device type comprises at least one of (i) the make of the device, (ii) the model of the device and (iii) the configuration of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device has a serial number that uniquely identifies the device type and wherein determining the device type comprises receiving the serial number in a call origination request from the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device has a serial number that uniquely identifies the device type and wherein determining the device type comprises looking up the serial number of the device having the assigned directory number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a cell phone that has an electronic serial number indicating a manufacturer and serial number of the cell phone, and wherein determining the device type comprises receiving the electronic serial number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network node comprises a switch, and wherein receiving into a network node a request to set up call from the device to a dialed number comprises the switch a call origination request from the device, the call origination request providing the switch with the dialed number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting a destination based at least in part on the device type comprises the switch selecting the destination based at least in part on the device type.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the switch sending into a signaling system a call setup message conveying an indication of the device type,

wherein selecting a destination based at least in part on the device type comprises a signaling point in the signaling system receiving the indication of device type and selecting the destination based at least in part on the indication of device type.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the switch sending into a signaling system a call setup message conveying an indication of the device type; and

the signaling system passing the indication of device type to a controller associated with the dialed number,

wherein selecting a destination based at least in part on the device type comprises the controller receiving the indication of device type and selecting the destination based at least in part on the indication of device type.

11. A method comprising:

a switch receiving from a cell phone a request to connect a call to a customer service telephone number, the signal conveying from the cell phone to the switch (i) a directory number of the cell phone, (ii) a serial number of the cell phone, and (iii) the customer service telephone number;

the switch responsively sending a call setup signal into a signaling system, conveying in the call setup signal at least the serial number;

the signaling system passing the serial number to a customer service controller;

the customer service controller using the serial number as a basis to select a customer service destination point for the call;

the customer service controller sending a signaling message into the signaling system instructing to route the call to the selected customer service destination; and

routing the call to the selected customer service destination.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the customer service controller passing the serial number to the selected customer service destination, for use by the destination in processing the call.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

using the serial number to determine a device type of the cell phone; and

the customer service controller passing an indication of the device type to the selected customer service destination, for use by the destination in processing the call.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the call setup signal is an ISUP IAM signal.

15. A system comprising:

a switch that receives a request to connect a call from a calling device to a called number; and

logic for selecting a destination for the call based at least in part on a calling device type.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

logic for determining the calling device type.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the calling device type is indicated in the request.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the logic for selecting a destination for the call based at least in part on a calling device type comprises:

logic for receiving a serial number of the calling device, determining a particular calling device type based on the serial number, and selecting a destination for the call based on the particular calling device type.

19. A call routing system comprising:

a calling device;

a transport system;

a signaling system; and

a plurality of destinations associated with a given telephone number,

wherein the signaling system receives a call setup request indicating a request to set up a call from the calling device to the given telephone number, the call setup request including a device-type indicator that indicates a calling device type, and

wherein the signaling system passes the device-type indicator to a controller, the controller selects a destination for the call based at least in part on the calling device type indicated by the device-type indicator, and the signaling system then sets up the call through the transport system to the selected destination.

20. The call routing system of claim 19, wherein the controller further passes the device-type indicator to a destination telephone device for use in processing the call.

21. The call routing system of claim 19, wherein the device-type indicator comprises a serial number of the calling device.

22. The call routing system of claim 19, wherein the calling device is a cell phone, and the device-type indicator comprises an electronic serial number of the cell phone, the electronic serial number including a manufacturer code indicating a manufacturer of the cell phone.

23. The call routing system of claim 19, wherein the given telephone number is a customer service telephone number.

24. The call routing system of claim 19, wherein the selected destination comprises a switch.

25. The call routing system of claim 19, wherein the selected destination comprises a customer service department.

26. A method comprising:

a switch receiving a request to connect a call from a calling device to a dialed number;

the switch selecting a next switching point to which the call should be routed based at least in part on a calling device type; and

the switch routing the call to the next switching point.

27. A switch comprising:

an interface for sending and receiving signaling communications; and

logic, executable in response to a call request from a calling device, to send a call-setup signaling message via the interface and to include in the call-setup signaling message a device-type indicator that indicates a calling device type.