Personalized telephone number

• US 20070036288A1
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Parikh, Prashant
• Application Number:
  US11/183,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20070036288A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/76 Translation from the called subscriber's number to the outgoing or incoming control information

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing telephone connections to a called party which has been assigned a personalized number as well as a “plain old telephone service” (POTS) number. A caller dials directing information to indicate that a personalized number and not a POTS number is being supplied by the caller. A database system for serving a switch having intelligent network capabilities translates from that personalized number to the POTS number assigned to the called party. The public switched telephone network, using that POTS number, establishes a connection between the caller and the called party in accordance with the principles of the prior art. If the caller is not connected to a switch having intelligent network capabilities, the caller dials a directing code to access a switch having intelligent network capabilities and the latter switch accesses the database system to translate from the personalized number to the POTS number. Advantageously, any destination telephone can be assigned a personalized number and calls to that personalized number can charged to the caller. Advantageously, personalized numbers are much easier to remember than POTS numbers.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a telephone connection, comprising the steps of:

assigning to a destination telephone, a personalized telephone number;

from a calling station, accessing a switch having intelligent network capabilities;

transmitting said personalized telephone number to said switch having intelligent network capabilities;

accessing a database, from said switch having intelligent network capabilities, to translate between said personalized telephone number and a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) telephone number of a called destination station; and

establishing a connection over the public switched telephone network between said switch having intelligent network capabilities and said called destination station identified by said POTS telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of establishing a connection to said switch having intelligent network capabilities, comprises the steps of:

connecting said calling station to a switch serving said calling station, the serving switch not having intelligent network capabilities;

dialing a directing code to said serving switch not having intelligent network capabilities; and

using said directing code, connecting said calling station via said serving switch not having intelligent network capabilities to another switch having intelligent network capabilities.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of accessing a switch having intelligent network capabilities, comprises the steps of:

connecting said calling station to a serving switch having intelligent network capabilities; and

from said calling station, dialing a directing code preceding said personalized telephone number, said directing code for indicating a personalized telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between another calling station and said called destination station wherein said another calling station dials said POTS number and does not dial said personalized number.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

providing charge indications to said calling station for said connection.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of translating between said personalized telephone number and a POTS telephone number comprises the step of:

accessing geographic data to determine which of a plurality of telephone numbers of called destination stations should be used for said telephone connection.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of translating comprises the step of:

accessing screening data to determine whether a call from said calling station to said destination telephone should be completed.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of translating comprises the step of:

translating to find a plurality of telephone numbers of possible called destination stations for said connection.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said plurality comprises a plurality of telephone numbers for a flexible alerting call.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said plurality of telephone numbers comprises a primary number and at least one alternate number for use in case a connection to said primary number cannot be established.

11. Apparatus for establishing a telephone connection, comprising:

means for assigning to a destination telephone, a personalized telephone number;

means for accessing a switch having intelligent network capabilities from a calling station;

means for transmitting said personalized telephone number from said calling station to said switch having intelligent network capabilities;

means for accessing a database from said switch having intelligent network capabilities, to translate between said personalized telephone number and a plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone number of a called destination station; and

means for establishing a connection over the public switched telephone network between said switch having intelligent network capabilities and said called destination station identified by said POTS telephone number.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the step of establishing a connection to said switch having intelligent network capabilities, comprises:

means for connecting said calling station to a switch serving said calling station, the serving switch not having intelligent network capabilities;

said serving switch not having intelligent network capabilities comprising means for accepting a dialed directing code; and

means, responsive to receiving said directing code, for connecting said calling station via said serving switch not having intelligent network capabilities to a switch having intelligent network capabilities.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the means for accessing a switch having intelligent network capabilities, comprises:

means for connecting said calling station to a serving switch having intelligent network capabilities; and

means for accepting a directing code preceding said personalized telephone number, said directing code for indicating a personalized telephone number.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for establishing a connection between another calling station and said called destination station wherein said another calling station dials said POTS number and does not dial said personalized number.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for providing charge indications to said calling station for said connection.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the means for translating between said personalized telephone number and a POTS telephone number comprises:

means for accessing geographic data to determine which of a plurality of telephone numbers of a called station should be used for a connection to a called station.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the means for translating comprises:

means for accessing screening data to determine whether a call from said calling station to said called destination telephone should be completed.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the means for translating comprises:

means for translating to find a plurality of telephone numbers of possible called destination stations for said connection.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said plurality comprises a plurality of telephone numbers for a flexible alerting call.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said plurality of telephone numbers comprises a primary number and at least one alternate number for use in case a connection to said primary number cannot be established.