Cost-Conscious Telecommunications Terminal

• US 20090022302A1
• Filed: 07/19/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology LLC (Avaya Incorporated)
• Inventors: Milton, Stephen M., Abramson, Sandra R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for routing calls over an organization'"'"'s private network of private branch exchanges. In particular, when a member of the organization (e.g., an employee, etc.) places a call from his or her affiliated off-premises telecommunications terminal (e.g., cell phone, etc.), the call is automatically routed to its destination through at least a portion of the private network of private branch exchanges when doing so reduces the cost of the call. In the illustrative embodiment, the call routing is performed automatically and transparently via software on the affiliated terminals (i.e., employees'"'"' cell phones) and on the organization'"'"'s private branch exchanges.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a telecommunications terminal an input for placing a first call to a destination D; and

placing a second call, in response to said input, from said telecommunications terminal to a first of a plurality of associated private branch exchanges;

wherein a call from said telecommunications terminal to the first private branch exchange incurs no more cost than a call from said telecommunications terminal to any other of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said second call is directed to a telephone number that is in the address space of the first private branch exchange and that is not associated with any telecommunications terminal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said telephone number is for establishing a connection to a destination that is specified during a call to said telephone number.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising transmitting from said telecommunications terminal to the first private branch exchange a first identifier that identifies said destination D.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said first identifier is a telephone number that is not in the address space of any of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said connection traverses a path that comprises one or more of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the first of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges based at least partially on an entry point through which said telecommunications terminal connects to a network.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the first of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges based at least partially on what network said telecommunications terminal is connected to.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said telecommunications terminal is wireless, said method further comprising:

receiving at said telecommunications terminal a second identifier from a wireless base station; and

determining the first of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges based at least partially on said second identifier.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the first of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges based at least partially on the geo-location of said telecommunications terminal.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the first of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges based at least partially on the calendrical time at said telecommunications terminal.

12. A method comprising receiving at a data-processing system a call C that is placed at time t by a telecommunications terminal, wherein:

(i) when said telecommunications terminal is connected to a network via a first entry point at time t, said data-processing system is a first of a plurality of associated private branch exchanges; and

(ii) when said telecommunications terminal is connected to said network via a second entry point at time t, said data-processing system is a second of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

(i) when said telecommunications terminal is connected to said network via said first entry point at time t, a call from said telecommunications terminal to the first private branch exchange incurs no more cost than a call from said telecommunications terminal to the second private branch exchange; and

(ii) when said telecommunications terminal is connected to said network via said second entry point at time t, a call from said telecommunications terminal to the second private branch exchange incurs no more cost than a call from said telecommunications terminal to the first private branch exchange.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said call C is directed to a telephone number that

(i) is in the address space of said data-processing system, and

(ii) is for establishing a connection via said plurality of associated private branch exchanges to a destination that is specified during a call to said telephone number.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving at said data-processing system from said telecommunications terminal an identifier that identifies a destination to which to connect.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said identifier is a telephone number that is not in the address space of any of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges.

17. A method comprising receiving at a data-processing system a call C that is placed at time t by a telecommunications terminal, wherein:

(i) when said telecommunications terminal is connected to a first network at time t, said data-processing system is a first of a plurality of associated private branch exchanges; and

(ii) when said telecommunications terminal is connected to a second network at time t, said data-processing system is a second of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

(i) when said telecommunications terminal is connected to said first network at time t, a call from said telecommunications terminal to the first private branch exchange incurs no more cost than a call from said telecommunications terminal to any other of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges; and

(ii) when said telecommunications terminal is connected to said second network at time t, a call from said telecommunications terminal to the second private branch exchange incurs no more cost than a call from said telecommunications terminal to any other of said plurality of associated private branch exchanges.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said call C is directed to a telephone number that

(i) is in the address space of said data-processing system, and

(ii) is for establishing a connection via said plurality of associated private branch exchanges to a destination that is specified during a call to said telephone number.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving at said data-processing system from said telecommunications terminal an identifier that identifies a destination to which to connect.