Reduction of Wireless Communication Costs in Enterprises

• US 20090022303A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Krishnaswamy, Venkatesh, Milton, Stephen M., Buford, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13138 Least cost routing, LCR
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for reducing wireless telecommunication costs for enterprises having a plurality of PBX-equipped sites, connected by either a public network (e.g., the PSTN, the Internet, etc.), a private network (e.g., leased lines, a virtual private network [VPN] over the Internet, etc.), or some combination of public and private networks. In particular, the illustrative embodiments of the present invention attempt to reduce telecommunication costs by advantageously routing calls from an off-premises wireless terminal belonging to the enterprise via one or more of the enterprise'"'"'s private branch exchanges. The present invention is especially advantageous in that it can reduce telecommunication costs for calls from an off-premises wireless terminal to any type of destination: another cell phone, a wireline terminal, a private branch exchange, etc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a data-processing system

(i) an indication of the geo-location of a wireless telecommunications terminal, and

(ii) an indication that the telephone number of said wireless telecommunications terminal has changed from M₁ to M₂,

wherein said wireless telecommunications terminal is associated with a telephone number N in the address space of a first private branch exchange, and wherein said telephone numbers M₁ and M₂ are not in the address space of said first private branch exchange; and

transmitting from said data-processing system to said first private branch exchange a signal that causes said telephone number N to be mapped to said telephone number M₂ instead of M₁.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at said data-processing system, prior to receiving the two indications concerning said wireless telecommunications terminal, a subscription request from a second private branch exchange;

transmitting from said data-processing system to said wireless telecommunications terminal information concerning said second private branch exchange; and

transmitting from said data-processing system to said second private branch exchange least-cost routing information for future calls.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said second private branch exchange is selected from a plurality of private branch exchanges based on said indication of the geo-location of said wireless telecommunications terminal.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving at said second private branch exchange a call from said wireless telecommunications terminal; and

routing said call from said second private branch exchange to said first private branch exchange along a route that does not include said data-processing system.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving at said first private branch exchange a call that is directed to said telephone number N;

routing said call from said first private branch exchange to said second private branch exchange along a route that does not include said data-processing system; and

extending said call to said wireless telecommunications terminal at said telephone number M₂.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at a second private branch exchange a call from said wireless telecommunications terminal, wherein the identity of said second private branch exchange is based on said indication of the geo-location of said wireless telecommunications terminal;

routing said call from said second private branch exchange to said data-processing system;

routing said call from said data-processing system to said first private branch exchange along a route that includes said second private branch exchange; and

dropping from said call the portions that connect said data-processing system and said second private branch exchange.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at a second private branch exchange a first call from said wireless telecommunications terminal, wherein said second private branch exchange is selected from a plurality of private branch exchanges based on said indication of the geo-location of said wireless telecommunications terminal;

routing said first call from said second private branch exchange to said data-processing system;

establishing a second call from said data-processing system to said first private branch exchange along a route that includes said second private branch exchange;

dropping from said second call the portion of said route that connects said data-processing system to said second private branch exchange; and

connecting said first call and said second call.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising extending the connected first and second calls to a destination that is specified by said wireless telecommunications terminal.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at said first private branch exchange a first call that is directed to said telephone number N;

routing said first call from said first private branch exchange to said data-processing system;

establishing a second call from said data-processing system to a second private branch exchange along a route that includes said first private branch exchange, wherein said second private branch exchange is selected from a plurality of private branch exchanges based on said indication of the geo-location of said wireless telecommunications terminal;

dropping from said second call the portion of said route that connects said data-processing system to said first private branch exchange;

connecting said first call and said second call; and

extending the connected first and second calls to said wireless telecommunications terminal at said telephone number M₂.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at a second private branch exchange a first call from said wireless telecommunications terminal, wherein the identity of said second private branch exchange is based on said indication of the geo-location of said wireless telecommunications terminal;

routing said first call from said second private branch exchange to said data-processing system along a first route that does not include said first private branch exchange;

routing said first call from said data-processing system to said first private branch exchange along a second route that does not include said second private branch exchange;

establishing a second call that connects said second private branch exchange to said first private branch exchange along a third route that does not include said data-processing system;

dropping, after the establishment of said second call, the portion of said first call between said second private branch exchange and said data-processing system.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising extending said third call to a destination that is specified by said wireless telecommunications terminal;

and wherein said destination receives a signal that indicates that the extended call originates from said telephone number N.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at said first private branch exchange a first call that is directed to said telephone number N;

routing said first call along a first route from said first private branch exchange to said data-processing system;

routing said first call from said data-processing system to a second private branch exchange along a second route that does not include said first private branch exchange, wherein said second private branch exchange is selected from a plurality of private branch exchanges based on said indication of the geo-location of said wireless telecommunications terminal;

establishing a second call that connects said first private branch exchange to said second private branch exchange along a third route that does not include said data-processing system;

dropping said first call after the establishment of said second call; and

extending said second call to said wireless telecommunications terminal at said telephone number M₂.

13. A method comprising:

receiving at a data-processing system an indication of a change in geographic area of a wireless telecommunications terminal, wherein said wireless telecommunications terminal is associated with a telephone number N in the address space of a first private branch exchange;

establishing a first call from said wireless telecommunications terminal to a second private branch exchange, wherein said second private branch exchange is selected from a plurality of private branch exchanges based on the current geographic area of said wireless telecommunications terminal;

receiving at a second private branch exchange a first call from said wireless telecommunications terminal, wherein the identity of said second private branch exchange is based on said change in geographic area;

routing said first call from said second private branch exchange to said data-processing system along a first route that does not include said first private branch exchange;

establishing a second call from said data-processing system to said first private branch exchange along a second route that includes said second private branch exchange;

dropping from said second call the portion of said second route that connects said data-processing system to said second private branch exchange; and

connecting said first call and said second call.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising extending the connected first and second calls to a destination that is specified by said wireless telecommunications terminal.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said destination receives a signal that indicates that the extended call originates from said telephone number N.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving at said first private branch exchange a third call that is directed to said telephone number N;

routing said third call from said first private branch exchange to said data-processing system along a third route;

establishing a fourth call from said data-processing system to a second private branch exchange along a fourth route that includes said first private branch exchange, wherein said second private branch exchange is selected from a plurality of private branch exchanges based on the current geographic area of said wireless telecommunications terminal;

dropping from said fourth call the portion of said fourth route that connects said data-processing system to said first private branch exchange;

connecting said third call and said fourth call; and

extending the connected first and fourth calls to said wireless telecommunications terminal.

17. A method comprising:

receiving at a data-processing system an indication of a change in geographic area of a wireless telecommunications terminal, wherein said wireless telecommunications terminal is associated with a telephone number N in the address space of a first private branch exchange;

receiving at a second private branch exchange a first call from said wireless telecommunications terminal, wherein the identity of said second private branch exchange is based on said indication of the geo-location of said wireless telecommunications terminal;

routing said first call from said second private branch exchange to said data-processing system along a first route that does not include said first private branch exchange;

routing said first call from said data-processing system to said first private branch exchange along a second route that does not include said second private branch exchange;

establishing a second call that connects said second private branch exchange to said first private branch exchange along a third route that does not include said data-processing system;

dropping from said first call the portion of said first call that connects said first private branch exchange to said second private branch exchange; and

connecting said first call and said second call.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising extending the connected first and second calls to a destination that is specified by said wireless telecommunications terminal.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said destination receives a signal that indicates that the extended call originates from said telephone number N.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving at said first private branch exchange a third call that is directed to said telephone number N;

routing said third call from said first private branch exchange to said second private branch exchange along said third route; and

extending said third call to said wireless telecommunications terminal.