INTERNATIONAL ORIGIN DEPENDENT CUSTOMIZED ROUTING OF CALLS TO TOLL-FREE NUMBERS

• US 20090074174A1
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: ALLEN, William H., LASKEN, Robert B., CROCKETT, Susanne Marie
• Granted Patent: US 8,401,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/221.140
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• 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

Abstract

A customized routing service platform for routing international communications includes a receiver that receives, from an international gateway via a network node, international communication origination data for an international communication to a customer'"'"'s communication address. A database server receives customer routing instructions from the customer via a web server. The database server stores the received customer routing instructions. The database server also retrieves stored customer routing instructions, and determines a destination communication address based on the international communication origination data and the retrieved customer routing instructions. A forwarder forwards the destination communication address to the network node for routing the international communication to the destination communication address.

Claims

1. A customized routing service platform for routing international communications, comprising:

a receiver that receives, from an international gateway via a network node, international communication origination data for an international communication to a customer'"'"'s communication address;

a database server that receives customer routing instructions from the customer via a web server, that stores the received customer routing instructions, that retrieves the stored customer routing instructions, and that determines a destination communication address based on the international communication origination data and the retrieved customer routing instructions; and

a forwarder that forwards the destination communication address to the network node for routing the international communication to the destination communication address.

2. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 1,

wherein the international communication origination data includes data identifying the international communication as originating in a second country different than a first country in which the customized routing service platform is sited.

3. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 1,

wherein the international communication origination data includes data identifying a country in which the international communication originated.

4. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 3,

wherein the destination communication address and customer routing instructions vary in accordance with the country in which the international communication originated.

5. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 3,

wherein the data identifying the country in which the international communication originated comprises a country code.

6. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 1,

wherein the international communication origination data includes an NPA portion and an NXX portion, respectively.

7. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 1,

wherein the network node receives the international communication and suspends the communication pending receipt of the destination communication address.

8. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 1, further comprising:

a platform switch that receives and suspends the international communication received from the network node pending receipt of the destination communication address;

wherein the database server forwards the destination communication address to the platform switch in response to a query, and

wherein the platform switch forwards the international communication and the destination communication address to the network node.

9. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 8,

wherein the platform switch releases a trunk between the network node and the platform switch via release link transfer.

10. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 1, further comprising:

a network controller that accesses the routing instructions received from the web server and determines the destination communication address based on the routing instructions, the network controller forwarding the destination communication address to the network node in response to a query;

wherein the network node suspends the international communication while the network controller determines the destination communication address.

11. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 1, further comprising:

an interactive voice unit that queries a requesting party through the network node in accordance with a predetermined script received from the web server, the customized routing service platform selecting the predetermined script based on the international communication origination data received from the network node.

12. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 1,

wherein the destination communication address comprises a plain old telephone service directory communication address.

13. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 1,

wherein the destination communication address comprises at least one of a switch identification communication address and a trunk group communication address.

14. A method for routing international communications, comprising:

receiving, from an international gateway via a network node, international communication origination data for an international communication to a customer'"'"'s communication address;

receiving customer routing instructions from the customer via a web server;

storing the received customer routing instructions;

retrieving the stored customer routing instructions;

determining a first destination communication address based on the international communication origination data and the retrieved customer routing instructions; and

forwarding the destination communication address to the network node for routing the international communication to the destination communication address.

15. The method for routing international communications according to claim 14,

wherein the first destination communication address comprises one of a plain old telephone service directory communication address, a switch identification communication address and a trunk group communication address.

16. The method for routing international communications according to claim 14,

wherein customer routing instructions and the first destination communication address vary by country of origin of the international communication.

17. The method for routing international communications according to claim 14, further comprising:

populating a requesting party communication address field of the international communication with a code corresponding to the country of origin of the international communication; and

routing the international communication to the destination communication address in accordance with the received instructions based on the code.

18. The method for routing international communications according to claim 14, further comprising:

routing a communication to the first destination communication address originating domestically to a second destination communication address in accordance with the received instructions.

19. The method for routing international communications according to claim 14,

wherein the first destination communication address is further determined based on input received via an interactive voice unit.

20. An international gateway for routing international communications, comprising:

a receiver that receives an international communication to a customer'"'"'s international communication address;

a translator that translates the international communication address into a pseudo communication address and populates a communication address field of an address identification signal with international communication origination data indicating that the international communication originated in a country other than a country in which the international gateway is sited; and

a forwarder that forwards the international communication and the international communication origination data to a network node based on at least one of the international communication address and the pseudo communication address;

wherein a customized routing service platform receives the international communication and the international communication origination data from the network node based on the pseudo communication address,

wherein the customized routing service platform determines a destination communication address based on the international communication origination data and routing instructions received from the customer via a web server, and

wherein the platform forwards the destination communication address to the network node for routing the international communication to the destination communication address.

21. The customized routing service platform for routing international communications according to claim 20,

wherein the international gateway populates a communication address field with data indicating a country in which the international communication originated.