SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING DENIED CALLS

• US 20090290688A1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bandwidth Inc.
• Original Assignee: VIXXI Solutions, Inc. (Bandwidth Inc.)
• Inventors: Stringer, Bennie C. JR., Peters, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US12/125,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20090290688A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for ensuring that calls from emergency responders and public safety answering points are connected to prepaid wireless or voice over internet protocol devices where the accounts associated with such devices have no remaining credit. According to certain embodiments of the invention a prepaid intercept is provided that enables telephone calls from certain entities to be connected to prepaid wireless devices, regardless of whether the accounts associated with such prepaid wireless devices have remaining credit. Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for determining whether an incoming call to a prepaid wireless device is from a public safety answering point and validating all calls from a public safety answering point.

Claims

1. A telecommunication system comprising:

circuitry for completing calls from a calling party to a called party number in accordance with validation instructions based upon a current status of said called party number; and

validation circuitry operative in response to a call denial completion validation directed to a specific called number from a specific calling number for overriding said call denial based at least in part on an identity of said specific calling party.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said overriding is based at least in part on an identity of said called number.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said call denial is based, at least in part, on a lack of funds for validating a completion to said specific called number.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said specific calling number is associated with a predefined emergency caller.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said overriding is based at least in part on a dynamic call validation.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said specific called number and said specific calling number are a predefined matched pair.

7. A method for completing calls in a communications system that would otherwise be denied, said method comprising:

receiving an incoming call request to connect a calling entity in said communications network to a called entity in said communications network;

ascertaining that the call should be denied;

generating an override request to a controller; and

completing said call to said called entity based upon an override from said controller.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said request includes said identity of said calling entity, and said override is based, at least in part, on an identity of said calling.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said incoming call request is denied because an account associated with said called entity has insufficient funds for validating completion.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said calling entity is associated with a predefined emergency caller.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said override is based at least in part on dynamic call validation.

12. A method for determining whether denied calls in a communications system should be completed, said method comprising:

receiving an override request from an element in a communications system, said request generated in response to a denied call to a specific called number from a specific calling number;

determining whether said denied call should be overridden based, at least in part, on an identity of said specific calling number; and

communicating a response to said override request based on said determining.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said determining is based on information transmitted with said override request and information stored in a data storage device.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said denied call completion is based, at least in part, on a lack of funds for validating a completion to said specific called number.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said specific called number is associated with a prepaid account.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said specific calling number is associated with a predefined emergency caller.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said specific calling number is associated with a PSAP.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said specific calling number and said specific called number are a predefined matched pair.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said element in said communications system is a switching device.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein said element in said communications system is a prepaid account controller.

21. Computer-executable software code stored to a computer-readable medium, which when executed by a computer causes said computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving an override request, said request generated in response to a denied call to a specific called number from a specific calling number;

determining whether said denied call should be overridden based, at least in part, on an identity of said specific calling number; and

communicating a response to said override request, wherein said response is based on said determining.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said call denial is based, at least in part, on a lack of funds for validating a call completion.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said specific calling number is associated with a predefined emergency caller.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said specific calling number is associated with a PSAP.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein said specific called number and said specific calling number are a predefined matched pair.