METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING OF A TOLL FREE CALL SERVICE ALARM

• US 20100014651A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• 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: Dardashti, Mojgan, Qian, Zhiqiang, Zinnikas, Michael John, BAJPAY, PARITOSH
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.240
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatic processing of toll free call service alarms are disclosed. For example, the method receives a trouble ticket by a service provider for a toll free call service alarm, and retrieves a calling to number and a calling from number from the trouble ticket. The method determines if the service provider is a responsible organization for the toll free call service for the calling to number, and determines if a customer network for the toll free call service is active if the service provider is the responsible organization for the toll free call service. The method notifies a work center if the customer network is not active.

Claims

1. A method for processing a toll free call service alarm associated with a toll free call service, comprising:

receiving a trouble ticket by a service provider for a toll free call service alarm;

retrieving a calling to number and a calling from number from said trouble ticket;

determining if said service provider is a responsible organization for said toll free call service for said calling to number;

determining if a customer network for said toll free call service is active if said service provider is the responsible organization for said toll free call service; and

notifying a work center if said customer network is not active.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if said service provider is responsible for an Intra-Lata transport or an Inter-Lata transport for said toll free call service; and

notifying a work center of a mismatch if said service provider is either responsible for said Intra-Lata transport or said Inter-Lata transport for said toll free call service, or if said service provider is the responsible organization for said toll free call service.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining if a call originated from a valid location if said service provider is responsible for both said Intra-Lata transport or said Inter-Lata transport and said toll free call service;

notifying a work center if said call originated from an invalid location;

determining if said responsible organization in a service provider database matches that of an SMS/800 database if said call originated from said valid location; and

notifying a customer that said service provider is not the responsible organization for said toll free call service if the responsible organization in the service provider database and SMS/800 database do not match.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining if either a control is placed by said service provider for said toll free call service, or if said toll free call service is placed on an unavailable status, or a first Type of Termination (TOT) code is on a notification list, or said calling from number is on a blocked list of Numbering Plan Areas (NPAs); and

notifying a work center if said control is placed by said service provider, or said toll free call service is placed on said unavailable status, or the TOT code is on said notification list, or said calling from number is on said blocked list of NPAs.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

retrieving one or more of;

a Service Assurance (SA) plan, a Vertical Service Indicator (VSI), or a Numbering Plan Type (NPT) from a database for said toll free call service;

notifying a work center if said toll free call service does not have said SA plan; and

notifying a work center if said VSI is for a service that has one or more additional features and the NPT indicates a regular phone number.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining if said calling from number is an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone number.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving a status of one or more IP ports if said calling from number is said IP telephone number;

determining if one or more links or protocols are active for said one or more IP ports;

determining a status of a customer router if said one or more links or protocols are active; and

retrieving a customer network configuration if one or more of said links, said protocols or said customer router are inactive.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a status of an edge router that connects a class 5 switch to an IP network if said customer router is active; and

notifying a work center responsible for said edge router if said toll free call service alarm is due to a trouble for said edge router.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining if at least one of;

a customer Virtual Route Forwarding (VRF) table or a Provider Edge Router (PER) IP address match information stored in a database from said customer network configuration;

notifying a work center if said VRF table or said PER IP address does not match said information stored in said database; and

notifying a work center of a trouble in an IP network if said VRF table or said PER IP address match said information stored in said database.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

performing a test call using a toll free number and a home switch for said calling from number, if said calling from number is not an IP number;

determining if toll free call service is an advanced 8YY service if said test call is successful;

determining if said VSI is for an enhanced 8YY service if said test call is not successful; and

notifying a work center if said test call is not successful and said VSI is for an enhanced 8YY service.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if said VSI is for a ready-line inbound service terminating on an existing Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) line;

performing a POTS test call using said home switch and a termination number if said VSI is for said ready-line inbound service terminating on an existing POTS line;

notifying a work center if said POTS test call is successful;

determining a termination switch for said termination number if said POTS test is not successful;

determining if one or more trouble codes for a service degradation exist on said termination switch; and

notifying a work center if said one or more service degradations exist.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if said VSI is either for a service that has additional features or a service with a direct egress from a customer site to a service provider Point Of Presence (POP);

determining if said toll free call service is subject to an exception handling if said VSI is either for a service that has additional features or a service with a direct egress from said customer site to the service provider POP; and

notifying a work center of said exception handling.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining if the NPT for said toll free call service is that of a routing number.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining if said toll free call service is an advanced 8YY service if said NPT is not that of said routing number;

notifying a work center if said toll free call service is an advanced 8YY service and NPT is not that of said routing number; and

notifying a work center if said toll free call service is not an advanced 8YY service and NPT is not that of said routing number.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

performing a test call from said home switch using a termination number if said NPT is that of said routing number;

performing a test call on a class 4 switch if said test call from said home switch using said termination number is not successful; and

determining if said toll free call service is an advanced 8YY service if said test call from said home switch using said termination number is successful.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

notifying a work center if said toll free call service is not an advanced 8YY service and said test call from said home switch using said termination number is successful; and

notifying a work center to continue troubleshooting on advanced 8YY service if said toll free call service is said advanced 8YY service and said test call from said home switch using said termination number is successful.

17. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for processing a toll free call service alarm associated with a toll free call service, comprising:

receiving a trouble ticket by a service provider for a toll free call service alarm;

retrieving a calling to number and a calling from number from said trouble ticket;

determining if said service provider is a responsible organization for said toll free call service for said calling to number;

determining if a customer network for said toll free call service is active if said service provider is the responsible organization for said toll free call service; and

notifying a work center if said customer network is not active.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

determining if said service provider is responsible for an Intra-Lata transport or an Inter-Lata transport for said toll free call service; and

notifying a work center of a mismatch if said service provider is either responsible for said Intra-Lata transport or said Inter-Lata transport for said toll free call service, or if said service provider is the responsible organization for said toll free call service.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

determining if a call originated from a valid location if said service provider is responsible for both said Intra-Lata transport or said Inter-Lata transport and said toll free call service;

notifying a work center if said call originated from an invalid location;

determining if said responsible organization in a service provider database matches that of an SMS/800 database if said call originated from said valid location; and

notifying a customer that said service provider is not the responsible organization for said toll free call service if the responsible organization in the service provider database and SMS/800 database do not match.

20. An apparatus for processing a toll free call service alarm associated with a toll free call service, comprising:

means for receiving a trouble ticket by a service provider for a toll free call service alarm;

means for retrieving a calling to number and a calling from number from said trouble ticket;

means for determining if said service provider is a responsible organization for said toll free call service for said calling to number;

means for determining if a customer network for said toll free call service is active if said service provider is the responsible organization for said toll free call service; and

means for notifying a work center if said customer network is not active.