METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING USER ACCESS VIA MULTIPLE PARTNER CARRIERS FOR INTERNATIONAL CALLS

• US 20100246572A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Croak, Marian, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/46 Real-time negotiation between users and providers or operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/56 On line or real-time flexible agreements between service providers and telecoms operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing subscribers of a VoIP service provider to take advantage of wholesale arrangements made by the VoIP service provider with one or more international partner carrier network providers to one or more international countries are disclosed. Specifically, the present method enables a VoIP service provider to display a web page to their subscribers, for each destination country, with one or more international partner network providers and their corresponding calling rates and/or call completion success rates to each particular destination country.

Claims

1. A method for providing a plurality of international partner carriers for international calls in a communication network, comprising:

receiving at least one of;

a calling rate or a call completion rate, to an international country from one or more of the plurality of international partner carriers;

publishing the at least one of;

a calling rate or a call completion rate, for review by a subscriber; and

processing an international call through one of the plurality of international partner carriers selected by the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of:

a calling rate or a call completion rate, is received by an international calling application server of the communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the publishing comprises:

updating a website with the at least one of;

a calling rate or a call completion rate, to the international country; and

providing at least one of;

an access number, or a hot link, for the plurality of international partner carriers on the website.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises:

receiving a call setup message with an access number entered by the subscriber, where the access number is associated with one of the plurality of international partner carriers; and

routing the call setup message to one of the plurality of international partner carriers that corresponds to the access number to complete the international call.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the call setup message is received by a call control element.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a mapping of the access number to one of the plurality of international partner carriers is retrieved from an application server.

8. 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 a method for providing a plurality of international partner carriers for international calls in a communication network, comprising:

receiving at least one of;

a calling rate or a call completion rate, to an international country from one or more of the plurality of international partner carriers;

publishing the at least one of;

a calling rate or a call completion rate, for review by a subscriber; and

processing an international call through one of the plurality of international partner carriers selected by the subscriber.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one of:

a calling rate or a call completion rate, is received by an international calling application server of the communication network.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the publishing comprises:

updating a website with the at least one of;

a calling rate or a call completion rate, to the international country; and

providing at least one of;

an access number, or a hot link, for the plurality of international partner carriers on the website.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the processing comprises:

receiving a call setup message with an access number entered by the subscriber, where the access number is associated with one of the plurality of international partner carriers; and

routing the call setup message to one of the plurality of international partner carriers that corresponds to the access number to complete the international call.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the call setup message is received by a call control element.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a mapping of the access number to one of the plurality of international partner carriers is retrieved from an application server.

15. An apparatus for providing a plurality of international partner carriers for international calls in a communication network, comprising:

means for receiving at least one of;

a calling rate or a call completion rate, to an international country from one or more of the plurality of international partner carriers;

means for publishing the at least one of;

a calling rate or a call completion rate, for review by a subscriber; and

means for processing an international call through one of the plurality of international partner carriers selected by the subscriber.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication network is an Internet protocol network.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for publishing comprises:

means for updating a website with the at least one of;

a calling rate or a call completion rate, to the international country; and

means for providing at least one of;

an access number, or a hot link, for the plurality of international partner carriers on the website.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for processing comprises:

means for receiving a call setup message with an access number entered by the subscriber, where the access number is associated with one of the plurality of international partner carriers; and

means for routing the call setup message to one of the plurality of international partner carriers that corresponds to the access number to complete the international call.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for receiving comprises a call control element.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein a mapping of the access number to one of the plurality of international partner carriers is retrieved from an application server.