LOCAL ROUTING MANAGEMENT IN A TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20110085541A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nair, Murli S., Jordan, Dan, Gualtieri, Greg, Terpstra, Richard, Davis, Matthew K., Saha, Susmita G., Griffin, Janis
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

An embodiment of a method includes determining a customer service plan identifier from information associated with a received call, determining a route plan associated with the identified customer service plan, and routing the call on a trunk group identified in the determined route plan. The method may further include determining a jurisdiction of the call based on a dialed number identified in the call, determining a local routing number (LRN) associated with the call, and using a portion of the LRN to determine the trunk group. An embodiment of a system includes a switch operable to select a route for routing a call received on an ingress trunk associated with a customer that subscribes to a service plan, wherein the switch is further operable to select the route based on the service plan subscribed to by the customer associated with the ingress trunk.

Claims

1. A method for servicing calls on a packet-switched network comprising:

in a table, storing a plurality of identifier pairs representing calls as entitled to local routing, wherein each of the identifier pairs comprises at least a first NPA-NXX identifier and at least a second NPA-NXX identifier;

receiving a call, wherein the call comprises signaling having at least a first given NPA-NXX identifier and a second given NPA-NXX identifier;

analyzing the table to determine whether the first given NPA-NXX identifier and the second given NPA-NXX identifier are associated together via at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs; and

if the first given NPA-NXX identifier and the second given NPA-NXX identifier are associated together via at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs, initiating routing of the call as a local call.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first given NPA-NXX identifier is associated with a first telecommunications service and the second given NPA-NXX identifier is associated with a second telecommunications service.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first telecommunications service is associated with a first operating carrier number (OCN) and the second telecommunications service is associated with a second OCN.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the first OCN and the second OCN are associated with distinct telecommunications service providers.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a step for arranging the NPA-NXX identifiers in each of the plurality of identifier pairs in the table to indicate a unidirectional basis for calls entitled to local routing.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs comprises a first NPA-NXX-X identifier.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs further comprises a second NPA-NXX-X identifier.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first given NPA-NXX identifier is associated with a telecommunications carrier, the method further comprising:

receiving the call from a subscriber of the telecommunication carrier; and

if the first given NPA-NXX identifier and the second given NPA-NXX identifier are associated together via at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs, selecting one or more trunk groups for terminating the call in accordance with a service plan subscribed to by the telecommunications carrier, wherein the selected one or more trunk groups are selected from a set of trunk groups associated with local calls.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, the method further comprising:

using at least a portion of the second given NPA-NXX identifier to identify at least one egress trunk group from the selected one or more trunk groups; and

causing a switch to route the call to the identified at least one egress trunk group.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the service plan subscribed to by the telecommunications carrier comprises off-net routing, wherein the causing act further comprises:

causing the switch to route the call to an off-net trunk group.

11. A database for use in facilitating calls over a packet-switched network, wherein the database is operable to:

store a plurality of identifier pairs representing calls as entitled to local routing, wherein each of the identifier pairs comprises at least a first NPA-NXX identifier and at least a second NPA-NXX identifier;

based on a given call comprising signaling having at least a first given NPA-NXX identifier and a second given NPA-NXX identifier, determine whether the first given NPA-NXX identifier and the second given NPA-NXX identifier are associated together via at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs; and

if the first given NPA-NXX identifier and the second given NPA-NXX identifier are associated together via at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs, indicate that the given call is entitled to local call routing.

12. A database as recited in claim 11, wherein the first given NPA-NXX identifier is associated with a first telecommunications service and the second given NPA-NXX identifier is associated with a second telecommunications service.

13. A database as recited in claim 12, wherein the first telecommunications service is associated with a first operating carrier number (OCN) and the second telecommunications service is associated with a second OCN.

14. A database as recited in claim 13, wherein the first OCN and the second OCN are associated with distinct telecommunications service providers.

15. A database as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

means for arranging the NPA-NXX identifiers in each of the plurality of identifier pairs to indicate a unidirectional basis for calls entitled to local routing.

16. A system for servicing calls on a packet-switched network comprising:

a database configured to store a plurality of identifier pairs representing calls as entitled to local routing, wherein each of the identifier pairs comprises at least a first NPA-NXX identifier and at least a second NPA-NXX identifier; and

a switch operable to analyze the database to determine whether a first given NPA-NXX identifier associated with a received call and a second given NPA-NXX identifier associated with the received call are associated together via at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs,

wherein the switch is further operable to initiate local routing of the received call if the first given NPA-NXX identifier and the second given NPA-NXX identifier are associated together via at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein the first given NPA-NXX identifier is associated with a first telecommunications service and the second given NPA-NXX identifier is associated with a second telecommunications service.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the first telecommunications service is associated with a first operating carrier number (OCN) and the second telecommunications service is associated with a second OCN.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the first OCN and the second OCN are associated with distinct telecommunications service providers.

20. A system as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

means for arranging the NPA-NXX identifiers in each of the plurality of identifier pairs in the database to indicate a unidirectional basis for calls entitled to local routing.

21. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs comprises a first NPA-NXX-X identifier.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs further comprises a second NPA-NXX-X identifier.

23. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein the first given NPA-NXX identifier is associated with a telecommunications carrier, wherein the switch is further operable to:

receive the call from a subscriber of the telecommunication carrier; and

if the first given NPA-NXX identifier and the second given NPA-NXX identifier are associated together via at least one of the plurality of identifier pairs, select one or more trunk groups for terminating the call in accordance with a service plan subscribed to by telecommunications carrier, wherein the selected one or more trunk groups are selected from a set of trunk groups associated with local calls.

24. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the switch is further operable to:

use at least a portion of the second given NPA-NXX identifier to identify at least one egress trunk group from the selected one or more trunk groups; and

initiate local routing of the call to the identified at least one egress trunk group.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the service plan subscribed to by the telecommunications carrier comprises off-net routing, and wherein the switch is further operable to initiate local routing of the call to an off-net trunk group.