Computer-controlled telecommunications system
First Claim
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1. A computer-controlled telecommunications system for establishing a communications link between a transmitter device and a receiver device, the system comprising:
- a plurality of switch means each for establishing, in response to a switch control signal, a different communications link between the transmitter device and the receiver device by originating a call from that switch means to the transmitter device and by originating a call from that switch means to the receiver device, each of the communications links being associated with a charge imposed by a telecommunications carrier, and each of the switch means being located in a different telecommunications charge zone; and
switch control means, coupled to the plurality of switch means, for determining which of the charges for the communications links is lowest at a selected time, and for generating and outputting the switch control signal to a selected one of the switch means to cause that switch means to originate a call from the selected switch means to the transmitter device and to originate a call from the selected switch means to the receiver device in order to establish the one of the communications links corresponding to the lowest determined charge.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing the lowest available telecommunications charge to a user is described. The lowest available charge is provided by locating switches in different telecommunications charge zones, determining which switch will provide the lowest available charge at a selected time, and using that switch to place calls to a transmitter device and a receiver device so that information signals can be transmitted between the devices.
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Citations
66 Claims
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1. A computer-controlled telecommunications system for establishing a communications link between a transmitter device and a receiver device, the system comprising:
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a plurality of switch means each for establishing, in response to a switch control signal, a different communications link between the transmitter device and the receiver device by originating a call from that switch means to the transmitter device and by originating a call from that switch means to the receiver device, each of the communications links being associated with a charge imposed by a telecommunications carrier, and each of the switch means being located in a different telecommunications charge zone; and switch control means, coupled to the plurality of switch means, for determining which of the charges for the communications links is lowest at a selected time, and for generating and outputting the switch control signal to a selected one of the switch means to cause that switch means to originate a call from the selected switch means to the transmitter device and to originate a call from the selected switch means to the receiver device in order to establish the one of the communications links corresponding to the lowest determined charge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A switch control device for use in a computer-controlled telecommunications system that establishes a communications link between a transmitter device and a receiver device, the telecommunications system comprising a plurality of switches each for establishing, in response to a switch control signal, a different communications link between the transmitter device and the receiver device by originating a call from that switch to the transmitter device and by originating a call from that switch to the receiver device, each of the communications links being associated with a charge imposed by a telecommunications carrier, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, and the switch control device comprising:
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a memory having a table storing data representing charges corresponding to the communications links for at least one time; processing means, coupled to the memory, for finding the stored charges for a selected time and determining the minimum of the stored charges found; and control signal building means, coupled to the memory and the processing means, for constructing and outputting the switch control signal to a selected one of the switches to cause the selected switch to originate a call from the selected switch to the transmitter device and to originate a call from the selected switch to the receiver device in order to establish the one of the communications links corresponding to the lowest determined charge. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of establishing a communications link between a transmitter device and a receiver device, the method being performed by a computer-controlled telecommunications system comprising a switch control device and a plurality of switches each for establishing, in response to a switch control signal, a different communications link between the transmitter device and the receiver device by originating a call from that switch to the transmitter device and by originating a call from that switch to the receiver device, each of the communications links being associated with a charge imposed by a telecommunications carrier, and each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining which of the charges for the communications links is lowest at a selected time; and generating and outputting the switch control signal to a selected one of the switches to cause that switch to originate a call from the selected switch to the transmitter device and to originate a call from the selected switch to the receiver device in order to establish the one of the communications links corresponding to the lowest determined charge. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer-controlled telecommunications system for establishing communication between a first party and a second party, the system comprising:
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a plurality of switches, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, and each of the telecommunications charge zones having a charge associated with a particular call; and a switch control device, coupled to the plurality of switches, for determining which of the charges is lowest at a selected time, and for generating and outputting a switch control command to cause the switch in the telecommunications charge zone having the lowest charge at the selected time to originate a call from that switch to the first party and to originate a call from that switch to the second party in order to establish a communications path between the first party and the second party. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of establishing communication between a first party and a second party, the method being performed by a computer-controlled telecommunications system comprising a plurality of switches, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, and each of the telecommunications charge zones having a charge associated with a particular call, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining which of the charges is lowest at a selected time; and generating and outputting a switch control command to cause the switch in the telecommunications charge zone having the lowest charge at the selected time to originate a call from that switch to the first party and to originate a call from that switch to the second party in order to establish a communications path between the first party and the second party. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A computer-controlled telecommunications system for establishing communication between a first party and a second party, the system comprising:
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a plurality of switches, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, and each of the telecommunications charge zones having a charge associated with a particular call; and a switch control device, coupled to the plurality of switches, for determining which of the charges is lowest at a selected time, and for generating and outputting a switch control command to cause the switch in the telecommunications charge zone having the lowest charge at the selected time to place a call to the first party and to place a call to the second party, thereby establishing a communications path between the first party and the second party. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A computer-controlled telecommunications system comprising:
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a first telecommunications device co-located with a first party in a first telecommunications charge zone; a second telecommunications device co-located with a second party in a second telecommunications charge zone different than that of the first telecommunications device; a plurality of switches each located in a different telecommunications charge zone served by at least one telecommunications carrier point of presence allowing each switch served by the point of presence to place calls from the switch through a telecommunications carrier associated with the point of presence; and a switch control device for generating and outputting a switch control command to a selected one of the switches to cause the selected switch to establish a communications path between the first and second parties through a telecommunications carrier associated with the point of presence for the selected switch regardless of whether the telecommunications carrier establishing the communications path has a point of presence in the first telecommunications charge zone or the second telecommunications charge zone. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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46. A computer-controlled telecommunications system comprising:
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a plurality of switches, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone and each of the telecommunications charge zones having a charge associated with a particular call; and a central computer, coupled to the plurality of switches, including means for determining which of the charges is lowest at a selected time, and for generating and outputting a switch control command to cause the switch in the telecommunications charge zone having the lowest charge at the selected time to place a call to a first party and a second party. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A computer-controlled telecommunications system for establishing communication between a first party and a second party, the system comprising:
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a plurality of switches, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, and each of the telecommunications charge zones having a charge associated with a particular call; a centrally-located database including a memory having a table storing data representing charges corresponding to the particular calls of the telecommunications charge zones; and a centrally-located computer for determining which of the charges represented by the data stored in the table of the memory is lowest at a selected time and for generating and outputting a switch control command to cause the switch in the telecommunications charge zone having the lowest charge at the selected time to establish a communications path between the first party and the second party. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53. A computer-controlled telecommunications system for establishing communication between a first party located in a first telecommunications charge zone and a second party located in a second telecommunications charge zone different than the first telecommunications charge zone, the system comprising:
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a plurality of switches, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, with at least one of the switches being located in a telecommunications charge zone other than the first and second telecommunications charge zones, and each of the telecommunications charge zones having a charge associated with a particular call; and a switch control device for determining which of the charges is lowest at a selected time, and for generating and outputting a switch control command to cause the switch in the telecommunications charge zone having the lowest charge at the selected time to establish a communications path between the first party and the second party. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56)
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57. A method of establishing communication between a first party located in a first telecommunications charge zone and a second party located in a second telecommunications charge zone different than the first telecommunications charge zone, the method being performed by a computer-controlled telecommunications system comprising a plurality of switches, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, with at least one of the switches being located in a telecommunications charge zone other than the first and second telecommunications charge zones, and each of the telecommunications charge zones having a charge associated with a particular call, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining which of the charges is lowest at a selected time; and generating and outputting a switch control command to cause the switch in the telecommunications charge zone having the lowest charge at the selected time to establish a communications path between the first party and the second party. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A method of establishing communication between a first party located in a first telecommunications charge zone and a second party located in a second telecommunications charge zone different than the first telecommunications charge zone, the method being performed by a computer-controlled telecommunications system comprising a plurality of switches, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, each of the telecommunications charge zones having time-based charges associated with establishing a communications path between the first and second parties, and the system also comprising a centrally-located database including a memory having a table storing data representing the time-based charges of the telecommunications charge zones, the method comprising the steps of:
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accessing the centrally-located database to identify a third telecommunications charge zone having a lowest charge associated with establishing the communications path between the first and second parties at a selected time; and generating and outputting a switch control command to cause the switch in the third telecommunications charge zone to establish the communications path between the first party and the second party. - View Dependent Claims (63)
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64. A method of establishing communication between a first party located in a first telecommunications charge zone and a second party located in a second telecommunications charge zone different than the first telecommunications charge zone, the method being performed by a computer-controlled telecommunications system comprising a plurality of switches, each of the switches being located in a different telecommunications charge zone, and each of the telecommunications charge zones having charges associated with calls to the first and second parties, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining at a selected time a third one of the telecommunications charge zones other than the first and second telecommunications charge zones having a low combined charge associated with calls to the first and second parties; and generating and outputting a switch control command at the selected time to cause the switch in the third telecommunications charge zone to establish a communications path accommodating a call between the first party and the second party. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66)
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Specification