Method for use in completing telephone calls

• US 5,473,681 A
• Filed: 07/02/1993
• Issued: 12/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T IPM Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Partridge, B. Waring III
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/086,975
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 379/220, 379/221, 379/229, 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/216
• US Class Current: 379/221.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13149 Change of provider, e.g. network or service
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

The indication may be transmitted as a signaling system 7 (SS7) message, or a portion thereof. The LEC may also provide an indication that the carrier whose access code was entered was not the carrier to which the calling telephone line was PIC'"'"'d. Advantageously, using the transmitted indication, an IXC can determine the number of instances in a predetermined time period that calls were placed using its access code, thereby verifying of the effectiveness of its advertisements for use of the access code.

Claims

1. A method for use in a calling environment in which telephones of calling and called parties are connected to networks of respective local service providers and the networks of said local service providers are connected for any multiple carrier call between a calling party and a called party by one of a plurality of networks respectively associated with one of a plurality of telecommunications carriers, and where for a particular multiple carrier call the one of said telecommunications carriers to which the telephone of the calling party is presubscribed is selected by default to complete said particular multiple carrier call unless the calling party entered for that call a telecommunications carrier code specifying a selected one of said plurality of telecommunications carriers to complete said call, the method comprising the step of:

providing an indication that said calling party entered said selected telecommunications carrier'"'"'s telecommunications carrier code to said selected telecommunications carrier in response to the network of the local service provider receiving both (i) a telecommunications carrier code corresponding to said selected telecommunications carrier and (ii) a destination for said particular multiple carrier call, prior to establishing a [non-signaling]voice connection from said network of said local service provider to the network of said selected telecommunications carrier.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said indication is data continaed in a SS7 message.

3. A method for use in providing information about a call from a network of a local service provider to a network of a telecommunications carrier that will further carry said call, the method comprising the step of:

supplying as part of the internetwork signaling process both (i) a signal from said network of said local service provider to said network of said telecommunications carrier indicating that said telecommunications carrier was selected to complete said call, said signal being supplied in response to entry of a telecommunications carrier code corresponding to said telecommunications carrier and (ii) at least a portion of a destination address for said call received at said network of said local service provider prior to executing said supplying.

4. A method for use in a network of a local service provider comprising the steps of:

determining in said network of said local service provider that a call to be carried by a telecommunications carrier was requested by a caller entering both (i) a telecommunications carrier code corresponding to a particular telecommunications carrier that is to carry said call and (ii) a portion of a destination address at said network of said local service provider; and

transmitting a signal to a network of said particular telecommunications carrier, in response to said determination, said signal indicating that said telecommunications carrier'"'"'s code was entered.

5. A method for use in a calling environment in which telephones of calling and called parties are connected to respective networks of local service providers and the networks of said local service providers are connected for any particular multiple carrier call between a calling party and called party by one of a plurality of networks respectively associated with one of a plurality of telecommunications carriers, and where for a particular multiple carrier call, a default telecommunications carrier is selected to complete said call unless the calling party entered for that call a telecommunications carrier code specifying a particular telecommunications carrier to complete said call, the method comprising the step of:

receiving at a telecommunications carrier selected by a caller an indication that said caller entered said carrier'"'"'s telecommunications carrier code, said receiving of the indication being part of internetwork signaling communications which also includes at least a portion of a destination address for said call.

6. A method for use in providing information about a call from a network of a first telecommunications carrier to a network of a second telecommunications carrier that will further carry said call, the method comprising the step of:

supplying a signal from said network of said first telecommunications carrier to said network of said second telecommunications carrier indicating that said second telecommunications carrier was selected to further carry said call in response to entry of a telecommunications carrier code corresponding to said second telecommunications carrier, said supplying step being performed after said network of said first telecommunications carrier receives at least a portion of a destination address for said call.

7. A method for use in a calling environment in which telephone lines of calling and called parties are connected to respective networks of local exchange carriers and the networks of said local exchange carriers are connected for any particular long-distance call between a calling party and called party by one of a plurality of networks respectively associated with one of a plurality of interexchange carriers, and where for any long-distance call a particular one of said interexchange carriers to which the telephone line of the calling party is PIC'"'"'d is selected by default to complete said call unless the calling party dialed for that call an interexchange carrier access code specifying a particular interexchange carrier to complete said call, the method comprising the step of:

providing to an interexchange carrier that was selected to complete a call, in response to a caller having entered an interexchange access code corresponding to said interexchange carrier and at least a portion of a destination address indicating that said call is to be handled by an interexchange carrier, an indication that said caller entered said carrier'"'"'s interexchange access code.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein said indication is data

9. A method for use in providing information about a call from a network of a local exchange carrier to a network of an interexchange carrier that will carry said call, the method comprising the step of:

supplying a signal from said network of said local exchange carrier to said network of said interexchange carrier indicating that said interexchange carrier was selected to complete said call, said signal being supplied in response to the dialing of the portion of a destination address that indicates an interexchange call and entry of an interexchange access code corresponding to said interexchange carrier.

10. A method for use in a network of a local exchange carrier comprising the steps of:

determining in said network of said local exchange carrier from the dialing of an area code and an access code corresponding to a particular interexchange carrier that said interexchange carrier is to carry said call; and

transmitting a signal to said particular interexchange carrier, in response to said determination, said signal indicating that said interexchange carrier'"'"'s access code was dialed.

11. A method for use in a calling environment in which telephone lines of calling and called parties are connected to respective networks of local exchange carriers and the networks of said local exchange carriers are connected for any long-distance call between a calling party and called party by one of a plurality of networks respectively associated with one of a plurality of interexchange carriers, and where for a call determined to be a long-distance call from a portion of the called party'"'"'s telephone number a default interexchange carrier is selected to complete said call unless the calling party dialed for said call an interexchange carrier access code so as to particularly select one of said networks of said interexchange carriers to complete said call, the method comprising the step of:

receiving at an interexchange carrier selected by said calling party an indication that said calling party entered said carrier'"'"'s interexchange access code for said call.