Incoming call completion threshold restriction
First Claim
1. In a public switched telephone network (PSTN) having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems serving a plurality of subscribers having respective directory numbers, a method for controlling completion of calls dialed to a destination directory number comprising the steps of:
- storing an initial threshold number in a centralized network location for limiting the number of calls to be completed to the destination directory number;
decrementing the threshold number each time a call is placed to said destination directory number and dialed digit signals for the call are received by the PSTN;
determining whether the threshold number is sufficient to complete the call; and
routing the call to the subscriber of said directory number if said threshold number is sufficient to complete the call.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a telephone communications system an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) platform is used to complete or block incoming calls to a subscriber in accordance with a threshold stored in the ISCP call processing record (CPR). The CPR contains a table of information that is customized in accordance with the options selected by the subscriber or simply may contain a threshold number that is decremented each time a call is completed. Incoming calls subsequent to decrementation to zero may be blocked, may require payment by the caller, or may be billed at a different rate. Decrementation may take place simply at a rate of one unit per completed call or at different rates in dependence upon calling area codes or locations. The CPR table may include a list of directory numbers against which individual threshold settings may be applied, while a generic threshold may be set for all other callers.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. In a public switched telephone network (PSTN) having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems serving a plurality of subscribers having respective directory numbers, a method for controlling completion of calls dialed to a destination directory number comprising the steps of:
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storing an initial threshold number in a centralized network location for limiting the number of calls to be completed to the destination directory number; decrementing the threshold number each time a call is placed to said destination directory number and dialed digit signals for the call are received by the PSTN; determining whether the threshold number is sufficient to complete the call; and routing the call to the subscriber of said directory number if said threshold number is sufficient to complete the call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In a communication network having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems at different locations, each of said central office switching systems connected through a plurality of local subscriber lines to subscriber stations, and a data base remote from said central office switching systems, said data base including a plurality of call processing records associated with respective subscriber lines, a method for controlling completion of calls to said subscriber stations comprising the steps of:
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storing a list of subscriber directory numbers individually in each call processing record; assigning an initial threshold number for each subscriber directory number in the list and a generic initial threshold number in each call processing record; for each call completed to a subscriber line, decrementing the threshold associated with the calling subscriber directory number in the call processing record of the called subscriber; and blocking call completion to a called subscriber if the threshold number associated with the calling subscriber directory number has been decremented to zero. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. In a communication network having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems at different locations, each of said central office switching systems connected through a plurality of local subscriber lines to subscriber stations, a voice network portion comprising voice communication paths for interconnecting two of said subscriber stations through at least one of said central office switching systems, a common channel signaling network portion comprising signaling paths interconnecting said central office switching systems through at least one signal transfer point (STP) and at least one integrated services control point (ISCP) including a data base, a method for controlling completion of calls to said subscriber stations comprising the steps of:
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setting an initial threshold number for limiting the number of calls to be completed to an identified subscriber line; storing said initial threshold number at the ISCP data base; for each call dialed to said identified subscriber line, accessing said ISCP to ascertain the stored threshold number; determining whether said stored threshold number is sufficient to complete the call and, in response to a determination that the threshold number is sufficient, routing the call for completion and decrementing the stored threshold number at the ISCP data base if the call is completed. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification