Method for routing calls based on predetermined assignments of callers geographic locations
First Claim
1. A method of routing a call from a caller to a particular subscriber location of a plurality of subscriber locations said subscriber locations located in a predetermined geographic area, based in part on the geographic location of the caller, said call being placed by dialing a single telephone number that is operative for serving all of said subscriber location, comprising the steps of:
- retrieving a block group identifier from a database based on all the digits, including the area code, of the calling party number of said caller, said block group identifier being a value, in said database, that represents the block group area from which said call originated;
correlating said block group identifier to a common identifier, said common identifier being a value in said database representing an intersection data set of a plurality of intersection data sets, said intersection data sets created by;
defining a first geographic map area as a geographic data set representing said predetermined geographic area, said geographic map area encompassing a plurality of block group areas;
dividing said first geographic map area into a first set of first regions thereby defining a first region set, each of said first regions encompassing at least one of said block group areas and each of said first regions corresponding to a preselected location for receiving a call from the corresponding first region, said first region set designated for calls made during a first time interval;
dividing said first geographic map area into a second set of second regions thereby defining a second region set, each of said second regions encompassing at least one of said block group areas and each of said second regions corresponding to a preselected location for receiving a call from the corresponding second region, said second region set designated for calls made during a second time interval; and
intersecting said first region set with said second region set thereby defining intersection data sets common to said first region set and said second region set, said intersection data sets containing a quantity of data less than the sum of the quantity of data contained in said first region set and said second region set, said intersection data sets operative for call routing during both said first time interval and said second time interval, thereby reducing the total amount of data associated with routing calls from each of said dividing steps; and
routing said call to a particular subscriber location based on said common identifier.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method that enables a business with multiple locations within a LATA to use a single number for its service. All callers dial the same number to reach the subscriber'"'"'s business, and a network routes the calls to the most appropriate subscriber location based on the geographic location of the caller, time of day, day of week, and/or percent distribution among subscriber locations. The geographic location of the caller is determined using the calling party number (NPA-NXX-XXXX) and either mapping this number to a wire center (using the NPA-NXX) or to a block group (using the entire NPA-NXX-XXXX). An advantage of Area Number Calling is the granularity of block group routing. Block groups are defined by the Census Bureau and typically encompass a much smaller geographic area than a wire center. Block groups are defined by the Census Bureau for the entire United States. Block groups tend to encompass four to twelve blocks, and they honor natural boundaries, like rivers. This gives an ANC subscriber a greater degree of flexibility in defining which geographic areas should be routed to which subscriber locations. The present invention also provides a method of reducing the amount of geographic data that is transmitted to or stored on a database associated with the routing equipment by routing as a unit intersecting regions of multiple subscriber data tables.
267 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method of routing a call from a caller to a particular subscriber location of a plurality of subscriber locations said subscriber locations located in a predetermined geographic area, based in part on the geographic location of the caller, said call being placed by dialing a single telephone number that is operative for serving all of said subscriber location, comprising the steps of:
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retrieving a block group identifier from a database based on all the digits, including the area code, of the calling party number of said caller, said block group identifier being a value, in said database, that represents the block group area from which said call originated; correlating said block group identifier to a common identifier, said common identifier being a value in said database representing an intersection data set of a plurality of intersection data sets, said intersection data sets created by; defining a first geographic map area as a geographic data set representing said predetermined geographic area, said geographic map area encompassing a plurality of block group areas; dividing said first geographic map area into a first set of first regions thereby defining a first region set, each of said first regions encompassing at least one of said block group areas and each of said first regions corresponding to a preselected location for receiving a call from the corresponding first region, said first region set designated for calls made during a first time interval; dividing said first geographic map area into a second set of second regions thereby defining a second region set, each of said second regions encompassing at least one of said block group areas and each of said second regions corresponding to a preselected location for receiving a call from the corresponding second region, said second region set designated for calls made during a second time interval; and intersecting said first region set with said second region set thereby defining intersection data sets common to said first region set and said second region set, said intersection data sets containing a quantity of data less than the sum of the quantity of data contained in said first region set and said second region set, said intersection data sets operative for call routing during both said first time interval and said second time interval, thereby reducing the total amount of data associated with routing calls from each of said dividing steps; and routing said call to a particular subscriber location based on said common identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of routing a call from a caller to a particular subscriber location of a plurality of subscriber locations, said subscriber locations located in a predetermined geographic area, based in part on the geographic location of the caller, said call being placed by dialing a single telephone number that is operative for serving all of said subscriber locations, comprising the steps of:
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retrieving a geographic code from a database based on the calling party number of said caller, said geographic code representing a predefined geographic area from which said call originated; correlating said geographic code to a common identifier, said common identifier representing an intersection data set of a plurality of intersection data sets, said intersection data sets created by; defining a first geographic map area as a geographic data set representing said predetermined geographic area, said geographic map area encompassing a plurality of predefined geographic areas; dividing said first geographic map area into a first set of first regions thereby defining a first region set, each of said first regions encompassing at least one of said predefined geographic areas and each of said first regions corresponding to a preselected location for receiving a call from the corresponding first region, said first region set designated for calls made during a first time intervail dividing said first geographic map area into a second set of second regions thereby defining a second region set, each of said second regions encompassing at least one of said predefined geographic areas and each of said second regions corresponding to a preselected location for receiving a call from the corresponding second region, said second region set designated for calls made during a second time intervail and intersecting said first region set with said second region set thereby defining intersection data sets common to said first region set and said second region set, said intersection data sets containing a quantity of data less than the sum of the quantity of data contained in said first region set and said second region set, said intersection data sets operative for call routing during both said first time interval and said second time interval, thereby reducing the total amount of data associated with routing calls from each of said dividing steps; and routing said call to a particular subscriber location based on said common identifier. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44)
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42. A method of reducing the amount of data associated with initially identified data tables for use in routing calls, comprising:
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defining an initial set of data; dividing said initial set of data into a first subset of data; dividing said initial set of data into a second subset of data; intersecting said first set with said second set thereby defining union sets common to said first and second sets; and utilizing said union sets to route calls to selected destinations.
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43. A method of reducing the amount of data representing geographic areas and associated with routing calls from a predetermined geographic area, comprising the steps of:
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defining a first geographic map area as a first geographic data set representing said predetermined geographic area, said geographic map area encompassing a plurality of second areas; dividing said first geographic data set into a first set of first regions thereby defining a first region set, each of said first regions encompassing at least one of said second areas and each of said first regions corresponding to a preselected location for receiving a call from the corresponding first region, said first region set designated for calls made during a first time interval; dividing said first geographic data set into a second set of second regions thereby defining a second region set, each of said second regions encompassing at least one of said second areas and each of said second regions corresponding to a preselected location for receiving a call from the corresponding second region, said second region set designated for calls made during a second time interval; reducing the total amount of data associated with routing calls from each of said dividing steps by intersecting said first region set with said second region set thereby defining intersection data sets common to said first region set and said second region set; and storing said intersection data sets to be used for call routing during both said first time interval and said second time interval thereby said step of storing said intersection data sets to be used for call routing containing a quantity of data less than the sum of the quantity of data contained in said first region set and second region set.
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45. In an intelligent switched telephone network that includes a plurality of digital data communications channels between a plurality of central offices, at least one service switching point, at least one signal transfer point, and at least one service management system interfaced with a service control point (SCP), a method of providing call routing data to said SCP for use in call routing, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a set of files identifying geographic regions selected by a subscriber at said service management system; correlating said files of geographic regions to said subscriber, said subscriber having various locations designated to receive calls from said geographic regions, said correlating being in a first format; associating call routing information to an identifier for said geographic regions, said call routing information specifying the order in which call data is processed, said associating being in a second format; combining, via a computer implemented process, said first format and said second format to yield final call routing information, said final call routing information containing ordered steps in which calls from said geographic regions of said subscriber are to be processed according to said call routing information; and transmitting said final call routing information to said SCP for use in routing calls. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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46. A method of routing a call to a particular subscriber location of a plurality of subscriber locations based on service parameters of the subscriber and in part on the geographic location of the caller comprising the steps of:
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manipulating a first set of predetermined call routing assignments that provide a specified call routing service for a plurality of subscriber locations to form a second set of call routing assignments that provide said specified call routing service for said plurality of subscriber locations, said second set of call routing assignments comprising a reduced number of assignments from said first set; and routing said call to said particular location based on said second set of call routing assignments.
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49. A method of routing a call from a caller to a particular subscriber location of a plurality of subscriber locations based in part on the geographic location of the caller, said call being placed by dialing a single telephone number that is operative for serving all of said subscriber locations, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first set of areas assigned for routing to preselected subscriber locations for a preselected first time interval;
providing a second set of areas assigned for routing to preselected subscriber locations for a preselected second time interval;comparing said assignments to identify which areas are grouped together for routing regardless of which time interval is being considered; and utilizing said areas identified in said step of comparing for call routing.
- providing a first set of areas assigned for routing to preselected subscriber locations for a preselected first time interval;
Specification