Method and apparatus for treating calls based on receipt of telecommunications carrier code indications

• US 5,553,129 A
• Filed: 07/02/1993
• Issued: 09/03/1996
• 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
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/086,956
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 279/130, 279/112, 279/114, 279/115, 279/355, 279/354, 279/216, 279/210, 279/211, 279/212, 279/201, 279/221, 279/207, 279/220, 279/219, 279/229
• US Class Current: 379/221.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• 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: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/002 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/47 using translators

Abstract

A carrier of telecommunications traffic provides different call treatment when the carrier receives a code indicative of that carrier as opposed to when no code has been entered. For example, by entering the access code of the telecommunications carrier, a caller may invoke a special service. One such service is the "follow me anywhere" service whereby the carrier completes a call originally directed to a called party to another telephone number previously specified by the called party. Another service that may be invoked by entering the carrier access code is voice messaging whereby a call originally directed to the called party may be stored in a voice mail box when the called party is unable to answer the call.

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 associated with one of a plurality of telecommunications carriers, respectively, 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, comprising the steps of:

giving said call a first call treatment in the network of said selected telecommunications carrier if no indication that said calling party entered said selected telecommunications carrier'"'"'s telecommunications carrier code is received therein, the first call treatment including routing of said call to the telephone of the called party as indicated directly by the telephone number dialed by said calling party;

receiving an indication that said calling party entered said selected telecommunications carrier'"'"'s telecommunications carrier code at said selected telecommunications carrier, said indication being provided by said network of said local service provider 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 dialed telephone number for said particular multiple carrier call prior to establishing a non-signaling connection from said network of said local service provider to the network of said selected telecommunications carrier; and

giving said call a second call treatment in the network of said selected telecommunications carrier, said second call treatment being different from said first call treatment, only if said indication is received, the second call treatment including routing of the call to other than the telephone of the called party.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said second call treatment is the routing of said call to a telephone indicated by a telephone number stored in a data base in association with said telephone number dialed by said calling party.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 further including the steps of:

receiving a telephone number supplied by said called party; and

storing said telephone number in said data base for use with said second call treatment.

4. A method for use in completing a telephone call between a calling party and a called party through a telephone network, comprising the steps of:

receiving in a network of a telecommunications carrier information indicating that a number representing said telecommunications carrier was dialed by the calling party;

receiving, at said network of said telecommunications carrier, a signal originated from a network of a local service provider representing a telephone number of the telephone of the called party that was received at said network of said local service provider from the calling party; and

routing in said network of said telecommunications carrier a telephone call from the calling party for the called party to other than said telephone of the called party in response to receipt of both (i) the information indicating that the telecommunications carrier number was dialed and (ii) the telephone number of the telephone of the called party.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 including the step of:

receiving from said called party a telephone number indicating a particular telephone other than said telephone of the called party to which said call is to be completed.

6. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein the telecommunications carrier number is an access code in the form 1-0-XXX.

7. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein the calling party is not a subscriber to telecommunications services provided by the telecommunications carrier represented by the dialed number.

8. A method for use in routing a telephone call through a telephone network from a calling party to a called party, comprising the steps of:

receiving in a network of a telecommunications carrier information originated by a local service provider about a number dialed by the calling party, said number including at least a telephone number of the telephone of the called party and potentially including specific information designating a particular telecommunications carrier to complete said call; and

completing said telephone call in said telecommunications carrier (i) to a telephone other than said telephone of the called party, in response to said received information indicating the telephone number of the telephone of the called party and that the telecommunications carrier designating information was dialed by said calling party, and (ii) to the telephone of the called party, in response to said received information indicating that said telecommunications carrier designating information was not dialed.

9. A method for use in a telephone network of a telecommunications carrier for processing a telephone call from a calling party in which all dialed digits for said telephone call are collected by a network of a local service provider and information derived from said collected digits is used to determine a treatment for said call by said telecommunications carrier, said telecommunications carrier having an associated telecommunications carrier code, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a default call treatment in said telephone network of said telecommunications carrier for use when a telephone call is originated and said telecommunications carrier code is not dialed by said calling party, the default call treatment including routing of said call to the telephone of the called party as indicated directly by the telephone number dialed by said calling party; and

overriding said default call treatment and processing said telephone call according to a second stored call treatment in said telephone network of said telecommunications carrier when for an otherwise identical telephone call said telecommunications carrier code is dialed by said calling party, the second call treatment including routing of the call to other than the telephone of the called party.

10. A method for use in a telephone network of a telecommunications carrier that has an associated telecommunications carrier code for processing a telephone call from a calling party, the method comprising the step of:

selecting in said network of said telecommunications carrier for said telephone call a particular call processing treatment from among a plurality of call processing treatments as a function of whether or not (i) an indication that said telecommunications carrier code was received from said calling party for said call by the network of a local service provider and (ii) a portion of a destination address is received prior to a non-signaling connection being established for said call between said network of said local service provider and said network of said telecommunications carrier, the particular call treatment including the step of routing of the call to other than a telephone of a called party.

11. A method for use in routing a telephone call through a telephone network from a calling party to a called party, comprising the steps of:

receiving signaling information in a network of a telecommunications carrier about a number dialed by the calling party, said number including at least a telephone number of the telephone line of the called party and potentially including specific information designating a particular telecommunications carrier to complete said call; and

completing said telephone call in said network of said telecommunications carrier (i) to a telephone line other than said telephone line of the called party, in response to receipt of information indicating the telephone number of the telephone line of the called party and that the telecommunications carrier designating information was dialed by said calling party, and (ii) to the telephone line of the called party, in response to receipt of information indicating that said telecommunications carrier designating information was not dialed.

12. Apparatus for use in completing a telephone call between a calling party and a called party through a telephone network, comprising:

means for receiving at a network of a telecommunications carrier information, from a network of a local service provider, about a number dialed by the calling party, said dialed number (i) potentially including specific digits for designating a particular telecommunications carrier to complete said call, and (ii) digits designating a telephone number of the telephone of the called party, said information being supplied by a local service provider as part of interoffice signaling; and

means in said network of said telecommunications carrier for completing said telephone call to a telephone other than said telephone of the called party in response to said received information indicating that said dialed number included digits designating the telecommunications carrier and the telephone number of the telephone of the called party and for completing said telephone call to the telephone of the called party in response to said received information indicating the absence in said dialed number of digits designating said telecommunications carrier designating information.

13. Apparatus for use in the network of a telecommunications carrier, comprising:

means in a network of a telecommunications carrier for receiving signaling information from a network of a local service provider for completing a call from a caller, said information including (i) an indication that said caller entered said telecommunications carrier'"'"'s code when originating said call and (ii) a portion of a destination address; and

means in said network of a telecommunications carrier responsive to at least (i) said received indication and (ii) said portion of said destination address for providing said call with a call treatment that is different from the call treatment of calls identical to said call but for which said telecommunications carrier code is not entered.

14. Apparatus for use in completing a telephone call between a calling party and a called party through a telephone network, comprising:

means in a network of a telecommunications carrier for receiving information originated by a local service provider about a number dialed by the calling party, said number including at least a telephone number of the telephone of the called party and potentially including specific information designating a particular telecommunications carrier to complete said call; and

means in said network of said telecommunications carrier for completing said telephone call (i) to a telephone other than said telephone of the called party, in response to receipt of information indicating the telephone number of the telephone of the called party and that the telecommunications carrier designating information was dialed by said calling party, and (ii) to the telephone of the called party, in response to receipt of information indicating that said telecommunications carrier designating information was not dialed.

15. Apparatus for use in completing a telephone call between a calling party and a called party through a telephone network, comprising:

means in a network of a local service provider for receiving as a request for a telephone call a number dialed by the calling party, said number including specific information designating a particular telecommunications carrier to complete said call, and a telephone number of the telephone line of the called party; and

means in a network of a telecommunications carrier for completing said telephone call to a telephone line other than said telephone line of the called party in response to receipt of information from said network of said local service provider indicating that the telecommunications carrier designing information and the telephone number of the telephone line of the called party were received at said network of said local service provider and for completing said telephone call to the telephone line of the called party in response to receipt of only the telephone number of the telephone line of the called party and the absence of said telecommunications carrier designating information.

16. Apparatus in the network of an interexchange carrier, comprising:

means for receiving signaling information for completing a call from a caller, said signaling information including an indication that said caller dialed (i) said interexchange carrier'"'"'s access code and (ii) a portion of a telephone number, when originating said call; and

means responsive to said received indication for providing said call with a call treatment that is different from the call treatment of calls dialed identically to said call but for which said interexchange carrier'"'"'s access code is not dialed said different call treatment including the routing of the call to other than a telephone associated with the telephone number dialed by the caller.

17. Apparatus for use in completing a telephone call between a calling party and a called party through a telephone network, comprising:

means in a network of a telecommunications carrier for receiving information originated by a local service provider about a number dialed by the calling party, said number including at least a telephone number of the telephone line of the called party and potentially including specific information designating a particular telecommunications carrier to complete said call; and

means in said network of said telecommunications carrier for completing said telephone call (i) to a telephone line other than said telephone line of the called party, in response to said received information indicating the telephone number of the telephone line of the called party and that the telecommunications carrier designating information was dialed by said calling party, and (ii) to the telephone line of the called party, in response to said received information indicating that said telecommunications carrier designating information was not dialed.