Method and apparatus for routing a call to a number corresponding to a virtual public dial plan or to an existing dial plan
First Claim
1. In a telephone network having a number of telephone switching offices equipped with SSPs (Service Switching Points) operating with AIN (Advanced Intelligent Network) application software, and a remotely located SCP (Service Control Point) adapted to receive, when required, SS7 (Signalling System 7) messages from the SSPs to translate a dialed number to enable the routing of a call on the telephone network, a method of providing a parallel, non-intrusive virtual public dial plan (VPDP), co-existing with the current network North American numbering plan (NANP), to enable a calling party to dial a virtual, public telephone number without the dialing limitations of the NANP, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a VPDP access code which, when dialed as a prefix to the virtual, public telephone number, enables a calling party, to reach a destination station via the VPDP;
b) setting up an AIN trigger at AIN capable SSPs, said AIN trigger being responsive to said VPDP access code;
c) launching a query from said AIN capable SSPs to said remotely located SCP when said AIN trigger detects a VPDP access code; and
d) providing a VPDP to NANP translation table at the SCP, such that when the virtual, public telephone number dialed by the calling party is received at the SCP, the dialed number can be translated to a NANP telephone number for routing to the destination station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for creating a virtual public numbering domain, which will coexist with and be parallel and non-intrusive to the existing geographic North American telephone network numbering plan is disclosed. It will have sufficient capacity to provide additional and more flexible numbering resources which will stimulate and enable many new service applications. The existing telephone network infrastructure has digital switching points and a database system. The method consists of receiving at one of the digital switching points a called number, and verifying whether the number called is a number of the virtual public dial plan. If the number called is a number of the virtual public dial plan, the next steps consist of forming with the number called a virtual public address of predetermined length, supplying the virtual public address to the database system to determine a corresponding network node address, supplying the corresponding network node address to the digital switching point and routing the call through the network infrastructure according to the existing dial plan. If the number called is a number of the existing dial plan, the call is routed through the network infrastructure according to the existing dial plan and the number called.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. In a telephone network having a number of telephone switching offices equipped with SSPs (Service Switching Points) operating with AIN (Advanced Intelligent Network) application software, and a remotely located SCP (Service Control Point) adapted to receive, when required, SS7 (Signalling System 7) messages from the SSPs to translate a dialed number to enable the routing of a call on the telephone network, a method of providing a parallel, non-intrusive virtual public dial plan (VPDP), co-existing with the current network North American numbering plan (NANP), to enable a calling party to dial a virtual, public telephone number without the dialing limitations of the NANP, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a VPDP access code which, when dialed as a prefix to the virtual, public telephone number, enables a calling party, to reach a destination station via the VPDP; b) setting up an AIN trigger at AIN capable SSPs, said AIN trigger being responsive to said VPDP access code; c) launching a query from said AIN capable SSPs to said remotely located SCP when said AIN trigger detects a VPDP access code; and d) providing a VPDP to NANP translation table at the SCP, such that when the virtual, public telephone number dialed by the calling party is received at the SCP, the dialed number can be translated to a NANP telephone number for routing to the destination station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a telephone network having a number of telephone switching offices equipped with SSPs (Service Switching Points) operating with AIN (Advanced Intelligent Network) application software, and a remotely located SCP(Service Control Point) adapted to receive, when required, SS7 (Signalling System 7) messages from the SSPs to translate a dialed number to enable the routing of a call on the telephone network, a method of routing a call according to a telephone number selected from a parallel, non-intrusive virtual public dial plan (VPDP), co-existing with the current network node address numbering plan, comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving at one of the SSPs a series of DTMF codes including a dialed number; b) determining whether the DTMF codes received include a VPDP access code, indicating that the dialed number is to be routed according to said VPDP;
if the digits received include a VPDP access code;i) forming, at said SSP, an SS7 message comprising the dialed VPDP number; ii) sending the SS7 message from said SSP to said SCP along a common signaling channel; iii) receiving the SS7 message at said SCP; iv) translating the VPDP number in the SS7 message to a routing number corresponding to a telephone number associated with said existing network node address numbering plan; and v) sending a response SS7 message from said SCP to said SSP, said SS7 message containing said routing number, such that the call can be routed on said telephone network; and c) routing the call according to the current network node address numbering plan if the received DTMF codes do not include the VPDP Access Code. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. In a telephone network having a number of telephone switching offices equipped with SSPs (Service Switching Points) operating with AIN (Advanced Intelligent Network) application software, and a remotely located SCP(Service Control Point) adapted to receive, when required, SS7 (Signalling System 7) messages from the SSPs to translate a dialed number to enable the routing of a call on the telephone network, a system for routing a call according to a telephone number selected from a parallel, non-intrusive virtual public dial plan (VPDP), co-existing with the current network node address numbering plan, comprising:
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a) a first SSP for receiving a series of DTMF codes including a dialed number; b) means, at said SSP, for determining whether the DTMF codes received include a virtual public dial plan access code, indicating that the dialed number is to be routed according to said VPDP; c) means for forming, at said SSP, an SS7 message comprising the dialed VPDP number, if the digits received include a VPDP access code; d) an SCP for receiving said SS7 message from said SSP along a common signaling channel; and e) means for translating the VPDP number in the SS7 message to a routing number corresponding to a telephone number associated with said existing network node address numbering plan such that the call can be routed on said telephone network. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification