Geographically mapped telephone routing method and system

• US 5,588,048 A
• Filed: 03/28/1996
• Issued: 12/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1992
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: 800 Adept Incorporated
• Original Assignee: 800 Adept Incorporated
• Inventors: Neville, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/623,051
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/207, 379/209, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/221, 379/97, 379/265, 379/266, 379/94, 379/88, 379/89, 379/67, 379/127, 379/142, 379/220, 379/230, 379/58, 379/59, 379/60 , 379/219
• US Class Current: 379/127.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13383 Hierarchy of switches, main and subexchange, e.g. satellite exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13512 800 - freefone
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/912 Geographically adaptive

Abstract

A method and system for direct routing of telephone calls made by a caller originating from within specific calling areas to one of a plurality of locations of a second party according to certain criteria established by the second party. This routing is accomplished based on the assignment of latitude and longitude coordinates to a potential caller'"'"'s location. Once these coordinates are assigned to each of the potential callers, the second party'"'"'s criteria is applied to assign the potential caller to a second party. Such criteria could be existence within a previously-defined geographic area, a custom defined geographic area, or through calculations such as the shortest distance between coordinate points. Once all such assignments have been made, a database is assembled to be used by a long distance carrier for direct routing of telephone calls from callers to an assigned second party.

Claims

1. A system for direct routing a telephone call from a first party who has an originating telephone number at a specific location defined by latitude and longitude coordinates who dials a telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic to a second party having a plurality of service locations, said system comprising:

means for allocating individual latitude and longitude coordinates to each originating telephone number of all potential first parties;

means for defining the boundaries of one or more geographical areas which can be of any size and shape according to predetermined criteria, each point along said boundaries being defined by latitude and longitude coordinates;

means for assigning to each originating telephone number of said potential first parties a telephone number of a service location of a second party that will receive calls originating from within the boundary of a geographic area defined by said means for defining in which the individual latitude and longitude coordinates of the specific location of each of said potential first parties lie;

means for determining the originating telephone number of the first party from which said telephone call is to be routed; and

direct routing means for direct routing said telephone call to a service location of the second party assigned to said originating telephone number of the first party by said means for assigning.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for allocating, defining and assigning are comprised by a database.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said database resides at a long distance telephone service provider.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said long distance telephone service provider has equipment capable of accommodating 800-type telephone traffic.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic to the second party is an 800-type telephone number.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined criteria is defined by the second party.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the latitude and longitude coordinates of the specific location of the first party define the street address of the first party.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic to the second party comprises one of an 800, 900 or special access code telephone number.

9. A method for direct routing a telephone call from a first party who has an originating telephone number at a specific location defined by latitude and longitude coordinates who dials a telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic to a second party having a plurality of service locations, said method comprising the steps of:

allocating individual latitude and longitude coordinates to each originating telephone number of all potential first parties;

defining the boundaries of one or more geographical areas which can be of any size and shape according to predetermined criteria, each point along said boundaries being defined by latitude and longitude coordinates;

assigning to each originating telephone number of said potential first panics a telephone number of a service location of a second party that will receive calls originating from within the boundary of a geographic area defined in said step of defining in which the individual latitude and longitude coordinates of the specific location of each of said potential first parties lie;

determining the originating telephone number of the first party from which said telephone call is to be routed; and

directly routing said telephone call to a service location of the second party assigned to said originating telephone number of the first party by said step of assigning.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said steps of allocating, defining and assigning are performed in a database.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said database resides at a long distance telephone service provider.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said long distance telephone service provider has equipment capable of accommodating 800-type telephone traffic.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic to the second party is an 800-type telephone number.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said predetermined criteria is defined by the second party.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the latitude and longitude coordinates of the specific location of the first party define the street address of the first party.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein said telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic to the second party comprises one of an 800, 900 or special access code telephone number.