Telecommunications network routing

• US 5,598,462 A
• Filed: 09/25/1992
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Truemner, Michael A., Mosley, Jeffery B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US07/951,243
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 379/91, 379/216, 379/127, 379/93, 379/95, 379/96-99, 379/144, 379/357
• US Class Current: 379/93.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13138 Least cost routing, LCR
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13214 Clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13383 Hierarchy of switches, main and subexchange, e.g. satellite exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

The present invention is a method of establishing telecommunications between a communication device and a predetermined destination by way of a telecommunications network. The network has at least a first network and a second network, wherein the first network establishes communications between a communications device and a second network. The steps provide for configuring the device to be activatable for transmitting a predetermined string associated with the second network, activating the device to transmit the predetermined string, and in response, establishing communication between the device and the second network. Information is received into the second network from the first network associated with the identity of the communication device, and, in response, retrieving data comprising a destination number previously stored in association with the device information, and establishing the communication with the destination in accordance with the retrieved destination number.

Claims

1. A telecommunications network comprising:

a means for receiving information associated with an identification of a point-of-sale communication device;

a means for accessing data comprising at least one destination number, wherein said data has been previously stored in association with the information received relating to the identification of said point-of-sale communication device; and

means for establishing communications between said point-of-sale communication device and said destination using said destination number.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein said first means for receiving information comprises a means for receiving automatic number identification.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein said second means for accessing data comprises a switch having a table which stores the destination number in association with the identification of said communication device and retrieves the destination number based on the automatic number identification.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein said switch immediately routes to said destination associated with said destination number retrieved from said table based on said automatic number identification.

5. The network of claim 2, wherein said data further comprises delay information associated with said automatic number identification and said communication is established in accordance with said delay information.

6. A method of establishing telecommunications between a communication device and a destination by way of a telecommunications network, the network comprising a first network and a second network, wherein the first network establishes communications between the communications device and the second network, said method comprising the steps of;

configuring the device for transmitting a predetermined string of digits associated with said second network in response to activation;

activating the device to transmit said predetermined string of digits to the first network;

establishing communication between the device and the second network in response to transmission of the predetermined string of digits, the communication being established by the first network without using a dedicated line;

receiving information associated with an identity of the device into said second network from said first network, and responding to receipt of the information by retrieving data comprising a destination number stored in association with said identity information and comprising delay information associated with said device; and

establishing communication initiated in the second network so as to complete said telecommunications from the device to the destination in accordance with said retrieved destination number and said delay information.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said delay information indicates that the telecommunications should be established after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said delay information indicates that the telecommunications should be immediately established.

9. A method of establishing telecommunications between a transaction card terminal communication device and a destination by way of a telecommunications network, the network comprising a first network and a second network, wherein the first network establishes communications between the transaction card terminal communications device and the second network, said method comprising the steps of;

configuring the transaction card terminal communications device for transmitting a predetermined string of digits associated with said second network in response to activation;

activating the transaction card terminal communications device to transmit said predetermined string of digits to the first network wherein said activation is in connection with a transaction involving use of a transaction card;

establishing communication between the transaction card terminal communications device and the second network in response to transmission of the predetermined string of digits, the communication being established by the first network without using a dedicated line;

receiving information associated with an identity of the transaction card terminal communications device into said second network from said first network, and responding to receipt of the information by retrieving data comprising a destination number stored in association with said identity information; and

establishing communication initiated in the second network so as to complete said telecommunications from the transaction card terminal communications device to the destination in accordance with said retrieved destination number.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said transaction card terminal communications device is activated in connection with a transaction involving the use of one of a credit card, debit card, charge card, and automatic teller called as said transaction card.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of establishing communication initiated in the second network further comprises establishing communication with a validation computer as said destination.

12. A method of establishing telecommunications between one of at least two communications devices and a destination by using a telecommunications network comprised of a first network and a second network, wherein the devices have at least one associated telephone number and the second network has an associated pre-determined number, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting at least two of the devices so that they share the same telephone number;

configuring the devices to transmit the pre-determined number when activated;

activating a particular one of the devices and transmitting the pre-determined number to the first network;

establishing a first connection in the first network from the particular device to the second network using the predetermined number transmitted by the particular device;

receiving the telephone number in the second network from the first network;

retrieving a destination number associated with the telephone number from a database in the second network unless the destination number has been provided by the particular device; and

establishing a second connection initiated in the second network from the first network to the destination using the destination number so as to complete the telecommunications from the particular device to the destination.

13. A method of establishing telecommunications between a communications device and a destination by using a telecommunications network comprised of a first network and a second network, wherein the device has an associated telephone number and the second network has an associated pre-determined number, the method comprising the steps of:

configuring the device to transmit the pre-determined number when activated;

activating the device and transmitting the pre-determined number to the first network;

establishing a first connection in the first network from the device to the second network using the pre-determined number transmitted by the device;

receiving the telephone number associated with the device in the second network from the first network;

retrieving a set of delay information associated with the telephone number from a database in the second network;

transmitting a user defined destination number from the device if the destination number is defined by a user of the device;

retrieving the destination number associated with the telephone number from the database in the second network if a time delay specified in the delay information expires before the user defined destination number is transmitted from the device; and

establishing a second connection initiated in the second network from the first network to the destination using the destination number so as to complete the telecommunications from the device to the destination.

14. A method of establishing telecommunications between a communications device and a destination by using a telecommunications network comprised of a first network and a second network, wherein the device has an associated telephone number and the second network has an associated pre-determined number, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting the device with a telephone so that they share the telephone number;

configuring the device to transmit the pre-determined number when activated;

if the device is activated, then;

(a) transmitting the pre-determined number to the first network;

(b) establishing a first connection in the first network from the device to the second network using the pre-determined number transmitted by the device;

(c) receiving the telephone number associated with the device in the second network from the first network;

(d) retrieving a set of delay information associated with the telephone number from a database in the second network;

(e) retrieving the destination number associated with the telephone number from the database in the second network if a time delay specified in the delay information expires; and

(f) establishing a second connection initiated in the second network from the first network to the destination using the destination number so as to complete the telecommunications from the device to the destination; and

if the telephone is activated using the pre-determined number, then;

(a) transmitting the pre-determined number to the first network;

(b) establishing a first connection in the first network from the telephone to the second network using the pre-determined number transmitted by the telephone;

(c) receiving the telephone number associated with the telephone in the second network from the first network;

(d) retrieving a set of delay information associated with the telephone number from a database in the second network;

(e) transmitting a user defined destination number from telephone if the destination number is defined by a user of the telephone; and

(f) establishing a second connection initiated in the second network from the first network to the destination using the destination number so as to complete the telecommunications from the telephone to the destination if a time delay specified in the delay information does not expire before the user defined destination number is transmitted from the telephone.

15. A method of establishing telecommunications between a communications device and a destination by using a telecommunications network comprised of a first network and a second network, wherein the communications device has an associated telephone number and the second network has a cut-through number that identifies the second network without requiring a database look-up, the method comprising the steps of:

configuring the communications device to transmit the cut-through number when activated;

activating the communications device and transmitting the cut-through number to the first network;

establishing a first connection in the first network from the communications device to the second network using the cut-through number transmitted by the communications device;

receiving the telephone number of the communications device in the second network from the first network;

retrieving a destination number associated with the telephone number from a database in the second network; and

establishing a second connection initiated in the second network from the first network to the destination using the destination number so as to complete the telecommunications from the communications device to the destination.

16. The method of claim 15, further including the step of connecting at least two of the devices so that they share the same telephone number.

17. A method of establishing telecommunications between a communications device and a destination by using a telecommunications network comprised of a first network and a second network, wherein the communications device has an associated telephone number, and wherein the second network has a cut-through number that identifies second network without requiring a database look-up, the method comprising the steps of:

configuring the communications device to transmit the cut-through number when activated;

activating the communications device and transmitting the cut-through number to the first network;

establishing a first connection in the first network from the communications device to the second network using the cut-through number transmitted by the communications device;

receiving the telephone number of the communications device in the second network from the first network;

retrieving delay information associated with the telephone number from a database in the second network; and

establishing a second connection initiated in the second network from the first network to the destination using a destination number so as to complete the telecommunications from the communications device to the destination, wherein the destination number is defined by the communication device if the communications device transmits the destination number to the second network before expiration of a delay indicated by the delay information, and the destination number is defined by the database in the second network using the telephone number if the communications device does not transmit the destination number to the second network before expiration of the delay indicated by the delay information.