Long distance service bureau
First Claim
1. A method for placing a tariff call, comprising the steps, executed by a processor, of:
- receiving carrier preference data indicating preferred long distance carriers for chosen telephone numbers,receiving a dialed telephone number;
determining whether the dialed telephone number is one of the chosen telephone numbers;
routing the call on one of the preferred long distance carriers when the dialed telephone number is one of the chosen telephone numbers; and
routing the call on a selected long distance carrier when the dialed telephone number is not one of the chosen telephone numbers, the step of routing the call on the selected long distance carrier including the substeps ofpresenting rate information offered by long distance carriers, andreceiving a long distance carrier selection.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A long distance service bureau assists subscribers in selecting a long distance carrier for a long distance, or tariff, call. The long distance service bureau includes a rate table memory and a service logic element. The rate table memory stores rate data, representing tolls charged by various long distance carriers, and subscriber preference data, representing a subscriber'"'"'s preferences for certain ones of the various long distance carriers. The service logic element controls the rate table memory. The service logic element periodically communicates with the various long distance carriers to retrieve rate data changes, stores the rate data changes in the rate table memory, and downloads only the rate data changes to local equipment of the subscriber during idle periods of the subscriber'"'"'s local equipment.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method for placing a tariff call, comprising the steps, executed by a processor, of:
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receiving carrier preference data indicating preferred long distance carriers for chosen telephone numbers, receiving a dialed telephone number; determining whether the dialed telephone number is one of the chosen telephone numbers; routing the call on one of the preferred long distance carriers when the dialed telephone number is one of the chosen telephone numbers; and routing the call on a selected long distance carrier when the dialed telephone number is not one of the chosen telephone numbers, the step of routing the call on the selected long distance carrier including the substeps of presenting rate information offered by long distance carriers, and receiving a long distance carrier selection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for placing a tariff telephone call, comprising:
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memory means for storing long distance carrier data and corresponding rate data; updating means for receiving updated rate data during idle periods of the apparatus and for storing the updated rate data in the memory means; means for detecting when a user dials a tariff telephone number corresponding to a tariff telephone call; means for presenting a subset of the carrier data and corresponding rate data to the user based on preferred long distance carriers previously selected by the user when the dialed tariff telephone number is detected; means for receiving a selection of a long distance carrier from the presented carrier data subset; and means for routing the tariff telephone call on the selected long distance carrier. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A telephone device for placing a tariff telephone call, comprising:
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a handset; a dial pad having a plurality of numbered keys; a memory for storing long distance carrier data and corresponding rate data; an output element for presenting a subset of the carrier data and corresponding rate data; and a processor for controlling the memory and the output element, the processor comprising; a receiving element configured to receive a telephone number entered via the dial pad, a determination element configured to determine whether the dialed telephone number is a predetermined telephone number, a subset generation element configured to generate the subset of the carrier data and corresponding rate data based on previously chosen long distance carriers, a presentation element configured to cause the output element to present the subset of the carrier data and corresponding rate data, a receiving element configured to receive a long distance carrier selection, and a routing element configured to route the tariff telephone call on a predetermined long distance carrier when the dialed telephone number is the predetermined telephone number, and to route the tariff telephone call on a selected long distance carrier when the dialed telephone number is not the predetermined telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A long distance service bureau comprising:
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a rate table memory for storing rate data representing tolls charged by various long distance carriers and subscriber preference data representing a user'"'"'s preferences for certain ones of the various long distance carriers; and a service logic element for controlling the rate table memory, the service logic element including means for periodically communicating with the various long distance carriers to retrieve rate data changes, means for storing the rate data changes in the rate table memory, and means for downloading only the rate data changes, applicable to the user based on the subscriber preference data, to local equipment of the user. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for assisting a user in selecting a long distance carrier for a tariff call, comprising the steps of:
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receiving subscriber preference data representing the user'"'"'s preferences for certain ones of various long distance carriers; periodically communicating with the various long distance carriers to retrieve rate data representing tolls charged by the various long distance carriers; generating carrier information including the subscriber preference data and the rate data; downloading the carrier information to local equipment of the user; and periodically updating the carrier information with current rate data. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A network for routing a tariff telephone call, comprising:
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a user telephone; a switch, connected to the user telephone, for routing telephone calls; a plurality of long distance carrier systems; and a long distance service bureau, connected to the user telephone via the switch and to the plurality of long distance carrier systems, comprising means for storing subscriber preference data corresponding to the user telephone and representing preferred long distance carriers for certain situations and dialed telephone numbers, means for periodically communicating with the long distance carrier systems to retrieve changes to their offered rates, and means for downloading only the rate changes applicable to the user telephone based on the subscriber preference data during idle periods of the user telephone. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A method for facilitating selection of a long distance carrier for a tariff call, comprising the steps, executed by a network server, of:
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receiving a telephone call from a user requesting long distance carrier rates for a tariff call; retrieving user profile data corresponding to the user, the user profile data indicating long distance carrier preferences of the user; generating carrier information based on current carrier rates offered by various long distance carriers and the user profile data; downloading the carrier information to local equipment of the user to facilitate selection of a long distance carrier. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A long distance service bureau, comprising:
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a rate table memory for storing rate data representing tolls charged by various long distance carriers; a subscriber profile memory for storing subscriber preference data representing preferred long distance carriers for certain situations and dialed telephone numbers, the subscriber preference data being designated by a subscriber of the long distance service bureau; and a service logic element for controlling the rate table memory and the subscriber profile memory, the service logic element comprising means for periodically communicating with the various long distance carriers to retrieve current rate data, means for storing the current rate data in the rate table memory, means for receiving a telephone call from the subscriber requesting long distance carrier rates for a tariff call, means for generating a list of long distance carriers from the rate data and the subscriber preference data, and means for communicating the generated list to local equipment of the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A network for routing a tariff call, comprising:
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a user telephone; a telecommunications system, connected to the user telephone, for routing telephone calls from a user of the user telephone; a plurality of long distance carrier systems; and a long distance service bureau, connected to the user telephone and the plurality of long distance carrier systems via the telecommunications system, comprising means for periodically communicating with the long distance carrier systems to retrieve current offered rates, means for storing subscriber preference data representing preferred long distance carriers for certain situations and dialed telephone numbers, means for receiving a telephone call from the user requesting long distance carrier rates for a tariff call, means for generating a list of long distance carriers from the current offered rates and the subscriber preference data, and means for communicating the generated list to the user telephone. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification