Network architecture for routing of adjunct based services

• US 5,974,132 A
• Filed: 11/14/1997
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ricciardi, Dominic, Robinson, Jerry Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/970,785
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/225, 379/230, 379/258, 379/272, 379/273
• US Class Current: 379/221.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13164 Traffic (registration, measurement,...)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13288 Closed user groups, CUG
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13541 routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13564 load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

The present invention is a novel architecture design for adjunct based architectures. The architecture is built on two key principles; routing traffic based on geographic origin and routing based on customer group. In order to implement the geographic routing, the communications network is split into regions. A method used to achieve optimal regions is described. Further realization of the geographic routing entails a design of the architecture regions, determining the number of adjuncts/region and equally distributing the loads across the adjunct sites. Also, described is the method for optimally homing traffic between the OAS and TAS A and between TAS A and TAS B. The architecture eliminates deficiencies in prior art architectures such as intertoll focusing, architecture instability and reliability.

Claims

1. A method for routing calls in a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call at an originating switch of said communications network, the call originating from a caller who is not a member of a customer group, the caller placing the call to a called party that is a member of the customer group;

referencing a routing table to determine routing and an associated adjunct site for said call, said routing and said adjunct site determination being based on geographic origin of the originating caller and the customer group; and

routing said call to said adjunct site based jointly on said geographic origin and the customer group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjunct sites are coupled to switches in said communications network, further including the step of accessing a database prior to said step of referencing a routing table to thereby determine whether said call is an adjunct based call destined for one of said adjunct sites.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said customer group for said call is indicated during said step of accessing a database, said customer group being identifiable from a called number.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said communications network is divided into a plurality of geographic regions, each of said adjunct sites receiving adjunct based calls from at least two of said geographic regions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each said customer group is mapped to a unique routing table at originating switch locations within a specified one of said geographic regions.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said geographic regions are determined according to a ratio of number of switches to number of adjuncts and number of customer groups, the ratio being other than one-to-one.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said geographic regions are further determined according to geographic community of interest.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a customer group is represented as one or more special service codes, the special service code being defined as a part of an adjunct routing number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a customer group represents a set of customers having adjunct based services.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of routing is performed according to a cost function.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said cost function is a function of the number of intertoll trunks between two switches, switch to switch load between two switches, adjunct based traffic between an originating switch and an destination switch and adjunct based traffic between a first destination switch to a second destination switch.

12. The method of claim 2, further including the step of referencing a routing table at a destination switch to thereby direct said call to an adjunct site coupled thereto.

13. The method of claim 1 for routing calls in a communications network, said network further consisting of a number of regions R, a number of customer groups N_CG, and a number of adjuncts N_A, said routing step further comprising the step of:

determining the number of customer groups N_CG =2N_A /R.

14. A method for routing adjunct based calls to adjunct sites in a communications network, wherein said adjunct sites are coupled to terminating switches in said network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an adjunct based call at an originating switch of said communications network, the call originating from a caller who is not a member of a customer group, the caller placing the call to a called party that is a member of the customer group;

accessing a customer database to determine said customer group for said adjunct based call;

referencing a routing table to determine routing of said adjunct based call to one of said adjunct sites; and

routing said adjunct based call to an adjunct site based jointly on geographic origin of the originating call and said customer group.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said communications network is divided into a plurality of geographic regions, each of said adjunct sites receiving adjunct based calls from at least two of said geographic regions.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each said customer group is mapped to a unique routing table at originating switch locations within a specified one of said geographic regions.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said adjunct based call is able to be routed between a first terminating switch and second terminating switch in said network.

18. The method of claim 14, further including the step of referencing a routing table at said terminating switch to thereby direct said adjunct based call to an adjunct site coupled to said terminating switch.

19. The method of claim 14 for routing adjunct based calls in a communications network, said network further consisting of a number of regions R, a number of customer groups N_CG, and a number of adjuncts N_A, said routing step further comprising the step of:

determining the number of customer groups N_CG =2N_A /R.

20. A system for routing adjunct based calls in a communications network to adjunct sites, said adjunct sites being coupled to terminating switches in said network, said system comprising:

an originating switch for receiving an adjunct based call, the call originating from a caller who is not a member of a customer group, the caller placing the call to a called party that is a member of the customer group, wherein the called party subscribes to services of a communications network provider;

a database accessible by said originating switch for storing the customer group corresponding to said adjunct based call;

a routing table for storing identification of an adjunct site for routing of said adjunct based call, said identification of said adjunct site based on both a geographic origin of the originating caller and said customer group of said adjunct based call; and

means for routing said adjunct based call based on said identification at said routing table.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said communications network is divided into a plurality of geographic regions, each of said adjunct sites adapted to receive adjunct based calls from at least two of said geographic regions.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein each said customer group is mapped to a unique routing table at originating switches within a specified one of said geographic regions.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said geographic regions are determined according to geographic community of interest, ratio of number of switches to number of adjuncts and number of customer groups, the ratio being other than one-to-one.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein said routing table includes at least one primary route choice and at least one overflow route choice for routing said communications traffic.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein said routing table includes a call data field indicative of the routing treatment for a call, a second call data field including data associated with said routing treatment for said call and a percentage field indicative of a percentage of calls to apply to a given routing treatment.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein a customer group is represented as one or more special service codes, the special service code being defined as a part of an adjunct routing number.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein a customer group represents a set of customers having adjunct based services.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of said adjunct sites is adapted to receive adjunct based calls from more than one of said geographic regions.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein said routing table is adapted to route adjunct based calls to a unique adjunct for a specific customer group and a specific originating region.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein adjunct based traffic may be routed between a first terminating switch and second terminating switch in said network.

31. The system of claim 20 for routing adjunct based calls in a communications network, the network further consisting of a number of regions R, a number of customer groups N_CG, and a number of adjuncts N_A, where N_CG =2N_A /R.