Method and apparatus for detecting a data service provider in a public switched telephone network
First Claim
1. A system for characterizing phone calls in a public switched telephone network (PSTN), having a plurality of switches interconnected by trunk lines and a plurality of customer premises in communication with the switches, to identify Data Service Providers comprising:
- monitoring means disposed at a first location for monitoring routing messages directed to the first location;
generating means responsive to the monitoring means for generating a call record including a plurality of call defining elements, the call record being identified by a first call defining element;
updating means for updating a plurality of call records stored at a storage location with the call defining elements of the generated call record; and
analyzing means for analyzing at least one of the call defining elements of the plurality of call records to identify Data Service Providers.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for characterizing phone calls in a public switched telephone network (PSTN), in order to identify Data Service Providers (as distinct from conventional telephone users). The system includes monitoring mechanism disposed at a first location (such as a central office or STP) for monitoring call routing messages directed to the first switch. A generating mechanism, responsive to the monitoring mechanism, is configured to generate a call record, which includes a plurality of call defining elements. An updating mechanism is configured to update a plurality of call records stored at a storage location with the call defining elements of the generated call record. Finally, an analyzing mechanism is provided and configured to analyze at least one of the call defining elements of the plurality of call records to identify Data Service Providers. The method includes the steps of monitoring routing messages directed to the first location and generating a call record including a plurality of call defining elements, the call record being identified by a first call defining element. Thereafter, the method updates a plurality of call records, stored at a storage location with the call defining elements of the generated call record. Finally, the method analyzes at least one of the call defining elements of the plurality of call records to identify Data Service Providers, as distinguished from conventional (voice) customers or users.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A system for characterizing phone calls in a public switched telephone network (PSTN), having a plurality of switches interconnected by trunk lines and a plurality of customer premises in communication with the switches, to identify Data Service Providers comprising:
-
monitoring means disposed at a first location for monitoring routing messages directed to the first location; generating means responsive to the monitoring means for generating a call record including a plurality of call defining elements, the call record being identified by a first call defining element; updating means for updating a plurality of call records stored at a storage location with the call defining elements of the generated call record; and analyzing means for analyzing at least one of the call defining elements of the plurality of call records to identify Data Service Providers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for characterizing phone calls in a public switched telephone network (PSTN), having a plurality of switches interconnected by trunk lines and a plurality of customer premises in communication with the switches, to identify Data Service Providers comprising the steps of:
-
monitoring routing messages directed to a first location; generating a call record including a plurality of call defining elements, the call record being identified by a first call defining element; updating a plurality of call records stored at a storage location with the call defining elements of the generated call record; and analyzing at least one of the call defining elements of the plurality of call records to identify Data Service Providers. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for characterizing phone calls in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and detecting data service providers comprising the steps of:
-
(a) identifying a request to establish a communication link between a calling party and a called party; (b) if no communication link is established, then (i) identifying certain signaling data defining a reason that the requested communication link was not established;
elseif the communication link is established, then (ii) identifying the termination of the communication link; (c) creating a temporary call record for the communication link, the temporary call record including identifying data about the communication link; (d) if no permanent call record corresponding to the temporary call record exists, then (i) creating a permanent call record;
elseif a permanent call record corresponding to the temporary call record exists, then (ii) updating the permanent call record; the permanent call record defining a plurality of statistical data elements; and (e) evaluating the statistical data elements of the permanent call record to identify subscriber numbers of data service providers. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method for characterizing phone calls in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and detecting data service providers comprising the steps of:
-
monitoring messages transmitted through a SS7 network; generating call records containing cumulative information, as to some elements in a message, at least one element being the elapsed time of a call; and evaluating one or more of the elements to characterize whether a given telephone number is a data service provider. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A method for characterizing phone calls in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and identifying data service providers comprising the steps of collecting call records and evaluating the collected call records for one or more calling attributes, and identifying a data service provider by one or more of the calling attributes being compared against a predetermined value.
Specification