Programmable access carrier selection terminal

• US 6,222,911 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1998
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Wyllie, III, Alfred Scales
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/129,724
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111-115, 379/120, 379/121, 379/127, 379/130, 379/133-134, 379/221, 379/219-220
• US Class Current: 379/114.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection

Abstract

Customer premises equipment (CPE) which allows a user programmable access carrier selection. Users can program one or more alternate access carriers to use at different times and/or different days of the week. After the feature has been programmed, the CPE determines which access carrier to use and inserts the appropriate alternate access code prior to releasing the dialed digits. The invention allows a telephone customer to take advantage of varying rates and promotional programs without having to remember the details of each provider'"'"'s plans and the provider access codes for each call.

Claims

1. At a telephone terminal which includes a keypad for entering telephone numbers by a user, a method of selecting a preprogrammed access carrier in response to a call being placed by the user, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if the call is a toll call;

determining a current time period if the call is a toll call;

retrieving an alternate carrier access code for the current time period, based on the alternate carrier access code having been entered by the user through the keypad at an earlier time;

determining if the alternate carrier access code is valid;

if the alternate carrier access code is valid, automatically dialing the alternate carrier access code so that the call is placed using an alternate access carrier corresponding to the alternate carrier access code; and

if the alternate carrier access code is not valid, placing the call without dialing any alternate carrier access code.

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

first, determining if an override carrier code has been entered by the user through the keypad for the call; and

completing the call with the override carrier code.

3. Telephone terminal equipment which can be programmed for alternate access carriers in response to digits entered by a user, the telephone terminal equipment comprising:

a telephone network interface having a network connection;

an input/output block including a keypad through which the user can enter the digits as well as telephone numbers;

a control block for controlling the functions of the telephone terminal equipment, the control block being connected to the telephone network interface, the input/output block, and an encoder/decoder; and

a memory connected to the encoder/decoder, the control block, and the telephone network interface, the memory including program code for collecting and storing the digits entered by the user through the keypad, the digits representing specific time periods, and one or more alternate carrier access codes as entered by the user through the keypad, wherein each of the one or more alternate carrier access codes is associated with one or more of the specific time periods.

4. The telephone terminal equipment of claim 3 wherein the memory further includes program code for collecting a program number with which the specific time periods are to be associated.

5. Telephone terminal equipment through which a preprogrammed access carrier can be selected in response to a call being placed by a user, the telephone terminal equipment comprising:

a telephone network interface having a network;

an input/output block including a keypad through which the user can enter the digits as well as telephone numbers;

a control block for controlling the functions of the telephone terminal equipment, the control block being connected to the network interface, the input/output block, and an encoder/decoder; and

a memory connected to the encoder/decoder, the control block, and the network interface, the memory including program code for determining if the call is a toll call, determining a current time period, retrieving an alternate carrier access code for the current time period, based on the alternate carrier access code having been entered by the user through the keypad at an earlier time, determining if the alternate carrier access code is valid and automatically dialing the alternate carrier access code so that the call is placed using an alternate access carrier corresponding to the alternate carrier access code if the alternate carrier access code is valid.

6. The telephone terminal equipment according to claim 5 wherein the memory further includes program code for first determining if an override carrier code has been entered by a user through the keypad with a called number.

7. Apparatus which includes a keypad for entering telephone numbers by a user comprising:

means for determining if a call being made by a user is a toll call;

means for determining a current time period;

means for retrieving an alternate carrier access code for the current time period, the alternate carrier access code having been entered by the user through the keypad at an earlier time;

means for determining if the alternate carrier access code is valid;

means for automatically dialing the alternate carrier access code so that the call is placed using an alternate access carrier corresponding to the alternate carrier access code if the alternate carrier access code is valid; and

means for placing the call without dialing any alternate carrier access code if the alternate carrier access code is not valid.