Method and apparatus for IP network call delivery

• US 6,292,553 B1
• Filed: 05/20/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilboy, Christopher P., Fellingham, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/082,406
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/401, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/900, 379/901, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.02
• US Class Current: 379/221.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A calling party (12) may enjoy IP network routing of a call to a called party (14) simply by dialing the called party'"'"'s number. Upon receipt of the call, a network (22) accesses a service database (24) containing call routing instructions. Each record is identified by a particular attribute of a call that may include: (1) the originating number, (2), at least a portion of the destination number, (3) a Carrier Identification Code (CIC) associated with the network originating call, and/or (4) at least one characteristic of a trunkgroup on which the network received the call. If the network matches a data base record to a call attribute, the network routes the call in accordance with the instructions in the matching record, including routing the call over an IP network 16 when the record so specifies.

Claims

1. A method for selectively routing a telephone call over at least one IP Network automatically from an originating number to a destination number in accordance with at least one attribute of the call, comprising the steps of:

receiving in a non-IP network a call initiated by a subscriber;

accessing a database upon receipt of a call to locate a routing instruction record identified by at least one attribute of the call,

examining the record to determine whether the call should be routed over the one IP network; and

if so,

screening the call itself to determine whether the call should be formatted as a Voice-over IP call, and if so, then formatting the call as a Voice over IP call; and

routing the call over said IP Network.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the call attribute comprises at least a portion of the originating number.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the call attribute comprises at least a portion of the destination number.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the call attribute comprises a Carrier Identification Code (CIC) associated with the network originating the call.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the call is received at the network on a trunkgroup and wherein the call attribute includes a characteristic of said trunkgroup.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the call attribute comprises a combination of at least two of the following:

(1) at least a portion of the originating number, (2) at least a portion of the destination number, (3) a Carrier Identification Code (CIC) associated with the network originating call; and

, and (4) a characteristic of a trunk group carrying the call to the network.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the call attribute comprises the combination of at least a portion of the originating number and at least a portion of the destination number.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the call attribute comprises the combination of at least a portion of the destination number and the CIC.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the network provides default call treatment by routing the call through the IP network in the absence of a database record.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the network provides default call treatment by routing the call over network communications channels that do not include the IP Network.