Advanced intelligent single telephone number routing

• US 6,411,699 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fleischer, Harold C. III, Thompson, Brenda S., Merlotti, James C., Boeckman, Michael W., Gaffney, Gwen H., Eiffert, Susan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/567,431
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/127, 379/201, 379/207, 379/211, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/229, 379/230, 379/112.01, 379/127.01, 379/201.01, 379/207.15, 379/211.02, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/221.12
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• 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 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 : Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for routing a telephone call according to the geographic location of the originating party. A subscriber with multiple network locations within a service territory may have all of their offices accessible to customers through a single publicized telephone number. The single telephone number may trigger advanced intelligent network technology. The network may ascertain the geographic location from which the call originates and accordingly, route the originating call to a subscriber'"'"'s office which is located closest to the originating caller. Further, exception periods may be provided to enable subscribers to individualize their service by only routing to the closest satellite office at specified days, times, etc. The exception periods may also be employed to reroute calls intended for the closest satellite office to a predetermined location.

Claims

1. A method for routing an originating call to a subscriber location within a local communications network, said network comprising a two-way communications network interconnecting a plurality of service switching points and a plurality of dispersed network locations, said service switching points selectively establishing a communications connection between at least two of said network locations in response to a local call request from a calling party initiated by inputting a telephone number, said network locations including a plurality of subscriber locations, and a service control point comprising subscriber service logic, said method comprising:

identifying a subscriber'"'"'s service logic at a service switching point serving the input telephone number based on the local call request from the calling party to establish a communications connection with the subscriber;

ascertaining a geographic location of the calling party in accordance with the originating telephone number of the calling party; and

determining, within the service control point, which of the plurality of subscriber locations is closest to the geographic location of the calling party, the determining including comparing the ascertained geographic location with at least one predetermined list of zip code designations corresponding to geographic areas, each predetermined list of zip code designations corresponding to at least one predefined subscriber service area, each subscriber service area being associated with a routing telephone number corresponding to one of the plurality of subscriber locations, the comparing comprising first comparing the ascertained geographic location to a first predetermined list of post office zip code designations, each zip code designation of the first predetermined list comprising the same number of numerals,

wherein if no matches are found again comparing the ascertained geographic location to a second predetermined list of post office zip code designations, the number of numerals of each zip code designation of the second predetermined list being less than the number of numerals of each zip code designation of the first predetermined list,

wherein, if no matches are found the call request is forwarded to a predetermined default routing telephone number;

wherein, if a match is found, the call request is forwarded to the associated routing telephone number.

2. The method according to claim 1, the ascertaining further including:

receiving the originating telephone number; and

translating the originating telephone number into a zip code of call origination.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined list correlates each geographic location within the subscriber service area with a predefined terminating number of one of the plurality of subscriber locations.

4. The method according to claim 1, the ascertaining further comprising:

querying a database external to the service control point that includes a list of service provider customer identifying information and corresponding customer geographic information.

5. The method of claim 4, the external database comprising a line information database.

6. An apparatus for routing an originating call to a subscriber location within a local communication network, said network comprising a two-way communications network interconnecting a plurality of service switching points and a plurality of dispersed network locations, said service switching points selectively establishing a communications connection between at least two of said network locations in response to a local call request from a calling party initiated by inputting a telephone number, said network locations including a plurality of subscriber locations, and a service control point comprising subscriber service logic, said apparatus comprising:

a service identification apparatus that identifies a subscriber'"'"'s service logic at a service switching point serving the input telephone number based on the local call request from the calling party to establish a communications connection with the subscriber;

a geographic determination apparatus that ascertains a geographic location of the calling party in accordance with the originating telephone number of the calling party;

a system that recognizes at least one exception period, which correspond to at least one alternate routing telephone number, before the geographic determination apparatus ascertains the geographic location of the calling party;

a forwarding system that forwards the call request to one of the at least one alternate routing telephone numbers when the recognizing system recognizes the at least one exception period;

a proximity determination apparatus that determines, within the service control point, which of the plurality of subscriber locations is closest to the geographic location of the calling party when outside the at least one exception period; and

a router that routes the originating call to the determined closest subscriber location via a local exchange carrier when outside the at least one exception period.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, the geographic determination apparatus including:

a receiver that receives the identifying information from a calling device; and

a translator that translates the identifying information into a zip code of call origination.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a limiting apparatus that limits incoming calls to the identified service logic to calls originating within a predefined geographic area.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, the proximity determination apparatus including:

a comparison apparatus that compares the ascertained geographic location of the caller with at least one predetermined list of zip codes corresponding to at least one subscriber service areas, the predetermined list being stored within the service control point.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, the geographic determination apparatus comprising:

a query generator that queries a database external to the service control point that includes a list of service provider customer identification information and corresponding customer geographic information.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, the external database comprising a line information database.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, the line information database comprising:

a receiver that receives service provider customer billing information for each associated customer telephone number;

an extraction apparatus that strips off post office zip code+4 designations for each customer; and

a storage apparatus that stores at least one of zip code+0, zip code+1, zip code+2, zip code+3 and zip code+4 designations.

13. A system for obtaining geographic data associated with customers of local communications network, the system routing an originating call to a subscriber location within the local communications network, said system comprising:

a service control point that identifies a subscriber'"'"'s service logic based on a local call request from a calling party to establish a communications connection with the subscriber, that ascertains a geographic location of the calling party in accordance with a originating telephone number of the calling party, that determines which of a plurality of subscriber locations is closest to the geographic location of the calling party; and

that determines how to route the originating call to the determined closest subscriber location via a local exchange carrier; and

a line information database, external to the service control point, that includes a list of service provider customer telephone numbers and corresponding geographic information, the line information database receiving service provider customer billing information for each associated customer telephone number, stripping off post office zip code+4 designations for each customer, and storing each customer zip code+4 designation according to the associated customer telephone number;

wherein the service control point queries the line information database when ascertaining the geographic location of the calling party.