Method and system for preserving telephone numbers

• US 6,463,136 B1
• Filed: 06/15/1999
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/333,035
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/114.01, 379/114.28, 379/114.29, 379/115.01, 379/120, 379/121.01, 379/121.03, 379/121.06, 379/125, 379/127.01, 379/127.03, 379/127.06, 379/130, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.08, 379/207.02
• US Class Current: 379/111
• 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 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 Account specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

The present invention allows a global telephone number be assigned to a first outbound-only telephone line connected to a first service switching point (SSP) to be also assigned to a second outbound-only telephone line connected to a second service switching point. The global telephone number can be used as many times as there are service switching points within a single area code region. In a preferred embodiment, in which an outbound-only telephone line subscriber also has a regular telephone line, all calls originated from the subscriber'"'"'s outbound-only telephone line can be billed against the account of the subscriber'"'"'s regular telephone line. The invention also allows multiple outbound-only telephone lines be billed against the account of a single regular telephone line. In addition, the invention also allows a subscriber of a regular telephone line that is used substantially or exclusively for outbound-only purposes to convert the regular telephone line into an outbound-only telephone line, thereby allowing the telephone number to reuse the global telephone number for an converted outbound-only telephone line.

Claims

1. An advanced intelligent network telecommunication system comprising:

(a) a database containing subscriber information;

(b) a service control point having access to the database;

(c) a plurality of service switching points having the capability to send queries to the service control point and to execute instructions from the service control point;

(d) a plurality of regular telephone lines each of which is connected to one of said plurality of service switching points, wherein each of said regular telephone lines has a unique telephone number;

(e) a plurality of outbound-only telephone lines each of which is connected to one of said plurality of service switching points;

(f) a plurality of global telephone numbers assigned to said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines wherein a first global telephone number assigned to a first outbound-only telephone line connected to a first service switching point is used by other outbound-only telephone lines connected to different service switching points; and

(g) means for billing all calls originating from one or more of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines to the account of a first regular telephone line from said plurality of regular telephone lines.

2. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of global telephone numbers use a reserved exchange code from the area code region of the advanced intelligent network.

3. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines is equipped with an off-hook immediate trigger.

4. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines is equipped with an off-hook delay trigger.

5. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines is provisioned with a termination attempt trigger.

6. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines and said first regular telephone line are both connected to one of said plurality of service switching points.

7. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein calls originated from a first group of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines can be billed against said first regular telephone line, and calls originated from a second group of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines can be billed against a second regular telephone line from said plurality of regular telephone lines.

8. A method for preserving telephone numbers in an advanced intelligent network having a database, a service control point, a plurality of service switching points, and a plurality of regular telephone lines each of which has a unique telephone number, comprising the steps of:

(a) installing a plurality of outbound-only telephone lines;

(b) assigning a plurality of global telephone numbers to said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines wherein a first global telephone number assigned to a first outbound-only telephone line connected to a first service switching point is used by a second outbound-only telephone line connected to any service switching point other than said first service switching point;

(c) updating the database with said assignments of said plurality of global telephone numbers; and

(d) billing all calls originating from said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines to the account of said plurality of regular telephone lines.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said plurality of global telephone numbers use a reserved exchange code from the area code region of the advanced intelligent network.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of equipping at least one of said outbound-only telephone lines with an off-hook immediate trigger.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of equipping at least one of said outbound-only telephone lines with an off-hook delay trigger.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of equipping at least one of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines with a termination attempt trigger.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines and said first regular telephone line are both connected to one of said plurality of service switching points.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein calls originated from a first group of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines can be billed against said first regular telephone line, and calls originated from a second group of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines can be billed against a second regular telephone line from said plurality of regular telephone lines.

15. A method for preserving telephone numbers, comprising the steps of:

(a) installing a first telephone line and a second telephone line for a first subscriber wherein both said first telephone line and said second telephone line are connected to a first service switching point in communication with a service control point having a database;

(b) assigning a global telephone number to said first telephone line;

(c) assigning a first unique telephone number to said second telephone line;

(d) installing a third telephone line and a fourth telephone line for a second subscriber wherein both said third telephone line and said fourth telephone line are connected to a second service switching point in communication with the service control point;

(e) assigning said global telephone number to said third telephone line;

(f) assigning a second unique telephone number to said fourth telephone line;

(g) billing all calls originating from said first telephone line against the account of said second telephone line;

(h) billing all calls originating from said third telephone line against the account of said fourth telephone line; and

(i) updating the database with said assignments of said global telephone number, said first unique telephone number, and said second unique telephone number.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first telephone line and said third telephone line are outbound-only telephone lines, and said second telephone line and said fourth telephone line are regular telephone lines.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of equipping at least one of said outbound-only telephone lines with an off-hook immediate trigger.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of equipping at least one of said outbound-only telephone lines with an off-hook delay trigger.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of equipping at least one of said plurality of outbound-only telephone lines with a termination attempt trigger.

20. A method for billing calls originating from a first telephone line of a subscriber against the subscriber'"'"'s second telephone line comprising the steps of:

(a) installing a first telephone line and a second telephone line for the subscriber wherein both said first telephone line and said second telephone line are connected to a service switching point in communication with a service control point having a database;

(b) assigning a global telephone number to said first telephone line;

(c) assigning a unique telephone number to said second telephone line;

(d) updating said database with said assignments of telephone numbers and said authorization; and

(e) billing all calls originating from said first telephone line against the account of said second telephone line, wherein said first telephone line is an outbound-only telephone line and said second telephone line is a regular telephone line.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of equipping said outbound-only telephone line with an off-hook immediate trigger.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of equipping said outbound-only telephone line with an off-hook delay trigger.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

(f) sending a query from the service switching point containing said global telephone number when the off-hook immediate trigger is set off by the subscriber'"'"'s attempt to use said outbound-only telephone line;

(g) upon receiving said query at the service control point, sending an instruction to the service switching point asking the subscriber to provide said unique telephone number of said second telephone line for the purposes of billing all calls originating from said outbound-only telephone line to the account of said regular telephone line; and

(h) updating the database such that all subsequent calls from said outbound-only telephone line are billed against the account of said regular telephone line.

24. A method for preserving telephone numbers comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying subscribers of telephone lines that is used only for outbound-only purposes;

(b) obtaining authorization from said subscribers to convert said telephone lines into outbound-only telephone lines;

(c) assigning a global telephone number to said outbound-only telephone lines;

(d) billing calls originating from said outbound-only telephone lines; and

(e) reassigning telephone numbers of said telephone lines to other subscribers.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said subscribers also have a second telephone line.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein calls from said outbound-only telephone lines are billed against said second telephone line.

27. A method for re-using telephone numbers for originating calls across multiple service switching points within a common area code region comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying subscribers who are willing to convert a regular telephone line having a telephone number to an outbound-only telephone line connected to a first service switching point;

(b) assigning a global telephone number to said outbound-only telephone line, said global telephone number having not previously been assigned to another telephone line connected to the first service switching point;

(c) providing means for billing all calls originating from said outbound-only telephone line; and

(d) re-using said telephone number by assigning it to a second regular telephone line.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the subscriber of said outbound-only telephone line has a second regular telephone line having a second telephone number.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said billing means comprises charging all calls originating from said outbound-only telephone line against the account of said second regular telephone line.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said second regular telephone line is connected to said first service switching point.