Advanced intelligent signal telephone number routing

• US 6,542,598 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SEC Technology Resources Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SEC Technology Resources Incorporated
• 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:
  US09/976,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207.02, 379/207.03, 379/207.12, 379/211.02, 379/221.01, 379/230, 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/127.01, 379/201.01, 379/207.15, 379/220.01, 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 one of a plurality of subscriber locations within a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

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

determining, within a service control point, which of the plurality of subscriber locations serves the geographic location of the calling party, the determining including comparing the ascertained geographic location with at least one predefined subscriber service area, the comparing comprising first comparing the ascertained geographic location to a first predefined subscriber service area and, if no match is found, comparing the ascertained geographic location to a second expanded predefined subscriber service area,

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

wherein, when a match is found, the call request is forwarded to a routing telephone number associated with the matched predefined subscriber service area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein geographic locations within the first and second predefined subscriber service areas are correlated with a predefined terminating number of one of the plurality of subscriber locations.

3. 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.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of subscriber locations are each contacted by call requests using a single telephone number.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second predefined subscriber service areas define a market area of the subscriber served by one of the plurality of subscriber locations.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second predefined subscriber service areas correspond to one of a zip code+0, a zip code+1, a zip code+2, a zip code+2, or a zip code+4.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a subscriber'"'"'s service logic based on the call request from the calling party.

4. An apparatus for routing an originating call to a subscriber location within a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:

a service control point that ascertains a geographic location of a calling party in accordance with an originating telephone number of the calling party and that recognizes at least one exception period, which correspond to at least one alternate routing telephone number, before ascertaining the geographic location of the calling party;

a service switching point that forwards the call request to one of the at least one alternate routing telephone numbers when the service control point recognizes the at least one exception period;

wherein the service control point determines which of the plurality of subscriber locations serves the geographic location of the calling party when outside the at least one exception period.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, in which the service control point further comprises:

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

a translator that translates the identifying information into a geographic designation of call origination.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the service control point limits incoming calls to the subscriber location to calls originating within a predefined geographic area.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, the service control point including:

a comparator that compares the ascertained geographic location of the caller with at least one predetermined set of geographic designations corresponding to at least one subscriber service area, the predetermined set of geographic designations being stored within the service control point.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, in which the service control point further comprises:

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.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, the external database comprising a line information database.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, in which the line information further comprises:

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.

11. An apparatus for routing an originating call to one of a plurality of subscriber locations within a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:

a service control point that ascertains a geographic location of a calling party in accordance with an originating telephone number of the calling party; and

that determines which of the plurality of subscriber locations serves the geographic location of the calling party by comparing the ascertained geographic location with at least one predefined subscriber service area, the comparing comprising first comparing the ascertained geographic location to a first predefined subscriber service area and, if no match is found, comparing the ascertained geographic location to a second expanded predefined subscriber service area, and

a service switching point that forwards the call request to a predetermined default routing telephone number when no matches are found and that forwards the call request to a routing telephone number associated with the matched predefined subscriber service area when a match is found.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein geographic locations within the first and second predefined subscriber service areas are correlated with a predefined terminating number of one of the plurality of subscriber locations.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

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

14. A computer readable medium storing a computer program that routes an originating call to one of a plurality of subscriber locations within a telecommunications network by:

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

determining which of the plurality of subscriber locations serves the geographic location of the calling party by comparing the ascertained geographic location with at least one predefined subscriber service area, the comparing comprising first comparing the ascertained geographic location to a first predefined subscriber service area and, if no match is found, comparing the ascertained geographic location to a second expanded predefined subscriber service area,

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

wherein, when a match is found, the call request is forwarded to a routing telephone number associated with the matched predefined subscriber service area.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein geographic locations within the first and second predefined subscriber service areas are correlated with a predefined terminating number of one of the plurality of subscriber locations.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, the ascertaining further comprising:

querying an external database that includes a list of service provider customer identifying information and corresponding customer geographic information.