Services node routing service

• US 6,665,390 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ekstrom, Gayle R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US09/571,999
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 372/01, 372/07, 372/11, 372/19, 372/20, 372/21, 372/29, 372/30
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/545 with loop avoiding arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

A method and system for treating telephone calls at a services node prior to completing the telephone call. The services node may provide a variety of services to treat the telephone call such as a Personal Access Service or playing a pre-recorded message. After treatment at the services node, the system recognizes that the telephone call has already been treated at a services node and the call is completed.

Claims

1. A method of treating a telephone call prior to connecting the telephone call to a telephone number comprising the steps of:

querying a service control point regarding the treatment of the telephone call at a services node;

associating the telephone number with a services node;

forwarding the telephone call to the services node for treatment;

treating the telephone call at the services node; and

completing the telephone call to the telephone number after treating the telephone call at the services node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of querying the service control point comprises the step of associating a Called Party Telephone Number with a terminating telephone number of the services node.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of querying the service control point comprises the step of comparing a Calling Party Telephone Number with an originating telephone number of a services node to determine if the telephone call originated from the services node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the service control point is queried by a service switching point.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone call is completed if an originating telephone number of the telephone call comprises an originating telephone number of a services node.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of treating the telephone call comprises identifying the telephone number where the telephone call will be completed by a personal access service.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the telephone number to terminate the telephone call is determined based on the time of the day.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the telephone number to terminate the telephone call is determined based on the day of the week.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the treatment plays a message to callers.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the message comprises a pre-recorded announcement played for callers.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the message comprises a menu of choices for callers to select.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is based on the time of the day.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is based on the day of the week.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is based on the Calling Party Telephone Number.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is based on the station type of the calling party.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the forwarding of the telephone call is conditioned on a switch to enable/disable forwarding.

17. A method for using a services node to route a call from a calling party, the method comprising:

(a) with a service switching point, receiving a call from a calling party, the call being associated with a called party number;

(b) sending a query from the service switching point to a service control point;

(c) sending an identification of a services node from the service control point to the service switching point;

(d) with the service switching point, connecting the call to the services node;

(e) with the services node, determining a terminating number; and

(f) routing the call to the terminating number.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the services node is identified using the calling party'"'"'s number.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein (d) is performed only if the call has not been previously treated by the services node.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining whether the calling party is a subscriber to a services node routing service.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

with the services node, playing a message to the calling party.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the terminating number is same number as the called party number.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the terminating number is different from the called party number.

24. A system for routing a call from a calling party using a services node, the system comprising:

a service switching point operative to receive a call from a calling party to a called party number;

a services node coupled with the service switching point; and

a service control coupled with the service switching point and operative to instruct the service switching point to route the call to the services node;

wherein the services node is further operative to instruct the service switching point to route the call to a terminating number.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the terminating number is same number as the called party number.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the terminating number is different from the called party number.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the service control point is further operative to instruct the service switching point to route the call to the services node only if the call has not been treated by the service node.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the services node is further operative to play a message to the calling party.