Methods and system for determining message routing based on elements of a directory number

• US 6,681,257 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton, Patel, Navneet
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIA, SYED
• Application Number:
  US09/459,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/244, 709/206, 709/217, 379/88, 379/88.18
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

Methods and systems in a messaging system to identify a messaging platform for use in delivery of a message addressed to a mailbox address served by the messaging platform. The messaging system includes a network element and a plurality of directories. Using at least the NPA of the mailbox address, the network element determines which directory includes the indicator for the messaging platform for delivery of the message. Using at least the NPA-NXX of the mailbox address, the directory obtains and provides the indicator of the messaging platform for delivery of the message.

Claims

1. In a messaging system including a plurality of messaging platforms, a system for keeping track of a correlation between a messaging platform and a group of mailboxes served by the messaging platform, each mailbox having a mailbox address including a line number as part of the mailbox address, the line number including an NPA-NXX, the system comprising:

A. a plurality of directories for keeping track of which messaging platform of the plurality of messaging platforms serves which group of mailboxes of a plurality of groups of mailboxes,

a group of mailboxes being defined by each mailbox of the group having a common NPA-NXX in its mailbox address,

each directory including records, each record corresponding to a respective group of mailboxes, and each record including a mailbox address field (MA filed) correlated to a messaging platform field (MP field),

1. the MA field including the common NPA-NXX of the respective group of mailboxes, and

2. the MP field including an indicator of a messaging platform serving the respective group of mailboxes; and

B. a network element for keeping track of which directory of the plurality of directories corresponding to which supergroup of mailboxes of a plurality of supergroups,

a supergroup of mailboxes being defined by each mailbox of the supergroup having a common NPA in its mailbox address,

the network element including supergroup records, each supergroup record corresponding to a respective supergroup of mailboxes, and each supergroup record including an address field correlated to a directory field,

1. the address field including the common NPA of the respective supergroup of mailboxes, and

2. the directory field including an identification of a directory of the plurality of directories.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the group of mailboxes is further defined by, each mailbox of the group having a common NPA-NXX-Xrange in its mailbox address;

wherein the MA field comprises the common NPA-NXX-Xrange of the respective group of mailboxes;

wherein the supergroup of mailboxes is further defined by each mailbox of the supergroup having a common NPA-NXX in its mailbox address;

wherein the address field comprises the common NPA-NXX of the respective supergroup of mailboxes; and

wherein the supergroup record is associated with the respective supergroup of mailboxes by inclusion of the common NPA-NXX of the respective supergroup of mailboxes in the common NPA-NXX-Xrange of the address field of the supergroup record.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator of the messaging platform in the MP field comprises a messaging platform address (MP address).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification of the directory in the directory field comprises a directory address for the directory.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the network element comprises a server.

6. In a messaging system including a plurality of messaging platforms serving mailboxes, each mailbox having a mailbox address including a line number as part of the mailbox address, the calling line number including an NPA-NXX, a method for obtaining a particular indicator of a particular messaging platform serving a recipient mailbox of a recipient with respect to a message addressed to a recipient mailbox address of the recipient mailbox, the method comprising:

A. causing the messaging system to include a plurality of directories for keeping track of which messaging platform of the plurality of messaging platforms serves which group of mailboxes of a plurality of groups of mailboxes,

a group of mailboxes being defined by each mailbox of the group having a common NPA-NXX in its mailbox address,

each directory including records, each record corresponding to a respective group of mailboxes, and each record including a mailbox address field (MA field) correlated to a messaging platform field (MP field),

1. the MA field including the common NPA-NXX of the respective group of mailboxes, and

2. the MP field including an indicator of a messaging platform serving the respective group of mailboxes; and

B. causing the messaging system to include a network element for keeping track of which directory of the plurality of directories corresponds to which supergroup of mailboxes of a plurality of supergroups of mailboxes,

a supergroup of mailboxes being defined by each mailbox of the supergroup having a common NPA in its mailbox address,

the network element including supergroup records, each supergroup record corresponding to a respective supergroup of mailboxes, and each supergroup record including an address field correlated to a directory field,

1. the address field including the common NPA of the respective supergroup of mailboxes, and

2. the directory field including an identification of a directory of the plurality of directories;

C. with respect to the recipient mailbox address of the message, obtaining from the network element an identifier of a particular directory of the plurality of directories, the particular directory including a particular record corresponding to a particular group of mailboxes, the particular group of mailboxes including the recipient mailbox on the basis of the recipient mailbox address including a particular common NPA-NXX of the particular group of mailboxes; and

D. using the identifier of the recipient directory to obtain from the recipient directory the particular indicator of the recipient messaging platform serving the particular group of mailboxes including the recipient mailbox.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein action C comprises obtaining from the network element the identifier of the particular directory of the plurality of directories by using an NPA of the recipient mailbox address to find a particular supergroup record in the network element including a particular address field including the NPA of the recipient mailbox address and correlated to a particular directory field including the identifier of the particular directory.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein action D comprises obtaining from the recipient directory the particular indicator of the recipient messaging platform by using an NPA-NXX of the recipient mailbox address to find a particular record in the recipient directory including a particular MA field including the NPA-NXX of the recipient mailbox address and correlated to a particular MP field including the particular indicator of the recipient messaging platform.

9. In a messaging system including a plurality of messaging platforms serving respective mailboxes, a method for obtaining an indicator for a messaging platform for delivery of a message addressed to a mailbox address, the messaging platform serving the mailbox address, and the mailbox address including a line number including a full exchange designation (NPA-NXX) including an NPA, the method comprising:

A. using the NPA of the mailbox address to find a directory of a plurality of directories, the directory including the indicator for the messaging platform for delivery of the message; and

B. using the full exchange designation of the mailbox address to obtain the indicator for the messaging platform from the directory of the plurality of directories.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

C. using the indicator of the messaging platform obtained from the directory to route the message to the messaging platform for delivery of the message addressed to the mailbox address.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein action A comprises using the NPA of the mailbox address by comparing the NPA to information stored in a network element for a matching NPA in the information, the matching NPA corresponding to a matching directory identifier identifying the directory of the plurality of directories including the indicator of the messaging platform for delivery of the message addressed to the mailbox address.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein action B comprises using the full exchange designation for the mailbox address by comparing the full exchange designation to data stored in the directory for a matching full exchange designation in the data, the matching full exchange designation corresponding to a matching indicator indicating the messaging platform for delivery of the message addressed to the mailbox address.

13. In a messaging system including a plurality of messaging platforms serving mailboxes, a system to allow an address of a messaging platform to be obtained for use in delivery of a message addressed to a mailbox address, the mailbox address including a line number including full exchange designation having an NPA, the system comprising:

A. a network element functionally connected to the plurality of messaging platforms and operative based on the NPA of the mailbox address to find a directory of a plurality of directories, the directory including the indicator for the messaging platform for delivery of the message; and

B. the directory of the plurality of directories being functionally connected to the plurality of messaging platforms and operative using the full exchange designation to obtain the indicator of the messaging platform.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the network element comprises information;

and

wherein the network element is operative to use the NPA of the mailbox address by comparing the NPA to information stored in the network element for a matching NPA in the information, the matching NPA corresponding to a matching directory identifier identifying the directory of the plurality of directories including the indicator of the messaging platform for delivery of the message addressed to the mailbox address.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the directory of the plurality of directories comprises data;

and

wherein the directory of the plurality of directories is operative to use the full exchange designation of the mailbox address by comparing the full exchange designation to the data stored in the directory for a matching full exchange designation in the data, the matching full exchange designation corresponding to a matching indicator indicating the messaging platform for delivery of the message addressed to the mailbox address.