Method and network for routing a communication through an alternate carrier

• US 6,697,480 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SBC Laboratories Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simino, John, Nance, Bruce A., Hickman, David, Coranado, M. Lourdes, Culli, Laura, Plunkett, William, Tamasi, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US10/330,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20030147520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/115.01, 379/201.01, 379/207.02, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/211.03, 379/212.01, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.02, 379/221.05, 379/221.06, 379/221.08, 379/221.14
• US Class Current: 379/221.02
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• 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 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1325 Priority service
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 Operator, emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13383 Hierarchy of switches, main and subexchange, e.g. satellite exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors

Abstract

Method and network for routing a communication through an alternate carrier. The network routes a communication based on a dedicated identifier through a plurality of interexchange carriers upon input of the dedicated identifier and a request code, and has a node configured to request carrier data in response to entry of the dedicated identifier, and a controller operably connected to the node, the controller configured to set as a primary carrier, in response to a first condition of the request code, a carrier of a sequence of carriers assigned to the node, and in response to a second condition of the request code, setting an alternate carrier to a highest remaining ranked carrier of the sequence of carriers.

Claims

1. A method for directing a communication from at least one location of a plurality of locations, through at least one carrier of a plurality of carriers, each of the plurality of locations including a ranking of interexchange carriers assigned thereto, the method comprising:

setting as a primary carrier for the at least one location, in order of preference, one of;

a manually-selected carrier, an interexchange carrier, and a first ranked interexchange carrier; and

sequentially routing the communication to interexchange carriers corresponding to the primary carrier and an alternate carrier, until a connection is established.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating a communication if a code for an unauthorized interexchange carrier is requested during the communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each ranking of carriers for each of the plurality of locations includes, in order of preference, the first ranked carrier, and second and third carriers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each ranking of carriers for each of the plurality of locations includes three interexchange carriers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing data associated with the communication, including at least one of a communication time, a communication date, an originating number, an originating city, an originating state, an originating geographic location, a communication duration, a communication disposition, an interexchange carrier, an interexchange carrier selection sequence, a trunk group used, dialed digits, and a destination number.

6. A network configured to route a communication based on a dedicated identifier through a plurality of interexchange carriers upon input of the dedicated identifier and a request code, the network comprising:

a node configured to request carrier data in response to entry of the dedicated identifier; and

a controller operably connected to said node, said controller configured to set as a primary carrier, in response to a first condition of the request code, a carrier of a sequence of carriers assigned to said node, and in response to a second condition of the request code, setting an alternate carrier to a highest remaining ranked carrier of the sequence of carriers;

wherein;

said node is configured to route the communication to an interexchange carrier corresponding to the primary carrier; and

said node is configured to sequentially direct, in response to a failure of said node to connect with the interexchange carrier corresponding to the primary carrier, the communication to an interexchange carrier corresponding to the alternate carrier until a connection established.

7. The network of claim 6, wherein said network is an Advanced Intelligent Network, said node is an end office, and said controller is a service control point.

8. The network of claim 6, wherein the first condition is input of a code which requests a specific carrier, and the second condition is entry of a code which does not request a specific carrier.

9. The network of claim 6, wherein said controller is further configured to provide classification data based on at least one of the requested code and the carrier data.

10. The network of claim 6, wherein said controller is further configured to selectively change a communicating party identifier to correspond to the dedicated identifier.

11. A method for directing a communication from at least one location of a plurality of locations, through at least one carrier of a plurality of carriers, each of the plurality of locations including a ranking of interexchange carriers assigned thereto, the method comprising:

setting as a primary carrier, in order of preference, one of an interexchange carrier, and a first ranked interexchange carrier for the at least one location;

sequentially selecting, at least one of an alternate and a secondary carrier from a respective at least one of a highest and a next highest remaining carrier of the ranked carriers for the one location; and

sequentially routing the communication to interexchange carriers corresponding to the primary carrier and the at least one of the alternate and secondary carriers until a connection is established.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising terminating a communication if a code for an unauthorized interexchange carrier is requested during the communication.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each ranking of carriers for each of the plurality of locations includes, in order of preference, the first ranked carrier, and second and third carriers, wherein if the primary interexchange carrier is unauthorized, then the primary, alternate and secondary carriers are respectively set as the first, second and third carriers for the one location.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein each ranking of carriers for each of the plurality of locations includes three interexchange carriers.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing data associated with the communication, including at least one of a communication time, a communication date, an originating number, an originating city, an originating state, an originating geographic location, a communication duration, a communication disposition, an interexchange carrier, an interexchange carrier selection sequence, a trunk group used, dialed digits, and a destination number.