System and method for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party

• US 6,813,346 B2
• Filed: 08/10/1998
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1998
• 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: Gruchala, Carol Shifrin, Bloom, Ronald Michael, Michalski, Robert Anthony, Brand, Rodney T, Buell, Donald W
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/132,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,276 Days
• Field of Search: 379/127, 379/201, 379/207, 379/211, 379/220, 379/221, 379/229, 379/245, 379/243, 379/127.06, 379/221.14
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• 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: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A method and system are provided for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party. The preferred embodiments include a telecommunications system that, after receiving a dialed number from a calling party, selects a particular destination number and routes the call to that number. In one preferred embodiment, information about the calling party'"'"'s end office, such as an originating point code, is used to select a destination number. In another preferred embodiment, destination numbers are stored in a plurality of database locations in the system, and the zip code of the calling party is used to select the appropriate database to query for the destination number. Since the database location selection is independent of the dialed number, the system—not the number dialed by the calling party—determines the appropriate database location to query. These preferred embodiments can be used in a variety of situations and find particular use in a non-emergency service environment.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a destination number upon receiving a universal dialed number from a calling party, the calling party being associated with an end office, the method comprising:

receiving the dialed number from the calling party at the calling party end office;

sending a query comprising an originating point code of the calling party'"'"'s end office to a service control point; and

upon receiving the information at the service control point;

determining whether more than one destination number is assigned to the originating point code;

when only one destination number is assigned to the originating point code, selecting the destination number assigned to the originating point code; and

when more than one destination number is assigned to the originating point code, determining a zip code associated with the calling party and then selecting the destination number based upon the zip code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving a three-digit number from the calling party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination number is associated with a non-emergency service center.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and the destination number selected.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and the destination number selected in response to a time the dialed number is received from the calling party.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and a default destination number in response to a selection not being made.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the calling party with an indication that a telecommunications connection cannot be established in response to a selection not being made.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requesting the calling party enter a calling party number; and

collecting the calling party number from the calling party.

9. A method for use in a telecommunications system comprising a first and second database location each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a dialed number from a calling party;

(b) determining a zip code associated with the calling party;

(c) selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, one of a plurality of database locations, the selecting being independent of the dialed number; and

(d) selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, a destination number from said plurality of destination numbers associated with the database location selected in (c), before a telecommunications data signal connection is established.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein step a comprises receiving a three-digit number from the calling party.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein step (a) comprises receiving 311 from the calling party.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said respective plurality of destination numbers are associated with a respective plurality of non-emergency service centers.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of (e) establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and the destination number selected in step (d).

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of (e) establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and the destination number selected in step (d) in response to a time the dialed number is received from the calling party.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of (e) establishing a telecommunications connection between the calling party and a default destination number in response to a selection not being made in step (d).

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of (e) providing the calling party with an indication that a telecommunications connection cannot be established in response to a selection not being made in step (d).

17. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

(e) requesting the calling party enter a calling party number; and

(f) collecting the calling party number from the calling party.

18. A system for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party, the calling party being associated with an end office, the system comprising:

a first database location;

a second database location, the first and second database locations each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers;

a destination number selector coupled with the first and second database locations, the destination number selector selecting a destination number using an originating point code of the calling party'"'"'s end office and when more than one destination number is associated with the originating point code, a zip code associated with the calling party, the destination number selector selecting the destination number before a telecommunications data signal connection is established between the calling party and a destination; and

a database location selector coupled with the destination number selector.

19. A system for selecting a destination number upon receiving a universal dialed number from a calling party, the system comprising:

a first database location;

a second database location, the first and second database locations each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers;

first means for selecting, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, one of the first and second database locations, said selecting being independent of the universal dialed number, the universal dialed number being associated with all customers; and

second means for selecting, before a data signal telecommunications connection is established between the calling party and a destination, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, a destination number from said plurality of destination numbers associated with the database location selected by the first means.

20. A system for selecting a destination number upon receiving a dialed number from a calling party, the system comprising:

a first database location;

a second database location, the first and second database locations each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers; and

a service control point coupled with the first and second database locations and operative to select, using a calling party'"'"'s zip code, one of the first and second database locations independent of the dialed number, and further operative to select, before a data signal telecommunications connection is established between the calling party and a destination, using the calling party'"'"'s zip code, a destination number from said plurality of destination numbers associated with the selected database location.

21. A method for use in a telecommunications system comprising a first and second database location each associated with a respective plurality of destination numbers, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a universal dialed number from a calling party, the universal number being associated with all customers;

(b) sending a query comprising an originating point code of the calling party'"'"'s end office, said sending a query being performed in response to an availability of the originating point code of a calling party'"'"'s end office;

(c) selecting a destination number using the originating point code of the calling party'"'"'s end office, said selecting being performed only when a single destination number is associated with the originating point code.