Method and system for routing a telephone call

• US 7,006,829 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• 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 C. Sr., Zhao, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, HUY Q
• Application Number:
  US10/438,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/428, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method of routing a telephone call includes receiving the call from a mobile unit in signal communication with a cellular telephone system, and routing the call based at least partially on the geographical location and independent of the number plan area code of the mobile unit.

Claims

1. A method of routing a telephone call, comprising:

receiving the call at a mobile switching center from a mobile unit in signal communication with a cellular telephone system;

directing the call from the mobile switching center to a redundant service control point, each mobile switching center directing calls to a single redundant service control point in response to a geographic location of the mobile switching center, the redundant control point implement by multiple service control points implementing common features or a single service control point employing redundant features;

in response to the call, the redundant service control point accessing a portion of a geographic database, portions of the geographic database being uniquely associated with respective redundant service control points wherein each of the redundant service control points accesses a geographic database containing only the geographic data pertinent to a coverage area for each redundant service control point; and

the redundant service control point routing the call based at least partially on the geographical location and independent of the number plan area code of the mobile unit;

wherein routing the call includes routing the call to a public safety answering point servicing the geographical area of the mobile unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a log of the routed call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the geographical location of the mobile unit based at least partially on at least one of a geographic location code, a pseudo number, a global positioning system, a signal strength, and a signal triangulation process.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the public safety answering point with information relating to the geographical location of the mobile unit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing the call to a public safety answering point in the geographical area of the mobile switching center.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a geographic identifier to the protocol of the call; and

determining the geographical location of the mobile unit based at least partially on the geographic identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

routing the call to a public safety answering point in the geographical area associated with the geographic identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving further comprises:

receiving an emergency call.

9. A system for routing a telephone call, comprising:

a mobile switching center adapted to receive the telephone call from a mobile unit;

a signal transfer point in signal communication with the mobile switching center; and

a redundant service control point in signal communication with the signal transfer point, the mobile switching center directing calls to a single redundant service control point in response to a geographic location of the mobile switching center, the redundant control point implement by multiple service control points implementing common features or a single service control point employing redundant features;

the service control point designated to service a defined geographic area and having access to a portion of a geographic database, portions of the geographic database being uniquely associated with respective redundant service control points, the geographic database containing only geographic data relating to at least one of the mobile switching center, the redundant service control point, and

a public safety answering point in the defined geographic area, the redundant service control point routing the call to the public safety answering point servicing a geographical area identified in the geographic data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the redundant service control point comprises:

a processor programmed to run emergency call application software;

an emergency call database adapted to include data uploaded from a shared application database; and

a log file adapted to store emergency call routing information.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the redundant service control point is in signal communication with an automatic location identification database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the automatic location identification database includes information relating to at least one public safety answering point.