Intelligent call routing system

• US 7,023,837 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Thiru
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick W
• Application Number:
  US09/433,497
• Time in Patent Office: 2,344 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 370/400, 370/401, 379/142.07, 379/201.06, 379/207.02, 379/207.03, 379/211.02, 379/220.01
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0033 customer-controlled

Abstract

An automated call routing system accesses and employs information stored in a database located on a data network. Switching points within a Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) identify the telephone numbers, i.e. destination addresses received. The destination address may be associated with subscribers and, if so, a search may be initiated over the data network in a database included in a website. Once the information associated with the subscriber is located in the database, the PSTN will retrieve the information, the incoming call may be routed. The automated call routing information stored in the database may also be accessible to the subscriber over a connection established through a data network. Various interactive screen displays are provided through which the subscriber may enter or amend information contained therein.

Claims

1. A user programmable system for routing telephonic traffic in a communications network comprising:

a network server connectable to a data network wherein the network server is further configured to communicate with a service control point (SCP) in a telephonic network, said network server including;

a subscriber profile database accessible by the SCP so as to provide telephonic routing information in response to a detected incoming telephone call to any of a plurality of destination addresses associated with a subscriber, the destination addresses associated with that subscriber each representing a different means for communication with that subscriber; and

at least one interactive screen display presentable to system users accessing the network server over the data network wherein the interactive screen displays are configured such that the system users may review and establish directly in a central database routing instructions for one or more routing addresses based on the destination address and at least one of;

date and time of day a connection is attempted with any of the plurality of destination addresses.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the interactive screen displays are interactive pages accessible over the Internet using a commercial web browser.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more destination addresses include at least one of:

home telephone number, work telephone number, wireless telephone number, pager number and IP telephony connection address.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephonic network is configured as an advanced intelligent network (AIN).

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one interactive screen display is configured for at least one of:

receiving the one or more destination addresses information;

receiving one or more routing addresses and related information routing for the one or more destination addresses;

receiving additions, deletions, and amendments of the related information; and

presenting and amending information with regards to pager unavailability.

6. A communications information system comprising:

a service control point in communication with the PSTN and a data network, the SCP being configured to receive a destination address for one or more detected incoming telephone calls in the public switched telephone network (PSTN);

a central communications server in communication with the data network which includes at least one database storing a plurality of subscriber profiles, at least a portion of the subscriber profiles having a plurality of destination addresses associated with that respective subscriber, the destination addresses associated with that subscriber each representing a different means for communication with that subscriber, the database being configured to be searchable for the subscriber profile associated with the received destination address;

the communications server being further configured to be accessible over the data network by the subscribers in order to review and establish directly at least their own profiles stored in the at least one database; and

the communications server being further configured to identify a profile in the subscriber database associated with the received destination address and to further identify routing information for the telephone call associated with the received destination address including a selected destination addresses based on subscriber programmed criteria, said routing information being transmittable over the data network to the SCP.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the time includes at least one of:

time of day and date.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein data network is the Internet.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the routing information includes subscriber destination addresses which are selectable depending on when the incoming call is detected.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the subscriber destination addresses include at least one of:

home telephone number, work telephone number, cell phone number, pager number, IP telephony connection address.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein each profile in the database includes at least one of:

a date table which includes customized routing information for the subscriber based on a particular date, a time of day table which includes the customized routing information based on a particular day and time of day the incoming call is received, and a paging table which includes the customized information relating to the subscriber for receiving pages.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the SCP is programmable to search the date table, the time of day table, and the pager table in a predetermined order.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein the routing information is selected based on a provided location of the subscriber.

14. A method for establishing a communication connection over a telephone network, comprising:

receiving a destination address for a detected incoming telephone call in the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN);

establishing a connection over a data network with a central communications server which includes a database of subscriber profiles, at least a portion of the subscriber profiles having a plurality of destination addresses associated with that respective subscriber, the destination addresses associated with that subscriber each representing a different means for communication with that subscriber;

allowing a subscriber to access the communications server and review and establish at least one of his own or another subscriber'"'"'s user profile directly in the database;

searching the database to identify one of the subscriber profiles associated with the received destination address;

selecting from the identified subscriber profile a subscriber provided routing information corresponding to the received destination address, based on the time the incoming telephone call was detected; and

transmitting the selected destination address to a switch in the PSTN;

wherein the database is accessible by a service control point.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the data network is the Internet.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the time includes at least one of:

time of day and date.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the routing information comprises subscriber selected destination addresses.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the subscriber selected destination addresses include at least one of:

home telephone number, work telephone number, cell phone number, pager number, IP telephony connection address.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the time is determined based on a geographic location provided by the subscriber.

20. A communications network for routing telephone calls to a subscriber, comprising:

a plurality of switches;

a service control point in communication with at least one of the switches;

a central database that is accessible by the service control point;

wherein the database is also directly accessible by authorized subscribers via the Internet to allow an authorized subscriber to review, create and modify a list of destination addresses associated with the authorized subscriber or another subscriber, the list including a plurality of destination addresses that each represent a different means for communication with the authorized subscriber, and information related to each of the destination addresses, the related information including routing information for each destination address;

wherein, as part of routing a telephone call, the service control point obtains routing information from the database.

21. A communications network as defined in claim 20, wherein the routing information stored in the database varies based on the time that the call is being processed by the service control point.

22. A communications network as defined in claim 20, wherein the routing information stored in the database varies based on the date that the call is being processed by the service control point.

23. A communications network as defined in claim 20, wherein the routing information stored in the database varies based on the time of day that the call is being processed by the service control point.