System and method for forwarding call from disconnected telephone number to new telephone number

• US 7,206,398 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Culli, Laura, Coronado, M. Lourdes, Tamasi, Mark, Simino, John E., Kolker, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/780,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20040223601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.05, 379/120, 379/126, 37912701-12706, 379133-134, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/213.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.02, 379/221.14
• US Class Current: 379/221.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

A new service destination determination switching system is provided for a telecommunications environment in which a called party has discontinued an old service destination and obtained a new service destination. The new service destination determination switching system is used to obtain the new service destination when a calling party places a call to the old service destination. The switching system includes a hub switch that receives a rerouted call from an old service destination switch. The hub switch corresponds to a routing number prefix used to reroute calls from the old service destination switch to the hub switch. The routing number prefix causes the hub switch to initiate a trigger to a network platform that obtains the new service destination.

Claims

1. A new service destination determination switching system for a telecommunications environment in which a called party discontinues an old service to an old service destination and obtains a new service to a new service destination, the switching system comprising:

a hub switch that receives at least one rerouted call from an old service destination switch associated with the discontinued service, the hub switch initiating a trigger to a network platform that obtains the new service destination, the hub switch being designated before the call is placed to receive rerouted calls from the old service destination switch.

2. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 1, the hub switch further receiving a determination from the network platform indicating whether the called party has authorized payment for forwarding the call.

3. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 2, the hub switch further forwarding the call to the new service destination when the hub switch receives a determination that the called party has authorized payment for forwarding the call.

4. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 1, the hub switch further forwarding a routing number prefix and a code identifying the old service destination switch to the network platform to be used to determine a number plan area (NPA) of the old service destination.

5. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 1, wherein the call is rerouted to the hub switch based on a number plan area (NPA) corresponding to an area served by the old service destination switch.

6. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 1, further comprising a database that stores the old service destination in association with the new service destination, the network platform obtaining the new service destination from the database and forwarding the new service destination to the hub switch.

7. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 1, the hub switch further receiving a determination from the network platform whether the called party has authorized forwarding the call to the new service destination, and forwarding the call to the called party using the new service destination when the called party has authorized forwarding the call.

8. A new service destination determination switching system for a telecommunications environment in which a called party has discontinued an old service to an old service destination and obtained a new service to a new service destination, the switching system comprising:

a first switch that receives a call from a calling party to the old service destination associated with the discontinued service and determines that the old service destination is discontinued, and that reroutes the call to a second switch, the second switch initiating a trigger to a network platform that obtains the new service destination, the second switch being designated before the call is placed to receive rerouted calls from the first switch.

9. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 8, the second switch further receiving from the network platform a determination indicating whether the called party has authorized payment for forwarding the call.

10. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 9, the second switch further forwarding the call to the new service destination when the second switch receives a determination that the called party has authorized payment for forwarding the call.

11. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 8, the second switch further forwarding a routing number prefix and a code identifying the first switch to the network platform to be used to determine a number plan area (NPA) of the old service destination.

12. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 8, wherein the call is rerouted to the second switch based on a number plan area (NPA) corresponding to an area served by the first switch.

13. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 8, further comprising a database that stores the old service destination in association with the new service destination, the network platform obtaining the new service destination from the database and forwarding the new service destination to the second switch.

14. The new service destination determination switching system of claim 8, the second switch further receiving from the network platform a determination whether the called party has authorized forwarding the call to the new service destination, and forwarding the call to the new service destination when the called party has authorized forwarding the call.

15. A method for determining a new service destination in a telecommunications environment in which a called party has discontinued an old service destination and obtained a new service destination, and in which a calling party places a call to the old service destination, the method comprising:

receiving a rerouted call from an old service destination switch at a hub switch, the hub switch being designated before the call is placed to receive rerouted calls from the old service destination switch, the old service destination switch being associated with the discontinued service; and

initiating a trigger, at the hub switch, to a network platform that obtains the new service destination.

16. The method for determining a new service destination of claim 15, further comprising receiving at the hub switch a determination from the network platform indicating whether the called party has authorized payment for forwarding the call to the new service destination.

17. The method for determining a new service destination of claim 16, further comprising forwarding the call from the hub switch to the new service destination when the determination received from the network platform indicates that the called party has authorized payment for forwarding the call.

18. The method for determining a new service destination of claim 15, further comprising forwarding from the hub switch a routing number prefix and a code identifying the old service destination switch to the network platform to be used to determine a number plan area (NPA) of the old service destination.

19. The method for determining a new service destination of claim 15, wherein the rerouting to the hub switch is determined based on a number plan area (NPA) corresponding to an area served by the old service destination switch.

20. The method for determining a new service destination of claim 15, further comprising storing at a database the old service destination in association with the new service destination, the network platform obtaining the new service destination from the database and forwarding the new service destination to the second switch.

21. The method for determining a new service destination of claim 15, further comprising receiving at the hub switch a determination from the network platform whether the called party has authorized forwarding the call, and forwarding from the hub switch the call to the called party using the new service destination when the called party has authorized forwarding the call.