Call routing system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for routing a telephone call by a caller to a called telephone, to a data network, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a memory for storing a category of telephone numbers representing telephone calls to be placed over a data network in packet switched format;
(b) processing means for accepting a dialed telephone call directly from a device initiating said call, and for determining whether a called number of said call is within said category, and for routing said call through an originating gateway to said data network if so; and
(c) means for selecting, after said called number of said dialed call is determined to be within said category, said originating gateway from plural originating gateways each being capable of conveying said call to said data network, wherein said processing means determines whether said call is routed more economically over said data network or over a telephone network, and wherein said called telephone is accessable over either network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A networking system includes telephone switches and data network gateways for routing calls either over the public telephone network or over the packet switched data network. A router examines initiated calls and selects either the telephone network or a data network for completing the call. A Network Operations Center (NOC) monitors the performance of plural gateways, and updates routing information in the router and/or in the gateways, which may be used for future calls.
69 Citations
44 Claims
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1. Apparatus for routing a telephone call by a caller to a called telephone, to a data network, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) a memory for storing a category of telephone numbers representing telephone calls to be placed over a data network in packet switched format; (b) processing means for accepting a dialed telephone call directly from a device initiating said call, and for determining whether a called number of said call is within said category, and for routing said call through an originating gateway to said data network if so; and (c) means for selecting, after said called number of said dialed call is determined to be within said category, said originating gateway from plural originating gateways each being capable of conveying said call to said data network, wherein said processing means determines whether said call is routed more economically over said data network or over a telephone network, and wherein said called telephone is accessable over either network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for routing a telephone call by a caller, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving, at a router, the call directly from a device initiating the call and examining a called telephone number associated with said call to ascertain whether a particular property is present; (b) if so, selecting one from plural originating gateways each being capable of conveying said call to a data network, and routing the call to said selected originating gateway, and if not, routing the call to a telephone switch; and (c) if said call is routed to said selected originating gateway, examining the called telephone number again to determine to which of a plurality of terminating gateways said call should be routed. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of completing a telephone call by a caller, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving the call, at a router, directly from a device initiating said call and examining a dialed number associated with said call; (b) if said number is determined, by said examining, to be within a predetermined class of numbers, selecting one from plural originating gateways each being capable of conveying said telephone call to a data network, and conveying said telephone call to a first remotely located telephone switch over said data network; and (d) if said number is not within said predetermined class of numbers, conveying said telephone call to a second remotely located telephone switch over a telephone network. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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- 21. A network for completing telephone calls, the network comprising a router connected directly to a device initiating said calls, the router being programmed to examine dialed numbers associated with calls to determine which of the calls shall be routed to a packet switching network, said router further being programmed to separate long distance calls from local calls, to transmit some of said long distance calls and all of said local calls over a circuit switching network, and the remainder of said long distance calls over said packet switching network, and to select, for each specific long distance call to be transmitted over the packet switching network, one from plural of originating gateways each being capable of conveying said each specific call to said packet switching network after a dialed number associated with said specific call is examined.
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28. A method for routing a telephone call by a caller over a data network comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a dialed number associated with the call and examining said dialed number by a router directly connected to a device initiating the call to determine whether the call shall be routed over said data network; (b) if yes, parking the dialed number at the router; (c) if the call is determined to be routed over said data network after said step of examining said dialed number, selecting one from plural originating gateways each being capable of conveying said call to said data network, and transmitting the dialed number from the router to said selected originating gateway; (d) parking the dialed number at the originating gateway; (e) finding an optimum terminating gateway to accept said call over said data network; (f) sending the dialed number from the first gateway to a second gateway over said data network; and (g) connecting the call to a terminal identified by the dialed number, wherein the dialed number represents a called telephone accessable by either the data network or a telephone network. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for routing a telephone call by a caller, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a dialed number associated with the call and examining said dialed number by a router directly connected to a device initiating the call to determine whether the call shall be routed over a data network; (b) if yes, parking the dialed number at the router; (c) determining if the caller is authorized; (d) if the call is determined to be routed over said data network after said dialed number is examined, and if the caller is authorized, selecting one from plural first gateways each being capable of conveying said telephone call to said data network, sending the dialed number from the router to a said selected first gateway; (e) parking the dialed number by the selected first gateway; (f) sending the dialed number from the selected first gateway to a second gateway; and (g) connecting the call to a terminal identified by the dialed number, wherein the call may be completed either over the data network or a telephone network, depending upon which is more economical. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification