System and method for routing calls using a universal access phone number

• US 7,248,686 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ruggerio, Raymond Leroy, MCROBERTS, THOMAS LEE, Benco, David S., Barclay, Deborah Lewandowski, Mahajan, Sanjeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/847,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20050254638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.02, 379/211.01, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism

Abstract

A system and method of routing calls made to a called party Universal Access Phone Number (UAPN) in a telecommunications network is provided. The method includes determining the time the call is made, determining the day the call is made, selecting a time/day-phone number for a destination phone number based on the time the call is made and the day the call is made, and routing the call to the called party terminal using the destination phone number. The system selects a time/day-phone number for a destination phone number based on the time the call is made and the day the call is made, and routes the call to the called party terminal using the destination phone number.

Claims

1. A method of routing a call from a calling party made to a called party Universal Access Phone Number (UAPN) in a telecommunications network comprising:

supplying a UAPN;

supplying different time/day phone numbers different than the UAPN for specific times of the day and/or days of the week the time/day phone numbers including a first time/day phone number corresponding to a first time period and a first day

associating the time/day phone numbers with the UAPN in the telecommunications network;

supplying an override phone number for the first time period and first day, the override phone number being different than the first time/day phone number UAPN;

receiving a call destined for the called party during the first time period and first day at an originating switch serving the calling party;

the originating switch querying an SS7 network for UAPN number resolution;

receiving the query at a Service Control Point (SCP) via the SS7 network;

the SCP selecting the override phone number as a destination phone number

returning the destination phone number to the originating switch via the SS7 network; and

the originating switch routing the call to the called party terminal using the destination phone number.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the query is an ISDN User Part (ISUP) protocol UAPN Resolution Message (URM) query calling for UAPN resolution.

3. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

the originating switch determining the time and day the call is being made; and

the query sent to the SCP includes the time and day the call is being made.

4. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

the SCP determining the determining the time and day the call is being made.

5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising supplying a plurality of different override phone numbers associated with the UAPN for different times and/or days.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the override phone number corresponds to a plurality of different time periods.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the override phone number corresponds to a plurality of different days.

8. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising storing the UAPN, the time/day phone numbers and the override phone number in a database on the telecommunications network.

9. The method defined in claim 8 further comprising the called party storing the override phone number.

10. The method defined in claim 8 further comprising a telecommunications network service provider storing the override phone number.

11. A system for routing a call from a calling party made to a called party Universal Access Phone Number (UAPN) in a telecommunications network comprising:

an originating switch serving the calling party receiving a call destined for the called party; and

a Service Control Point (SCP) connected to the originating switch via an SS7 network, the SCP having a UAPN database including different time/day phone numbers for specific times of the day and/or days of the week corresponding to the same called party UAPN the time/day phone numbers including a first time/day phone number corresponding to a first time period and a first day, the UAPN database further including an override phone number for the first time period and first day, the override phone number being different than the first time/day phone number UAPN, wherein the SCP receives a UAPN resolution query from the originating switch during the first time period and first day, determines that the called party phone number is in a UAPN database, selects the override phone number for a destination phone number based on the time the call is made and the day the call is made, and returns the destination phone number to the originating switch via the SS7 network for enabling the originating switch to route the call to the called party terminal using the destination phone number.