System and method for routing both toll-free and caller-paid telephone calls to call service centers

• US 7,447,304 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ekstrom, Gayle Roberta, Manning, Robert Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Application Number:
  US11/709,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20080019498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 379/145, 379/212.01, 379/220.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.15, 379/222, 379/229, 379/215.01, 379/265.03, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 37926601-26606
• US Class Current: 379/265.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing

Abstract

A system and method of routing both caller-paid and toll-free telephone calls includes a local exchange network and an interexchange network in communication with a call routing processor. The call routing processor receives status information on at least two call service centers and provides routing instructions to both the interexchange and local exchange networks. The method includes the steps of a call controller in a local exchange network communicating with a call routing processor also in communication with an interexchange network, the call controller identifying calls to call service centers and requesting instructions from the call routing processor.

Claims

1. A call processing system comprising:

a plurality of call service centers;

a processing platform configured to receive status information related to the plurality of call service centers, wherein the processing platform is in communication with a local exchange network and an interexchange network;

a network element in communication with the processing platform, the network element configured to communicate a call routing query to the processing platform in response to a call directed to one of the plurality of call service centers and received from the local exchange network or the interexchange network;

wherein the processing platform communicates call routing instructions to the local exchange network and the interexchange network, and wherein the call routing instructions are generated as a function of the status information related to the plurality of call service centers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of call service centers is disposed with a first geographic location and wherein at least one of the call service centers is disposed within a second geographic local that is different from the first geographic location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the call routing query is communicated to the processing platform via a data connection.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a call distributor in communication with the processing platform and the network element, wherein the call distributor is configured to route the call to an agent at one of the plurality of call service centers in response to the call routing instructions.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the network element executes a routing script in response to the call.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the routing script includes caller entered digits.

7. A method of call routing comprising:

receiving status messages at a processing platform from first and second call centers;

receiving a call routing query at the processing platform, wherein the call routing query is generated by a network element and is associated with a call received at the network element;

evaluating the call routing query and the status messages to determine call routing instructions; and

transmitting the call routing instructions from the processing platform to a local exchange network and a interexchange network such that the call is directed to one of the first and second call centers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving status messages comprises receiving a first status from the first call center in a first geographic location and receiving a second status from the second call center in a second geographic location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the call routing instructions comprises transmitting a network identifier.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the call routing instructions comprises preparing the call routing instructions based on a common routing script executed at the processing platform.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the call routing query comprises receiving information associated with at least one caller-entered digit associated with the call, and wherein transmitting call routing instructions comprises accessing a routing script associated with the network element receiving the call, and performing a routing determination based on the routing script, the at least one caller-entered digit and the status messages.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the call routing query associated with the call at the processing platform comprises receiving a routing query message in a routing query message format, wherein the routing query message format comprises information on a telephone number of a calling party of a caller-paid telephone call.