Method and apparatus for using a single local phone number for routing out of area phone numbers

• US 7,602,887 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Croak, Marian, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Stella L
• Application Number:
  US11/240,900
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 379/45, 379/37, 379/90.01, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a single shadow number to be associated with one or more out of area phone numbers that have registered service addresses in the same local area. For instance, if multiple subscribers with service addresses within the same local calling area choose to use out of area phone numbers, these multiple out of area phone numbers will all be associated with a single shadow phone number that is local within the local calling area. In one embodiment, when a subscriber using an out of area phone number places an E911 call, the out of area phone number as well as the associated shadow number will be sent to the E911 PSAP.

Claims

1. A method for routing a call to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a call setup message for emergency service by said communication network, where said call setup message is associated with a calling phone number, wherein said call setup message for emergency service is an E911 call setup message that is received by a Call Control Element (CCE);

determining said calling phone number is associated with a single local shadow phone number for a local calling area, where said single shadow phone number is shared among a plurality of subscribers; and

routing said call setup message to a PSAP using said shadow phone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said shadow number is obtained from an E911 Application Server (AS).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said PSAP is identified by said E911 Application Server (AS).

4. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for routing a call to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a call setup message for emergency service by said communication network, where said call setup message is associated with a calling phone number, wherein said call setup message for emergency service is an E911 call setup message that is received by a Call Control Element (CCE);

determining said calling phone number is associated with a single local shadow phone number for a local calling area, where said single shadow phone number is shared among a plurality of subscribers; and

routing said call setup message to a PSAP using said shadow phone number.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein said shadow number is obtained from an E911 Application Server (AS).

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein said PSAP is identified by said E911 Application Server (AS).

7. An apparatus for routing a call to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in a communication network, comprising:

means for receiving a call setup message for emergency service by said communication network, where said call setup message is associated with a calling phone number, wherein said call setup message for emergency service is an E911 call setup message that is received by a Call Control Element (CCE);

means for determining said calling phone number is associated with a single local shadow phone number for a local calling area, where said single shadow phone number is shared among a plurality of subscribers; and

means for routing said call setup message to a PSAP using said shadow phone number.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said shadow number is obtained from an E911 Application Server (AS), and wherein said PSAP is identified by said E911 Application Server (AS).