System and method for reducing toll charges to a customer service center using VoIP

• US 7,668,302 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: King, Joel Fred, Beene, Jerry Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL
• Application Number:
  US11/319,959
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.01, 379/220.01, 379/114.02, 379/201.01, 379222-223, 37926501-26502, 379/265.09, 370351-356, 709201-203, 709/239
• US Class Current: 379/114.02
• 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 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• 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

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed where a call center operator having multiple locations, including a call center is able to utilize existing network infrastructure to route telephone communications to the call center to the location where the lowest toll rate is applicable. The telephone communications are converted into data packets and routed to the call center using VoIP technology. No toll would apply to the transmission of the data to the call center.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recognizing a call, at a router, placed to a first location that bears a higher toll than if the call was placed to a second location, a customer support entity having the first location and the second location;

redirecting the call at the router to the second location only if the call to the first location bears a higher toll than the call to the second location;

converting voice of a caller associated with the call into data packets at the second location;

connecting with a packet switched network at the second location; and

transmitting the data packets representing the voice of the caller over the packet switched network to the customer support entity at the first location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second set of data packets representing a customer service voice of a customer service representative over the packet switched network from the first location;

converting the second set of data packets into the customer service voice at the second location; and

transmitting the customer service voice to the caller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet switched network operates according to a set of protocols and the transmitting of the data packets is in accordance with the set of protocols.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of protocols include Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the packet switched network includes the internet.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmitting of the customer service voice to the caller is through a public switched telephone network.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the caller is in a first geographic state at a location within a first local access and transport area (LATA), and the customer service representative is in the first geographic state at a location within a second LATA.

8. A system comprising:

a connection to a toll network;

a connection to a packet switched network;

at least one subsystem of a router that recognizes a call to a first location that bears a higher toll than if the call was placed to a second location, a customer support entity having the first location and the second location;

at least one subsystem of the router than redirects the call to the second location only if the call to the first location bears a higher toll than the call to the second location;

at least one subsystem that converts voice of a caller associated with the call into data packets at the second location;

at least one subsystem that connects with the packet switched network at the second location; and

at least one subsystem that transmits the data packets representing the voice of the caller over the packet switched network to the customer support entity at the first location.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

at least one subsystem that receives a second set of data packets representing a customer service voice of a customer service representative over the packet switched network from the first location;

at least one subsystem that converts the second set of data packets into the customer service voice at the second location; and

at least one subsystem transmitting the customer service voice to the caller.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the packet switched network operates according to a set of protocols and the transmitting of the data packets is in accordance with the set of protocols.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of protocols include TCP/IP.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the connecting to the packet switched network includes connecting to the internet.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the transmitting of the customer service voice to the caller is through a public switched telephone network.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the caller is in a first geographic state at a location within a first LATA, and the customer service representative is in the first geographic state at a location within a second LATA.

15. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for managing voice calls, said computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions to recognize a call, at a router, placed to a first location that bears a higher toll than if the call was placed to a second location, a customer support entity having the first location and the second location;

instructions to redirect the call at the router to the second location only if the call to the first location bears a higher toll than the call to the second location;

instructions to convert voice of a caller associated with the call into data packets at the second location;

instructions to connect with a packet switched network at the second location; and

instructions to transmit the data packets representing the voice of the caller over the packet switched network to the customer support entity at the first location.

16. The computer-readable instructions of claim 15 further comprising:

instructions to receive a second set of data packets representing a customer service voice of a customer service representative over the packet switched network from the first location;

instructions to convert the second set of data packets into the customer service voice at the second location; and

instructions to transmit the customer service voice to the caller.

17. The computer-readable instructions of claim 15, wherein the packet switched network operates according to a set of protocols and the instructions to transmit the data packets are in accordance to said set of protocols.

18. The computer-readable instructions of claim 17, wherein the set of protocols include TCP/IP.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the packet switched network includes the internet.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions to transmit the customer service voice to the caller is through a public switched telephone network.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the caller is in a first geographic state at a location within a first LATA, and the customer service representative is in the first geographic state at a location within a second LATA.