Telephone identity association and a method of distributing telephone identity association to telephone systems

• US 7,865,179 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US12/559,503
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 455/415, 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/445, 455/448, 455418-420, 455/432.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 379/221.14, 379/230, 379/142.07, 379/221.05, 379/201.5, 379/201.12, 379/207.03
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include methods of distributing telephone identity associations among multiple telephone systems in a telephone network. In one embodiment, the present invention includes methods of distributing, receiving, redistributing and withdrawing telephone identity association data, telephone system association data and other data within in a network of telephone identity association processors. In another embodiment, the present invention includes automated, semi-automated and manual methods to initiate distribution of telephone identity association data.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a telephone call, comprising:

(a) connecting a user terminal to a telephone system of a plurality of telephone systems for routing calls,

wherein a telephone identity association is created by one of a plurality of telephone identity association processors coupled to the plurality of telephone systems, the telephone identity association comprising a telephone number attribute and a telephone system identity attribute,

the telephone number attribute comprising a telephone number of the user terminal, and

the telephone system identity attribute comprising an identity of the telephone system,

wherein the telephone identity association is distributed to each of the plurality of telephone identity association processors prior to a routing of a call to the telephone number from any of the plurality of telephone systems to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute; and

(b) receiving the call to the telephone number by the user terminal, wherein the call is routed to the user terminal by the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a second telephone identity association is created by one of the plurality of telephone identity association processors, the second telephone identity association comprising a second telephone number attribute and a second telephone system identity attribute,

the second telephone number attribute comprising a second telephone number of the user terminal, and

the second telephone system identity attribute comprising an identity of a second telephone system to which the user terminal connects for receiving a call,

wherein the second telephone identity association is distributed to each of the plurality of telephone identity association processors prior to a routing of a second call to the second telephone number from any of the plurality of telephone systems to the second telephone system identified in the second telephone system identity attribute.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second telephone system is different from the telephone system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

(c) receiving the second call to the second telephone number by the user terminal, wherein the second telephone call is routed to the user terminal by the second telephone system identified in the second telephone system identity attribute.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the second telephone number is different from the telephone number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone identity association further comprises a time marker attribute including a time or date the user terminal begins to be able to receive the call to the telephone number.

7. A system, comprising:

a user terminal with a telephone number;

a telephone system of a plurality of telephone systems for routing calls to which the user terminal connects for receiving a call to the telephone number;

a storage for storing a telephone identity association created by one of a plurality of telephone identity association processors, the telephone identity association comprising a telephone number attribute and a telephone system identity attribute,

the telephone number attribute comprising the telephone number of the user terminal, and

the telephone system identity attribute comprising an identity of the telephone system; and

the plurality of telephone identity association processors, wherein the telephone identity association is distributed to each of the plurality of telephone identity association processors prior to a routing of the call to the telephone number from any of the plurality of telephone systems to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute.

8. A system, comprising:

a plurality of telephone systems for routing calls coupled to one or more of a plurality of telephone identity association processors;

a storage for storing one or more telephone identity associations created by one or more of the plurality of telephone identity association processors, each of the telephone identity associations comprising a telephone number attribute and a telephone system identity attribute,

the telephone number attribute comprising a telephone number of a user terminal, and

the telephone system identity attribute comprising an identity of a telephone system to which the user terminal connects for making or receiving a call, wherein the telephone system is able to route the call to the user terminal with the telephone number; and

the plurality of telephone identity association processors, wherein the plurality of the telephone identity associations are distributed to each of the plurality of telephone identity association processors prior to a routing of the call to the telephone number from any of the plurality of telephone systems to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute.

9. A method for routing a telephone call, comprising:

(a) receiving a call request from a first user terminal by a telephone system of a plurality of telephone systems for routing calls, the call request comprises a telephone number of a second user terminal;

(b) sending the telephone number from the telephone system to one of a plurality of telephone identity association processors;

(c) receiving by the telephone system one or more telephone identity associations from the telephone identity association processor, each received telephone identity association comprising a telephone number attribute and a telephone system identity attribute,

the telephone number attribute comprising the telephone number, and

the telephone system identity attribute comprising an identity of one of the plurality of telephone systems to which the second user terminal connects for making or receiving a call,

wherein the one or more telephone identity associations are distributed to each of the plurality of telephone identity association processors prior to a routing of the call to the telephone number from any of the plurality of telephone systems to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute;

(d) selecting by the telephone system one of the received telephone identity associations for routing the call to the telephone number; and

(e) routing the call to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute of the selected telephone identity association.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving (c) comprises:

(c1) receiving by the telephone system from the telephone identity association processor;

a first telephone identity association comprising;

a first telephone number attribute comprising the telephone number of the second user terminal, and

a first telephone system identity attribute comprising an identity of a first telephone system for routing calls to which the second user terminal connects for making or receiving a call, and

a second telephone identity association comprising;

a second telephone number attribute comprising the same telephone number of the second user terminal as the first telephone number attribute, and

a second telephone system identity attribute comprising an identity of a second telephone system for routing calls to which the second user terminal connects for making or receiving a call, wherein the second telephone system is different from the first telephone system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein each received telephone identity association further comprises a time marker attribute indicating a time or date the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute begins to be able to route the call to the second user terminal with the telephone number indicated in the telephone number attribute, wherein the selecting (d) comprises:

(d1) selecting by the telephone system the telephone identity association of the received telephone identity associations with a most recent time marker attribute.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein each received telephone identity association further comprises a charging information attribute, wherein the selecting (d) comprises:

(d1) selecting by the telephone system the telephone identity association of the received telephone identity associations based on the charging information attribute.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein each received telephone identity association further comprises a class of service attribute indicating rules for access restriction to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute based on the class of service associated with the second user terminal or the telephone number, wherein the selecting (d) comprises:

(d1) selecting by the telephone system the telephone identity association of the received telephone identity associations based on the class of service attribute.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein each received telephone identity association further comprises a quality of service attribute indicating a quality of service for the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute, wherein the selecting (d) comprises:

(d1) selecting by the telephone system the telephone identity association of the received telephone identity associations based on the quality of service attribute.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the quality of service attribute includes voice call latency for the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the quality of service attribute includes call completion rate for the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the quality of service attribute includes call security for the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute.

18. A system, comprising:

a telephone system of a plurality of telephone systems for routing calls, the telephone system receives a call request from a first user terminal, the call request comprising a telephone number of a second user terminal;

a storage for storing one or more telephone identity associations, each telephone identity association comprising a telephone number attribute and a telephone system identity attribute,

the telephone number attribute comprises the telephone number of the second user terminal, and

the telephone system identity attribute comprises an identity of one of a plurality of telephone systems to which the second user terminal connects for making or receiving a call,

wherein the one or more telephone identity associations are distributed to each of a plurality of telephone identity association processors prior to a routing of the call to the telephone number of the second user terminal from any of the plurality of telephone systems to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute;

one of a plurality of telephone identity association processors, the telephone identity association processor sending to the telephone system one or more of the telephone identity associations from the storage comprising a telephone number attribute matching the telephone number of the second user terminal,

wherein the telephone system receives the telephone identity associations from the telephone identity association processor, selects one of the received telephone identity associations for routing the call to the telephone number of the second user terminal, and routes the call to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute of the selected telephone identity association.

19. A method for routing a telephone call, comprising:

(a) receiving a call request from a first user terminal by a telephone system of a plurality of telephone systems for routing calls, the call request comprises a telephone number of a second user terminal;

(b) sending the telephone number from the telephone system to one of a plurality of telephone identity association processors;

(c) receiving by the telephone system two or more telephone identity associations from the telephone identity association processor, each received telephone identity association comprising a telephone number attribute and a telephone system identity attribute,

the telephone number attribute comprising the telephone number, and

the telephone system identity attribute comprising an identity of one of the plurality of telephone systems to which the second user terminal connects for making or receiving a call;

(d) selecting by the telephone system one of the received telephone identity associations for routing the call to the telephone number; and

(e) routing the call to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute of the selected telephone identity association.

20. A system, comprising:

a telephone system of a plurality of telephone systems for routing calls, the telephone system receives a call request from a first user terminal, the call request comprising a telephone number of a second user terminal;

a storage for storing two or more telephone identity associations, each telephone identity association comprising a telephone number attribute and a telephone system identity attribute,

the telephone number attribute comprises the telephone number, and

the telephone system identity attribute comprises an identity of one of the plurality of telephone systems to which the second user terminal connects for making or receiving a call;

one of a plurality of telephone identity association processors, the telephone identity association processor sending to the telephone system the telephone identity associations from the storage,

wherein the telephone system receives the telephone identity associations from the telephone identity association processor, selects one of the received telephone identity associations for routing the call to the telephone number of the second user terminal, and routes the call to the telephone system identified in the telephone system identity attribute of the selected telephone identity association.