Local routing management in a telecommunications network

• US 7,995,736 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jordan, Dan, Gualtieri, Greg, Terpstra, Richard, Davis, Matthew K., Saha, Susmita G., Nair, Murli S., Griffin, Janis
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, HARRY S
• Application Number:
  US12/815,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20100254526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.03, 379/201.05, 379/201.12, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.02, 379/240, 379/245, 379/246, 379/221.14
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13138 Least cost routing, LCR
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

An embodiment of a method includes generating one or more route plans, each route plan being associated with a service plan, and provisioning the one or more route plans on a core routing engine accessible by a softswitch for routing calls according to the one or more route plans. The one or more route plans may include an on-net route plan and an off-net route plan. An embodiment of a system includes a local route manager (LRM) configured to generate one or more route plans associated with one or more respective service levels that customers can subscribe to. The system may further include an inventory of trunk groups containing a plurality of trunk group identifiers (IDs), wherein trunk group IDs are marked as either on-net or off-net.

Claims

1. A method for routing local calls comprising:

provisioning a core routing engine (CRE) with a plurality of routing instructions, wherein each provisioned routing instruction specifies at least whether off-net routing is permissible for local calls;

receiving a call;

analyzing signaling information associated with the received call to determine a customer identifier associated with the received call and a dialed number associated with the received call;

using at least the dialed number to determine whether the received call is a local call or a long distance call;

if the received call is a local call, then

using at least the customer identifier to determine specific routing instructions for the received call from one of the plurality of routing instructions;

if off-net routing is permitted by the specific routing instructions, selecting between an on-net route or an off-net route for routing the received call; and

if off-net routing is not permitted by the specific routing instructions, selecting an on-net route for routing the received call.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting acts comprise:

using, at least in part, a local routing number (LRN) associated with the dialed number to determine one or more egress trunk groups in accordance with the specific routing instructions.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the act of selecting between an on-net route or an off-net route for routing the received call comprises:

selecting an off-net route from a group of prioritized off-net routes.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

causing a switch to route the received call to the selected off-net route via the one or more egress trunk groups.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the one or more egress trunk groups are associated with respective LATA-OCNs, wherein a LATA-OCN designates an operating carrier number identifying a carrier associated with a given local access and transport area (LATA).

6. A system comprising:

a module configured to determine whether a received call is a local call or long distance call based at least in part on the dialed number associated with the received call;

a local routing manager (LRM) configured to process call routing information to render routing instructions;

a core routing engine (CRE) configured to receive the routing instructions from the LRM, wherein the routing instructions comprise at least one or more local route plans associated with a respective customer, the local route plans specifying whether calls are to be routed using at least an off-net route; and

a softswitch operable to receive a route from the CRE based in part on the one or more local route plans associated with a respective customer, wherein the softswitch is further configured to initiate routing of the received call via the received route if the received call is determined to be a local call.

7. A system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a least cost routing (LCR) module.

8. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the routing information comprises a plurality of off-net least cost carriers in a prioritized order of preference.

9. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the LRM is further configured to generate the one or more route plans by performing the acts of:

selecting a trunk group ID (TGID) from a trunk group inventory, the TGID identifying a trunk group; and

associating the TGID with a plurality of local calling area numbers associated with switches connected to the trunk group.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the LRM is further configured to determine the plurality of local calling area numbers by performing the acts of:

identifying a tandem switch associated with the selected TGID;

identifying one or more switches associated with the tandem switch; and

identifying local calling area numbers associated with the one or more switches.

11. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the LRM is further configured to identify the tandem switch, the one or more switches, and the local calling area numbers by performing a look-up in a local exchange routing guide (LERG).

12. A system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a least cost routing (LCR) module configured to provide, to the LRM, a plurality of preferred off-net routes for use in rendering the routing instructions.

13. A system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a least cost routing (LCR) module configured to provide, to the LRM, a set of off-net least cost carriers in a prioritized order of preference for use in rendering the routing instructions.

14. A system comprising:

a module configured to determine whether a received call is a local call or long distance call based at least in part on the dialed number associated with the received call;

a local routing manager (LRM) configured to generate a plurality of route plans for calls determined to be local by the module;

a database storing a plurality of service plans, wherein each service plan is provisioned with at least a subset of the plurality of route plans generated by the LRM; and

a switch operable to reference the database in response to the received call and determine a subset of route plans appropriate for the received call based at least on a service plan subscribed to by a customer associated with the received call, wherein the switch is further operable to select a route for the received call from the subset of route plans.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, further comprising a least cost routing (LCR) module configured to provide, to the LRM, a plurality of preferred off-net routes for use in generating the plurality of route plans.

16. A system as recited in claim 14, further comprising a least cost routing (LCR) module configured to provide, to the LRM, a set of off-net least cost carriers in a prioritized order of preference for use in generating the plurality of route plans.

17. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the LRM is further configured to generate the plurality of route plans by performing the acts of:

selecting a trunk group ID (TGID) from a trunk group inventory, the TGID identifying a trunk group; and

associating the TGID with a plurality of local calling area numbers associated with switches connected to the trunk group.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the LRM is further configured to determine the plurality of local calling area numbers by performing the acts of:

identifying a tandem switch associated with the selected TGID;

identifying one or more switches associated with the tandem switch; and

identifying local calling area numbers associated with the one or more switches.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the LRM is further configured to identify the tandem switch, the one or more switches, and the local calling area numbers by performing a look-up in a local exchange routing guide (LERG).