System and method for facilitating call routing
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating call routing for an international call, the method comprising:
- receiving initialization information for an international call, wherein the initialization information includes a termination telephone number for the international call;
in response to receiving the initialization information, automatically retrieving termination information for the termination telephone number from a remote database, based on the termination number and an identifier for an interexchange carrier, wherein the termination information includes a flag indicative of whether the termination telephone number is a wireless termination; and
in response to retrieving the termination information for the termination telephone number, automatically using the termination information to complete the international call.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telecommunications system utilizes a central database to determine characteristics for international calls, to facilitate call routing for international calls, or both. The central database includes termination information for telephone numbers in multiple nations outside the North American Numbering Plan. In one aspect, an interexchange switch receives a termination number for an international call from a local exchange carrier and uses information from the central database to help complete the call. In another aspect, the central database receives a telephone number from a remote user such as interexchange carrier (IXC) and, in response, transmits termination information to the remote user to identify whether the telephone number uses wireless termination. The remote user may then charge a customer for wireless termination, if appropriate, possibly even before the remote user receives an invoice that reflects wireless termination charges from a foreign wireless carrier.
42 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for facilitating call routing for an international call, the method comprising:
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receiving initialization information for an international call, wherein the initialization information includes a termination telephone number for the international call; in response to receiving the initialization information, automatically retrieving termination information for the termination telephone number from a remote database, based on the termination number and an identifier for an interexchange carrier, wherein the termination information includes a flag indicative of whether the termination telephone number is a wireless termination; and in response to retrieving the termination information for the termination telephone number, automatically using the termination information to complete the international call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 15)
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5. A system for facilitating call routing for an international call, the system comprising:
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an interexchange switch; and processing resources in the interexchange switch that perform operations comprising; receiving initialization information for an international call, wherein the initialization information includes a termination telephone number for the international call; in response to receiving the initialization information, automatically retrieving termination information for the termination telephone number from a remote database, based on the termination number and an identifier for an interexchange carrier, wherein the termination information includes a flag indicative of whether the termination telephone number is a wireless termination; and in response to retrieving the termination information for the termination telephone number, automatically using the termination information to complete the international call. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A method for facilitating call routing for an international call, the method comprising:
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receiving initialization information for an international call at a switch, wherein the initialization information includes a termination telephone number; in response to receiving the initialization information, automatically obtaining one or more termination characteristics associated with the termination telephone number from a remote centralized database, wherein the remote centralized database contains termination characteristics for telephone numbers outside a North American Numbering Plan (NANP) and wherein the one or more termination characteristics include a flag indicative of whether the termination telephone number is a wireless termination; and in response to obtaining the one or more termination characteristics from the remote centralized database, automatically using at least one of the one or more termination characteristics from the remote centralized database to complete the international call to the termination telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification