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

• US 8,085,912 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Beene, Jerry Scott, King, Joel Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asanbayev, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US11/319,837
• Time in Patent Office: 2,190 Days
• Field of Search: 379/220.01, 379/221.13, 379/114.02, 379/266.09, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 379/114.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• 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 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators
• 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 telecommunication system for voice transmission from a first location to a second location and a third location over a toll network, said second location being connected through a packet switched network to the third location, comprising at least one subsystem that:

receives, via the toll network, at the third location a subset of all voice transmissions made from the first location to the second location, the subset being those having a lower per-minute billing rate for use of the toll network for voice transmissions originated from the first location and completed at the third location than for voice transmissions originated from the first location and completed at the second location despite the first location being more distant from the third location than from the second location, where the second location is a call center network that responds to calls placed by a customer at the first location, and where said first and third locations are in different countries and said subsystem that receives at the third location the subset of all voice transmissions comprises at least one subsystem that receives only those voice transmissions where the first location and the second location are in the same country;

redirect the voice transmission to the third location only if the voice transmission to the second location bears a higher toll than the voice transmission to the third location;

converts the subset of voice transmissions to data packets at the third location;

connect with the packet switch network at the third location;

transmits the data packets to the second location over the packet switched network; and

transforms the data packets to the voice transmissions at the second location.

2. The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein said subsystem that converts the subset of voice transmissions comprises at least one subsystem that converts analog voice signals to digital data and converts the digital data into data packets.

3. The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein said subsystem that transmits the data packets to the second location comprises at least one subsystem that transmits the data using TCP/IP protocol.

4. The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein said subsystem that receives at the third location a subset of all voice transmissions comprises at least one VoIP PBX subsystem.

5. The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein said first and third locations are in different States within the United States and said subsystem that receives at the third location a subset of all voice transmissions comprises at least one subsystem that receives only those voice transmissions where the first location and the second location are in the same State.

6. The telecommunication system of claim 5 wherein said subsystem that receives only those voice transmissions where the first location and the second location are in the same State comprises at least one subsystem that receives only voice transmissions where the first and second locations are in the same State and in different Local Access and Transport Areas (LATAs).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said method element for converting the subset of voice transmissions comprises converting analog voice signals to digital data and converting the digital data into data packets.

7. A method for transmitting voice communications from a first location to a second location and a third location over a toll network, said second location being connected through a packet switched network to the third location, comprising:

receiving, via the toll network, at the third location a subset of all voice transmissions made from the first location to the second location, the subset being those having a lower per-minute billing rate for use of the toll network for voice transmissions originated from the first location and completed at the third location than for voice transmissions originated from the first location and completed at the second location despite the first location being more distant from the third location than from the second location, where the second location is a call center network that responds to calls placed by a customer at the first location, and where said first and third locations are in different countries and said method step for receiving at the third location the subset of all voice transmissions comprises receiving only those voice transmissions where the first location and the second location are in the same country;

redirecting the voice transmission to the third location only if the voice transmission to the second location bears a higher toll than the voice transmission to the third location;

converting the subset of voice transmissions to data packets at the third location;

connecting with the packet switch network at the third location;

transmitting the data packets to the second location over the packet switched network; and

transforming the data packets to the voice transmissions at the second location.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said method element for transmitting the data packets to the second location comprises transmitting the data using TCP/IP protocol.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said method element for receiving at the third location a subset of all voice transmissions comprises at least one VoIP PBX subsystem.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said first and third locations are in different States within the United States and said method step for receiving at the third location a subset of all voice transmissions comprises receiving only those voice transmissions where the first location and the second location are in the same State.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said method step for receiving only those voice transmissions where the first location and the second location are in the same State comprises receiving only those voice transmissions where first location and the second location are in the same State and in different Local Access and Transport Areas (LATAs).

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions executed by a processor for transmitting voice transmission from a first location to a second location and a third location over a toll network, said second location being connected through a packet switched network to the third location, said computer readable instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving, via the toll network, at the third location a subset of all voice transmissions made from the first location to the second location, the subset being those having a lower per-minute billing rate for use of the toll network for voice transmissions originated from the first location and completed at the third location than for voice transmissions originated from the first location and completed at the second location despite the first location being more distant from the third location than from the second location, where the second location is a call center network that responds to calls placed by a customer at the first location, and where said first and third locations are in different countries and said instructions for receiving at the third location the subset of all voice transmissions comprises instructions for receiving only those voice transmissions where the first location and the second location are in the same country;

redirecting the voice transmission to the third location only if the voice transmission to the second location bears a higher toll than the voice transmission to the third location;

converting the subset of voice transmissions to data packets at the third location;

connecting with the packet switch network at the third location;

transmitting the data packets to the second location over the packet switched network; and

transforming the data packets to the voice transmissions at the second location.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said instructions for converting the subset of voice transmissions comprises instructions for converting analog voice signals to digital data and instructions for converting the digital data into data packets.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said instruction for transmitting the data packets to the second location comprises instructions for transmitting the data using TCP/IP protocol.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said instructions for receiving at the third location a subset of all voice transmissions comprises instructions for operating a VoIP PBX subsystem.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said first and third locations are in different States within the United States, and said instructions for receiving at the third location a subset of all voice transmissions comprises instructions for receiving only those voice transmissions where the first location and the second location are in the same State.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein said instructions for receiving only those voice transmissions where the first location and the second location are in the same State comprises instructions for receiving only those voice transmissions where first location and the second location are in the same State and in different Local Access and Transport Areas (LATAs).