Telephone number assignment method
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- maintaining a database of a plurality of direct inward dial telephone numbers, including a subset of the direct inward dial telephone numbers which are available for assignment;
receiving, through a website, an application from a customer for an alias telephone number to be associated with a customer telephone number, the application including a custom string of characters and requesting the custom string of characters to be associated with the alias telephone number;
processing the application, the processing including assigning to the customer an assigned alias telephone number selected from the subset of available telephone numbers which are available for assignment and associating the assigned alias number with the customer telephone number; and
receiving a telephone call from a third party to the assigned alias telephone number and routing the telephone call from the assigned alias telephone number to the customer telephone number, the routing including replacing an automatic number identification of the telephone call from the third party with the custom string of characters received from the customer based on the request, thereby informing the customer that the telephone call was a call to the assigned alias telephone number.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various example embodiments are described. According to one example, a method may include maintaining a database of a plurality of direct inward dial telephone numbers, including a subset of the direct inward dial telephone numbers which are available for assignment; receiving, through a website, an application from a customer for an alias telephone number to be associated with a customer telephone number; processing the application, the processing including assigning to the customer an alias telephone number selected from the subset of available telephone numbers which are available for assignment and associating the alias number with the customer telephone number; and receiving a telephone call from a third party to the alias telephone number and routing the telephone call from the alias telephone number to the customer telephone number.
15 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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maintaining a database of a plurality of direct inward dial telephone numbers, including a subset of the direct inward dial telephone numbers which are available for assignment; receiving, through a website, an application from a customer for an alias telephone number to be associated with a customer telephone number, the application including a custom string of characters and requesting the custom string of characters to be associated with the alias telephone number; processing the application, the processing including assigning to the customer an assigned alias telephone number selected from the subset of available telephone numbers which are available for assignment and associating the assigned alias number with the customer telephone number; and receiving a telephone call from a third party to the assigned alias telephone number and routing the telephone call from the assigned alias telephone number to the customer telephone number, the routing including replacing an automatic number identification of the telephone call from the third party with the custom string of characters received from the customer based on the request, thereby informing the customer that the telephone call was a call to the assigned alias telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method comprising:
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maintaining a database of a plurality of telephone numbers, including a subset of the direct inward dial telephone numbers which are available for assignment; receiving, via a website, an application from a customer to purchase use of an alias telephone number, the application including a customer telephone number, a geographical area, a custom string of characters to be associated with the alias number, and a request for the custom string of characters to be associated with the alias number; processing the application to purchase use of the alias telephone number, the processing including; selecting an assigned alias telephone number from the subset of direct inward dial telephone numbers available for assignment based on the geographical area; and assigning the alias telephone number to the customer and associating the alias number with the customer telephone number; and receiving a telephone call from a third party to the assigned alias telephone number and routing the telephone call from the assigned alias telephone number to the customer telephone number, the routing including replacing an automatic number identification of the telephone call from the third party with the custom string of characters received from the customer based on the request, thereby informing the customer that the telephone call was a call to the assigned alias telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus configured to:
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maintain a database of the plurality of telephone numbers, including a subset of the direct inward dial telephone numbers which are available for assignment; receive, through a website, an application from a customer for an alias telephone number, the application including a customer telephone number, a custom string of characters, and a request for the custom string of characters to be associated with the alias telephone number; process the application, the processing including assigning to the customer an assigned alias telephone number selected from the subset of available telephone numbers which were ready for assignment; and receive a telephone call from an unknown third party to the alias telephone number during the specified period of time and route the telephone call from the alias telephone number to the customer telephone number, the routing including replacing an automatic number identification of the telephone call from the third party with the custom string of characters received from the customer based on the request, thereby informing the customer that the telephone call was a call to the assigned alias telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method comprising:
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maintaining a database of a plurality of telephone numbers, including a subset of the direct inward dial telephone numbers which are available for assignment; receiving an application from a customer for an alias telephone number to be associated with a customer telephone number, the application including a custom string of characters and requesting the custom string of characters to be associated with the alias telephone number; processing the application, the processing including assigning to the customer an assigned alias telephone number selected from the subset of available direct inward dial telephone numbers which are available for assignment and associating the assigned alias number with the customer telephone number; and receiving a telephone call from a third party to the alias telephone number through a public switched telephone network and routing the telephone call from the alias telephone number to the customer telephone number, the routing including replacing an automatic number identification of the telephone call from the third party with the custom string of characters received from the customer based on the request, thereby informing the customer that the telephone call was a call to the assigned alias telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification