Method and apparatus for processing of a toll free call service alarm

• US 8,306,200 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bajpay, Paritosh, Dardashti, Mojgan, Qian, Zhiqiang, Zinnikas, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/175,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20100014651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.12, 379/114.24, 379/201.12, 379/211.02, 379/9.03, 379/21, 379/37, 379/88.19, 379/112.02, 379/114.01, 379/143, 455/41.3, 455/413, 709/225, 709/203, 340/500, 340/506, 340/522, 370/218, 370/242, 370/352, 370/401, 700/295, 705/7.15, 707/10, 714/4.3, 725/129
• US Class Current: 379/114.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatic processing of toll free call service alarms are disclosed. For example, the method receives a trouble ticket by a service provider for a toll free call service alarm, and retrieves a calling to number and a calling from number from the trouble ticket. The method determines if the service provider is a responsible organization for the toll free call service for the calling to number, and determines if a customer network for the toll free call service is active if the service provider is the responsible organization for the toll free call service. The method notifies a work center if the customer network is not active.

Claims

1. A method for processing a toll free call service alarm associated with a toll free call service, comprising:

receiving a trouble ticket by a service provider for the toll free call service alarm associated with a call;

retrieving a calling to number and a calling from number from the trouble ticket;

determining if the service provider is a responsible organization for providing the toll free call service for the calling to number;

determining if a customer network for the toll free call service is active if the service provider is the responsible organization for the toll free call service; and

notifying a work center if the customer network is not active.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the service provider is responsible for an intra-lata transport or an inter-lata transport for the toll free call service; and

notifying the work center of a mismatch if the service provider is either responsible for the intra-lata transport or the inter-lata transport for the toll free call service, or if the service provider is the responsible organization for the toll free call service.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining if the call originated from a valid location if the service provider is responsible for both the intra-lata transport or the inter-lata transport and the toll free call service;

notifying a work center if the call originated from an invalid location;

determining if the responsible organization in a service provider database matches that of an SMS/800 database if the call originated from the valid location; and

notifying a customer that the service provider is not the responsible organization for the toll free call service if the responsible organization in the service provider database and SMS/800 database do not match.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining if either a control is placed by the service provider for the toll free call service, or if the toll free call service is placed on an unavailable status, or a first type of termination code is on a notification list, or the calling from number is on a blocked list of numbering plan areas; and

notifying the work center if the control is placed by the service provider, or the toll free call service is placed on the unavailable status, or the type of termination code is on the notification list, or the calling from number is on the blocked list of numbering plan areas.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

retrieving a service assurance plan, a vertical service indicator, or a numbering plan type from a database for the toll free call service;

notifying the work center if the toll free call service does not have the service assurance plan; and

notifying the work center if the vertical service indicator is for a service that has an additional feature and the numbering plan type indicates a regular phone number.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining if the calling from number is an internet protocol telephone number.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving a status of an internet protocol port if the calling from number is the internet protocol telephone number;

determining if a link or a protocol is active for the internet protocol port;

determining a status of a customer router if the link or the protocol is active; and

retrieving a customer network configuration if the link, the protocol or the customer router is inactive.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a status of an edge router that connects a class 5 switch to an internet protocol network if the customer router is active; and

notifying the work center responsible for the edge router if the toll free call service alarm is due to a trouble for the edge router.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining if a customer virtual route forwarding table or a provider edge router internet protocol address matches information stored in a database from the customer network configuration;

notifying the work center if the virtual route forwarding table or the provider edge router internet protocol address does not match the information stored in the database; and

notifying the work center of a trouble in an internet protocol network if the virtual route forwarding table or the provider edge router internet protocol address matches the information stored in the database.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

performing a test call using a toll free number and a home switch for the calling from number, if the calling from number is not an internet protocol number;

determining if the toll free call service is an advanced 8YY service if the test call is successful;

determining if the vertical service indicator is for an enhanced 8YY service if the test call is not successful; and

notifying the work center if the test call is not successful and the vertical service indicator is for an enhanced 8YY service.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if the vertical service indicator is for a ready-line inbound service terminating on an existing plain old telephone service line;

performing a plain old telephone service test call using the home switch and a termination number if the vertical service indicator is for the ready-line inbound service terminating on an existing plain old telephone service line;

notifying the work center if the plain old telephone service test call is successful;

determining a termination switch for the termination number if the plain old telephone service test is not successful;

determining if a trouble code for a service degradation exists on the termination switch; and

notifying the work center if the service degradations exists.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if the vertical service indicator is either for a service that has an additional feature or a service with a direct egress from a customer site to a service provider point of presence;

determining if the toll free call service is subject to an exception handling if the vertical service indicator is either for a service that has an additional feature or a service with a direct egress from the customer site to the service provider point of presence; and

notifying the work center of the exception handling.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining if the numbering plan type for the toll free call service is that of a routing number.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining if the toll free call service is an advanced 8YY service if the numbering plan type is not that of the routing number;

notifying the work center if the toll free call service is an advanced 8YY service and the numbering plan type is not that of the routing number; and

notifying the work center if the toll free call service is not an advanced 8YY service and the numbering plan type is not that of the routing number.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

performing a test call from the home switch using a termination number if the numbering plan type is that of the routing number;

performing a test call on a class 4 switch if the test call from the home switch using the termination number is not successful; and

determining if the toll free call service is an advanced 8YY service if the test call from the home switch using the termination number is successful.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

notifying the work center if the toll free call service is not an advanced 8YY service and the test call from the home switch using the termination number is successful; and

notifying the work center to continue troubleshooting on advanced 8YY service if the toll free call service is the advanced 8YY service and the test call from the home switch using the termination number is successful.

17. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for processing a toll free call service alarm associated with a toll free call service, the operations comprising:

receiving a trouble ticket by a service provider for the toll free call service alarm associated with a call;

retrieving a calling to number and a calling from number from the trouble ticket;

determining if the service provider is a responsible organization for providing the toll free call service for the calling to number;

determining if a customer network for the toll free call service is active if the service provider is the responsible organization for the toll free call service; and

notifying a work center if the customer network is not active.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

determining if the service provider is responsible for an intra-lata transport or an inter-lata transport for the toll free call service; and

notifying the work center of a mismatch if the service provider is either responsible for the intra-lata transport or the inter-lath transport for the toll free call service, or if the service provider is the responsible organization for the toll free call service.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

determining if a call originated from a valid location if the service provider is responsible for both the intra-lata transport or the inter-lata transport and the toll free call service;

notifying the work center if the call originated from an invalid location;

determining if the responsible organization in a service provider database matches that of an SMS/800 database if the call originated from the valid location; and

notifying a customer that the service provider is not the responsible organization for the toll free call service if the responsible organization in the service provider database and SMS/800 database do not match.

20. An apparatus for processing a toll free call service alarm associated with a toll free call service, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer readable medium has stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a trouble ticket by a service provider for the toll free call service alarm associated with a call;

retrieving a calling to number and a calling from number from the trouble ticket;

determining if the service provider is a responsible organization for providing the toll free call service for the calling to number;

determining if a customer network for the toll free call service is active if the service provider is the responsible organization for the toll free call service; and

notifying a work center if the customer network is not active.