Telecommunications system with improved country codes and area codes

• US 8,422,657 B1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VJC Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Victor Chartrand
• Inventors: Chartrand, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US12/928,181
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.1, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/221.14
• US Class Current: 379/221.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/154 Functional or symbolic dial plan such as license plate numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services

Abstract

An apparatus and/or method for routing international telephone calls to a communications device of a particular subscriber in a country and in an area of the country having an area code. A illustrative embodiment is a system for routing an international telephone call from a caller to a specific communications device situated in a country identified by a country calling code and in an area of the country identified by an area code, said system comprising: means for assigning a first telephone number to a particular subscriber; and means for routing the telephone call to the specific communications device of the particular subscriber; wherein the country calling code is a first two-character abbreviation for a country or dependent area; and wherein the area code is a second two-character abbreviation for a state, province, possession or military state.

Claims

1. In a telecommunication system that is capable of routing international telephone calls to a specific communications device of a particular subscriber in a country or dependent area and in an area of the country or dependent area, a system for routing a telephone call from a caller to said specific communications device, said system comprising:

means for assigning a first telephone number to the particular subscriber; and

means for routing the telephone call to the specific communications device of the particular subscriber by recognizing an international call prefix, a country calling code and an area code or city code;

wherein said country calling code is a first two-character abbreviation for the country or dependent area; and

wherein said area code is a second two-character abbreviation for a state, province, possession or military state of the country.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said international call prefix is a reverse single quote which is the symbol.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said country calling code is a two-letter code.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said area code is a two-letter code.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the two-character abbreviation for the country or dependent area is selected from the following list:

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the two-character abbreviation for the state, province, possession or military state is selected from the following list:

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the two-character abbreviation for the state, province, possession or military state is selected from the following list:

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said area code is a two-letter postal state abbreviation for the desired state, possession or military state.

9. A telecommunication system comprising:

a call routing system and a plurality of telephones that are connected to said call routing system;

wherein each of said telephones is situated within a country or dependent area having a country calling code and within an area of the country or dependent area having an area code; and

wherein said call routing system is operated by a software program that accepts a two-character abbreviation for the country or dependent area as said country calling code and a two-character postal state abbreviation for a state, province, possession or military state as said area code.

10. A telecommunication system comprising:

a call routing system; and

a plurality of telephones that are connected to said call routing system;

wherein each of said telephones comprises a keypad having a dedicated key that when pressed or dialed causes said telephone to send a signal to said call routing system indicating that said call is a long distance call; and

wherein said call routing system is operated by a software program that accepts a country calling code that is a first two-character abbreviation for said country or dependent area and an area code that is a second two-character abbreviation for a state or province.

11. The telecommunication system of claim 10 wherein, said dedicated key is labeled “

L-D.”

12. A method of processing an international call, the method comprising:

informing a customer of a telecommunication system that is capable of routing calls to a plurality of communications devices of said customer that one of a plurality of unique sets of symbol headings is associated with one type of communications device that is connectable to said telecommunication system;

assigning one of a plurality of telephone numbers available within a country having a country calling code and within an area of said country having an area code to said customer of said telecommunication system and granting said customer having a specific communications device that is connected to said telecommunication system the exclusive right to optionally use a combination comprising any one of said unique sets of symbol headings plus said telephone number to identify said specific communications device other than a voice landline device to the other customers of said telecommunication system, said specific communications device being identified as one of said plurality of communications devices of said customer;

receiving a sequence of signals representing an international call prefix, said country calling code and said area code plus a specific set of symbol headings plus a specific telephone number that has been dialed by a caller, the combination of the specific set of symbol headings plus said specific telephone number and no other telephone number alone identifying said specific communications device that is the destination for the international call; and

connecting the international call to said specific communications device that is the destination for the international call without the need for said telecommunication system to determine the type of communications device to which the international call is directed;

wherein said country calling code is a first two-character abbreviation for said country; and

wherein said area code is a second two-character abbreviation for a state, province, possession or military state of said country.

13. A system for processing an international call made to a telephone number in a country having a country calling code and in an area of the country having an area code and directed to a specific communications device to which that telephone number is assigned, the system comprising:

means for announcing to a customer of a telecommunication system that is capable of routing calls to a plurality of communications devices of the customer that one of a plurality of suggested sets of symbol headings is associated with a single type of communications device that is connectable to a telecommunication system;

means for assigning one of a plurality of telephone numbers to the customer of the telecommunication system and granting the customer having a specific communications device the exclusive right to optionally use a combination comprising any one of said suggested sets of symbol headings plus said telephone number to identify the specific communications device to other customers of the telecommunication system, the specific communications device being identified as one of the plurality of communications devices of the customer;

a sequence of signals representing a specific set of symbol headings and a specific telephone number that have been dialed by a caller, the sequence of signals being the sole directory number for the specific communications device, the set of symbol headings immediately preceding the telephone number, being distinguishable from said telephone number and together with said telephone number defining a destination for said call; and

a routing apparatus having a switching component and an identification component for determining the intended destination of the call and connecting the call to that destination without the need for the telecommunication system to determine the type of communications device to which the call is directed;

wherein only one specific communications device of each selected customer has its own telephone number; and

wherein no other communications device shares a line with said specific communications device;

wherein said country calling code is a first two-character abbreviation for a country or dependent area; and

wherein said area code is a second two-character abbreviation for a state, province, possession or military state.

14. A routing system for directing international telephone calls to different communications devices having identical voice landline telephone numbers, said system comprising:

an administrative subsystem comprising means for informing a customer of a telecommunication system that is capable of routing calls to a plurality of communications devices of the customer that one of a plurality of symbol headings is normally associated with each type of communications device that is connectable to a telecommunication system and means for assigning one of a plurality of telephone numbers to the customer of the telecommunication system and granting said the customer having a specific communications device the exclusive right to optionally use a combination comprising any one of said plurality of symbol headings plus said telephone number to identify the specific communications device to other customers of the telecommunication system, the specific communications device being identified as one of the plurality of communications devices of the customer;

a network subsystem having routing apparatus including a switching component and an identification component for processing a call to a destination located in a country or dependent area having a country calling code and in an area of the country or dependent area having an area code, the call including a sequence of signals indicating a particular one of said plurality of symbol headings and a particular telephone number that have been dialed by a caller, the sequence of signals being the sole directory number for the specific communications device; and

at least one communications device assigned to a telephone number;

wherein said particular one of said plurality of symbol headings does not indicate to said routing apparatus that the specific communications device is a particular type of communications device;

wherein only one specific communications device of each selected customer has its own telephone number;

wherein no other communications device shares a line with said specific communications device;

wherein said country calling code is a first two-character abbreviation for a country or dependent area; and

wherein said area code is a second two-character abbreviation for a state, province, possession or military state.