System and method for providing limited unique telephone numbers to access multiple long distance destinations

• US 8,532,274 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amerimex Communications Corp.
• Original Assignee: Amerimex Communications Corp.
• Inventors: Trevino, Victor Antonio, Caipa, Alejandro J
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US12/955,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20120134486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.15, 379/114.17, 379/114.2, 379/114.26, 379/221.01, 379/221.02
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424

Abstract

A method and system (10) is provided for making a domestic or international long distance call through the dialing of a local number. The system includes a telephone which is connected to a traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (13) which is coupled to a softswitch (15). The system also includes a data switch (18), a session border controller (19), a prepaid database (20), a series of call processors (22), and a web interface (23). The session border controller is coupled to an outgoing call connection through the public internet (24). The softswitch provides local access numbers (31) that callers will use to get into the system. The system and method combines the user'"'"'s telephone number (37) with the local access number to generate a unique sequence (39) which is then found in the database and correlated to a desired long distance number 36 to which the caller is ultimately connected.

Claims

1. A telephone system comprising:

a public switch telephone network including an automatic number identification means for automatically generating a caller'"'"'s telephone number and means for identifying a local access number dialed by a user;

a softswitch coupled to said public switch telephone network, said softswitch having combining means for combining the caller'"'"'s telephone number identified by said automatic number identification means with the local access number identified by said local access number means to form a unique sequence;

a database coupled to said softswitch, said database fixedly storing a plurality of said unique sequence entries and a plurality of desired long distance number entries, each said unique sequence entry being correlated with one fixed said desired long distance number entry, said database including comparing means for comparing a unique sequence generated by said softswitch to said plurality of fixed unique sequence entries to obtain a matching fixed unique sequence entry fixedly stored and returning a fixed stored desired long distance number entry related to the matching said stored unique sequence entry, and said database also includes verification means for verifying that the caller has sufficient credit to place the telephone call;

at least one call processor coupled to said softswitch, and

an outgoing call connection coupled to said softswitch which transfers the call to a long distance carrier connected to the public switch telephone network.

2. The telephone system of claim 1 wherein said outgoing call connection is a public internet connection.

3. The telephone system of claim 1 wherein said softswitch converts said local access number identified by said automatic number identification means to an internal code which is combined with said caller'"'"'s telephone number to form said fixed unique sequence.

4. A method of placing a long distance call comprising the steps of:

(A) providing a telephone system with a database platform and coupling the telephone system to a public switch telephone network having an automatic number identifier;

(B) fixedly storing unique identifier entries associated with a caller'"'"'s telephone number and a fixed local access number within the telephone system database platform;

(C) fixedly storing desired long distance number entries within the telephone switch database and fixedly correlating each stored desired long distance number entry with a fixed stored unique identifier entry;

(D) placing a call to the public switch telephone network wherein the automatic number identifier generates the caller'"'"'s telephone number and transfers the caller'"'"'s telephone number to the telephone system;

(E) combining the caller'"'"'s telephone number with the local access number utilized by the caller to create a unique fixed identifier;

(F) comparing the unique identifier with the unique fixed identifier entries stored within the telephone system database platform and identifying any matching unique identifier entry,

(G) correlating the desired long distance number entry with the matching unique fixed identifier entry and transferring the call to a long distance carrier connected to the public switch telephone network utilizing the correlating desired long distance number entry, and

(H) verifying that the caller'"'"'s account has sufficient credit prior to transferring the call to the long distance carrier.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step (G) the call is transferred to a long distance carrier utilizing a public internet connection.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the caller'"'"'s telephone number is converted to an internal code which is utilized to create the unique fixed identifier.

7. A method of placing a long distance telephone call comprising the steps of:

(A) providing a public switch telephone network including an automatic number identification means for automatically generating a caller'"'"'s telephone number and means for identifying a local access number dialed by a user;

(B) providing a softswitch coupled to the public switch telephone network;

(C) providing a database coupled to the softswitch for storing a plurality of fixed unique sequence entries and a plurality of fixed desired long distance number entries, each fixed unique sequence entry being correlated with one fixed desired long distance number entry;

(D) combining the caller'"'"'s telephone number identified by the automatic number identification means with the local access number identified by the local access number means to form a fixed unique sequence;

(E) comparing a unique sequence generated by the softswitch to the plurality of fixed unique sequence entries to obtain a matching fixed unique sequence entry and returning a stored desired long distance number entry related to the matching fixed stored unique sequence entry;

(F) transferring the call to a long distance carrier connected to the public switch telephone network based upon the returned stored desired long distance number entry, and

(G) verifying that the caller'"'"'s account has sufficient credit prior to transferring the call to the long distance carrier.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein step (F) the call is transferred to a long distance carrier utilizing a public internet connection.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the caller'"'"'s telephone number is converted to an internal code which is utilized to create the fixed unique identifier.