Least cost routing

• US 8,537,687 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Valdez, John, Pachaiyappan, Vivek, Gillipalli, Vamshi K., Patadia, Amit B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANWAR, MOHAMMAD S
• Application Number:
  US12/062,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20090252039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/238
• US Class Current: 370/238
• 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 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network

Abstract

A system includes a communications device configured to selectively allow communications in a plurality of communications protocols, and a router configured to receive a communications request from a user. The router may determine a preferred communications protocol from the plurality of communications protocols, based on at least a portion of the received communications request.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a communications device configured to selectively allow communications in a plurality of communications protocols over a communications network; and

a router configured to

receive, from over the communications network based on a change in at least one of time of day and network status, updated protocol settings indicative of a mapping of call types to the plurality of communications protocols for the current time of day and network status,

receive a communications request from a user of the communications device, the communications request including a destination telephone number,

determine a call type based on the destination telephone number, and

determine, according to the received protocol settings, a preferred communications protocol from the plurality of communications protocols based at least in part on the call type.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is a software program residing on the communications device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communications protocols includes at least Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is configured to determine the call type by comparing one or more leading digits of the destination telephone number to data in a data store.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the data store includes a database of local area codes.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the data store is populated over a network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is configured to update a protocol database according to the received protocol settings, and determine the preferred communications protocol by referencing the determined call type in the protocol database.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the call type is one of a local call, a long distance call, a toll-free call, an international call, an operator call and an emergency call.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is configured to determine the preferred communications protocol based on minimizing a system cost.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is configured to determine the preferred communications protocol based on maximizing network efficiency.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is further configured to determine the preferred communications protocol accounting for the time of day.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the router is further configured to determine the preferred communications protocol based on an amount of traffic over at least one of the plurality of communications protocols.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a communications device configured to selectively allow communications in a plurality of communications protocols, from over a communications network based on a change in at least one of time of day and network status, updated protocol settings indicative of a mapping of call types to the plurality of communications protocols for the current time of day and network status;

receiving a communications request from a user, the communications request including a destination telephone number;

determining a call type based on the destination telephone number; and

determining, according to the received protocol settings, a preferred communications protocol from a plurality of available communications protocols based at least in part on the call type.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of communications protocols includes at least Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising accessing a data store to retrieve the preferred communications protocol associated with the determined call type.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the call type includes comparing one or more digits of the destination telephone number to data in a data store.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the call type is one of a local call, a long distance call, a toll-free call, an international call, an operator call and an emergency call.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data store includes preferred communications protocols for at least one of local calls, long distance calls, toll free calls and emergency calls.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the call type includes comparing a received area code of the destination telephone number to a database including at least one of local area codes, long distance area codes and toll free area codes.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the preferred communications protocol based on minimizing a system cost.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the preferred communications protocol based on maximizing network efficiency.

22. A communications device configured to selectively make telephone calls over at least POTS and VOIP communications protocols, the communications device configured to:

receive, from over a communications network based on a change in at least one of time of day and network status, updated protocol settings indicative of a mapping of call types to the plurality of communications protocols for the current time of day and network status,

receive a telephone number from a user, to determine a preferred communications protocol based on at least a first received digit of the phone number,

determine a call type based on the received phone number,

determine, according to the received protocol settings, a preferred communications protocol from a plurality of available communications protocols based at least in part on the call type, and

initiate a call using the preferred communications protocol.