System and method for routing calls associated with private dialing plans

• US 8,582,560 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Terpstra, Rich, Moore, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PARTHKUMAR
• Application Number:
  US12/362,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20100195642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 370/356, 370/401, 370/352, 379/229, 379/88.22, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42297 with number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A method for routing a call associated with a private dialing plan includes receiving a call directed to a destination endpoint associated with a private dialing plan (PDP), receiving an internal egress path identifier associated with the destination endpoint, and routing the call to an egress path identified by the egress path identifier. A system for routing a call including a destination number associated with a PDP including a routing engine operable to route the call to a PDP call resolution server, and a first switch operable to receive an egress path identifier and a PDP telephone number from the PDP call resolution server, the egress path identifier identifying an egress path for routing the call to a destination endpoint associated with the destination number, and the PDP telephone number identifying a selected PDP destination endpoint and a second switch operable to receive the call based on the egress path identifier and route the call to the selected PDP destination endpoint using the PDP telephone number.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a call associated with a private dialing plan, the method comprising:

receiving a call directed to a destination endpoint associated with a private dialing plan (PDP);

requesting an internal egress path identifier;

routing the call to a PDP call resolution service operable to determine the internal egress path identifier based at least in part on a dialed number in the call;

responsive to the requesting, receiving the internal egress path identifier from a call resolution server associated with the destination endpoint, wherein receiving the internal egress path identifier comprises receiving the internal egress path identifier on a PDP-enabled trunk, wherein the internal egress path identifier is encoded in a message, and wherein a PDP telephone number corresponding to the destination endpoint is further encoded in the message;

a core routing engine ignoring the PDP telephone number of the message and determining that the call should be routed according to a routing number; and

routing the call to an egress path identified by the internal egress path identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal egress path identifier comprises a routing number (RN).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message has a format selected from a group including Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Signaling System 7 (SS7), Channel Associated Signaling (CAS) and Primary Rate Interface (PRI).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the PDP call resolution service with a list of one or more internal egress path identifiers associated with numbers in the PDP.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the PDP-enabled trunk is dedicated to the PDP.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is established over a single calling leg.

7. A computer-implemented method for establishing a call from a first network to a second network, wherein the call is directed to a destination telephone number associated with a private dialing plan (PDP), the method comprising:

querying a PDP call resolution service operable to select an internal egress path identifier from a plurality of internal egress path identifiers, the selected internal egress path identifier associated with the destination telephone number of the PDP, wherein querying the PDP call resolution service comprises querying a core routing engine configured to resolve the PDP call;

responsive to the query, receiving the selected internal egress path identifier from the PDP call resolution service, wherein receiving the internal egress path identifier comprises receiving the internal egress path identifier on a PDP-enabled trunk, wherein the internal egress path identifier is encoded in a message, and wherein a PDP telephone number corresponding to the destination endpoint is further encoded in the message;

the core routing engine ignoring the PDP telephone number of the message and determining that the call should be routed according to a routing number; and

routing the call to a destination endpoint associated with the destination telephone number via a egress path identified by the selected internal egress path identifier.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first network comprises a first Private Branch Exchange (PBX) and the second network comprises a second PBX.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the call comprises a toll-free call, and wherein the second network comprises a toll-free service provider network.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the PDP call resolution service resides in a third network.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the querying comprises establishing a first leg of the call and wherein the routing comprises establishing a second leg of the call.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the querying and the routing comprise establishing a single calling leg.

13. A system for routing a call including a destination number associated with a private dialing plan (PDP) where the routing is otherwise unknown and not available from the DNIS, the system comprising:

a routing engine operable to route the call to a PDP call resolution server, wherein the PDP call resolution server is operable to determine an egress path identifier based at least in part on a dialed number in the call;

a first switch, in communication with the PDP call resolution server, operable to receive the egress path identifier and a PDP telephone number from the PDP call resolution server in communication with a private dialing plan information server, the egress path identifier identifying an egress path for routing the call to a destination endpoint associated with the destination number, and the PDP telephone number identifying a selected PDP destination endpoint;

a PDP-enabled trunk coupling the first switch to the PDP call resolution server; and

a second switch operable to receive the call based on the egress path identifier and route the call to the selected PDP destination endpoint using the PDP telephone number;

wherein the egress path identifier is received in a message having a format,

wherein the message comprises the PDP telephone number and a Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) number, and

wherein the routing engine is operable to ignore the PDP telephone number and determine that the POTS number corresponds to an internal switch associated with the identified egress path.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the egress path identifier comprises a Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) Number.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the POTS Number corresponds to an internal Routing Number.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the format is one of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) format, a Signaling System 7 (SS7) format, a Primary Rate Interface (PRI) format, or a Channel Associated Signaling (CAS) format.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein wherein the PDP telephone number ranges from one to eighteen digits.