Jurisdictionally optimized call routing

• US 8,848,887 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Willman, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Kharye
• Application Number:
  US12/395,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/445, 455/453, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/35, 370/356, 370/357, 379/201.01, 379/221, 379/272, 379/273, 379/112.05, 379/114, 379/115, 379/121
• US Class Current: 379/114.01
• 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 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13138 Least cost routing, LCR
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13144 Searching path through number of switching stages or nodes, e.g. revertive blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13148 Maximum profit routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

A device receives ordered call routing lists, receives information about a call, from an originating location, to a terminating location of a network, and determines a jurisdictional index for the call based on the originating and terminating locations and based on jurisdiction definitions of carriers associated with the network. The device also selects a route list from the ordered call routing lists based on the determined jurisdictional index and based on the terminating location, selects a route from the selected route list, and provides routing instructions to network elements associated with the selected route, where the call is routed to the terminating location via the selected route and based on the routing instructions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device that includes a processor, call routing lists;

receiving, by the computing device, information about a call between an originating location of a network and a terminating location of the network;

determining, by the computing device, a jurisdictional index for the call based on the originating location, the terminating location, and jurisdiction definitions of carriers associated with the network,

the jurisdictional index including an identifier that corresponds to first information that indicates that the call is designated as an intrastate call by a first carrier of the carriers associated with the network and to second information that indicates that the call is designated as an interstate call by a second carrier of the carriers associated with the network;

selecting, by the computing device, a particular route list from the call routing lists based on the identifier;

selecting, by the computing device, a route from the particular route list; and

providing, by the computing device, routing instructions to network elements associated with the route,

the call being routed to the terminating location via the network elements associated with the route and based on the routing instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, where providing the routing instructions includes:

determining that the route is available for routing the call; and

providing the routing instructions to the network elements associated with the route after determining that the route is available.

3. The method of claim 1, where selecting the route includes:

selecting a different route from the particular route list;

determining that the different route is unavailable for routing the call; and

selecting the route from the particular route list after determining that the different route is unavailable.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the routing instructions based on the route.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a storage device of the computing device, information associated with the route.

6. The method of claim 5, where the information associated with the route comprises one or more of:

information associated with the call,

information associated with the network elements,

information associated with the routing instructions, or

information associated with the particular route list.

7. The method of claim 1, where the call routing lists are ordered based on jurisdictional information associated with the network.

8. The method of claim 7, where the jurisdictional information is based on how the carriers, associated with the network, determine jurisdictions for calls.

9. The method of claim 1,

where the particular route list includes a list of potential routes, for the call, that are ranked based on cost, and

where selecting the route includes:

selecting the route based on a ranking of the route in the list of potential routes.

10. The method of claim 1,

where the identifier further corresponds to third information that indicates that the call is designated as an unmarked call by a third carrier of the carriers associated with the network, and

where the particular route list is selected from the call routing lists further based on one or more of:

whether the third carrier geocodes unmarked calls,

whether routing the call using the third carrier will cause the third carrier to exceed an unmarked call threshold, or

whether, for geocoded calls, the third carrier has trunk group interconnections on the network.

11. The method of claim 1, where the jurisdictional index for the call is determined further based on one or more of:

whether the call is a marked call or an unmarked call,

whether a valid calling party number is associated with the call,

whether a valid charge number is associated with the call,

whether a valid automatic number identification (ANI) is associated with the call, or

whether a valid Jurisdiction Information Parameter (JIP) code is associated with the call and the call is a mobile call.

12. The method of claim 1, where the computing device comprises an intelligent call processing platform (INCP).

13. A device comprising:

a memory to store call routing lists; and

one or more processors to;

receive information about a call that is from an originating location of a network and to a terminating location of the network,

determine a jurisdictional index for the call based on the originating location, the terminating location, and jurisdiction definitions of carriers associated with the network,

the jurisdictional index including an identifier that corresponds to first information that indicates that the call is designated as an intrastate call by a first carrier of the carriers associated with the network and to second information that indicates that the call is designated as an interstate call by a second carrier of the carriers associated with the network,

select a particular route list from the call routing lists based on the identifier,

select a route from the particular route list,

determine routing instructions for network elements associated with the route, and

provide the routing instructions to the network elements associated with the route,

the call being routed to the terminating location via the route and based on the routing instructions.

14. The device of claim 13, where the device includes an intelligent call processing platform (INCP).

15. The device of claim 13, where, when providing the routing instructions, the one or more processors are to:

determine that the route is available for routing the call, and

provide the routing instructions to the network elements associated with the route after determining that the route is available.

16. The device of claim 13, where, when selecting the route, the one or more processors are to:

select a different route from the particular route list,

determine that the different route is unavailable for routing the call, and

select the route from the particular route list after determining that the different route is unavailable.

17. The device of claim 13, where, when determining the jurisdictional index for the call, the one or more processors are to:

determine that the call is designated as the interstate call by the second carrier based on the originating location and the terminating location or based on geocoding, and

determine that the call is designated as the intrastate call by the first carrier based on the originating and terminating locations or based on geocoding.

18. The device of claim 13, where the one or more processors are further to:

store, in the memory, information associated with the selected route.

19. The device of claim 18, where the information associated with the selected route comprises one or more of:

information associated with the call,

information associated with the network elements,

information associated with the routing instructions, or

information associated with the particular route list.

20. The device of claim 13,

where the call routing lists are ordered based on jurisdictional information that includes carrier costs for all possible jurisdictional indices,

the all possible jurisdictional indices including the jurisdictional index.

21. The device of claim 20, where the jurisdictional information is based on how the carriers, associated with the network, determine jurisdictions for calls.

22. The device of claim 13,

where the particular route list includes a list of potential routes, for the call, that are ranked based on cost, and

where, when selecting the route, the one or more processors are to:

select the route based on a ranking of the route in the list of potential routes.

23. The device of claim 13, where the jurisdictional index for the call is determined further based on one or more of:

whether the call is a marked call or an unmarked call,

whether a valid calling party number is associated with the call,

whether a valid charge number is associated with the call,

whether a valid automatic number identification (ANI) is associated with the call, or

whether a valid Jurisdiction Information Parameter (JIP) code is associated with the call and the call is a mobile call.

24. The device of claim 13,

where the identifier further corresponds to third information that indicates that the call is designated as an unmarked call by a third carrier of the carriers associated with the network, and

where the particular route list is selected from the call routing lists further based on one or more of:

whether the third carrier geocodes unmarked calls,

whether routing the call by the third carrier will cause the third carrier to exceed an unmarked call threshold, or

whether the third carrier has network elements for routing the call to the terminating location.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

determine jurisdictional information for carriers associated with a network based on criteria used by the carriers to determine jurisdictions for calls;

determine carrier rate information associated with the carriers;

identify rates in the carrier rate information based on the jurisdictional information;

determine a sorting of the carriers based on the rates;

determine call routing lists based on the sorting of the carriers;

receive a call that is between an originating location and a terminating location;

determine a jurisdictional index for the call based on the originating location and the terminating location,

the jurisdictional index including an identifier that corresponds to first information that indicates that the call is designated as an intrastate call by a first carrier of the carriers associated with the network and to second information that indicates that the call is designated as an interstate call by a second carrier of the carriers associated with the network;

select a route list from the call routing lists based on the identifier;

select a route from the route list; and

provide routing instructions to network elements associated with the route,

the call being routed to the terminating location via the route and based on the routing instructions.