Tandem access controller within the public switched telephone network

• US 8,848,894 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: j2 Cloud Services, LLC (Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Focal IP, LLC
• Inventors: Wood, Samuel F., Klein, Jerry A., Asprey, Margaret Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US13/358,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.01, 370/401, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0003 Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0009 where voice calls remain entirely in the telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/129 Details of providing call progress tones or announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13242 Broadcast, diffusion, multicast, point-to-multipoint (1 : N)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 : Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 : Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A system includes a tandem access controller (TAC) coupled to a PSTN, where the TAC allows a subscriber to set-up and make changes to the configuration of his/her phone line or other communications device. Such changes include selective call forwarding. The TAC is controlled by the subscriber using the web. The TAC is coupled internally to the PSTN in a local service area and is outside the subscriber'"'"'s central office. A calling party makes a first call to the subscriber using the subscriber'"'"'s public telephone number. The TAC receives the first call prior to the call reaching the subscriber'"'"'s terminating central office. The TAC then carries out the subscriber'"'"'s instructions for the first call, such as making one or more second calls using telephone numbers different from the subscriber'"'"'s public telephone number. When the second call is answered, the answering phone is connected by the TAC to the caller.

Claims

1. A method of using control criteria to route a communication between a user with access to a voice over IP (VOIP) communication network, and a called party with access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) comprising:

receiving at a controller a signaling message indicating a communication from the user via the VOIP network;

using information in the signaling message to retrieve control criteria from a database, where the control criteria has been authenticated and derived from selections previously made by said user via a web server; and

using the control criteria to route the communication from the controller to the called party via a PSTN tandem switch that is separate from a central office switch without traversing any intervening switches between the controller and the PSTN tandem switch.

2. The method of claim 1 where the communication comprises a call.

3. The method of claim 1 where the communication comprises a short message.

4. The method of claim 1 where the signaling message indicating a communication is for a first call, and the routing of the communication constitutes a second call from the controller.

5. The method of claim 4 where the control criteria includes a phone number of the user.

6. The method of claim 4 where the selections made by the user via a web server include a selection of a phone number.

7. The method of claim 4 where the selections made by the user via a web server include an entering of a credit card number.

8. The method of claim 4 where the selections made by the user via a web server include an entering of personal information.

9. The method of claim 4 where the selections made by the user via a web server include a selection of features.

10. The method of claim 9 where the selection of features includes a selection of selective call forwarding.

11. The method of claim 9 where the selection of features includes a selection of caller ID blocking.

12. The method of claim 4 where the control criteria include security measures.

13. The method of claim 12 where the security measures include the prevention of denial of service attacks.

14. The method of claim 12 where the security measures include no direct access to a gateway.

15. The method of claim 12 where the security measures include an additional security layer to prevent hacking.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the security measures include VOIP link degradation detection.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the security measures include automatic cutover to the PSTN.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the security measures include conditional call blocking.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the security measures include call logging.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the security measures include authentication of a calling party.

21. The method of claim 1 where the controller is of a distributed nature supporting multiple subsystems.

22. The method of claim 21, where one of the multiple subsystems is a digital signal processing (DSP) subsystem.