System and method for routing calls associated with private dialing plans

• US 9,596,101 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2013
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• 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): Patel, Parth
• Application Number:
  US14/077,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20140064268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/404, 370/524, 370/356, 370/401, 370/252, 379/93.07, 379/88.22, 379/88.17, 379/121.04, 709/239
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Methods and systems 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 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, from the first network, 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 and corresponding to an internal routing number of the first network;

responsive to the query, receiving the selected internal egress path identifier and a PDP telephone number from the PDP call resolution service; and

based on an identified source of the call, ignoring the PDP telephone number and routing the call through the first network to a destination endpoint of the second network, the destination endpoint associated with the destination telephone number via an egress path identified by the selected internal egress path identifier,

wherein the PDP telephone number identifies a selected PDP destination endpoint and the method further comprises;

routing the call from the destination endpoint of the second network to the selected PDP destination endpoint using the PDP telephone number.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first network comprises a first Private Branch Exchange (PBX) and the second network comprises a second PBX.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the call comprises a toll-free call, and wherein the second network comprises a toll-free service provider network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the PDP call resolution service resides in a third network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the querying comprises establishing a first leg of the call and wherein the routing comprises establishing a second leg of the call.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the querying and the routing comprise establishing a single calling leg.

7. A computer-implemented method for establishing a call associated with a private dialing plan, the method comprising:

receiving, in a first network, a call directed to a destination endpoint in a second network, the call associated with a private dialing plan (PDP);

requesting an internal egress path identifier;

responsive to the requesting, receiving the internal egress path identifier and a PDP telephone number from a call resolution server, the internal egress path identifier associated with the destination endpoint and corresponding to an internal routing number of the first network; and

based on an identified source of the call, ignoring the PDP telephone number and routing the call through the first network to the destination endpoint of the second network via an egress path identified by the internal egress path identifier,

wherein the PDP telephone number identifies a selected PDP destination endpoint and the method further comprises;

routing the call from the destination endpoint of the second network to the selected PDP destination endpoint using the PDP telephone number.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the internal egress path identifier comprises a routing number (RN).

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the call is established over a single calling leg.

10. 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 a dialed number information service (DNIS) of the call, the system comprising:

a routing engine operable to route the call to a PDP call resolution server;

a first switch, in communication with the PDP call resolution server, operable to receive an egress path identifier and a PDP telephone number from the PDP call resolution server in communication with a private dialing plan information server, wherein the egress path identifier identifies an egress path for routing the call to a destination endpoint associated with the destination number and the egress path identifier corresponds to an internal routing number of a first network, and wherein the PDP telephone number identifies a selected PDP destination endpoint in a second network; 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.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the egress path identifier comprises a Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) Number.