System and method for a universal phone number service
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for providing a universal phone number service to a user comprising:
- a universal phone number service gateway associated with at least one telephone network,one user telephone associated with a universal phone number, wherein the one user telephone is connected to plural telephone systems to receive telecommunication services therefrom and is associated with plural phone numbers, each of the phone numbers associated with a different one of the plural telephone systems, andwherein the universal phone number service gateway comprises a route selector and is associated with a datastore, the datastore comprising a memory and a database, the datastore further comprising a route record associated with the universal phone number and a subscriber record associated with the universal phone number, the subscriber record comprising the plural phone numbers and the plural telephone systems associated therewith, wherein the universal phone number service gateway is operable to select a subscriber record based on a selected one of plural phone numbers and is further operable to select a route record based on the universal phone number associated with the selected subscriber record, wherein the route selector is operable to select the route record to route an incoming call based on criteria selected from at least one of service quality, user preference, time and user input using the telephone system associated with the selected one of the plural phone numbers to the one user telephone associated with the universal phone number.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A universal phone number service and method of providing a universal phone number service that allows a user to receive phone calls on any phone service with a single phone number. A telephone is disclosed that is associated with more than one phone number and a universal phone number, wherein any phone call placed to the universal phone number results in the call being completed to the telephone regardless of the service associated with the more than one phone number.
63 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A system for providing a universal phone number service to a user comprising:
-
a universal phone number service gateway associated with at least one telephone network, one user telephone associated with a universal phone number, wherein the one user telephone is connected to plural telephone systems to receive telecommunication services therefrom and is associated with plural phone numbers, each of the phone numbers associated with a different one of the plural telephone systems, and wherein the universal phone number service gateway comprises a route selector and is associated with a datastore, the datastore comprising a memory and a database, the datastore further comprising a route record associated with the universal phone number and a subscriber record associated with the universal phone number, the subscriber record comprising the plural phone numbers and the plural telephone systems associated therewith, wherein the universal phone number service gateway is operable to select a subscriber record based on a selected one of plural phone numbers and is further operable to select a route record based on the universal phone number associated with the selected subscriber record, wherein the route selector is operable to select the route record to route an incoming call based on criteria selected from at least one of service quality, user preference, time and user input using the telephone system associated with the selected one of the plural phone numbers to the one user telephone associated with the universal phone number. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 15)
-
-
5. A method of routing a call to a telephone of a user using a universal phone number comprising:
-
providing one user telephone connected to plural telephone systems to receive telecommunication services from each of the plural telephone systems, the one user telephone having associated therewith plural telephone numbers, wherein the plural telephone numbers comprise a separate phone number for each of the plural telephone systems; providing a universal telephone number associated with said one user telephone and each of the plural telephone numbers; routing a phone call destined for the universal telephone number to a universal phone number service gateway having a route selector; providing plural route records for selection by the route selector, each of the route records comprising a route entry including a telephone number and associated telephone system; selecting one of the plural route records to route the phone call; and routing the phone call from the universal phone number service gateway to the one user telephone based on criteria selected from at least one of service quality, user preference, time and user input via one of the plural telephone systems associated with the one user telephone according to the selected route record. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification