Toll-free telecommunications and data management platform

• US 9,992,352 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Somos, Inc. (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Somos, Inc. (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharma, Sriram, Carter, William, Bhat, Manisha, Carter, Pamela J., Chauhan, Sanjeev, Karnas, Ryan, Kimmel, Michael, Wong, Suk Yee, Stiffler, Alan, Lakhani, Dewang
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Thjuan K
• Application Number:
  US15/448,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 37911424, 37911209, 37911204, 379114, 379 24, 37920112, 37911201, 37911202, 379111, 37911206, 37911401, 370352
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/72 by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/721 using the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/755 Account identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8027 based on network load situation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8061 Selecting least cost route depending on origin or type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 : Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 : Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 : Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 : Traffic or load control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 : by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 : via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 : by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 : Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 : where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 : Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 : Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 : Network testing or monitoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A Toll-Free Management Platform (TFMP) includes methods and systems for number administration, customer administration, call management services, texting services and text registry, and a smart services registry. The TFMP may allow users to receive through a web-based interface, an activate request from a user, wherein the request includes at least a customer record template reference and an indication of when to active a toll-free telecommunications number associated with the request. The request may include at least one IP address datum associated with the toll-free telecommunications number. A user interface may allow activating a toll-free number, and users may access the TFMP to create and access existing templates of toll-free call routing templates, and utilize a routing tree engine to create customized call routing trees for the toll-free numbers of interest to the user.

Claims

1. A system for updating call routing data associated with a toll-free telecommunications number, the system comprising:

a web-based interface adapted to communicate with a toll-free telecommunications management platform and a toll-free network operator platform;

at least one processor in communication with the toll-free telecommunications management platform, wherein the web-based interface is adapted to transmit a command to the at least one processor;

a database associated with the toll-free telecommunications management platform, wherein the database contains call routing data that is associated with the toll-free network operator platform; and

an activation mechanism within the web-based interface, the activation mechanism programmed to generate the command, wherein the command is to at least update the database by appending IP address data to the call routing data.

2. A method comprising:

receiving, through a web-based interface, an activate request from a user, wherein the request includes at least a customer record template reference and an indication of when to activate a toll-free telecommunications number associated with the request;

receiving through the web-based interface an add request from the user, wherein the add request includes at least one IP address datum associated with the toll-free telecommunications number;

updating a customer record template and a call routing table with the at least one IP address based at least in part on the received add request, wherein the call routing table is associated with the toll-free telecommunications number; and

storing the update in a database that is associated with a toll-free telecommunications management.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the call routing table is configured to include multiple carriers.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the call routing table is configured to have at least one rule pertaining to the time of day at which a call occurs.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the call routing table is configured to have at least one rule pertaining to a proximity of a caller to an entity associated with the toll-free telecommunications number.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one rule is shared with a service provider.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one rule is integrated within a call routing template.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the web-based interface is designed to operate on a mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone.

10. A method of identifying and storing call routing data associated with a toll-free-communication entity, comprising:

identifying a toll-free call route trend among a plurality of toll-free calls taking place within a toll-free network operator platform;

wherein the call route trend is identified at least in part by call routings among toll-free numbers sharing an attribute;

notifying the toll-free network operator platform of the trend;

identifying an entity using at least one toll-free number with the shared attribute from among the entities using the toll-free network operator platform;

receiving, through a web-based interface, an add request, wherein the add request includes at least one IP address datum associated with the entity and at least one toll-free number sharing the attribute; and

creating a call route template update for use in directing calls to the at least one toll-free number sharing the attribute, wherein the call routing template update includes the at least one IP address datum.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the entity is a carrier.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the entity is a call center.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the entity is a service control point.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the attribute is an originating state.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the attribute is a geographic region.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the attribute is an area code.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the attribute is a telecommunications carrier.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein calls are directed based at least in part on a call routing preference associated with the entity.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the call routing preference is stored in a call routing template.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the call routing preference varies based at least in part on the attribute.