METHODS, APPARATUS AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE TO DETERMINE ROUTING FOR IDENTICAL VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) NUMBERS ASSIGNED TO MULTIPLE COMPANIES

• US 20100111283A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Hendricks, Thomas Alan, Karnalkar, Anup D.
• Application Number:
  US12/687,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20100111283A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/221.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13384 Inter-PBX traffic, PBX networks, e.g. corporate networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 Virtual channel/circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to determine routing for identical virtual private network (VPN) numbers assigned to multiple companies are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a query from a switch module to determine routing information for a call initiated by a calling party, the query including dialed digits, a calling party identifier, and a route identifier representative of a route via which the call was initiated, selecting a private VPN number look-up table from a plurality of private VPN number look-up tables based on the calling party identifier, and to perform a lookup within the selected private VPN number look-up table based on a portion of the dialed digits and the route identifier, the lookup to identify the routing information associated with the dialed digits, and transmitting the routing information to the switch module.

Claims

1. A method for determining routing for virtual private network (VPN) numbers, the method comprising:

receiving a query from a switch module to determine routing information for a call initiated by a calling party, the query including dialed digits, a calling party identifier, and a route identifier representative of a route via which the call was initiated;

selecting a private VPN number look-up table from a plurality of private VPN number look-up tables based on the calling party identifier, and to perform a lookup within the selected private VPN number look-up table based on a portion of the dialed digits and the route identifier, the lookup to identify the routing information associated with the dialed digits; and

transmitting the routing information to the switch module.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the calling party identifier is associated with a VPN group.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the private VPN number look-up table is associated with the VPN group.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein performing the lookup of the routing information associated with the dialed digits in the selected private VPN number look-up table comprises performing a query of the selected private VPN number look-up table based on a portion of the dialed digits.

5. An apparatus for determining routing for virtual private network (VPN) numbers, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving module to receive a query from a switch module to determine routing information for a call initiated by a calling party, the query including dialed digits, a calling party identifier, and a route identifier representative of a route via which the call was initiated;

a look-up module to select a private VPN number look-up table from a plurality of private VPN number look-up tables based on the calling party identifier, and to perform a lookup within the selected private VPN number look-up table based on a portion of the dialed digits and the route identifier, the lookup to identify the routing information associated with the dialed digits; and

a transmitting module to transmit the routing information to the switch module.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the calling party identifier is associated with a VPN group.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the private VPN number look-up table is associated with the VPN group.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein performing the lookup of the routing information associated with the dialed digits in the selected private VPN number look-up table comprises performing a query of the selected private VPN number look-up table based on a portion of the dialed digits.

9. An article of manufacture storing machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive a query from a switch module to determine routing information for a call initiated by a calling party, the query including dialed digits, a calling party identifier, and a route identifier representative of a route via which the call was initiated;

select a private virtual private network (VPN) number look-up table from a plurality of private VPN number look-up tables based on the calling party identifier, and to perform a lookup within the selected private VPN number look-up table based on a portion of the dialed digits and the route identifier, the lookup to identify the routing information associated with the dialed digits; and

transmit the routing information to the switch module

10. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 9, wherein the calling party identifier is associated with a VPN group.

11. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 10, wherein the private VPN number look-up table is associated with the VPN group.

12. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 9, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to perform the lookup of the routing information associated with the dialed digits in the selected private VPN number look-up table by performing a query of the selected private VPN number look-up table based on a portion of the dialed digits.