Identification of calling devices dialing a universal number to access a telecommunications relay service center

• US 7,809,121 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), SBC Operations Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fleischer, Harold C. III, Mandolini, Judy, Gruchala, Carol Shifrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar; Ahmad F
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US09/886,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20030002650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,392 Days
• Field of Search: 379242-245, 379/207.15, 37922108-22112, 379/114.01, 379/114.21, 379/114.24, 379/114.25
• US Class Current: 379/114.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A dialed universal telephone number is translated into a toll free telephone number corresponding to a telecommunications relay service center in a telecommunications system. When the call is connected to the telecommunications relay service center, information that identifies the caller is reliably forwarded to the telecommunications relay service center.

Claims

1. A method for routing a call to a telecommunications relay service center, the call being initiated in response to a calling party inputting a universal telephone number into a communications device, the method comprising:

establishing a communications connection between the communications device and the telecommunications relay service center over a signaling system 7 (SS7) feature group D trunk line; and

forwarding a charge number (CN) to the telecommunications relay service center over the signaling system 7 feature group D trunk line.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining a toll free telephone number in response to the input universal telephone number, the toll free telephone number corresponding to the telecommunications relay service center.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the charge number has been previously received at the telecommunications relay service center;

when the charge number has not been previously received;

creating a profile of a user of the communication device; and

storing the profile of the user for the use of the telecommunications relay service center;

when the charge number has been previously received;

associating the charge number with a previously created profile of the user; and

updating the previously created profile of the user with information received from the calling device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, from the charge number, a state corresponding to a location of the communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

finding a toll free telephone number corresponding to the telecommunications relay service center for the state corresponding to the location of the communications device.

6. The telecommunications method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunication relay service center is equipped with memory and graphical displays that display identifying information.

7. The telecommunications method of claim 6, further comprising counting the number of times a calling number has called the telecommunications relay service center.

8. The telecommunications method of claim 6, wherein the identifying information comprises the location of the calling party and a phone number associated with the communications device.

9. The telecommunications method of claim 3, wherein the profile is used for planning and billing purposes.

10. A telecommunications system that routes a call to a telecommunications relay service center, the call being initiated in response to a calling party inputting a universal telephone number into a communications device, the telecommunications system comprising:

a service switching point that establishes a communications connection between the communications device and the telecommunications relay service center over a signaling system 7 (SS7) feature group D trunk line, the service switching point forwarding a charge number (CN) to the telecommunications relay service center over the signaling system 7 feature group D trunk line; and

a service control point that communicates with the service switching point, the service control point translating the universal telephone number into a telephone number corresponding to the telecommunications relay service center.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein the service control point determines an originating state from the charge number, and determines a telephone number corresponding to the telecommunications relay service center for the originating state.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein the charge number enables the telecommunications relay service center to identify the communications device.

13. A computer readable medium storing a computer program that routes a call to a telecommunications relay service center, the call being initiated in response to a calling party inputting a universal telephone number into a communications device, the computer readable medium comprising:

a communications connection establishing code segment that establishes a communications connection between the calling party and the telecommunications relay service center over a signaling system 7 (SS7) feature group D trunk line; and

an identification information forwarding code segment that forwards a charge number (CN) of the calling party to the telecommunications relay service center over the signaling system 7 feature group D trunk line.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

a telephone number determining code segment that determines a toll free telephone number in response to the input universal telephone number, the toll free telephone number corresponding to the telecommunications relay service center.