Method and apparatus for using a single local phone number for routing out of area phone numbers

• US 7,995,709 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Croak, Marian, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Stella L
• Application Number:
  US12/574,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 379/45, 379/37, 379/90.01, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a single shadow number to be associated with one or more out of area phone numbers that have registered service addresses in the same local area. For instance, if multiple subscribers with service addresses within the same local calling area choose to use out of area phone numbers, these multiple out of area phone numbers will all be associated with a single shadow phone number that is local within the local calling area. In one embodiment, when a subscriber using an out of area phone number places an E911 call, the out of area phone number as well as the associated shadow number will be sent to the E911 PSAP.

Claims

1. A method for routing a call to a public safety answering point in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a call setup message for emergency service by the communication network, where the call setup message is associated with a calling phone number;

determining the calling phone number is associated with a single local shadow phone number for a local calling area, where the single shadow phone number is shared among a plurality of subscribers, wherein the shadow number is obtained from an enhanced 911 application server; and

routing the call setup message to the public safety answering point using the shadow phone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling phone number is an out of area phone number that is assigned to a subscriber with a service address residing within the local calling area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the call setup message for emergency service comprises an enhanced 911 call setup message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the public safety answering point is identified by) the enhanced 911 application server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call setup message for emergency service comprises a service address and the calling phone number.

7. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for routing a call to a public safety answering point in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a call setup message for emergency service by the communication network, where the call setup message is associated with a calling phone number;

determining the calling phone number is associated with a single local shadow phone number for a local calling area, where the single shadow phone number is shared among a plurality of subscribers, wherein the shadow number is obtained from an enhanced 911 application server; and

routing the call setup message to the public safety answering point using the shadow phone number.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the calling phone number is an out of area phone number that is assigned to a subscriber with a service address residing within the local calling area.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the call setup message for emergency service comprises an enhanced 911 call setup message.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the public safety answering point is identified by the enhanced 911 application server.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the call setup message for emergency service comprises a service address and the calling phone number.

13. An apparatus for routing a call to a public safety answering point in a communication network, comprising:

a call control element configured to;

receive a call setup message for emergency service by the communication network, where the call setup message is associated with a calling phone number;

determine the calling phone number is associated with a single local shadow phone number for a local calling area, where the single shadow phone number is shared among a plurality of subscribers, wherein the shadow number is obtained from an enhanced 911 application server; and

route the call setup message to the public safety answering point using the shadow phone number.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the calling phone number is an out of area phone number that is assigned to a subscriber with a service address residing within the local calling area.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the call setup message for emergency service comprises an enhanced 911 call setup message.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the public safety answering point is identified by the enhanced 911 application server.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the call setup message for emergency service comprises a service address and the calling phone number.