Methods and systems for call processing in a wireline and wireless network

• US 8,165,572 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: FuzeBox, Inc.
• Inventors: Kirchhoff, Leland, Trandal, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, NAM TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/676,479
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/426.1, 455/445, 37921101-21102, 379/142.07, 379/142.04, 379/142.15
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/651 with speech synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0093 signalling arrangements in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for routing call in a wireless network environment. In one embodiment, a phone address is assigned to a subscriber and/or a subscriber'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device. A call directed to the phone address is routed to a call processing system. An outbound call from the call processing system is placed to a wireless communication service provider so as to cause, at least in part, the wireless communication service provider to route the outbound call to the subscriber'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device, wherein the call processing system configures call signaling parameters associated with the outbound call so that the outbound call appears to be to a phone number ported to the wireless communication service provider, and wherein the phone number has not been ported to the wireless communication service provider. The outbound call is bridged with the inbound call.

Claims

1. A method of routing calls:

receiving at a softswitch a first call intended for a user, the first call associated with a calling party phone address,

wherein the first call intended for the user is directed to a user phone address and the user phone address is other than a wireless phone address;

using signaling information associated with the first call to access account information for the user;

placing an outbound call from the softswitch to a wireless communications service provider associated with the user phone address, wherein the softswitch configures call signaling parameters so as to preserve the calling party phone address in the outbound call signaling information, wherein the outbound call appears to be to a ported phone address to the wireless communication service provider, and to cause, at least in part, the wireless communication service provider to route the outbound call to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device;

causing at least in part the outbound call to be bridged with the inbound call in a mode so that the first calling party cannot hear the user;

recording a message from the first calling party; and

causing the user to hear the recorded message at substantially the same time the message is being recorded;

causing, at least in part, one or more future calls from the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device to be presented to called parties with the user phone address, wherein the user phone address is other than the ported phone address used by the softswitch to route the outbound call to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunication device; and

receiving at the softswitch a second call intended for the user from a second calling party, the second call directed to the user phone address, wherein;

the second calling party is a member of a same wireless network as the user, and

optimal routing is disabled with respect to the second calling party, to thereby inhibit the second call from being routed directly to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device without transit through the softswitch.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user phone address is not owned by the wireless communication service provider.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user phone address has not been ported to the wireless communication service provider.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user phone address is coded as NXXTYPE=51.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user is Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) subscriber.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) allocates phone addresses, including the user address, for its mobile phones from an address pool, wherein calls to phone addresses in the address pool route through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to an MVNO softswitch.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein routing the outbound call to the wireless communication service provider comprises routing the outbound call to a mobile switching center associated with the wireless communication service provider via an SS7 ISUP (Signaling System 7 ISDN User Part) Initial Address Message.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising causing, at least in part:

setting of a Generic Address parameter to the user phone address;

setting of a Called Party Number parameter to a Location Routing Number of a wireless communication service provider gateway mobile switching center; and

setting of a Translated Called Number Indicator (TCNI) bit in a Forward Call Parameter.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising transmitting over a data network to a user terminal information regarding the first call while the outbound call to the wireless communication service provider is in progress.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining whether a telecommunications client application associated with the user in online;

if the telecommunications client application is online, transmitting over a data network information regarding the first call; and

receiving a handling instruction from the user via the telecommunications client application regarding the first call.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a text message addressed to the user phone address routes to the wireless communication service provider for transmittal to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) arranges to have an inter-carrier Short Message Service (SMS) gateway broadcast MVNO number blocks, including the user phone address, to other inter-carrier SMS gateway providers.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the calling party phone address is presented on a mobile device associated with the user so the user can screen the first call.

14. A method of routing calls, the method comprising:

receiving at a softswitch a first call intended for a user from a first calling party, the first call directed to a first phone address and the first call is associated with a calling phone address,

wherein the first phone address is other than a wireless phone address;

using signaling information associated with the first call to access account information for the user;

determining if a client application associated with the user is online;

if the client application is online, transmitting information over a data network regarding the first call to the client application while the first call is in progress;

placing a first outbound call from the softswitch to a wireless communications service provider wherein the softswitch configures call signaling parameters associated with the first outbound call so as to preserve the calling party phone address and to cause, at least in part, the wireless communication service provider to route the first outbound call to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device; and

causing at least in part the first outbound call to be bridged with the first call in a mode so that the first calling party cannot hear the user;

recording a message from the first calling party;

causing the user to hear the message at substantially the same time the message is being recorded;

causing, at least in part, one or more future calls from the user'"'"'s mobile device to be presented to called parties with the first phone address, wherein the first phone address is other than a phone address used by the softswitch to route the outbound call to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunication device; and

receiving at the softswitch a second call intended for the user from a second calling party, the second call directed to the first phone address, wherein;

the second calling party is a member of a same wireless network as the user, and

optimal routing is disabled with respect to the second calling party, to thereby inhibit the second call from being routed directly to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device without transit through the softswitch.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, the method further comprising:

receiving a call handling instruction from the user,

wherein the call handling instruction from the user causes, at least in part, placing of a second outbound call from the softswitch to a second phone address not associated with a user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device.

16. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the client application is a web-based widget.

17. A system of routing calls, the system comprising:

one or more computing devices;

nontransitory computer readable memory that stores program code that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, performs operations comprising;

receiving at a softswitch a first call intended for a user from a first calling party the first call directed to a first phone address,

wherein the first phone address is other than a wireless phone address;

using signaling information associated with the first call to access account information for the user;

determining if a client application associated with the user is online;

if the client application is online, transmitting information over a data network regarding the first call to the client application while the first call is in progress;

placing a first outbound call from the softswitch to a wireless communications service provider wherein the softswitch configures call signaling parameters associated with the first outbound call so as to preserve the calling party phone address and to cause, at least in part, the wireless communication service provider to route the first outbound call to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device;

causing at least in part the first outbound call to be bridged with the first call in a mode so that the first calling party cannot hear the user;

recording a message from the first calling party;

causing the user to hear the message at substantially the same time the message is being recorded;

causing, at least in part, one or more future calls from the user'"'"'s mobile device to be presented to called parties with the first phone address, wherein the first phone address is other than a phone address used by the softswitch to route the outbound call to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunication device; and

receiving at the softswitch a second call intended for the user from a second calling party, the second call directed to the first phone address, wherein;

the second calling party is a member of a same wireless network as the user, and

optimal routing is disabled with respect to the second calling party, to thereby inhibit the second call from being routed directly to the user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device without transit through the softswitch.

18. The system as defined in claim 17, the operations further comprising:

receiving a call handling instruction from the user,

wherein the call handling instruction from the user causes, at least in part, placing of a second outbound call from the system to a second phone address not associated with a user'"'"'s mobile telecommunications device.

19. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein the client application is a web-based widget.