Method and apparatus for providing user access via multiple partner carriers for international calls

• US 8,538,005 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• 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): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US12/794,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20100246572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.02, 379/221.01, 379/220.01, 379/221.14, 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/114.03, 379/114.06, 379/115.01, 379/115.02, 379/115.03, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/221.02
• 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 15/46 Real-time negotiation between users and providers or operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/56 On line or real-time flexible agreements between service providers and telecoms operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing subscribers of a VoIP service provider to take advantage of wholesale arrangements made by the VoIP service provider with one or more international partner carrier network providers to one or more international countries are disclosed. Specifically, the present method enables a VoIP service provider to display a web page to their subscribers, for each destination country, with one or more international partner network providers and their corresponding calling rates and/or call completion success rates to each particular destination country.

Claims

1. A method for providing a plurality of international partner carriers for international calls in a communication network, comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a communication network service provider, a calling rate and a call completion rate to an international country from the plurality of international partner carriers;

publishing, by the processor, the calling rate and the call completion rate for review by a plurality of subscribers, wherein the calling rate of one of the plurality of international partner carriers is selected by a subscriber of the plurality of subscribers after review of the calling rate and the call completion rate; and

processing, by the processor, an international call through the one of the plurality of international partner carriers selected by the subscriber of the plurality of subscribers.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling rate and the call completion rate are received by an international calling application server of the communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the publishing comprises:

updating a website with the calling rate and the call completion rate to the international country; and

providing an access number for the plurality of international partner carriers on the website.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises:

receiving a call setup message with an access number entered by the subscriber, where the access number is associated with one of the plurality of international partner carriers; and

routing the call setup message to one of the plurality of international partner carriers that corresponds to the access number to complete the international call.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the call setup message is received by a call control element.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a mapping of the access number to one of the plurality of international partner carriers is retrieved from an application server.

8. A tangible computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for providing a plurality of international partner carriers for international calls in a communication network, the operations comprising:

receiving a calling rate and a call completion rate to an international country from the plurality of international partner carriers;

publishing the calling rate and the call completion rate for review by a plurality of subscribers, wherein the calling rate of one of the plurality of international partner carriers is selected by a subscriber of the plurality of subscribers after review of the calling rate and the call completion rate; and

processing an international call through the one of the plurality of international partner carriers selected by the subscriber of the plurality of subscribers.

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

10. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the calling rate and the call completion rate are received by an international calling application server of the communication network.

11. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the publishing comprises:

updating a website with the calling rate and the call completion rate to the international country; and

providing an access number for the plurality of international partner carriers on the website.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the processing comprises:

receiving a call setup message with an access number entered by the subscriber, where the access number is associated with one of the plurality of international partner carriers; and

routing the call setup message to one of the plurality of international partner carriers that corresponds to the access number to complete the international call.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the call setup message is received by a call control element.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a mapping of the access number to one of the plurality of international partner carriers is retrieved from an application server.

15. An apparatus for providing a plurality of international partner carriers for international calls in a communication network, comprising:

a processor of a communication network service provider; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a calling rate and a call completion rate to an international country from the plurality of international partner carriers;

publishing the calling rate and the call completion rate for review by a plurality of subscribers, wherein the calling rate of one of the plurality of international partner carriers is selected by a subscriber of the plurality of subscribers after review of the calling rate and the call completion rate; and

processing an international call through the one of the plurality of international partner carriers selected by the subscriber of the plurality of subscribers.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the publishing comprises:

updating a website with the calling rate and the call completion rate to the international country; and

providing an access number for the plurality of international partner carriers on the website.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing comprises:

receiving a call setup message with an access number entered by the subscriber, where the access number is associated with one of the plurality of international partner carriers; and

routing the call setup message to one of the plurality of international partner carriers that corresponds to the access number to complete the international call.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus comprises a call control element.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein a mapping of the access number to one of the plurality of international partner carriers is retrieved from an application server.