Telecommunications addressing system and method

• US 8,918,086 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Softrend IPL, LLC
• Original Assignee: Maqsood A. Thange
• Inventors: Thange, Maqsood A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US13/905,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/415, 455/417, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/432.2, 455/435.2, 455/433, 455/461, 455/463, 455/466, 455/551, 455/553.1, 455/554.2, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 370/265, 370/329, 370/328, 370/338, 370/310.2, 370/389, 379/88.17, 379/90.01, 379/201.05, 379/218.011, 379/201.07, 379/218.17, 379/900
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/154 Functional or symbolic dial plan such as license plate numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/18 Automated outdialling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

A telecommunications addressing system/method allowing selection of a telephone instrument device (TID) using arbitrary identifiers is disclosed. The system/method allows a source TID (STD) to select a target TID (TTD) by the use of a Target Telephone Identifier (TTI) data string rather than a traditional numeric telephone identification (NTI). This TTI is then indexed within a TTI/NTI mapping server (TMS) that functions as a hierarchical repository of TTI/NTI mappings. STD/TTD communication is established by first performing a lookup of the STD-selected TTI within the TMS to identify the NTI of the TTD. Once the NTI of the STD has been identified by the TMS, communication between the STD and TTD is established using the NTI via the normal public switched telephone network (PSTN). TMS TTI lookup may be performed via STD TID web application and/or via PSTN infrastructure interface.

Claims

1. A telecommunications addressing system (TAS) comprising:

(a) telephone mapping server (TMS);

(b) telephone mapping database (TMD); and

(c) computer communication network (CCN);

wherein;

said TAS is configured to communicate with a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

said TMS is configured to store information that identifies a telephone instrument device (TID) in said TMD, the stored information comprising a numeric telephone identifier (NTI);

said TMS is configured to locate an NTI within said TMD using a target telephone identifier (TTI) data string as the locating index;

said NTI permits said TID to be accessed via a PSTN;

said TAS is configured to permit a first user to select and associate a first TTI data string with a first numeric telephone identifier (NTI) of a first TID in the TMD; and

said TAS is configured such when a second user, operating another TID as a source telephone device (STD), uses the selected and associated first TTI data string to initiate a call to the first TID of the first user, the TMS uses the selected and associated first TTI data string as a locating index to determine the associated first NTI, and the TAS initiates a telephone call between said STD and said first TID.

2. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said CCN comprises the Internet.

3. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS is configured to initiate said telephone call via said PSTN from said STD to said TTD.

4. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS is configured to initiate said telephone call via said PSTN from said TTD to said STD.

5. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said CCN comprises a wireless communication network.

6. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS comprises a computer server contained within said PSTN.

7. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMD comprises graphical images associated with said TTI/NTI mappings.

8. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMD comprises call sequencing information associated with said TTI/NTI mappings.

9. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMD comprises a hierarchical directory of TTI/NTI mappings.

10. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMD associates a plurality of said NTIs contained within a hierarchical directory with said TTI.

11. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS returns said NTI based on current TTD status information contained within said TMD that is associated with said TTI.

12. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS transmits a tree of hierarchical directory TTI/NTI mappings to said STD in response to a TTI lookup request received from said STD.

13. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS is configured to communicate with said STD via a TTI lookup software application resident on said STD.

14. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS is configured to host a web application configured to permit configuration of said TMD via a web browser application operational on said STD.

15. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TTI comprises a data string selected from a group consisting of:

data derived from a voice recognition software application resident on said STD;

email address;

website URL address; and

hierarchical path of TTI atomic elements.

16. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMD comprises data selected from a group consisting of:

information extracted from an enterprise employee information database;

information obtained by scanning metadata extracted from a website HTML file;

information obtained by scanning metadata extracted from a social media website.

17. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS comprises a TMD editor (TME) configured to permit remote modification of records within said TMD specified by a TMD editing script generated in response to a series of change orders (TCOs) received from a telephone company or telephone standards organization.

18. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said STD further comprises a software application configured to display TTIs within a graphical user interface for individual selection as a requesting TTI sent to said TMS.

19. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said STD further comprises a software application configured to display a hierarchical tree of TTIs within a graphical user interface for individual selection as a requesting TTI sent to said TMS.

20. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said STD further comprises a software application configured to display graphical images associated with a hierarchical tree of TTIs within a graphical user interface for selection by graphical image to identify a requesting TTI sent to said TMS.

21. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMD comprises caller blocking information.

22. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS is configured to block telephone calls received by said TTD if said TTI matches call blocking information contained within said TMD.

23. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS is configured to block telephone calls received by said TTD if said TTI matches parental control call blocking information contained within said TMD.

24. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS is configured to block telephone calls initiated by said STD if said TTI matches call blocking information contained within said TMD.

25. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMS is configured to block telephone calls initiated by said STD if said TTI matches parental control call blocking information contained within said TMD.

26. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein said TMD comprises TID location blocking information.

27. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein:

said STD is configured to communicate a current STD GPS location to said TMS;

said TMS is configured to translate said GPS location into a text string;

said TMS is configured to transmit said text string to said TTD; and

said TTD is configured to display said text string within a graphical display on said TTD.

28. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 27 wherein said TMS is configured to block transmission of said text string to said TTD if the TTI of said STD matches TID location blocking information stored in said TMS.

29. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 1 wherein:

said TTD is configured to communicate a current TTD GPS location to said TMS;

said TMS is configured to translate said GPS location into a text string;

said TMS is configured to transmit said text string to said STD; and

said STD is configured to display said text string within a graphical display on said STD.

30. The telecommunications addressing system of claim 29 wherein said TMS is configured to block transmission of said text string to said STD if the TTI of said TTD matches TID location blocking information stored in said TMS.