# US 10,482,531 B2 · System and method for automated communications session routing in a communications handling system

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- Number: US 10,482,531 B2
- Document ID: US10482531B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/141,412
- Filed: 2016-04-28
- Published: 2016-11-03
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-04-28
- Assignees: Trans Union LLC
- Applicants: Trans Union LLC
- Inventors: David Drotos; John Swinford
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482531B2

## CPC

- G06Q 40/03: Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
- H04M 3/42059: {Making use of the calling party identifier}
- H04M 3/5166: {in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends}
- H04M 3/5235: {Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]}
- H04M 2203/555: Statistics, e.g. about subscribers but not being call statistics
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

Systems and methods for handling a telecommunications session in real-time are provided, where the telecommunications session is initiated by a calling device and intended for a receiving network. One system comprises a module, in communication with a communications network associated with the telecommunications session, configured for intercepting the telecommunications session prior to reaching the receiving network, obtaining address information associated with the calling device, determining a credit-related score for the telecommunications session based on the address information, identifying an appropriate unit of the receiving network based on the credit-related score, and routing the telecommunications session to the appropriate unit. The system also includes a memory for storing the module and a processor in communication with the memory to execute the module.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for handling a telecommunications session in real-time, the telecommunications session being initiated by a calling device and intended for a receiving network, the system comprising:
a memory;
a processor in communication with the memory and a communications network associated with the telecommunications session; and
a module stored on the memory and comprising computer software instructions executable by the processor the module configured to:
intercept the telecommunications session prior to reaching the receiving network,
obtain address information associated with the calling device from one or more databases,
determine a credit-related score for the telecommunications session based on the address information and aggregated credit data associated with the address information, wherein the aggregated credit data is a depersonalized aggregation of a plurality of individual credit-related attributes associated with the address information,
identify an appropriate unit of the receiving network based on the credit-related score, and
route the telecommunications session to the appropriate unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the address information is a ZIP+4 code.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the aggregated credit data is retrieved from a credit information database configured to store, for each of a plurality of ZIP+4 codes, credit-related data aggregated according to the ZIP+4 code.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the address information is obtained based on an NPA-NXX of an origination phone number associated with the calling device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the module is further configured to obtain the origination phone number associated with the calling device from an automatic number identification service.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the address information is received from an address information database configured to store address information for each of a plurality of phone numbers, the plurality of phone numbers including the origination phone number associated with the calling device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving network includes a plurality of units, and each unit is assigned to a different range of credit-related scores, the appropriate unit being identified by comparing the assigned range to the credit-related score for the telecommunications session.

### Claim 8

A computer-implemented method for handling an incoming call, in real-time, the call being placed by a caller to an end user, the method comprising:
intercepting the incoming call prior to the call reaching the end user;
obtaining, from an address information database, address information associated with an origination phone number for the incoming call;
retrieving, from a credit information database, aggregated credit data that is associated with the address information;
determining a caller profile for the incoming call based on the aggregated credit data;
identifying an appropriate call-answering unit of the end user based on the caller profile; and
routing the incoming call to the appropriate call-answering unit,
wherein the aggregated credit data is a depersonalized aggregation of a plurality of individual credit-related attributes associated with the address information for the origination phone number.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the address information is a ZIP+4 code.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising obtaining the origination phone number for the incoming call using an automatic number identification service.

### Claim 11

A system for handling, in real-time, an incoming call placed by a caller to an end user, the system comprising:
at least one memory;
at least one processor in communication with the at least one memory;
a call handling module stored on the at least one memory and comprising computer software instructions executable by the processor, the call handling module configured to intercept the incoming call prior to the call reaching the end user and determine an aggregated credit score for the incoming call that qualifies the call for at least one of a plurality of call-answering units associated with the end user; and
an address providing module stored on the at least one memory and comprising computer software instructions executable by the processor, the address providing module configured to obtain address information that is associated with an origination phone number of the incoming call,
wherein the call handling module is further configured to: determine the aggregated credit score based on the address information obtained by the address providing module and aggregated credit data associated with said address information, and based on said score, route the incoming call to the at least one of the plurality of call-answering units,
wherein the aggregated credit data is an depersonalized aggregation of a plurality of individual credit-related attributes associated with the address information for the origination phone number.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising a credit information database in communication with the at least one processor and configured to store the aggregated credit data associated with the address information.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the address information is a ZIP+4 code.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising an address information database in communication with the at least one processor and configured to store address information for each of a plurality of phone numbers, the plurality of phone numbers including the origination phone number of the incoming call, wherein the address providing module is further configured to retrieve the associated address information from the address information database.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the call handling module is further configured to obtain the origination phone number for the incoming call using an automatic number identification service.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the call handling module is further configured to request the address information from the address providing module upon obtaining the origination phone number.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of call-answering units is assigned a different range of aggregated credit scores, and the incoming call qualifies for the at least one of the plurality of call-answering units if the aggregated credit score for the incoming call falls within the corresponding range.