Automatic termination path configuration
AssigneeLevel 3 Communications, LLC
InventorMichael F. DeConcills
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided herein a system and method for automatic configuration of data routings for use with electronic data such as phone calls, faxes, etc. In the preferred embodiment, when more than one carrier might potentially terminate the transmission, the carriers are ordered based on some screening criterion (e.g., transmission price). Data transmissions are then assigned to the carriers based on the sorting order, with the second place and lower carriers (e.g., the higher priced carriers) not being selected unless the first carrier cannot complete the transaction. The switch instructions necessary to implement this scheme are generated automatically.
Claims20
A method of obtaining an international termination of a voice transmission from a customer to a predetermined termination destination, comprising the steps of:
- a. obtaining said predetermined termination destination from the customer;
- b. selecting a carrier that can provide access to said termination destination;
- c. determining a routing for a signal path between a customer entry point accessible by the customer and a carrier exit point accessible by said selected carrier, wherein said signal path passes through at least one electronic switching device;
- d. activating a computer program;
- e. entering said routing structure into said computer program;
- f. within said computer program, translating said routing structure into a plurality of switch instructions;
- g. electronically communicating at least a portion of said plurality of switch instructions from said computer program to each of said at least one electronic switching devices in said signal path to in order to implement said routing;
- h. receiving said voice transmission from said customer via said customer entry point;
- i. transmit said voice transmission from said customer entry point to said carrier exit point via said implemented routing according to said transmitted plurality of switch instructions;
- and
- j. provide said transmitted voice transmission to said selected carrier at said carrier exit point.
An apparatus configured to obtain an international termination of a voice transmission from a customer to a predetermined termination destination, the apparatus comprising a computer based controller configured to:
- obtain said predetermined termination destination from the customer;
- select a carrier that can provide access to said termination destination;
- determine a routing for a signal path between a customer entry point accessible by the customer and a carrier exit point accessible by said selected carrier, wherein said signal path passes through at least one electronic switching device;
- translate said routing structure into a plurality of switch instructions;
- electronically communicating at least a portion of said plurality of switch instructions to each of said at least one electronic switching devices in said signal path to in order to implement said routing;
- receive said voice transmission from said customer via said customer entry point;
- transmit said voice transmission from said customer entry point to said carrier exit point via said implemented routing according to said transmitted plurality of switch instructions;
- and
- provide said transmitted voice transmission to said selected carrier at said carrier exit point.
A system for routing data comprising:
- a switching module in communication with a customer entry point controller, and a carrier exit point controller;
- and
- a central database provided by a computer based controller communicating with the computer based switching system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.