US 5,475,749 AGranted

Connections between a toll network and multiple local networks

AssigneeAT&T Corp.

InventorsAkinwale A. Akinpelu, Promod K. Bhagat, Dana L. Garoutte

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An arrangement for routing toll calls to a predominant local exchange carrier (LEC) or to a competitive access provider (CAP). An egress switch of an interexchange (toll) carrier translates the called directory number office code to determine whether that code serves a CAP. If so, an exception table is searched to identify the CAP; if the called number is not in the exception table, the call is routed to the predominant LEC. Calls may also be routed to a customer who is served by a CAP and the predominant LEC via either of these local carriers. The billing record identifies an originating and/or a terminating CAP for the call. Optionally or alternatively, the ingress IXC switch may access a data base to determine the CAP or predominant LEC serving a called customer; the ingress IXC switch then routes the call to an IXC egress switch serving the carrier that serves the called customer. Advantageously, this arrangement efficiently serves calls using a CAP to provide part of the connection.

Claims10

Dependent claims

In an interexchange carrier (IXC) network, a method of routing a call from said IXC network over one of a plurality of local exchange carriers, wherein said call is identified by a called number comprising an office code, individual telephone numbers, within said office code being assigned to subscribers of different ones of said plurality of local exchange carriers, comprising the steps of:

translating a terminating office code of said call in an egress switch of said interexchange carrier to determine whether said terminating office code is used by subscribers of only one local exchange carrier or by a plurality of local exchange carriers;
if said translation determines that said office code is used by subscribers of a single local exchange carrier, determining an identity of said single local exchange carrier;
if said translation determines that said office code is used by subscribers of a plurality of local exchange carriers, translating a called telephone number within said office code to determine an identity of a terminating local exchange carrier for serving said call;
and
routing said call from said egress switch to said terminating local exchange carrier identified by said identity for routing said call to a destination of said call.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.