Telephone polling method

A telephone polling method for tabulating calls made to a telephone polling number in an Advanced Intelligent Network, including a switch, a service circuit node, and a service control point, wherein the service control point is functionally connected to the switch and the service circuit node, wherein the service control point includes a database of subscriber information including a list of telephone polling numbers corresponding to subscribers, and wherein the telephone polling method comprises the steps of:

• receiving at a first switch a call from a calling party made to the telephone polling number at said first switch;
• routing said call to a second switch corresponding to said telephone polling number;
• assigning a terminating trigger to said telephone polling number at said second switch;
• in response to said terminating trigger, sending call identifying information associated with the call made to the telephone polling number from the second switch to the service control point;
• and
• at the service control point:
• determining whether the call identifying information identifies a call made to the telephone polling number of a subscriber;
• tabulating a response corresponding to the call made to the telephone polling number;
• and
• sending instructions to said second switch for handling the call made to the telephone polling number.

A telephone polling method for tabulating calls made to a telephone polling number in an Advanced Intelligent Network, including a switch, a service circuit node, and a service control point, wherein the service control point is functionally connected to the switch and the service circuit node, wherein the service control point includes a database of subscriber information including a list of telephone polling numbers corresponding to subscribers, and wherein the telephone polling method comprises the steps of:

• receiving a call from a calling party made to the telephone polling number at the calling party's switch;
• sending call identifying information associated with the call made to the telephone polling number from the switch to the service control point;
• and
• at the service control point:
• determining whether the call identifying information identifies a call made to the telephone polling number of a subscriber;
• tabulating a response corresponding to the call made to the telephone polling number;
• recording the identity of the calling party;
• determining from the identity of the calling party whether the calling party has called the telephone polling number previously;
• blocking tabulation of the response from the calling party if the calling party has previously called the telephone polling number;
• and
• sending instructions to the switch for handling the call made to the telephone polling number.