Method and apparatus for tracking allocated phone numbers
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
InventorsMarian Croak, Hossein Eslambolchi
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing a method for determining the status of allocated phone numbers in a VoIP network by providing a tool to automatically determine whether allocated phone numbers are in service, deactivated, or waiting to be allocated phone numbers are disclosed. The present method enables access into service provisioning systems and their associated database regarding move, add, change, and disconnect operations to make this determination.
Claims20
A method for tracking allocated internet protocol phone numbers in a communication network, comprising:
- monitoring all of a pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers, wherein the pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers comprises a sum of a total number of waiting to be assigned phone numbers, a total number of deactivated phone numbers and a total number of in service phone numbers;
- receiving a request related to a voice over internet protocol service from a telephone adapter:
- in response to the request, updating a status of the pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers according to an operation associated with the pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers, wherein the operation comprises a group of options, wherein the group of options includes an add operation, a change operation, a move operation, a disconnect operation and an adjust operation, wherein the move operation comprises when a subscriber moves a service address from one location to another location;
- and
- in response to the request, updating a voice over internet protocol service related application server and a call control element via a provisioning server to perform the operation in the communication network, wherein the call control element performs a translation of an E.164 voice network address into an internet protocol address, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network, wherein the provisioning server is operated by a network provider of the communication network, comprising:
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a newly assigned in service phone number if the operation is the add operation;
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a disconnected phone number if the operation is the disconnect operation;
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a changed phone number if the operation is the change operation;
- or
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a moved phone number if the operation is the move operation.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for tracking allocated internet protocol phone numbers in a communication network, comprising:
- monitoring all of a pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers, wherein the pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers comprises a sum of a total number of waiting to be assigned phone numbers, a total number of deactivated phone numbers and a total number of in service phone numbers;
- receiving a request related to a voice over internet protocol service from a telephone adapter;
- in response to the request, updating a status of the pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers according to an operation associated with the pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers, wherein the operation comprises a group of options, wherein the group of options includes an add operation, a change operation, a move operation, a disconnect operation and an adjust operation, wherein the move operation comprises when a subscriber moves a service address from one location to another location;
- and
- in response to the request, updating a voice over internet protocol service related application server and a call control element via a provisioning server to perform the operation in the communication network, wherein the call control element performs a translation of an E.164 voice network address into an internet protocol address, wherein the communication network is an Internet protocol network, wherein the provisioning server is operated by a network provider of the communication network, comprising:
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a newly assigned in service phone number if the operation is the add operation;
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a disconnected phone number if the operation is the disconnect operation;
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a changed phone number if the operation is the change operation;
- or
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a moved phone number if the operation is the move operation.
An apparatus for tracking allocated internet protocol phone numbers in a communication network, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable medium in communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method, comprising:
- monitoring all of a pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers, wherein the pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers comprises a sum of a total number of waiting to be assigned phone numbers, a total number of deactivated phone numbers and a total number of in service phone numbers;
- receiving a request related to a voice over internet protocol service from a telephone adapter;
- in response to the request, updating a status of the pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers according to an operation associated with the pool of allocated internet protocol phone numbers, wherein the operation comprises a group of options, wherein the group of options includes an add operation, a change operation, a move operation, a disconnect operation and an adjust operation, wherein the move operation comprises when a subscriber moves a service address from one location to another location;
- and
- in response to the request, for updating a voice over internet protocol service related application server and a call control element via a provisioning server to perform the operation in the communication network, wherein the call control element performs a translation of an E.164 voice network address into an internet protocol address, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network, wherein the provisioning server is operated by a network provider of the communication network, comprising:
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a newly assigned in service phone number if the operation is the add operation;
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a disconnected phone number if the operation is the disconnect operation;
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a changed phone number if the operation is the change operation;
- or
- updating a network element in the communication network regarding a moved phone number if the operation is the move operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.