# US 8,750,479 B2 · Method and apparatus for ubiquitous access to dialing plans for enterprise networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,750,479 B2 - Document ID: US8750479B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/707,357 - Filed: 2012-12-06 - Published: 2013-04-18 - Granted: 2014-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2004-09-27 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property, II, L.P. - Inventors: Marian Croak; Hossein Eslambolchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8750479B2 ## CPC - H04M 3/44: Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling (at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424) - H04Q 3/0016: {Arrangements providing connection between exchanges} - H04Q 3/62: for connecting to private branch exchanges - H04Q 2213/1322: PBX - H04Q 2213/13222: PBX circuits in public exchange, centrex - H04Q 2213/13384: Inter-PBX traffic, PBX networks, e.g. corporate networks - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) ## Abstract The invention comprises a method and apparatus for providing at least one network endpoint of an enterprise customer network access to at least one dialing plan. Specifically, the method comprises receiving at least one dialing plan request from the at least one network endpoint, retrieving at least one address mapping in response to the at least one dialing plan request, and responding to the at least one dialing plan request using the at least one address mapping. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing a dialing plan request, comprising: receiving, by a processor, the dialing plan request from a network endpoint of an enterprise customer; retrieving, by the processor, an address mapping in response to the dialing plan request, wherein the address mapping maps the dialing plan request to a dialing plan found in one of a plurality of service plans offered by a service provider, wherein the enterprise customer is a customer of the service provider and subscribed to a service plan of the plurality of service plans, wherein the dialing plan is a reduced number dialing plan that allows the enterprise customer to dial fewer than all digits of a telephone number, wherein the enterprise customer is not a current subscriber to the dialing plan, regardless of the service plan to which the enterprise customer has subscribed; and responding, by the processor, to the dialing plan request using the address mapping, wherein the responding to the dialing plan request comprises completing a call attempt using the dialing plan. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the address mapping is retrieved from a dialing plan repository. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the address mapping is formed by mapping the dialing plan to an address. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the call attempt is initiated from the network endpoint. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced number dialing plan enables the call attempt to be completed using less than seven digits of a phone number. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the dialing plan further comprises an international dialing plan that enables the call attempt to be completed using less than seven digits of a phone number. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: authenticating the network endpoint prior to allowing the network endpoint to retrieve the address mapping from a dialing plan repository. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: registering an additional network endpoint, for retrieving the address mapping from a dialing plan repository. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the responding to the dialing plan request using the address mapping is independent of any service plan associated with the dialing plan. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the address mapping is stored in the dialing plan repository. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the address is an internet protocol address. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the network endpoint comprises a time division multiplexing phone. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the network endpoint comprises an internet protocol phone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the network endpoint comprises an integrated services digital network phone. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the network endpoint comprises a computer. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving a dialing plan request from a network endpoint of an enterprise customer; retrieving an address mapping in response to the dialing plan request, wherein the address mapping maps the dialing plan request to a dialing plan found in one of a plurality of service plans offered by a service provider, wherein the enterprise customer is a customer of the service provider and subscribed to a service plan of the plurality of service plans, wherein the dialing plan is a reduced number dialing plan that allows the enterprise customer to dial fewer than all digits of a telephone number, wherein the enterprise customer is not a current subscriber to the dialing plan, regardless of the service plan to which the enterprise customer has subscribed; and responding to the dialing plan request using the address mapping, wherein the responding to the dialing plan request comprises completing a call attempt using the dialing plan. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the address mapping is retrieved from a dialing plan repository. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the address mapping is formed by mapping a dialing plan to an address. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the call attempt is initiated from the network endpoint. ### Claim 20 An apparatus for processing a dialing plan request, comprising: a processor; and a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving the dialing plan request from a network endpoint of an enterprise customer; retrieving an address mapping in response to the dialing plan request, wherein the address mapping maps the dialing plan request to a dialing plan found in one of a plurality of service plans offered by a service provider, wherein the enterprise customer is a customer of the service provider and subscribed to a service plan of the plurality of service plans, wherein the dialing plan is a reduced number dialing plan that allows the enterprise customer to dial fewer than all digits of a telephone number, wherein the enterprise customer is not a current subscriber to the dialing plan, regardless of the service plan to which the enterprise customer has subscribed; and responding to the dialing plan request using the address mapping to complete a call attempt using the dialing plan.