US 8,830,878 B1 · Handling connections to reassigned numbers

Abstract

Techniques are described for better ensuring that calls or transmissions directed to a subscriber or endpoint to which a number was previously assigned are not received by a new subscriber or endpoint. According to one class of implementations, a telephony platform maintains a registry that associates a secondary identifier with each phone number that is currently assigned to a subscriber. The identifier may point to and/or include any of a variety of information that maps to the current subscriber. When a calling party initiates a call to an assigned number, an additional identifier is transmitted with the call routing information that corresponds to the entity or endpoint to which the call is directed. The telephony platform makes call routing decisions based on the correspondence of this information with the information maintained in the registry.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

associating first identifying information with a phone number reassigned to a subscriber, the first identifying information representing a first entity corresponding to the subscriber;
receiving an incoming call directed to the phone number and having second identifying information associated therewith, the second identifying information representing a second entity to which the incoming call is directed;
comparing the second identifying information with the first identifying information to determine whether the second entity corresponds to the first entity;
and
where the second entity corresponds to the first entity, connecting the incoming call with a network endpoint corresponding to the phone number.

2 more elements

A telephony platform, comprising:

one or more data stores having first identifying information stored therein for a phone number reassigned to a subscriber, the first identifying information representing a first entity corresponding to the subscriber;
and
one or more computing devices configured to:
receive a first incoming call directed to the phone number and having second identifying information associated therewith, the second identifying information representing a second entity to which the first incoming call is directed;
compare the second identifying information with the first identifying information to determine whether the second entity corresponds to the first entity;
and
where the second entity corresponds to the first entity, connect the first incoming call with a network endpoint corresponding to the phone number.

4 more elements

A computer program product, comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer program instructions stored therein, the computer program instructions being configured such that, when executed by one or more computing devices, the computer program instructions cause the one or more computing devices to:

associate first identifying information with a phone number reassigned to a subscriber, the first identifying information representing a first entity corresponding to the subscriber;
receive an incoming call directed to the phone number and having second identifying information associated therewith, the second identifying information representing a second entity to which the incoming call is directed;
compare the second identifying information with the first identifying information to determine whether the second entity corresponds to the first entity;
and
where the second entity corresponds to the first entity, connect the incoming call with a network endpoint corresponding to the phone number.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Handling connections to reassigned numbers

Life of this patent

Handling connections to reassigned numbers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30