Telephonic communications – Special services – Anonymous party
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2003-10-14
Matar, Ahmad F. (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Special services
Anonymous party
C379S207020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06633633
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of switched telephony, and more particularly, to a method and system for providing a telephone routing service that restores a calling number in a call that has been processed by a non-network service provider and rerouted to an alternate destination.
2. Background of the Invention
Many Advanced Intelligence Network (AIN) telephone services use the capabilities of a service node (also referred to as a service circuit node) for intelligent call routing. In a typical routing scheme, the service node (SN) accepts an incoming call, executes service-related logic, places an outgoing call in accordance with the service logic, and terminates the incoming call to the outgoing call to complete the connection. Usually, the destination of the outgoing call is a telephone number different from the original called number.
AIN networks use a complex, high speed, high traffic volume data packet-switched messaging system to provide versatility in the handling of telephone calls. The Advanced Intelligent Network System is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,301 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,774, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The AIN enables telecommunications call control and database access from any computer or switching system connected to the Signaling System 7 (SS7) network. The Signaling System 7 network refers to the current implementation of the common channeling interoffice signaling control network used in the United States. The Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) is a standard call control protocol that uses the SS7 network for message transport.
AIN infrastructures of the public switched telephone network include service switching points (SSPs), service nodes, signaling transfer points (STPs), and service control points (SCPs) with databases. The service control point is a computer that holds, accesses, and maintains one or more databases, performs service logic, and communicates with service switching points in directing call routing. Databases typically store subscriber-specific information used by the network to route calls. The service switching point communicates with the service control point and queries the service control point for subscriber-specific or network-specific instructions as to how calls should be completed. The signaling transfer point is a packet switch that shuttles signaling messages between AIN network elements. The service node is a computer system that can perform service logic, can communicate with parties via voice circuits, and can assess incoming call information and make appropriate connections. In most implementations of a public switched telephone network, service control points and service switching points are provided in redundant mated pairs to ensure network reliability. Also, typically, service control points are within a network, while service nodes typically can be within or outside of a network.
Much of the intelligence and the basis for many of the new enhanced features of the network reside in the local service control point. As known by those skilled in the art, service control points are physically implemented by relatively powerful fault tolerant computers. Typical implementation devices include the Star Server FT Model 3200 and the Star Server FT Model 3300, both available from Lucent Technologies™. The architecture of these computers is based on Tandem Integrity S
2
and Integrity S
1
platforms, respectively.
The service control points maintain the network databases used in providing custom services, such as databases that identify customers requiring particular services. To keep the processing of data and calls as simple and as generic as possible at switches, triggers are defined at the switches for each call. Triggers may be assigned to a particular subscriber line or call, and prompts a query to a service control point. The service control point then checks its database to determine how to route the call and whether a customized calling feature or custom service should be implemented for this particular call. The results of the data base inquiry are sent back to the switch from the service control point. The return message includes instructions to the switch as to how to process the call. The instruction may be to take some special action as a result of a customized calling service or custom feature. If a “continue” message is received at the switch from the service control point, the switch moves through its call states, selects the call digits, and may generate further messages that will be used to set up and route the call, as described above.
FIG. 1
illustrates a typical AIN architecture that uses the call processing, routing, and connection capabilities of a service node to provide a call forwarding service. For a typical terminating service, caller
100
places a call (call
1
) to a subscriber's telephone number, which flows through the caller's service switching point
102
and hits a trigger on the subscriber's service switching point
104
. The trigger initiates a query (query
1
) to a service control point
112
through a signaling transfer point
110
. In response to query
1
, service control point
112
returns response
1
, directing service switching point
104
to forward call
1
to service node
116
that provides the call forwarding processing. Service switching point
104
forwards call
1
to service node
116
through service switching point
106
. When it receives incoming call
1
, service node
116
identifies the subscriber by the called number of call
1
and looks up the subscriber's desired forwarding destination in a database. Service node
116
then places an outgoing call (call
2
) to that forwarding destination (through service switching points
106
and
108
) and, when answered at the subscriber's forwarding destination
118
, terminates the incoming call
1
to the outgoing call
2
to complete the call connection.
Because, according to current network signaling capabilities, service node
116
places outgoing call
2
to complete the connection, the calling number of outgoing call
2
is the telephone number associated with the trunk group of service node
116
. Thus, to the subscriber's forwarding destination
118
, call
2
appears to originate from service node
116
, instead of caller
100
. This drawback of the service node function negates telephone services and call processing functions that may need to know the identity of the caller, such as caller identification (“caller ID”).
This drawback is further compounded when service node
116
is outside a local exchange carrier's local access transport area (LATA—hereinafter referred to as “the network”) and call
1
contains private call information. In such a situation, the local exchange carrier is prohibited by federal regulation to forward private call information to service node
116
. Thus, a local exchange carrier cannot manipulate dialing strings to pass the private call information through service node
116
to subscriber's forwarding destination
118
. This additional drawback is quite significant when considering the large number of telephone services supported by non-LEC telephone service providers, which are typically referred to as enhanced service providers (ESPs).
Supported by an out-of-network service node, an enhanced service provider, also known as an information provider, is an unregulated (by the Federal Communications Commission) vendor that adds value to telephone lines using software and hardware external to the network of a local exchange carrier. The enhanced service provider supplements a local exchange carrier's standard offerings, supporting advanced call features such as voicemail, flexible call forwarding, single number service, call screening service (e.g., routing or blocking telephone calls based on the calling party), announcement service, or database processing (e.g., a database that provides the latest airline fares). These enhanced services are offered
BellSouth Intellectuel Property Corporation
Knowlin Thjuan P
Matar Ahmad F.
Pittman LLP Shaw
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