Level 3 Communications, LLC

Greg Gualtieri

Richard Dean Terpstra

Dan Jordan

Janis Griffin

Susmita G Saha

Murli S Nair

Matthew K Davis

Bill Long

Embodiments of the invention include a method for routing an Internet Protocol (IP)-based call through a first IP-based network to a second IP-based network. The method includes receiving an IP-based call request in the first network; identifying one or more geographic trunk groups that can be used to route the call request out of the first network, wherein each of the one or more geographic trunk groups represents a logical grouping of one or more IP trunk groups between the first IP-based network and the second IP-based network; selecting one of the one or more geographic trunk groups; and routing the received call request via the selected geographic trunk group to an IP address associated with the selected geographic trunk group. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Geographic trunk groups

A system includes a core routing engine operable to receive a call setup request and identify one or more IP trunk groups through which the call setup request can be routed, select one of the one or more identified IP trunk groups and route the call setup request to an internal IP address associated with the selected IP trunk group. The system may further include an IP edge node associated with the internal IP address, the IP edge node in the backbone network and operable to receive the call setup request and route the call setup request to one of a plurality of IP addresses associated with a plurality of carrier edge nodes in the carrier network.

Internet protocol trunk groups

A method for routing a toll-free call through a network includes receiving a toll-free call from a call origination endpoint, determining an identifier associated with the call origination endpoint, determining a meet point trunk based on at least a portion of the identifier if a DAL is not available, and routing the toll-free call to a LEC via the determined meet point trunk. A system for routing a toll-free call entering a network to an appropriate carrier includes an inbound gateway device configured to receive a toll-free call from a call origination endpoint having an assigned telephone number and to query a core routing engine (CRE) for a route plan using the assigned telephone number, and a CRE configured to select an interconnection access line based on the origination endpoint telephone number, wherein the interconnection access line is connected to a LEC that is operable to route the call to the appropriate carrier.

Routing outbound toll-free calls through a VoIP network

An embodiment of a method includes determining a customer service plan identifier from information associated with a received call, determining a route plan associated with the identified customer service plan, and routing the call on a trunk group identified in the determined route plan. The method may further include determining a jurisdiction of the call based on a dialed number identified in the call, determining a local routing number (LRN) associated with the call, and using a portion of the LRN to determine the trunk group. An embodiment of a system includes a switch operable to select a route for routing a call received on an ingress trunk associated with a customer that subscribes to a service plan, wherein the switch is further operable to select the route based on the service plan subscribed to by the customer associated with the ingress trunk.

Local routing management in a telecommunications network

An embodiment of a method includes generating one or more route plans, each route plan being associated with a service plan, and provisioning the one or more route plans on a core routing engine accessible by a softswitch for routing calls according to the one or more route plans. The one or more route plans may include an on-net route plan and an off-net route plan. An embodiment of a system includes a local route manager (LRM) configured to generate one or more route plans associated with one or more respective service levels that customers can subscribe to. The system may further include an inventory of trunk groups containing a plurality of trunk group identifiers (IDs), wherein trunk group IDs are marked as either on-net or off-net.

A method includes jurisdictionalizing a long distance intra-MTA call as a local call. The method may further include receiving an intra-Major Trading Area (MTA) call, determining whether the intra-MTA call satisfies terms of use of a direct connection to a terminating network, and routing the intra-Major Trading Area (MTA) call directly to the terminating network via the direct connection if the intra-MTA call satisfies the terms of use of the direct connection. A method for routing calls includes determining that a received intrastate call is an intra-MTA call, determining whether the intra-MTA call satisfies terms of use of a direct connection bypassing a Local Exchange Carrier, and routing the intra-MTA call for termination via the direct connection if the intra-MTA call satisfies terms of use of the direct connection. A system includes a switch configured to jurisdictionalize a long-distance intra-MTA call as a local call, and may be further configured to route the call over a local route.

Growing community of inventors

Denver, CO, United States of America

Greg Gualtieri