U.S. West Communications, Inc.

Michael S Crum

Martin R Marks

Peggy E Moore

A method and system is disclosed for configuring a telecommunication switch which controls a telecommunication line. The telecommunication switch is programmed to create a usage record for each outgoing call. The method includes the step of creating in the switch at least one service record for identifying optional features associated with the telecommunication line. The at least one service record includes a line class code field and a service feature code field. The method also includes the steps of receiving a signal representing line class code data enabling the telecommunication switch to create a usage record for each incoming call, and storing the line class code data in the line class code field. The method finally includes the steps of receiving a signal representing service feature code data for identifying usage records, and storing the service feature code data in the service feature code field. The telecommunication switch configured according to the present invention creates usage records for reporting both incoming and outgoing calls associated with the telecommunication line.

Method and system for configuring a telecommunication switch and

A telephone routing system for use with a programmable central office switch and a voice messaging system, wherein the programmable central office switch is of the type that provides prioritized features such as queuing, call forward busy line and call forward don't answer to the voice messaging system. The telephone routing system comprises a hunt group having one or more incoming telephone lines each having an individual hunt group telephone number associated with it. Each of the individual hunt group telephone numbers has a call forward busy line and call forward don't answer to the voice messaging system feature enabled but does not have a queuing feature enabled. A hunt group directory number is associated with the entire hunt group and has queuing, call forward busy line, and call forward don't answer to the voice messaging system features enabled. Calls are received by the hunt group on one of the individual hunt group telephone numbers. If all the telephone lines in the hunt group are busy, the call is forwarded to a common hunt group mailbox in the voice messaging system. The common hunt group mailbox plays a message asking if the caller wishes to leave a message or be placed in a queue If the caller wants to be placed in a queue, the call is forwarded from the hunt group mailbox to the hunt group directory number. If all the telephone lines in the hunt group are still busy and an empty slot exists in the queue, then the call is placed in the queue. If all the telephone lines in the hunt group are still busy and there are no empty slots in the queue, the call is retrieved by the voice messaging system back to the common voice message mailbox, where the caller is instructed to leave a message or call again later.

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Michael S Crum