Bellsouth Corporation

Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation

Nailesh B. Desai

Prasad V. Nimmagadda

Nailesh B Desai

Hong Nguyen

Prasad V Nimmagadda

Julia B Torbert

James Madison Seymour

David C Sowell

Jim H Chan

Richard Carl Schmidt

Janine M Irwin

James M Davis

Iris Y Chen

A system and method for providing directory assistance service and information in a multiple service provider and a local number portability environment. An operator services system (OPSS) (15) is functionally connected to a first and a second database (24, 26). Preferably, the first database (24) is a directory assistance database, and the second database (26) is a directory assistance-local number portability (DA-LNP) database. Upon receipt of a request for a directory number associated with the name of a party, the OPSS (15) makes a first query of the first database (24) for first search results relating to the name of the party. Preferably, the OPSS (15) also concurrently makes a second query, but of the second database (26) for second search results relating to the name of the party. The first and second databases are searched based on the name of the party. The first and second search results are provided to the OPSS (15). In response to receipt of the first and second search results, the OPSS (15) consolidates both search results into consolidated search results. Preferably, the OPSS (15) eliminates any duplicative entry between the first and second search results. The OPSS (15) then provides the consolidated search results to a display (21). The consolidated search results are displayed and are used to provide the directory assistance service in response to the request for the name of the party.

System and method for providing directory assistance information

A method and system of utilizing advanced intelligent network services for capturing and recording dial-around call information is provided. Dial-around calls are calls directed to a telecommunication services provider other than the services provider designated by the owner or operator of the originating telecommunications device, such as a pay telephone. When a public switched telephone network effects a 'dial-around' of a pre-subscribed telecommunication services provider at a pay telephone, accounting records generated by the local telecommunication services provider do not identify that the call originated at a pay telephone. Thus, important billing and asset management data are lost to the pay telephone operator. The method and system of the present invention utilize advanced intelligent network services to recognize dial-around calls and to produce a record for the pay telephone operator which will identify and record billing and utilization information for dial-around calls. The method and system may be used without the need for expensive and time consuming hardware and software retrofit of each local switch through which each pay telephone operator operates.

Method and system for capturing and recording information associated

The present invention is a method and system for implementing service functions in association with a communication between an originating station and a called station. A communication including identification information is received at a first network element from the originating station. A transaction is opened for use in a bi-directional exchange of messages relating to the communication between the first network element and the second network element. The communication is held at the first network element while the identification information is sent from the first network element to the second network element. The second network element determines processing instructions for implementing the service functions. The second network element then sends the processing instructions to the first network element. The transaction is then closed. In response to receiving the processing message, the first network element routes the communication for connection from the originating station to the called station. The first network element then implements the service functions in accordance with the processing instructions. In a first embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system for charging the cost of a communication a prepaid account associated with a prepaid telephone card. In a second embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system for apprising the parties to a communication of the duration of the communication while the communication is in progress.

Method and system for providing a demarcated communication service

A method and system 11 for quickly changing a subscriber's long distance or local carrier while allowing the subscriber to maintain the same directory number. A preferred carrier code is entered into an interim carrier database 42, 43, and an indicator is activated for communications originating on the subscriber's line 14a. When a communication originating on the subscriber's line 14a is subsequently received, the carrier-of-record code is retrieved from a subscriber database 44, and the preferred carrier code is retrieved from the interim carrier database 42, 43. The preferred carrier code is compared to the carrier-of-record code. If the preferred carrier code is different than the carrier-of-record code, the preferred carrier code is used to assign the communication to the preferred carrier. At a later time, the carrier-of-record code in the subscriber database 44 is updated with the subscriber's preferred carrier code. When it is determined that the subscriber's carrier-of-record code is the same as the preferred carrier code, the indicator for the subscriber's line is removed. Once the indicator is removed, the interim carrier database 42, 43 is no longer referenced in the course of routing communications originating on the subscriber's line 14a, and the subscriber's preferred carrier code may be deleted from the interim carrier database 42, 43.

Method and system for assigning a communication to a preferred carrier

The present invention is a method that enables a business with multiple locations within a LATA to use a single number for its service. All callers dial the same number to reach the subscriber's business, and a network routes the calls to the most appropriate subscriber location based on the geographic location of the caller, time of day, day of week, and/or percent distribution among subscriber locations. The geographic location of the caller is determined using the calling party number (NPA-NXX-XXXX) and either mapping this number to a wire center (using the NPA-NXX) or to a block group (using the entire NPA-NXX-XXXX). An advantage of Area Number Calling is the granularity of block group routing. Block groups are defined by the Census Bureau and typically encompass a much smaller geographic area than a wire center. Block groups are defined by the Census Bureau for the entire United States. Block groups tend to encompass four to twelve blocks, and they honor natural boundaries, like rivers. This gives an ANC subscriber a greater degree of flexibility in defining which geographic areas should be routed to which subscriber locations. The present invention also provides a method of reducing the amount of geographic data that is transmitted to or stored on a database associated with the routing equipment by routing as a unit intersecting regions of multiple subscriber data tables.

Method for routing calls based on predetermined assignments of callers

Growing community of inventors

Norcross, GA, United States of America

Nailesh B Desai