System for originating and receiving telephone calls over a virtual

Abstract

Access (or egress) charges payable by an IXC to a LEC, and payable by the subscriber to the LEC for originating or terminating calls and for associated vertical call control features, are reduced or eliminated by providing a virtual piped collection that 'bypasses' and thus does not require the involvement of, a local service provider. The virtual piped connection exists between a call control platform (CCP) in the IXC network, and specialized customer premises equipment (CPE) located m the subscriber location. The specialized CPE is arranged to provide call control functions using normal out-of-band signaling in a conventional manner, and, after an initial call is conventionally set up to the CCP, to provide the same functions using specialized in-band signaling. A complementary signaling and control capability is provided in the CCP. Once the pipe is established, the subscriber can originate calls by pressing appropriate buttons or keys on the specialized CPE, causing in-band signaling between the CPE and the complementary equipment in the CCP. Such signaling is not detected by and does not affect the connection that exists through the LEC. When a call is complete, it may be disconnected by either the subscriber or the CCP, by pressing a special button or key on the CPE, which sends an in-band signal to the CCP, to terminate the call without disturbing the pipe existing between the CPE and the CCP. Similarly, incoming calls are routed via the CCP, which uses in-band signaling to alert the specialized CPE.