US5901213A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for providing virtual dedicated access to an inter-exchange carrier
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1996-10-31
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Granted: 1999-05-04
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Expires: 2016-10-31
Abstract
Abstract Virtual dedicated access of telecommunication subscribers (12, 14 and 16) to an inter-exchange carrier (IXC) (20) is provided by way of an intelligent local End Office switch (180) that routes calls either to the IXC or to a local End Office switch (18). The intelligent local End Office switch (180) advantageously serves to perform inter-exchange processing of calls, as required, for calls that originate with, or terminate at, a customer rather than automatically route calls to the IXC for such inter-exchange processing, as was previously required.
Inventors
- 👤 Jose Benhabib
- 👤 Sekar Ganesan
- 👤 Gerald F. Healey
- 👤 David George Lewis
- 👤 Robert Andrew Malmi
- 👤 Leslie Ellen Morton
- 👤 Alan M. Weinstock
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 06:58
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/58; H04Q3/62; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0029; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13103; H04Q2213/13141; H04Q2213/13298; H04Q2213/13383; H04Q2213/13395; H04Q2213/13399
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for providing inter-exchange processing of telephone calls originating from, and terminating at separate customer premises, comprising the steps of: routing all telephone calls that originate from, and that terminate at, each customer premises to an intelligent local End Office switch associated with said each customer premises; establishing for each call received at the intelligent local End Office switch a call status and thereafter processing each call in accordance with its status to determine whether the call should receive, pursuant to customer request, inter-exchange processing heretofore provided at an inter-exchange switch to provide at least one special feature from a group of features including call indexing and special routing, and if so, providing such processing at such intelligent local End Office switch; determining, for each call received at the intelligent local End Office switch, where the call should be routed; and routing the call in accordance with the routing determination.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for providing inter-exchange processing of telephone calls originating from, and terminating at separate customer premises, comprising the steps of: routing all telephone calls that originate from, and that terminate at, each customer premises to an intelligent local End Office switch associated with said each customer premises; establishing for each call received at the intelligent local End Office switch a call status and thereafter processing each call in accordance with its status to determine whether the call should receive, pursuant to customer request, inter-exchange processing heretofore provided at an inter-exchange switch to provide at least one special feature from a group of features including call indexing and special routing, and if so, providing such processing at such intelligent local End Office switch; determining, for each call received at the intelligent local End Office switch, where the call should be routed; and routing the call in accordance with the routing determination.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein the intelligent local End Office switch establishes the status of each call by collecting digits associated with the call.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method according to claim 2 wherein the digits are interpolated for inter-exchange processing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein the inter-exchange processing provided by the intelligent local End Office switch includes the step of creating an index varying in accordance with a count of calls for the customer premises and type of service accorded thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The invention according to claim 1 wherein the inter-exchange processing provided by the intelligent local End Office switch includes the step of screening each call to determine whether the call is a private number.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 5 wherein a call determined to be a private number is routed in accordance with said number.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein the intelligent local End Office switch determines where to route the call in accordance with a pre-established customer preference.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 1 further including the step of recording information associated with the inter-exchange processing provided by the intelligent local End Office switch.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for providing inter-exchange processing of telephone calls originating from, and terminating at separate customer premises, comprising the steps of: routing all telephone calls that originate from, and that terminate at, each customer premises via an intelligent local End Office switch associated with said each customer premises; establishing for each call received at the intelligent local End Office switch a call status and thereafter processing each call in accordance with its status to determine whether the call should receive, pursuant to customer request, inter-exchange processing heretofore provided at an inter-exchange switch to provide at least one special feature from a group of features including call indexing and special routing, and if so providing such processing at such intelligent local End Office switch; determining, for each call received at the intelligent local End Office switch, where the call should be routed; and routing the call in accordance with the routing determination; wherein the intelligent local End Office switch provides inter-exchange processing of calls terminating at the customer premises by replacing digits of a routing number in a call set-up message associated with said call with digits dialed by a calling party.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for providing inter-exchange processing of telephone calls originating from, and terminating at separate customer premises, comprising the steps of: routing all telephone calls that originate from, and that terminate at, each customer premises via an intelligent local End Office switch associated with said each customer premises; establishing for each call received at the intelligent local End Office switch a call status and thereafter processing each call in accordance with its status to determine whether the call should receive, pursuant to customer request, inter-exchange processing heretofore provided at an inter-exchange switch to provide at least one special feature from a group of features including call indexing and special routing, and if so providing such processing at such intelligent local End Office switch; determining, for each call received at the intelligent local End Office switch, where the call should be routed; and routing the call in accordance with the routing determination; wherein the intelligent local End Office switch provides inter-exchange processing of calls terminating at the customer premises by replacing digits of a routing number in a call set-up message associated with said call with digits dialed by a calling party.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 9 wherein the inter-exchange processing provided by the intelligent local End Office switch includes the step of creating an index reflective of a call count.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 10 further including the step of recording information associated with the inter-exchange processing provided by the intelligent local End Office switch.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-05-03 | 2002-11-02 | 2003-05-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-05-03 | 2006-11-02 | 2007-05-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-05-03 | 2010-11-02 | 2011-05-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |