Special service call routing

US5018191A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• AT&T Bell Laboratories · US

Inventors

• Nancy A. Catron · Long Valley, US
• Richard J. Famulare · Montgomery, US
• Joseph V. Fodale · Lincroft, US
• Karrie Hanson · Westfield, US
• Robert Koch · Sidney Place, US
• Ronald E. Large · Holmdel, US
• Paramdeep S. Sahni · Marlboro, US
• Alan Ira Schwartz · Bedminster, US
• Susan M. Zoccolillo · Howell, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 23, 1989
• Grant date: May 21, 1991
• Expiry date: Oct 23, 2009

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S379/908
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

This invention relates to methods of establishing facsimile (fax) connections. When it is determined that a call is a fax call, a fax indicator is sent with Common Channel Signaling (CCS) messages for that call. If a call with a fax indicator is received in a destination switching office, then the destination office checks to see if the called number is a fax number; if not, translation is made to find the number of a fax station for serving fax calls to the called number, and the call is completed to that fax station. Fax calls may be recognized by a fax class mark in an originating message from an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line or a dialed prefix such as #, #3, or an alternative common carrier code (10XXX) from an ordinary line. Calls may be automatically redirected to a store and forward system on busy or no answer, routed to one of a plurality of alternative destinations based on the day and time, junk fax calls may be screened, and a fax message waiting lamp on the called (voice) destination may be operated. For international calls, a translation from voice to fax may be made at an egress gateway switch; the fax calls may also be automatically routed over low …