Long distance telephone switching system with enhanced subscriber services

US5550899A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• MCI Communications Corporation · US

Inventors

• Clark E. McLeod · Cedar Rapids, US
• Steven J. Hogan · Cedar Rapids, US
• Kristi T. Feltz · Cedar Rapids, US
• Douglas R. Murdock · Cedar Rapids, US
• Van E. Hanson · Forest, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 17, 1993
• Grant date: Aug 27, 1996
• Expiry date: Mar 17, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04Q2213/13504
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A long distance telephone switching system is adapted to provide various enhanced subscriber services, such as an audio news and information service, conference calling, voice messaging, message storage and forwarding, and speed dialing, in addition to conventional long distance calling. Additional improvements include the use of pre-recorded opening and closing scripts to facilitate the handling of operator-assisted calls, the retrieval of stored subscriber billing data prior to each call reorigination in order to detect instances of possible abuse, and the concatenation of subscriber-input authorization codes with access number data to allow the use of shorter authorization codes by the subscribers.