Routing outbound toll-free calls through a VoIP network

US8401161B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Level 3 Communications, LLC · US

Inventors

• Richard Dean Terpstra · Superior, US
• Greg Gualtieri · Denver, US
• Dan Jordan · Calabasas, US
• Janis Griffin · Longmont, US
• Murli S. Nair · Superior, US
• Susmita Saha · Chicago, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 9, 2007
• Grant date: Mar 19, 2013
• Expiry date: Jul 18, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M2215/62
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method for routing a toll-free call through a network includes receiving a toll-free call from a call origination endpoint, determining an identifier associated with the call origination endpoint, determining a meet point trunk based on at least a portion of the identifier if a DAL is not available, and routing the toll-free call to a LEC via the determined meet point trunk. A system for routing a toll-free call entering a network to an appropriate carrier includes an inbound gateway device configured to receive a toll-free call from a call origination endpoint having an assigned telephone number and to query a core routing engine (CRE) for a route plan using the assigned telephone number, and a CRE configured to select an interconnection access line based on the origination endpoint telephone number, wherein the interconnection access line is connected to a LEC that is operable to route the call to the appropriate carrier.