County Code Call Routing for Privacy-Safe Local Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing call routing systems for 800/short codes, such as the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, often route calls based on the area code of the user's device, which can lead to inefficient use of network resources and violate user privacy, as the actual location of the user may not match the area code.
Innovation Solution
Implement a core network system that assigns a county location code to each call, using a unique code based on the user's actual location, allowing for efficient routing to the nearest call center while protecting user privacy by not sharing precise location data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If call routing is based on the area code of the user's device, then calls can be routed automatically without additional location data, but this leads to inefficient network resource usage and violates user privacy as the actual location may not match the area code
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a county location code as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between automatic routing and accurate location-based routing. The county location code is extracted from the called party's number and serves as a mediator that guides the call to the appropriate call center without requiring complex real-time location tracking or revealing sensitive user location data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary extraction and validation of the county location code from the called party's number before call routing occurs. This preliminary action ensures that the call is routed based on pre-determined location information embedded in the number itself, rather than requiring complex real-time location determination during the call setup process.
2Productivity
If precise location data is shared for accurate call routing, then calls can be routed to the nearest call center, but this violates user privacy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary county location code from the called party's number, taking out just the specific geographic information needed for routing while leaving out sensitive precise location data. This extraction approach provides sufficient information for efficient call routing to the nearest call center while inherently protecting user privacy by not exposing detailed location information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by using the county-level location code which provides sufficient granularity for call routing purposes without revealing specific precise location information. This localized approach to location data provides the right balance between routing efficiency and privacy protection by matching the location precision to the actual needs of the routing function.
3Device complexity
If call routing uses area codes, then the routing system is simple to implement, but this results in long-distance connections and increased network resource consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The county location code acts as a simple intermediary that can be easily extracted and validated from the called party's number. The validation process checks whether the extracted code corresponds to a valid county, providing a simple yet effective mechanism for location-based routing without requiring complex systems or algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the routing parameter from area code (which may not reflect actual location) to county location code (which accurately reflects the called party's location). This parameter change enables more efficient call routing while maintaining relative simplicity in the implementation approach.
Data Source
AI summary
A gateway mobile location center configured to obtain a county location code identifying a county in which a user equipment (UE) is located using a location data store based on a call received from the UE, a border gateway control function configured to translate a call code received from the gateway mobile location center into a routing code using a translation data store, in which the translation data store indicates a destination number corresponding to a predefined short code associated with at least one of the call code or the routing code, and a session border controller configured to transmit, to a provider system, a message carrying the destination number and the county location code, in which the county location code is carried in a caller identification field of the message.