Telephone Call Processing via Shared Number Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing one-telephone dialling number telephony services require each physical telephony device to have a unique telephone number, leading to undesirable disclosure of device-specific CLI and increased management overhead, as well as limitations in SIP-compliant solutions that may not support all devices.
Innovation Solution
A method that connects incoming calls to a device-shared telephone dialling number to both a mobile telephony device and another telephony device within a different network using a call control system, without requiring each device to have a unique number, by routing calls through a service platform that interfaces with both networks and manages call legs to multiple devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If each physical telephony device is assigned a unique telephone number, then each device can be independently contacted, but device-specific CLI is disclosed and management overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple telephony devices (mobile phone and fixed-line telephone) are merged under a single shared telephone dialling number. The call control system combines call legs to both devices using the same published number, eliminating the need for unique numbers per device and preventing CLI disclosure of individual device numbers.
Solution Approach 2:
A call control system acts as an intermediary between the incoming call and the multiple telephony devices. This intermediary receives the call for the shared number, determines device availability, and routes the call appropriately without exposing individual device identifiers to the calling party.
2Ease of manufacture
If each physical telephony device is assigned a unique telephone number, then routing is simplified, but management overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple device identifiers into a single shared telephone dialling number, reducing the number of numbers that need to be managed. The call control system handles the complexity of routing to multiple devices internally, simplifying the visible interface while managing the complexity behind the scenes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If SIP-compliant devices are used for one-telephone dialling number service, then unique numbers are not required, but all devices must support SIP or protocol conversion is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The call control system serves as a protocol intermediary that handles both SIP-compliant devices (mobile phones) and non-SIP devices (fixed-line telephones) through standardized interfaces with the mobile network. This eliminates the requirement for all devices to support SIP while enabling number sharing across diverse device types.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves universality by supporting multiple device types (mobile and fixed-line) through a single shared number interface. The call control system provides multi-functional capabilities to route calls to different device types without requiring each device to implement the same protocol stack.
4Ease of operation
If additional telephone dialling numbers are assigned to support multiple devices, then each device can be contacted independently, but the pool of available numbers is depleted and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple device contact requirements into a single shared telephone dialling number. By merging the number resources across multiple devices, the system reduces the total number of dialling numbers consumed while maintaining the ability to contact all devices associated with the shared number.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides methods and apparatus for providing one-telephone dialling number telephony services where only a single telephone dialling number is required for each subscriber, despite each subscriber having multiple telephony devices on which they wish to be contacted. Calls to a one-telephone dialling number telephony service subscriber may be detected at a telephone switch using one or more triggers configured in association with a device-shared telephone dialling number allocated to the subscriber. Upon receipt of a call connection request to a subscriber, control of the call is assumed, for example by redirecting the call to a service platform capable of generating multiple call connection requests. Multiple outgoing call connection requests are transmitted to multiple telephony devices, including a mobile telephone, associated with the dcvicc-sharcd telephone dialling number allocated to a subscriber.