Methods for identifying service processing of telephone calls

Abstract

The present invention comprises methods for efficiently identifying international outbound calls, in the telecommunications network (TN) of the outgoing country, which should be screened as possibly requiring processing according to a Global Virtual Network Service (GVNS), as opposed to conventional international long distance (ILD) call processing. In particular, the present invention is directed to outbound international GVNS calls, known as “on-net,” which are from-one GVNS location to another GVNS location of the same customer. International calls that are not Outbound International GVNS On-net calls, referred to as Other ILD calls, include at least three types: standard ILD, non-GVNS data and international GVNS off-net calls. Standard ILD, non-GVNS data calls and international GVNS off-net calls all have a routing number which comprises a country code (CC) followed by a national number (NN). In the present invention, all Outbound International GVNS On-net calls have a routing number which begins with a CC followed by a country code suffix (CC-suffix). Therefore, the presence of a CC-suffix after the CC in a call routing number indicates that the call should be screened as being, possibly, an Outbound International GVNS On-net call. It is desirable to minimize the number of Other ILD calls which are subject to extra screening for being, possibly, an Outbound International GVNS On-net call. Selecting a CC-suffix which comprises the national trunk prefix (NTP) or domestic application prefix digit (DAPD) of the call receiving country insures that only a small percentage of Other ILD calls, such as are represented by mis-dialed standard ILD calls or mis-dialed non-GVNS data calls, contain the CC-suffix. If the NTP or DAPD cannot be used, then a national destination code (NDC) of the receiving country which receives minimal Other ILD call traffic is selected as the CC-suffix.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method of triggering a first type of processing for a communication, comprising the steps of: 
 scanning a routing number of the communication for a first sequence of one or more digits indicative of a country to receive the communication; and    scanning the routing number for a second sequence of a plurality of digits; and    triggering the first type of processing if the second sequence is of a first sequence value.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first type of processing is processing according to a customer identification parameter.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the first type of processing is processing according to a billing parameter.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first type of processing is processing according to a service quality parameter.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first type of processing is processing according to a service priority parameter.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein to first sequence value comprises at least one digit whose value is part of the national trunk prefix of a country to receive the communication.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first sequence value comprises at least one digit whose value is part of the domestic application prefix of a country to receive the communication.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first sequence value comprises a national destination code of a country to receive the communication receiving which national destination code receives minimal communication traffic from a country sending the communication.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the second sequence of digits is a suffix to the first sequence of digits.  
     
     
         10 . A method of triggering a first type of processing for a communication, comprising the steps of: 
 scanning a routing number of the communication for a first sequence of one or more digits indicative of a country to receive the communication; and    scanning the routing number for a second sequence of one or more digits; and    triggering the first type of processing if the second sequence is of a first sequence value, wherein the first type of processing is processing according to a customer identification parameter.    
     
     
         11 . A method of triggering a first type of processing for a communication, comprising the steps of: 
 scanning a routing number of the communication for a first sequence of one or more digits indicative of a country to receive the communication; and    scanning the routing number for a second sequence of one or more digits; and    triggering the first type of processing if the second sequence is of a first sequence value, wherein the first type of processing is processing according to a billing parameter.    
     
     
         12 . A method of triggering a first type of processing for a communication, comprising the steps of: 
 scanning a routing number of the communication for a first sequence of one or more digits indicative of a country to receive the communication; and    scanning the routing number for a second sequence of one or more digits; and    triggering the first type of processing if the second sequence is of a first sequence value, wherein the first type of processing is processing according to a compression rate.    
     
     
         13 . A method of triggering a first type of processing for a communication, comprising the steps of: 
 scanning a routing number of the communication for a first sequence of one or more digits indicative of a country to receive the communication; and    scanning the routing number for a second sequence of one or more digits; and    triggering the first type of processing if the second sequence is of a first sequence value, wherein the first type of processing is processing according to a network.    
     
     
         14 . A method of triggering a first type of processing for a communication, comprising the steps of: 
 scanning a routing number of the communication for a first sequence of one or more digits indicative of a country to receive the communication; and    scanning the routing number for a second sequence of one or more digits; and    triggering the first type of processing if the second sequence is of a first sequence value, wherein the first type of processing is processing according to a service priority parameter.