Communicating with Business Customers

Abstract

A method including providing a business with a unified communications number for all types of customer communication and mapping the unified communications number to each address for the business issued by the communication service providers of the business. The method may also include routing communications addressed to the unified communications number to the appropriate the address as a function of the type of communication.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 routing a plurality of electronic communications, each of the plurality of electronic communications being routed by one of a plurality of communication service providers (“CSPs”), each of the plurality of CSPs providing one of a plurality of electronic communication service types, each of the plurality of CSPs operating at least one database, and each of the plurality of CSPs operating at least at least one router, the routing comprising:
 receiving a first electronic communication from a customer when the customer accesses a first communication service type provided by a first CSP, the first electronic communication comprising a compact contact detail (“CCD”); 
 querying a first database operated by the first CSP for a first destination corresponding to the CCD; 
 using a first router operated by the first CSP, routing the first electronic communication to the first destination corresponding to the CCD; 
 receiving a second electronic communication from the customer when the customer accesses a second communication service type provided by a second CSP, the second electronic communication comprising the CCD; 
 querying a second database operated by the second CSP for a second destination corresponding to the CCD; and 
 using a second router operated by the second CSP, routing the second electronic communication to the second destination corresponding to the CCD. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the using the first router further comprises uni-directionally routing the first electronic communication to the first destination, and wherein the using the second router further comprises uni-directionally routing the second electronic communication to the second destination. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a third electronic communication from a customer when the customer accesses a third communication service type provided by a third CSP, the third electronic communication comprising the CCD; 
 querying a third database operated by the third CSP for a third destination corresponding to the CCD; and 
 using a third router operated by the third CSP, routing the third electronic communication to the third destination corresponding to the CCD. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, access of the customer to at least one of the first communication service type or the second communication service type does not require an internet service provider. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first CSP operates a first access link configured to transfer the first electronic communication from the customer to the first router; 
 the first router is configured to query the first database; 
 the second CSP operates a second access link configured to transfer the second electronic communication from the customer to the second router; and 
 the second router is configured to query the second database. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein access of the customer to the first CSP is isolated from access of the customer to the second CSP. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 updating the first database operated by the first CSP with first CCD information; and 
 updating the second database operated by the second CSP with second CCD information. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein:
 the first CCD information maps the CCD to the first destination; and 
 the second CCD information maps the CCD to the second destination. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first destination and the second destination are the same destination. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first destination is issued to a business entity by the first CSP; and 
 the second destination is issued to the business entity by the second CSP. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first CCD and the second CCD are assigned by a compact contact details coordination unit (“CCDCU”) external to said first CSP and second CSP. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a request from a business entity for an assignment of the CCD; 
 using a compact contact details coordination unit (“CCDCU”):
 determining whether or not the CCD is being used by the first CSP; and 
 determining whether or not the CCD is being used by the second CSP; and 
 
 issuing the CCD to the business entity, externally to routing systems of said first CSP and said second CSP, when the CCD is:
 not being used by the first CSP; and 
 not being used by the second CSP. 
 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 using the first router, identifying the CCD as corresponding to a valid destination for the first type of electronic communication; and 
 using the second router identifying the CCD as corresponding to a valid destination for the second type of electronic communication. 
 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 assigning a compact contact detail (“CCD”) to a business entity, the CCD corresponding to a plurality of contact details, each contact detail issued by an independent communication service provider (“CSP”), the assigning comprising:   receiving, at a compact contact details coordination unit (“CCDCU”), a request from the business entity to assign the CCD to the business entity, the CCDCU being external to each independent CSP;   using the CCDCU to examine, via a first communications link, a first routing database, the first routing database maintained by a first CSP;   using the CCDCU to determine whether the first routing database comprises first routing instructions corresponding to the CCD;   using the CCDCU to examine, via a second communications link, a second routing database, the second routing database maintained by a second CSP;   using the CCDCU to determine whether the second routing database comprises second routing instructions corresponding to the CCD;   using the CCDCU to deny the request of the business entity when the first routing database comprises the first routing instructions or the second routing database comprises the second routing instructions; and   if the first routing database does not comprise the first routing instructions and the second routing database does not comprise the second routing instructions, using the CCDCU to assign the CCD to the business entity by:
 configuring a first router operated by the first CSP to route a first communication comprising the CCD to the business entity; and 
 configuring a second router operated by the second CSP to route a second communication comprising the CCD to the business entity. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the CCD comprises an asterisk and four alphanumeric characters. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the CCD consists of an asterisk followed by four alphanumeric characters. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein:
 configuring the first router comprises, using the first communication link, transmitting to the first CSP a first relationship linking the CCD and the business entity; and 
 configuring the second router comprises, using the second communication link, transmitting to the second CSP a second relationship linking the CCD and the business entity. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the first relationship comprises a first mapping of the CCD to a first contact detail assigned to the business entity by the first CSP; and   the second relationship comprises a second mapping of the CCD to a second contact detail assigned to the business entity by the second CSP.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the CCD comprises fewer characters than the first contact detail and fewer characters than the second contact detail. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein:
 the first CSP provides a first communication service type; and 
 the second CSP provides a second communication service type. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 at the first router, receiving a first communication from a first customer; 
 routing the first communication to the business entity based on the first routing instructions; 
 at the second router, receiving a second communication from a second customer; and 
 routing the second communication to the business entity based on the second routing instructions; 
 
       wherein:
 the first customer is a customer of the first CSP; and 
 the second customer is a customer of the second CSP. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein:
 the first CSP provides the first customer access to the first communication service type; and 
 the second CSP provides to the second customer access to the second communication service type. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 using a first access link, transferring the first communication from the first customer to the first CSP without decisioning whether to route the communication onto the internet or world wide web; and 
 using a second access link, transferring the second communication from the second customer to the second CSP without decisioning whether to route the communication onto the internet or world wide web. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the first communication type is only a cellular phone carrier. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the second communication type is only a non-internet enabled telephone carrier. 
     
     
         23 . A method of updating a mapping, the mapping associating a compact contact detail (“CCD”) to a plurality of contact details, the method comprising:
 at a compact contact details coordination unit (“CCDCU”), receiving from a business entity an update to the mapping, said update providing an updated plurality of contact details; 
 when the updated plurality of contact details includes a first updated contact detail, transmitting from the CCDCU the first updated contact detail to a first CSP in order to update the mapping of the CCD at the first CSP; 
 wherein the transmitting comprises accessing a first router database maintained by the first CSP, the accessing the first router database comprising enabling a first router to route the CCD to the first updated contact detail; 
 receiving at the CCDCU, from the business entity, a second update to the first mapping, said second update providing a second updated plurality of contact details; 
 when the updated plurality of contact details includes a second updated contact detail, transmitting from the CCDCU the second updated contact detail to a second CSP in order to update the mapping of the CCD at the second CSP; and 
 wherein the transmitting comprises accessing a second router database maintained by the second CSP, the accessing the second router database at the second CSP comprising enabling a second router to route the CCD to the second updated contact detail. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the using the enabling the first router to route the CCD to the first updated contact detail comprises uni-directionally routing the first electronic communication to a first destination, and wherein the enabling the second router to route the CCD to the second updated contact detail further comprises uni-directionally routing the second electronic communication to a second destination. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein access of a customer to the first CSP is isolated from access of the customer to the second CSP. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first CSP supports a first communication type and the second CSP supports a second communication type. 
     
     
         27 . A communications coordination unit comprising:
 a communications nickname database, said communications nickname database associating each of a multiplicity of businesses with its communications nickname; and   a determining unit, configured to determine if a common communications nickname is available for a business across analog and digital communication service providers of said business;   wherein said communications nickname database is configured to communicate with router databases of said communications providers when said communications nickname database is modified, wherein each said router database comprises an address database for its associated communications provider associating at least some of said multiplicity of businesses with their respective addresses as issued by said communications provider; and   wherein each router database is associated with a router which routes communications to said respective addresses as issued by said communications provider and which uses said communications nickname to route communications using said nickname to said respective addresses as issued by said communications provider to each said business.   
     
     
         28 . The communication coordination unit of  claim 27 , wherein, when each said router database is modified, the router is configured to route communications using said communications nickname to said respective addresses as issued by said communications provider.