Patent ID: 6011843
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
A method for routing a communication to a party who may be located at any one of plural sites, the method comprising the steps of:(a) receiving a communication for the party at a switch;(b) at the same switch, obtaining information on the communication;(c) at a controller positioned at the same switch, searching a database responsive to the obtained information to identify plural sites where the party may be located from among a multiplicity of sites to which the same switch can be connected, the data base including a called party identifier to ensure that only one of the identified plural sites will answer the received communication;(d) providing instructions from the controller to the same switch to initiate parallel connections from the same switch to the identified plural sites;(e) in response to the initiated parallel connections, receiving a response by the party from one of the identified plural sites;(f) routing the received communication through the same switch to the site at which the party responded to the initiated connections;(g) verifying at the controller that the connection of the same switch to the site at which the party has responded has been made; and(h) sending a signal from the controller to the identified sites for disestablishing the connections between the same switch and all of the sites except the site at which the party has responded.