Patent ID: 6169791
Filing Date: 2001-01-02
Classification: H04Q

Abstract:
A method for establishing and updating customer accounts at a plurality of telecommunications carriers in a least cost call routing system, comprising the steps of: storing a plurality of telecommunications carriers and associated billing rates on a server; storing subscriber identification information and a telephone number for each current subscriber on the server; receiving user identification information from a user's computer over a first telephone line having a first telephone number; determining if the user identification information corresponds to any of the stored subscriber identification information; if the user identification information does not correspond to any of the stored subscriber identification information, establishing a new account for the first telephone number on the server; and if the user identification information corresponds to the stored subscriber identification information of one of the current subscribers, performing the steps of: determining if the user identification information is identical to the stored subscriber information for that current subscriber; and if the user identification information is not identical to the stored subscriber information for that current subscriber updating the stored subscriber information on the server and transmitting from the server to each carrier providing service to the current subscriber modifications to the stored subscriber information; if the user identification information is identical to the stored subscriber information for that current subscriber, returning to normal processing.