Patent ID: 8233381
Filing Date: 2012-07-31
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
1. In a voice over internet protocol telephone system in which groups of users are supported by a first plurality voicemail servers which provide services related to voicemail, a method of handling telephone calls invoking a second plurality of account codes comprising: distributing to the first plurality of voicemail servers, services for handling calls invoking the second plurality of account codes, different ones of the first plurality of voicemail servers handling different subsets of the second plurality of account codes, wherein the second plurality of account code provides accounting information for telephone calls made by the user and controls the user's ability to make telephone calls to a selected set of telephone numbers; when a user of the groups of users makes a telephone call invoking an account code of the different subsets of the second plurality of account codes, determining if a voicemail server of the first plurality of voicemail servers for the user of the group of users has the services for handling calls with the account code invoked by the user; if the voicemail server for the user has services for handling calls with the account code invoked by the user, then having the voicemail server handle the account code for the telephone call; if the voicemail server for the user does not have services for handling calls with the account code invoked by the user, then transferring responsibility for handling the account code for the telephone call to another voicemail server in the first plurality of voicemail servers; and if there are no voicemail servers in the first plurality of voicemail servers which can handle the account code invoked by the user, then transferring responsibility for handling the account code for the telephone call to a headquarters server; wherein when the telephone call invoking the account code is initiated, a switch in the telephone system routes the call to the voicemail server for the user to validate the account code and then transfers the telephone call to the desired destination; and wherein if the account code is validated, then information regarding the telephone call and the account code is sent to a management server.