Patent ID: 6097719
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
In a public switched telephone network (PSTN) having a plurality of PSTN multiport nodes located respectively in a plurality of served geographical areas, said multiport nodes connected to a PSTN data network having port numbers corresponding to virtual numbers associated with respective internet service providers subscribing to PSTN service through said multiport nodes via said PSTN data network, a method for routing a data call, placed to one of said virtual numbers from a calling station location in said PSTN, to a respective one of said plurality of multiport nodes predesignated to serve the geographical area containing the location of the calling station, comprising the steps of:determining the identification of the calling station;accessing a first database having content relating the identification of the calling station to an indicia code of the calling station's geographical location to obtain the calling station's corresponding indicia code;accessing a second database having content relating the calling station's indicia code to a number of the internetwork service provider subscriber node port serving the geographical area of the calling station to obtain a related node port number; androuting the call to the node associated with the port number obtained in said step of accessing said second database.