# Patent

## Title
Native mobile device identification for toll-free service usage

## Abstract

A mobile device including a unique toll-free ID (TFID) present in the mobile device operable to facilitate toll-free communication between the mobile device and a manufacturer.

## Background
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/960,312 filed Dec. 4, 2015, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/928,575 filed Oct. 30, 2015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/073,976 filed Nov. 1, 2014. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/960,312 filed Dec. 4, 2015 further claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/088,406 filed Dec. 5, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/172,791 filed Jun. 8, 2015.
Each of the above applications is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.


FIELD
This disclosure is related to the operation, control and management of toll-free telecommunication lines.
BACKGROUND
Businesses increasingly use toll-free telephone numbers for providing customers with a convenient and cost-free means of communicating with them and their various departments, such as customer service and technical support representatives. With the proliferation of toll-free numbers and advanced business analytics for receiving, routing, and logging, the use of such numbers has come increased complexity in managing toll-free numbers.
SUMMARY
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving a one-click activate request from a user via a customizable dashboard, wherein the request includes at least a customer record template reference and an indication of when to activate a toll-free telecommunications number associated with the request; searching a responsible organization record to determine the presence of a defined customer template record relating to the user request, wherein the responsible organization is associated with toll-free telecommunications; retrieving at least one customer template record, wherein the customer template record is a defined customer template record for the responsible organization; and activating the user request, wherein the activation includes at least one of activating or reserving the toll-free telecommunications number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the request is received from a mobile client device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the activation occurs over a hybrid network.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the hybrid network includes a cellular network and a distributed, cloud network.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the hybrid network includes a cellular network, a distributed, cloud network, and an on-premise enterprise data network.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the enterprise data network is associated with a telecommunications network.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the activation includes receiving from the user a time and date at which the toll-free telecommunications number will be activated.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include presenting to a user a widget operable within a webpage to access a user interface associated with a toll-free number reservation system; receiving from the user a log in credential associated with the toll-free number reservation system; receiving from the user a toll-free number search parameter through the toll-free number reservation system; identifying a toll-free number relating to the toll-free number search parameter; and receiving an activation request from the user, wherein the activation request causes the number to be reserved for the user and operable to receive toll-free calls.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the widget is lazy loaded.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the log in credential is authenticated and a token provided to the user upon successful authentication.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the search parameter relates to a category of toll-free numbers.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the category relates to an industry category.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the category is based at least in part on metadata associated with a toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata is tagged to toll-free numbers.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata tag is based at least in part on historical data associated with toll-free numbers.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the widget provides one-click functionality.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include presenting to a user a widget operable within a webpage to access a user interface associated with a toll-free number reservation system; receiving from the user a log in credential associated with the toll-free number reservation system; searching a responsible organization record, based at least in part on the credential, to determine the presence of a defined customer template record, wherein the responsible organization is associated with toll-free telecommunications; retrieving at least one customer template record, wherein the customer template record is a defined customer template record for the responsible organization; producing a customer pointer record based at least in part on the customer template record; and assigning a toll-free number to the user wherein the number is further assigned to the responsible organization as associated with the customer pointer record.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include assigning a plurality of toll-free numbers to a user.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein assigning the plurality of toll-free numbers is associated with a plurality of customer pointer records.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the assignment of the toll-free number includes activating the toll-free number so that it is able to receiving calls.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving data relating to at least one of a dip rate or dip volume that is associated with a toll-free telecommunications number; receiving social media data relating to usage of the toll-free telecommunications number; analyzing the combined data and social media data to create a valuation metadata tag that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications number, wherein the valuation metadata is a quantitative summary of the demand associated with the toll-free telecommunications number; and distributing a communication to an entity regarding the current valuation of the toll-free telecommunications number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the data is data sniffer data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the tag includes data related to a category of toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the category related to an industry segment.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the tag includes data relating to popularity as derived at least in part from the search history associated with the toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the tag includes location information associated with the toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the tag includes financial information associated with the toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the social media data includes data relating to a plurality of social media user profiles.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the plurality of social media user profiles includes demographic data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the plurality of social media user profiles includes financial data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the plurality of social media user profiles includes geographic data.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include analyzing data relating to a toll-free number and social media data to create a valuation metadata tag that is associated with the toll-free number, wherein the valuation metadata is a quantitative summary of the inferred economic activity associated with the toll-free telecommunications number; inferring a rating of a second toll-free number based at least in part on the valuation metadata, wherein the toll-free number and the second toll-free number share an attribute; and storing the inferred rating of the second toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the data is data sniffer data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the inferred rating is presented to a user in a user interface upon the user submitting a toll-free number query.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the inferred rating is used to order the second toll-free number within a plurality of toll-free numbers presented to a user.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the ordered listing presented to the user includes presenting the rating that is associated with each of the plurality of toll-free numbers.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the inferred rating generates an alert to a user if it exceeds a given rating value.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the alert is sent to a user sharing the attribute.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving data relating to at least one of a dip rate or dip volume that is associated with a toll-free telecommunications number; receiving social media data relating to usage of the toll-free telecommunications number; analyzing the combined data and social media data to create a valuation metadata tag that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications number, wherein the valuation metadata is a quantitative summary of the demand associated with the toll-free telecommunications number; and initiating a toll-free number reservation based on the current valuation of the toll-free telecommunications number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the data is data sniffer data.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving data relating to usage of a toll-free telecommunications number; analyzing the received data to create a metadata tag that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications number, wherein the metadata tag is a quantitative summary associated with the toll-free telecommunications number; and distributing a communication to an entity regarding the toll-free telecommunications number in response to the quantitative summary
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata tag facilitates tracking of updates to the toll-free telecommunications number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein tracking of updates includes at least one of a change in ownership, a change in availability, and an increase in search statistics.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include modifying the metadata tag through at least one of a web application, a mobile application, or some other user interface.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata tag includes data relating to popularity as derived at least in part from the search history associated with the toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata tag includes location information associated with the toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata tag includes financial information associated with the toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include receiving data relating to at least one of a dip rate or dip volume that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein distributing the communication to an entity is performed via at least one of a text message and an email.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving data relating to usage of a toll-free telecommunications number; receiving data associated with the toll-free telecommunications number; creating a custom metadata tag based on keywords; analyzing the received data to create a metadata tag that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications number, wherein the metadata tag is a quantitative summary associated with the toll-free telecommunications number; and distributing a communication to an entity regarding the toll-free telecommunications number in response to the quantitative summary.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein creating the metadata tag includes utilizing one or more keywords
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein creating the metadata tag includes utilizing category based tagging.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein creating the metadata tag includes location based tagging.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein creating the metadata tag is related to popularity.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein creating the metadata tag is related to social media mentions.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein creating the metadata tag is related to suggestive tags.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving data relating to at least one of a dip rate or dip volume that is associated with a toll-free telecommunications number; ingesting data from a plurality of sources relating to usage of the toll-free telecommunications number; analyzing the received and ingested data to create a valuation metadata tag that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications number, wherein the valuation metadata is a quantitative summary of the demand associated with the toll-free telecommunications number; and initiating a toll-free number reservation based on the current valuation of the toll-free telecommunications number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein initiating the toll-free number reservation is segregated into tiers.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata tag provides for alerting based on a specified latency.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein initiating the toll-free number reservation provides for low latency alerting.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include creating at least two toll-free call routing tables based on a congestion threshold criterion node in a call routing tree, wherein the first of the two call routing tables is to be used when toll-free call volumes occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network are below the congestion threshold, and the second of the two call routing tables is to be used when toll-free call volumes occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network are equal to or above the congestion threshold; providing the call routing tables to at least one service control point that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications carrier network; monitoring toll-free call volumes and durations occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network; receiving at least one of a call count datum or call duration datum from the toll-free telecommunications carrier network wherein the call count datum or call duration datum indicates a change in call volumes over the toll-free telecommunications carrier network from below the congestion threshold to above the congestion threshold; and instructing the service control point to switch from using the first call routing table to the second call routing table without a need to change the routing tree.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call volume is expressed as a percentage of the total call volume occurring over the network.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call volume is a indication of a network failure to transmit calls.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call volume is specific to an entity.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the entity is a carrier.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the entity is a call center.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the entity is a service control point.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the switch to the second call routing table occurs in real time with no additional changes to routing tree required.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein decision nodes of the first and second call routing tables are loaded into the service control point.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call volumes are used to create a call path score for a possible call route path that is available on the network.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call path score is based at least in part on a call travel distance estimate.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call path score is based at least in part on a call travel speed estimate.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call path score is used in association with the congestion threshold criterion to determine the switch to the second call route table.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include associating a toll-free telecommunications network congestion threshold criterion, wherein the congestion threshold criterion indicates a level of toll-free call volumes occurring within the toll-free telecommunications network; associating the congestion threshold criterion with a first rule regarding the usage of a plurality of call routing tables, and a second rule regarding the usage of a plurality of telecommunications carriers; and switching toll-free calls across the telecommunications carriers based at least on the congestion threshold criterion, wherein the switched calls are further routing according to at least one of the plurality of call routing tables.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the switching of the toll-free calls is automated.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the congestion threshold indicates a level of toll-free call volumes and toll-free call durations.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the switching across the telecommunications carriers is determined at least in part based on historical data associated with the telecommunications carriers.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include creating at least two toll-free call routing tables based on a congestion threshold criterion, wherein the first of the two call routing tables is to be used when toll-free call volumes occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network are below the congestion threshold, and the second of the two call routing tables is to be used when toll-free call volumes occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network are equal to or above the congestion threshold; providing the call routing tables to at least one service control point that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications carrier network; monitoring toll-free call volumes and durations occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network; receiving at least one of a call count datum or call duration datum from the toll-free telecommunications carrier network wherein the call count datum or call duration datum indicates a change in call volumes over the toll-free telecommunications carrier network from below the congestion threshold to above the congestion threshold; creating a second congestion threshold criterion based on the data received from the toll-free telecommunications network; and creating a third call routing table based on the second congestion threshold criterion.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the toll-free call traffic occurring within a toll-free telecommunications network is switched based at least in part on one of the first or second congestion threshold criterion.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third call routing table is used to route an incoming toll-free call received subsequent to the creation of the third call routing table.
A method of identifying and storing an identifier associated with a toll-free-communication entity according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include locating an identifier within the header portion of an SMS text message routed over a toll-free telecommunications line, the identifier located based at least in part through latent semantic indexing; comparing the located identifier with metadata stored on a server, the metadata associated with a plurality of entities; selecting an entity from among the plurality of entities based at least in part on the comparison; and storing a code associated with the entity within a translation table associated with a toll-free telecommunications management platform.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the code is an FCC code.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the entity is engaged in multimedia content distribution.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the multimedia content is video content.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the entity is an ad agency.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the entity is an ad network.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the entity is a telecommunications carrier.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the translation table pertains to routing voice data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the translation table pertains to routing voice and video content.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the translation table pertains to routing multimedia data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the translation table pertains to routing sponsored content.
A method of creating and storing an identifier associated with a toll-free-communication entity according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include locating data within the header portion of an SMS text message routed over a toll-free telecommunications line, the data located based at least in part through latent semantic indexing; creating an entity identifier based at least on the data; storing a code associated with the entity identifier and an entity within a translation table associated with a toll-free telecommunications management platform; and associating the entity and entity identifier with a call routing table.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call routing table is configured to include multiple carriers.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call routing table is configured to have at least on rule pertaining to the time of day at which a call occurs.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call routing table is configured to have at least one rule pertaining to the location from which a call is received.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call routing table is configured to have at least one rule pertaining to the proximity of a caller to the entity.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call routing table is configured to have at least one rule pertaining to historical data relating to a caller.
A method of identifying and storing an identifier associated with a toll-free-communication entity according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include identifying a toll-free call route trend among a plurality of toll-free calls taking place within a toll-free telecommunications network; wherein the call route trend is identified at least in part by call routings among toll-free numbers sharing an attribute; creating a call route template based at least in part on the trend; identifying an entity using at least one toll-free number with the shared attribute; prepopulating a call route tree for the entity based on the call route template.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the trend is automatically updated at a pre-defined time interval.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the automated update generates an alert that is sent to an entity notifying them of the updated trend.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include storing a taxonomy of abuse events that may occur regarding the usage of a toll-free telecommunications number; storing a rule regarding an action to take upon receipt of a reported abuse event, wherein the rule specifies a routing rule defining how a call that is associated with the abuse event is to be routed over a toll-free telecommunications system; receiving a report of abuse of a toll-free telecommunications number; identifying at least one abuse event within the stored taxonomy and routing rule that is related to content of the abuse report; and automatically routing a call that is the subject of the abuse report according to the routing rule.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the report of abuse derives from a call center.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the report of abuse derives from a telecommunications carrier.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the report of abuse derives from a business entity.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the routing rule is integrated within a call routing template.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call routing template is shared with an entity other than that generating the report of abuse.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the routing of the call is manual instead of automatic.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the report of abuse includes data relating to a responsible organization.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the report of abuse includes data relating to a time of the abuse event.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the report of abuse includes data relating to an originating number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the report of abuse includes data relating to a geographic location of an originating number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the report of abuse includes data relating to a geographic location of a terminating number.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving a report of abuse of a toll-free telecommunications number; identifying an absence of an abuse event definition within a stored taxonomy that is related to the type of abuse reported; storing a new definition of the abuse event within the taxonomy; and creating a routing rule defining how a call that is associated with the abuse event is to be routed over a toll-free telecommunications system.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the routing rule specifies an alternate terminating number to which to route an incoming call.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the routing rule prevents further call routing over the toll-free telecommunications number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the stored definition is further associated with third party industry data.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include storing a taxonomy of abuse events that may occur regarding the usage of a toll-free telecommunications number; associating the abuse events in the taxonomy with a toll-free telecommunications number rating action; receiving a report of abuse of a toll-free telecommunications number; identifying at least one abuse event within the stored taxonomy and rating action that is related to content of the abuse report; automatically computing a rating for the toll-free telecommunications number based on the rating action; and reporting the rating to an entity.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the rating is associated with a call routing rule.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the call routing rule is shared with a service provider.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the rating is used as metadata to tag the toll-free telecommunications number.
A mobile device according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include a unique toll-free ID (TFID) present in the mobile device, the TFID operable to facilitate toll-free communication between the mobile device and a manufacturer, the TFID hard flashed in the mobile device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID is present at the time of manufacture of the mobile device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID is operable to identify a customer.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID is operable to identify a toll free provider that is providing the toll free communication.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID is provided via a standard support app that is natively installed.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID is agnostic of type of mobile device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID facilitates a consumer's ability to at least one of talk, message, view, and browse support related features associated with merchandise at a point of sale.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID facilitates a registration process toll-free call without incurring cost to the user.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID facilitates a warranty process toll-free call without incurring cost to the user.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include a TFID Mobile App resident on the mobile device, the TFID Mobile App operable with the TFID.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID Mobile App facilitates reading of at least one of a QR code, Barcode, RFID, and a serial number via a camera of the mobile device
A method of communication via a toll-free service according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include associating at least one mobile device to merchandise purchased from a manufacturer via a unique toll-free ID (TFID) hard flashed in the mobile device, the TFID operable to facilitate toll-free communication between the mobile device and the manufacturer.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include reading of at least one of a QR code, Barcode, RFID, and a serial number via a camera of the mobile device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include associating at least one of the QR code, Barcode, RFID, and the serial number with the TFID via a TFID Mobile App.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include identifying a customer via the TFID.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include identifying a toll free provider that is providing the toll free service via the TFID.
A mobile device according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include a unique toll-free ID (TFID) hard flashed in the mobile device, the TFID operable to facilitate toll-free communication between the mobile device and a manufacturer, the TFID used to associate a product with a toll-free number that includes metadata associated with the product.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the TFID facilitates a customer service toll-free call without incurring cost to the user.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the customer service toll-free call includes allowing the user to access multimedia content.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the toll-free communication occurs in a location where the toll-free communication prevents incurring international roaming expenses on the device placing the communication
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving data relating to toll-free number call activity from a toll-free telecommunications system, wherein the data includes at least one of call volume, call duration or call count data; receiving third party data relating to macroeconomic activity; modeling at least one of call duration or call count data with the third party data to derive a macroeconomic trend; receiving a request from a client device to present the macroeconomic trend; and presenting a representation of the macroeconomic trend to a user interface on the client device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the toll-free telecommunications system is a toll-free service provider.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the toll-free telecommunications system is a service control point.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the toll-free telecommunications system is an interexchange carrier.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is stock market data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is Bloomberg data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is government data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is social media data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is credit card processing data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein there is a temporal delay between the time of the request and the time of the presentation of long enough duration that the client device enters a sleep mode as regards the interaction, and the client device is activated out of sleep mode upon the presentation.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving data relating to toll-free number call activity from a toll-free telecommunications system, wherein the data includes at least one of call duration or call count data; receiving metadata about the toll-free numbers that are the subject of the call activity, wherein the metadata includes data pertaining to at least one of business type or location; modeling at least one of call duration or call count data with the metadata to derive a macroeconomic trend; receiving a request from a client device to present the macroeconomic trend; and presenting a representation of the macroeconomic trend to a user interface on the client device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the business type is a governmental office.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the governmental office is an unemployment office.
A method of distributing a macroeconomic data trend over a network to a remote client device, the method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include providing a user interface dashboard to a user for installation on the remote client device; receiving third party social media data; modeling at least one of call duration or call count data with the third party social media data to derive a macroeconomic trend; receiving a request from the remote client device to present the macroeconomic data trend; generating an alert from the macroeconomic data trend that contains a stock name, stock price and a universal resource locator (URL), which specifies the location of the data source; transmitting the alert over a communication channel to the remote client device associated with the user based upon a destination address and transmission schedule that is associated with the remote client device, wherein the alert activates the user interface dashboard to cause the alert to display on the remote client device and to enable connection with the user interface dashboard when the remote client device is activated.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the macroeconomic trend is a measure of customer sentiment.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the macroeconomic trend includes an economic prediction based at least in part on the macroeconomic trend.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the economic prediction is a probability of an economic activity's occurrence.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the economic activity is increased consumer spending.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the economic prediction is further associated with geographic data, wherein the geographic data is obtained at least in part from historical data relating to toll-free number usage.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the economic prediction is further associated with geographic data, wherein the geographic data is obtained at least in part from historical data relating to social media usage.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include receiving data relating to toll-free number call activity from a toll-free telecommunications system; receiving third party data; modeling the data relating to toll-free number call activity with the third party data to derive a trend; comparing the trend with historical trend data; creating a trend confidence score based at least in part on the comparison; receiving a request from a client device to present the trend; and presenting a representation of the trend and the confidence score to a user interface on the client device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the trend is a macroeconomic trend.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the data relating to toll-free number call activity includes at least one of call duration data or call count data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the toll-free telecommunications system is a toll-free service provider.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the toll-free telecommunications system is a service control point.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the toll-free telecommunications system is an interexchange carrier.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is stock market data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is Bloomberg data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is government data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is social media data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the third party data is credit card processing data.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein there is a temporal delay between the time of the request and the time of the presentation of long enough duration that the client device enters a sleep mode as regards the interaction, and the client device is activated out of sleep mode upon the presentation.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include sampling toll-free number call activity from a toll-free telecommunications system; repeating the call sampling during a tuning period until a statistically significant data store is created; receiving metadata about the toll-free numbers that are the subject of the call activity; modeling the data relating to toll-free number call activity with the metadata to derive a macroeconomic trend; receiving a request from a client device to present the macroeconomic trend; and presenting a representation of the macroeconomic trend to a user interface on the client device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata includes data pertaining to at least one of business type or location
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the business type is a governmental office.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the governmental office is an unemployment office.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata about the toll-free numbers is tied to a forward-looking indicator.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the metadata about the toll-free numbers includes historical changes in the macroeconomic data.
A method according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include sampling toll-free number call activity from a toll-free telecommunications system; repeating the call sampling during a tuning period until a statistically significant data store is created; receiving metadata about the toll-free numbers that are the subject of the call activity; receiving third party data; modeling the data relating to toll-free number call activity to derive a toll-free call activity trend; modeling the third party data to derive a macroeconomic trend; comparing the toll-free call activity trend with the macroeconomic trend; creating a trend score based at least in part on the comparison, wherein the trend score expresses an association between the toll-free call activity trend and the macroeconomic trend; an presenting the trend score to a user interface on a client device.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the toll-free telecommunications system includes a plurality of carriers.
A method of searching for a toll-free number according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include storing a user's toll-free number search history, wherein the search history includes at least one search parameter entered by the user when searching for an available toll-free number; identifying criteria of a customer-desired toll-free number based at least in part on the search parameter; associating each of a toll-free number inventory with at least one search parameter; searching the inventory for a toll-free number matching the criteria of the customer-desired toll-free number; and sending an offer to the user, wherein the offer includes a notification of the available toll free number matching the criteria of the customer desired toll-free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein identifying the search number history includes identifying the frequency of a search for a particular toll free number.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include identifying toll free numbers that are to become available.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include identifying a toll free number associated with the search history with at least one toll free number that is to become available.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include presenting predictive search results at each future user login.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include presenting predictive search results to the user on a recurring basis.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include presenting predictive search results to the user via email on a subscription basis.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include examining toll-free numbers that are going to become available and determine if the toll-free numbers meet a pattern to which the user has expressed interest.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein the search number history includes at least one of searching a current responsible organization inventory, an overall search history, and a list of upcoming available toll free numbers.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include automatically reserving the toll free number associated with the previous search number history to the user.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include, wherein offer facilitates automatically reserving the toll-free number as a fee-based function.
A method of searching for a toll-free number according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include storing a listing of toll-free numbers that are associated with a responsible organization, wherein the association is based at least in part on a toll-free number being managed by the responsible organization; entering a search parameter for an available toll-free number, wherein the search parameter is associated with a characteristic of a toll-free number being managed by the responsible organization; receiving a toll-free number search result, based at least in part on the search parameter, wherein the toll-free number in the search result is among toll-free numbers that are available for reservation; and sending an offer to reserve the toll-free number in the search result.
A method of searching for a toll-free number according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure can include entering a search parameter for an available toll-free number; receiving a listing of toll-free numbers in a search result, based at least in part on the search parameter, wherein the toll-free numbers in the search result are ordered according to their availability for reservation and include toll-free numbers bearing a relation to the search parameter that are currently available for reservation and numbers that are not currently available for reservation but will become available within a time frame defined a user performing the search; and presenting the listing to the user.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include presenting an offer to reserve a toll-free number in response to the presenting the listing.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure may include presenting a means for the user to activate a toll-free number within the listing.
The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated, however, the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Various features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the disclosed non-limiting embodiments. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:
FIG. 1 depicts a high level view of a toll-free management platform.
FIG. 2 depicts a simplified illustration of a toll-free management platform.
FIG. 3 depicts a schematic view for a decision tree for the Customer Record Template Builder (CRTB).
FIG. 4 depicts a schematic of an example conceptual Call Processing Record (CPR) Routing Tree.
FIG. 5 depicts a simplified flow diagram for constructing a call routing template based at least part on natural language inputs from a user.
FIG. 6 depicts a schematic view of a routing tree based disaster recovery and performance statistic structure.
FIG. 7 depicts a schematic view of a customer dashboard structure.
FIG. 8 depicts a schematic view of a whitelist management for toll-free spam control system.
FIG. 9 depicts a schematic view of a Toll Free Number (TFN) abuse reporting database for whitelist management for toll-free spam control system.
FIG. 10 depicts a toll-free smart services central registry deployed in conjunction with an existing toll-free voice registry.
FIG. 11 depicts a candidate service enablement workflow deployed via a toll-free smart services central registry.
FIG. 12 depicts a schematic view of a systems page on a hard-flashed phone with a toll-free number.
FIG. 13 depicts a schematic view of a hard-flashed phone to a toll-free number that may be used for a customer or tech support call related to the phone.
FIG. 14 depicts a schematic view of a Toll-Free Service Provider ID (TSPID).
FIG. 15 depicts a schematic view of real time machine based routing tree enhancements.
FIGS. 16-20 depict simplified schematic architecture views of toll-free Management Architectures.
FIG. 21 depicts a schematic view of a system for predictive analytics based on toll-free number utilization.
FIGS. 22-26 depict a schematic view of a system for search result population based on customer profile/behavior.
FIG. 27 depicts a simplified view of a toll-free Management Architecture.
FIG. 28 depicts a North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) format.
FIG. 29 depicts a schematic of an SS7 architecture.
FIG. 30 depicts a schematic of toll-free call processing.
FIG. 31 depicts a schematic of toll-free business interactions.
FIG. 32 depicts a schematic of a toll-free IP Future State.
FIG. 33 depicts a schematic of a Number Administration future state.
FIG. 34 depicts a schematic view of a system for tagging toll-free numbers.
FIG. 35 depicts a schematic of a call routing future state.
FIGS. 36-39 are schematic views of a one-click activation system.
FIG. 40 is a schematic of a current system flow.
FIG. 41 depicts a Customer Record Status State Diagram.
FIG. 42 depicts a Customer Record Status State Diagram.
FIG. 43 depicts a schematic of a Carrier Identification Code (CIC) validations abbreviated summary flow from a service provider perspective.
FIG. 44 depicts a schematic of a Carrier Identification Code (CR) validations flow.
FIG. 45 depicts a schematic of Service Control Point (SCP) interactions.
FIG. 46 depicts a schematic of an API interface used by Customer Record Administration and Number Administration components of the disclosed embodiment.
FIG. 47 depicts a schematic representation of a disaster recovery scenario.
FIG. 48 is an example of hourly Responsible Organization Search activity.
FIG. 49 is an example of hourly Responsible Organization Reservation activity.
FIG. 50 is an example of hourly Responsible Organization Spare activity.
FIG. 51 depicts a graphical representation of daily customer records updates.



Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the methods and systems disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present disclosure will now be described in detail by describing various illustrative, non-limiting embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings and exhibits. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. The claims should be consulted to ascertain the true scope of the disclosure.
With reference to FIG. 1, a Toll-Free Management Platform (TFMP) 100 includes methods and systems for number administration 102, customer administration 104, call management services 108, texting services 110 and text registry, and a smart services registry 112, as described herein. The TFMP may allow users to search for, receive recommendations for, and make reservations of toll-free numbers 114. A user interface may allow activating a toll-free number, for example through a one-click activation function 118, as described herein. Users may access the TFMP to create and access existing templates 120 of toll-free call routing templates, and utilize a routing tree engine 122 to create customized call routing trees for the toll-free numbers of interest to the user. A Toll-Free Service Provider ID “TSPID,” 124 may provide an aggregate identifier for Service Registrars, who provide services such as, but not limited to, SMS, MMS, video conferencing, and streaming content. Predictive analytic services 128 may be provided that allow a user 154 through a customizable user interface, or “dashboard,” 132 to access third party data sources 144 and information derived from toll-free telecommunications networks, including but not limited to telecommunications carriers 140, service control points 144, call centers 142, or other parties affiliated with a toll-free telecommunication network 138. Access to third party data sources 146 outside of the TFMP 100 may be, for example, through the Internet 150, a cloud computing environment 148, a virtual private network, or some other connectivity. A user 154 may access the reporting capabilities of the TFMP through a client device 152, such as a personal computer, mobile phone, tablet computer, or some other computing facility, and receive data, including multimedia to the user's client device. Functionalities of the TFMP include, but are not limited to, Number Administration (NA) and Customer Record (CR) administration (FIG. 2).
With reference to FIG. 2, the main functional components of the TFMP 100, illustrating examples of the functionality provided by the TFMP and interfaces 204 to the TFMP 100. The NA function 102 may allow toll-free providers to search a pool of toll-free numbers using specified criteria and reserve numbers that will be used by toll-free subscribers, and perform CR administration 104. This functionality may include, but is not limited to, storing toll-free provider and telecommunications data 210, reporting processes 212, billing, and service control point (SCP), and management functionality 220 for the coordination with SCPs 222.
Responsible organizations, also referred to herein as “RespOrgs,” 202, may utilize the TFMP 100. Reporting from the TFMP 100 may be back to RespOrgs or to other systems and platforms 124 that are external to the TFMP 100. The TFMP enables searching for any random number or to search for a plurality of numbers that are consecutive and/or include an indicated combination of digits. Since certain toll-free number codes (e.g. 800) and combinations of digits (e.g. repeating digits, digits whose corresponding telephone keypad letter values spell a word or phrase) may be considered most desirable, the NA function 102 includes capabilities for searches and reservations to be handled so that a toll-free provider does not gain an advantage to reserve a given toll-free number.
The TFMP 100 also enables tracking the overall assignment of numbers for each toll-free provider to enforce regulations for toll-free number allocation specified by a tariff. NA may maintain a status for each number that reflects whether it has been reserved and whether a customer record has been created and sent to SCPs. It is possible to query the TFMP 100 for status and reservation information associated with a toll free number.
A view of the main functional components which is intended to illustrate the functionality provided by embodiments of the system and is not intended to reflect design or implementation of the current system or a potential replacement system. In addition to the functional components embodiments may alternatively or additionally provide Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&P) capabilities to configure, maintain, monitor and audit the system.
The NA function 102 facilitates toll-free service providers to search the pool of toll-free numbers using specified criteria and reserve numbers that can be used by toll-free subscribers. It is possible to search for any random number or to search for a number or numbers that may be consecutive and/or include an indicated combination of digits. Numbers may be reserved on a First In—First Out basis. It is also necessary to track the overall assignment of numbers for each toll-free service provider in order to enforce regulations for toll-free number allocation specified by a tariff.
The NA function 102 may maintain a status for each number that reflects whether it has been reserved and whether a customer record has been created and sent to SCPs. It is possible to query embodiments of the system for status and reservation information associated with a number.

    
    
        A reserved toll-free number becomes active when routing information for the number, specified in a CR, is uploaded into SCPs. The CR administration 104 function facilitates toll-free service providers to create a CR and to specify when the information should be sent to SCPs. Records can be updated or deleted and the send time can be updated prior to sending. Once a CR has been sent, a record can be created to update or delete the routing specified by the previous record. The routing information specified in a customer record may typically includes:
        
            An Area of Service (AOS) that specifies from where the toll-free number can receive calls;
            The carrier that can route calls to the toll-free number;
            The terminating number that can receive calls to the toll-free number; and
            Optionally, a set of rules that specifies different routing based on criteria like time of day and area from where the call originated.
        
        
    
    


Carriers who have arrangements to carry calls for a toll-free service provider may approve the CR when routing for a toll-free number has been assigned to the carrier. The CR administration 104 maintains a list of carriers and preferences for whether approval is required when a toll-free service provider indicates the carrier in a CR. A notification is sent carrier when approval of a CR is required. Each CR has an associated status. CRs can be queried to view the status and information contained in the record, based on the permissions of the user.
The user interface function facilitates manual access for human users and mechanized access for systems to make use of the NA and CR functions. The mechanized interface provided by a current system is known as Mechanized Generic Interface (MGI). Capabilities may be required for external users to establish data connectivity with embodiments of the system and gain access to the available functions. In embodiments, the system can maintain logins and passwords to provide security to limit system access to only authorized users. Permission levels that restrict access to system functions and to proprietary data may be assigned for each authorized user. In addition, the user interface function may provide notifications and other information to external users using mechanisms such as email and File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
In embodiments, interfaces are maintained to send routing information from CRs to SCPs. The SCP Management Function manages interactions with SCPs, including maintaining data connectivity, sending CR information at the specified date and time and monitoring responses in order to update customer record status. The SCP interface is specified by TM-STS-00798, CMSDB/SMS Interface Specification Manual and Interface Message Manual.
The SCP Administration functions allow users to establish and modify SCP-related reference data in embodiments of the system and send messages to the SCP node and the Call Management Services Database (CMSDB) within the SCP to manage data tables at the SCP.
Network management functions for toll-free database service involves the management of various automatic capabilities intended to monitor and control toll-free query traffic and calling volumes at the Service Control Points, Service Switching Points, terminating switches and terminating subscriber lines. When various call volume thresholds may be exceeded, the SCPs trigger Automatic Code Gapping (ACG) controls at the originating SSPs. The Network Management functions allow network managers to configure and adjust the relevant control parameters. Data collection at the SCPs can be requested to provide network managers with relevant surveillance information useful to monitor traffic and analyze problems, such as the detection of SCP overloads and excessive calling or excessive ineffective attempts to dialed codes.
To track user actions, system events, and performance statistics and format the information into reports for toll-free service providers and system administrators, embodiments of the system may provide capabilities for users to request reports and for delivery of report results in various formats. Reports may be requested online by users as per the assigned permissions and delivered over the interface on which the report was requested. It is also possible for users to request reports offline. Offline reports may be compiled in embodiments by the system administrator using information provided by the system. It should be appreciated that other requests may be performed.
The disclosed embodiment may track and report on events that can result in charges to toll-free service providers. A tariff specifies the rate elements that can result in charges on a monthly bill and the rate to be charged. A tariff specifies the rate elements that can result in charges on a monthly bill and the rate to be charged. These include establishment of a system logon ID, monthly access to the system, reservation of a toll-free number, and report requests. Information provided by embodiments of the system is needed to calculate monthly charges and create monthly bills that may be sent to each toll-free service provider.
The user interface function facilitates manual access for human users and mechanized access for systems to make use of the NA and CR functions provided by the disclosed embodiment. The mechanized interface provided by the current system is known as Mechanized Generic Interface (MGI). Capabilities may be required for external users to establish data connectivity with the system and gain access to the available functions. The system maintains logins and passwords to provide security to limit system access to only authorized users. Permission levels that restrict access to system functions and to proprietary data may be assigned for each authorized user. In addition, the user interface function provides notifications and other information to external users using mechanisms such as email and File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
The security function defines a security framework that identifies the aspects of a system or service that require security and the methods available to address the security threats for each. From a security perspective, a system or service can be viewed as consisting of user, control and Management planes. Each plane includes infrastructure, services, and application layers.
Toll free may have unique IP requirements. The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) administers geographic numbers. Number portability is handled through the Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC). Toll-free numbers require enhanced number management capabilities for the following primary reasons:

    
    
        The significantly higher search load on NPAC due to unique toll-free search patterns diluting and distracting from its core purpose.
        Toll-free numbers have strict rules around hoarding, bartering, auctioning and fair trade practices.
        Toll-free numbers differ in their access patterns compared to geographic numbers:
        Toll-free numbers have to go through an allocation process for assignment and sparing, as specified by the FCC.
        Toll-free numbers have strict rules around hoarding, bartering, auctioning and fair trade practices.
    
    


Prior to assigning toll-free numbers, owners traverse a validation and vetting process to establish identity compared to straight number allocation for a geographic number. Vanity toll-free numbers typically may be searched millions of times during a day compared to 100s of searches for a geographic number in an entire year.
Toll-free number portability has its own set of rules that may be more strict and different from geographic numbers. Relying solely on the geographic number NPAC would be inadequate since toll-free numbers differ in their use and management from geographic numbers.
The NA function 102 may allow toll-free providers to search a pool of toll-free numbers using specified criteria and reserve numbers that will be used by toll-free subscribers, and perform CR administration 218. This functionality may include, but is not limited to, storing toll-free provider and telecommunications data 210, reporting processes 212, billing, service control point (SCP), and management functionality 220 for the coordination with SCPs 222. Responsible organizations, also referred to herein as “RespOrgs,” 202, may utilize the TFMP 100. Reporting from the TFMP 100 may be back to RespOrgs or to other systems and platforms 224 that are external to the TFMP 100. The TFMP 100 facilitates searching for any random number or to search for a plurality of numbers that are consecutive and/or include an indicated combination of digits. Since certain toll-free number codes (e.g. 800) and combinations of digits (e.g. repeating digits, digits whose corresponding telephone keypad letter values spell a word or phrase) may be considered most desirable, the NA function 102 includes capabilities for searches and reservations to be handled so that a toll-free provider does not gain an advantage to reserve a given toll-free number. The TFMP also enables tracking the overall assignment of numbers for each toll-free provider in order to enforce regulations for toll-free number allocation specified by a tariff. The NA function 102 may maintain a status for each number that reflects whether it has been reserved and whether a customer record has been created and sent to SCPs. It is possible to query the TFMP 100 for status and reservation information associated with a number.
The TFMP 100 enables customer record administration, allowing toll-free providers to create a customer record and to specify when the information should be sent to SCPs. A reserved toll-free number may become active when routing information for the number, specified in a customer record, is uploaded into SCPs. Customer records may be updated or deleted and the send time updated prior to sending. Once a customer record has been sent, a new record may be created to update or delete the routing specified by the previous record. The routing information specified in a customer record may include, but is not limited to:

    
    
        An Area of Service (AOS) that specifies from where the toll-free number can receive calls
        The carrier that will route calls to the toll-free number
        The terminating number that will receive calls to the toll-free number
        A set of rules that specifies different routing based on criteria like time of day and area from where the call originated
    
    


Carriers who have arrangements to carry calls for a toll-free provider may wish to approve customer records when routing for a toll-free number has been assigned to the carrier. The customer record function may maintain a list of carriers and preferences for whether approval is required when a toll-free provider indicates the carrier in a customer record. A notification may be sent to a carrier when approval of a customer record is required. In embodiments, each customer record may have an associated status. Customer records may be queried to view the status and information contained in the record, based on the permissions of the user.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may include a user interface functionality that allows manual access for human users and mechanized access for systems (such as an application programming interface) to make use of the NA and CR functions provided by the TFMP. The user interface functionality may be embodied in a distributed computing environment, such as a “cloud” based computing network. In another embodiment, the user interface functionality may be embodied in hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks). The mechanized interface provided by the TFMP may also allow external users to establish data dynamic connectivity with the platform and gain access to its available functions. The TFMP may maintain logins, passwords, encryption, authentication, and the like to provide security to limit system access to only authorized users. Permission levels that restrict access to TFMP's functions and to proprietary data may be assigned for each authorized user, and stored locally or remotely to an enterprise utilizing the TFMP, including within a computing storage facility that is remote to, but operatively coupled, with the TFMP. In embodiments, the user interface functionality may provide real time notifications and other information to external users using mechanisms such as email and File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may provide an interface to send routing information from CRs to SCPs. The SCP Management Function of the TFMP may enable management of interactions with SCPs, including maintaining data connectivity, sending CR information at the specified date and time, and monitoring responses in order to update customer record status. The SCP interface may include an interface that is based on the specification provided by TM-STS-00798, CMSDB/SMS Interface Specification Manual and Interface Message Manual.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the SCP administration functions of the TFMP may allow users to establish and modify SCP-related reference data in the system and send messages to the SCP node and the Call Management Services Data Base (CMSDB) within the SCP to manage data tables at the SCP. Network management functions for toll-free database services may involve the management of various automatic capabilities intended to monitor and control toll-free query traffic and calling volumes at the SCPs, Service Switching Points, terminating switches, terminating subscriber lines, and the like. When various call volume thresholds are exceeded, the SCPs may trigger Automatic Code Gapping (ACG) controls at the originating SSPs. The TFMP's management functions may allow network managers to configure and adjust relevant control parameters. Data collection at the SCPs may be requested through the TFMP to provide network managers with surveillance information that is useful to monitor traffic and analyze problems, such as the detection of SCP overloads and excessive calling or excessive ineffective attempts to dialed codes.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may enable reporting functionalities that allow tracking user actions, system events, performance statistics, and other events and formatting the information into reports for toll-free providers and system administrators. The TFMP may provide capabilities for users to request reports and for delivery of report results in a plurality of formats. Reports may be requested online by users as per the assigned permissions and delivered over the interface on which the report was requested. Requests may be made from any computing facility, including, but not limited to, a personal computer, laptop computer, tablet, mobile communication facility (such as a smart phone), or some other type of computing device. It may also be possible for users to request reports off-line using the TFMP. For example, a system administrator using information provided by the platform may dynamically compile off-line reports. In embodiments, the TFMP may track and report on real time events that will result in charges to toll-free providers. A tariff specifies the rate elements that may result in charges on a monthly bill and the rate to be charged. These may include, but are not limited by, establishment of a system logon ID, monthly access to the system, reservation of a toll-free number, report requests, or some other type of element. Information provided by the TFMP may be needed to calculate monthly charges and create monthly bills that are sent to each toll-free provider.
The current practice of managing toll-free numbers and activities, and the tools currently available to users for building a complex customer record, are very often single threaded and cumbersome. In addition, the current industry practices do not provide the ability to define a default customer record for a user, in part because it may not be intuitive to build a complex customer record. According to the methods and systems presently disclosed, the TFMP may provide tools that work intelligently with the user, allowing a natural language input, such as English words, to translate and map such language to signifiers that may be less familiar to a user, such as call routing codes. This translation and mapping of natural language to toll-free number management information and data may produce a dynamic, complex customer record, including using existing user records and usage data, to populate information for the user. This may speed the creation of complex routing and other metadata that is associated with a toll-free line, based at least in part on the TFMP enabling the dynamic querying of the real time status of data that is associated with a toll-free number, guide the user in providing the necessary natural language information that allows the TFMP to map such language to toll-free number metadata (e.g., routing codes), and store and implement a complex decision tree describing the actions to take for a given toll-free number.
In an example, the TFMP may provide a user interface in which a user types a command such as “Route all incoming calls made to toll-free numbers having the extension 571 to the technical support staff.” The TFMP may take this natural language input and map it to routing codes or other data corresponding to the natural language. In another example, the natural language may be selected from a menu that is provided in the user interface of the TFMP, provided via voice command using voice recognition software, via scanned text that is input to the TFMP, or using some other means of conveying natural language. The Customer Record Template Builder (CRTB) of the TFMP may allow building a complex customer record template using a user interface, enabling that record to be designated as the default customer record. Using the TFMP, a toll-free provider may build multiple complex customer record templates for their use and define a record as the default customer record, allowing the user to select the default with a single click, thus reducing their work effort.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the CRTB may lead a user through an initial customer data population (known as the Customer Administrative Data (CAD) portion), and also the call routing logic (Call Processing Record; known as the CPR portion) that is associated with a toll-free number, by utilizing the TFMP user interface to construct a decision tree logic structure with defined data nodes derived from the user's natural language inputs.
Based upon the decisions at the nodes in the decision tree that is constructed by the TFMP, the user interface may drive down a branch to a new decision node ultimately driving the customer record decision logic to the lowest level. In embodiments, decision trees constructed by the TFMP based on a user's input may represent a series of decision points. Each decision point may be called a node and off of each node may be one of more branches. The point at which there are no more decisions to be made may be referred to as a leaf and used as the “end point” of a branching structure.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example generic visualization of one possible decision tree structure 300 created by the TFMP 100. For example, a call to a particular toll-free number may initially have a node 302 based on the area code from which the toll-free number is called, to segregate an East Coast or West Coast technical support staff. Then, the next node may be a time node to segregate the time of day between business hours where the call is routed to the technical support staff, or after business hours where the call is routed to a voice-mail system. The decision tree may further branch into “leaves” 304, 308 to indicate additional routing rules, such as specifying a single termination number for a received call to be routed to, a particular department within an organization, or some other routing tree rule. The TFMP performs such routing essentially instantaneously or near instantaneously.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the CAD portion of the CRTB may logically lead a user to populate information including, but not limited to, the following:

    
    
        Administrative data about the toll-free customer
        
            Toll-Free Number
            Effective Date and Time
            Control Toll Free Provider Identifier
            End Customer Name
            End Customer Address
        
        
        Area of Service (AOS)
        List of destination telephone number(s)
        Carrier Identification Codes (CICs) for IntraLATA and InterLATA traffic
    
    


In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, complex customer record (CPR) decision nodes that may be supported by the TFMP include, but are not limited to, the following:

    
    
        Originating State
        Originating Numbering Plan Area (NPA)
        Originating LATA
        Originating Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) Central Office Exchange (NXX)
        Originating POTS NPANXX
        Originating POTS number
        Specific date
        Day(s) of the week
        Time-of-day range
        Percent load share, which may be used to automatically direct different percentages of processed queries (calls) to different branches below the node.
    
    


In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the “leaves” that may be supported by the TFMP data model at the ends of a given branch include, but are not limited to, the following:

    
    
        Destination Telephone Number
        Carrier
        Announcement Treatment
    
    


With reference to FIG. 4, a simplified depiction of a customer record routing, created using the TFMP, is provided. In this simple example, starting from the left-most branched path, the three decision paths corresponding to the decision trees branched paths may be represented as a routing from a toll-free number 400, detecting an area code 402, an exchange 404, carrier 408, and terminating telephone number 410, as in the following example:

    
    
        Area Code=732, NXX={699,494}, Carrier=ATX-0288, Tel#=800-234-5678
        Area Code=732, NXX=Other, Carrier=MCI-0222, Tel#=800-234-5678
        Area Code=Other, NXX=<null>, Carrier=MCI-0222, Tel#=800-234-5678.
    
    


Continuing the example of FIG. 4 using the TFMP, the CRTB toll may be built in such a manner to allow a user to work though the decision tree and anticipate/prepopulate information based upon the information already provided in this build or also information provided in previous customer record entries. Once a default customer record template is built, the TFMP may invoke this template when creating a customer record for a new number, thus reducing the time and effort for a subsequent customer record to be built. Invocation of the default customer record template by the TFMP may also serve to reduce human error associated with the manual creation of such records insofar as the template may already embody necessary data, thereby not requiring a user to remember or retrieve the same.
With reference to FIG. 5, the methods and systems of the present disclosure may provide for pre-populating a call routing template based on natural language inputs including, associating a natural language element 500 with a telecommunications routing code 502, the telecommunications routing code associated with decision tree logic associating routing of incoming calls to a toll-free number 504; storing the association in a database 508 that is associated with a toll-free telecommunications system; receiving a natural language input 512 from a user 510, the natural language input 512 may include the natural language element 500; selecting the telecommunications routing code 514 based at least in part on the stored association 504; populating the telecommunications routing code 518 at a node of a call routing decision tree 520 to generate a populated call routing decision tree 522; and storing the populated call routing decision tree as a call routing template 524 that may be identified and presented to a user interface based at least in part on the natural language input.
In embodiments, a natural language input may be a text or voice element. A text element may be a scanned text element. A voice element may be obtained by voice recognition software.
In embodiments, the decision tree logic may determine the call path taken by an incoming toll-free call to a termination number, the call path taken by an incoming toll-free call based at least in part on the time of day the incoming call is received, the call path taken by an incoming toll-free call based at least in part on the geographic location of the device from which the incoming call is received, the call path taken by an incoming toll-free call within a business entities telecommunications system, or some other call path outcome.
Further provided herein are methods and systems for creating a call routing decision tree, the system comprising a user device of a user configured to receive a natural language input from a user; select a stored call routing template, wherein the selection is based at least in part on a stored association of the call routing template and a natural language element that is included in the natural language input; present the stored call routing template to the user within a graphic user interface; receive a command from the user, through the graphic user interface, to associate the selected call routing template with a toll-free number indicated by the user; and store the association between the call routing template and the toll-free number.
In embodiments, the command from the user may be text-based, such as a text-based item that is presented within the graphic user interface in a menu or other location. In embodiments, the command may be a voice command.
The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
A method of pre-populating a call routing template based on natural language inputs comprising:

    
    
        associating a natural language element with a telecommunications routing code, the telecommunications routing code associated with decision tree logic associating routing of incoming calls to a toll-free number;
        storing the association;
        receiving a natural language input from a user, wherein the natural language input includes the natural language element;
        selecting the telecommunications routing code based at least in part on the stored association;
        populating the telecommunications routing code at a node of a call routing decision tree to generate a populated call routing decision tree;
        storing the populated call routing decision tree as a call routing template that may be identified and presented to a user interface based at least in part on the natural language input.
    
    


A system for creating a call routing decision tree, the system comprising:

    
    
        a user device of a user configured to:
        receive a natural language input from a user;
        select a stored call routing template, wherein the selection is based at least in part on a stored association of the call routing template and a natural language element that is included in the natural language input;
        present the stored call routing template to the user within a graphic user interface;
        receive a command from the user, through the graphic user interface, to associate the selected call routing template with a toll-free number indicated by the user; and
        store the association between the call routing template and the toll-free number.
    
    


In embodiments, and with reference to FIG. 6, the TFMP may facilitate determining toll-free network congestion in real-time. The TFMP system may include a subsystem, referred to as a “node,” and in this example embodiment called the Percent (%) Node 602. This node may be used to build a decision tree that is downloaded to the SCPs. The Percent Node may allow a tree to be built so that a certain percentage of the calls are routed to different branches on the call tree. The Percentage may be whole numbers and can range from 0% to 100%, with the total percentage for all sibling branches not to exceed 100%. This may allow Resp Orgs to use the TFMP as their disaster recovery routing for a toll-free number. In an example, a call routing tree may be built with multiple branches to different locations, such as terminating numbers. In a normal situation, 100% of the calls may go to a main location 604. In a disaster, which could be a carrier system failure, for example, and which may originate outside of the carrier itself, a call routing table created according to the Percent Node and related rules may allow that all calls are diverted to another branch 608, 610 on the tree that uses a different carrier.
In embodiments, real time network data may be used by the TFMP to create, and allow Resp Orgs to use, a “congestion threshold” node in the call routing tree. This may allow a Resp Org to determine with an end subscriber the appropriate congestion threshold for each branch in a call routing table. For example, if one call center can only handle 200 calls per minute before calls are placed in queue, and statistics show for this end subscriber that wait times start to creep up to 20 minutes when 1000 calls per minutes are received, and they do not want this to occur, the ability to obtain real time call counts/congestion will allow the SCP to route the calls using call counts/congestion in addition to all the other possible call decision nodes. Call counts may be very specific to an end subscriber, and congestion thresholds may differ and depend on congestion on the line as a whole. The congestion measurement and threshold value may allow detecting congestion issues and routing to another branch, including one that may be in a different area, should a congestion threshold be reached. This may occur in real-time without a need to change the routing tree. The TFMP may confirm real-time call count information that is available from SCPs and use such data to confirm real-time network congestion. Call count information may be further organized and analyzed by TSPID to permit tracking, for example, by service provider.
In embodiments, nodes in a call routing table may be mapped to real-time information in the SCPs from the network. With the decision nodes embedded in the call tree and loaded into the SCPs, real-time routing may be provided by the TFMP. In embodiments, a call routing table may be a crowd-sourced translation table associated with the TSS that may enable mapping of service providers to unique identifiers, as described herein. Such a mapping would enable a registry that may be used by third parties to locate the plurality of identifiers that may be associated with a service provider or plurality of service providers.
In embodiments, nodes in a call routing table may be used to facilitate predictive analytic services that may be provided to allow a user, through the customizable user interface, or “dashboard,” to access third party data services, sponsored data and information derived from toll-free telecommunications networks, including but not limited to telecommunications carriers, service control points, call centers, or other parties affiliated with a toll-free telecommunication network. Nodes in a call routing table may also be utilized with origination data that may be combined with social media and other public domain third party data, and near real-time, apply a valuation model to display a trends and prices on an interactive map via the TFMP.
In embodiments, nodes in a call routing table may be used to facilitate reporting capabilities of the TFMP through a client device, such as a personal computer, mobile phone, tablet computer, or some other computing facility, and receive data, including multimedia to the user's client device. Functionalities of the TFMP include, but are not limited to, Number Administration (NA) and Customer Record (CR) administration.
In embodiments, the TFMP may determine accessibility among VoIP and tandem calls. For example, with VoIP the TFMP may ping an IP address at regular intervals to determine status. Using real-time network information and static call routing information, the TFMP may create a real-time call path score. SCPs may also be a source of real-time call routing data. SCPs are in the call path of every toll-free call. The ability to collect real-time data about every call, and every carrier, based on dates, times, day of week, and locations are available to SCPs. Using this information it is possible to extrapolate and determine uptime, downtime, congestion, geographical movement and economic movement of people communicating via calls. Based on real-time data that can be obtained from the SCPs and from the network, the TFMP may create a score that can be assigned to each call decision node. Similar to a mapping algorithm that uses distance and speed limit, given a starting point and a destination, the quickest or shortest map may be mapped. Changes in the call routing tree may be dependent upon an update to the routing tree that is then validated by the TFMP and then downloaded to the SCPs. With the use of real-time data, and more network decisions nodes added to a call routing tree based on the needs of the end subscriber, the TFMP may provide the ability to allow an end subscriber to have real-time business continuity for their toll-free number instead of having to contact their service provider, or getting a ticket opened to update their routing tree, and then having it download to all the SCPs for the new routing to take place.
In embodiments, a call path score and real-time routing may be based on the best possible availability score. This may also be modified by the TFMP to allow for lowest cost score, based on the per-call and per-minute cost for particular carrier. The call score may be updated during low activity periods with a date/time stamp associated with it. This may allow real-time, or near real time, detection of a path's status. Upon completion of a call down a particular path, the TFMP may also update the call path score, thereby keeping the score up-to-date.
In embodiments, nodes in a call routing table may be used to facilitate determination of the call path score such that real-time routing may be displayed via a distributed computing environment, such as a cloud-based computing network. In another embodiment, such systems may be hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks).
The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
A method comprising:

    
    
        creating at least two toll-free call routing tables based on a congestion threshold criterion, wherein the first of the two call routing tables is to be used when toll-free call volumes occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network are below the congestion threshold, and the second of the two call routing tables is to be used when toll-free call volumes occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network are equal to or above the congestion threshold;
        providing the call routing tables to at least one service control point that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications carrier network;
        monitoring toll-free call volumes and durations occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network;
        receiving at least one of a call count datum or call duration datum from the toll-free telecommunications carrier network wherein the call count datum or call duration datum indicates a change in call volumes over the toll-free telecommunications carrier network from below the congestion threshold to above the congestion threshold; and
        instructing the service control point to switch from using the first call routing table to the second call routing table.
    
    


A method comprising:
associating a toll-free telecommunications network congestion threshold criterion with a first rule regarding the usage of a plurality of call routing tables, and a second rule regarding the usage of a plurality of telecommunications carriers, wherein the congestion threshold criterion indicates a level of toll-free call volumes occurring within the toll-free telecommunications network; and
switching toll-free calls across the telecommunications carriers based at least on the congestion threshold criterion, wherein the switched calls are further routing according to at least one of the plurality of call routing tables.
A method comprising:

    
    
        creating at least two toll-free call routing tables based on a congestion threshold criterion, wherein the first of the two call routing tables is to be used when toll-free call volumes occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network are below the congestion threshold, and the second of the two call routing tables is to be used when toll-free call volumes occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network are equal to or above the congestion threshold;
        providing the call routing tables to at least one service control point that is associated with the toll-free telecommunications carrier network;
        monitoring toll-free call volumes and durations occurring within a toll-free telecommunications carrier network;
        receiving at least one of a call count datum or call duration datum from the toll-free telecommunications carrier network wherein the call count datum or call duration datum indicates a change in call volumes over the toll-free telecommunications carrier network from below the congestion threshold to above the congestion threshold;
        creating a second congestion threshold criterion based on the data received from the toll-free telecommunications network; and
        creating a third call routing table based on the second congestion threshold criterion.
    
    


In the current industry practice, updates and additions to toll-free providers numbers are not available through conventional platform reporting capabilities for up to 24 hours. This makes it difficult for end users to call up information about work done on the current day. If a toll-free number is reserved and for whatever reason the user does not record the actual number, there is often no way to find it, or a laborious search is required to assemble the necessary data elements for retrieval. One reason for the delay in the ability to report is that reporting is sourced from a Report History Data Base (RHDB) that is only populated with updates once a day. Additionally, most reporting from the RHDB is run in the background, thus in some cases, still further delaying the response.
With reference to FIG. 7, in another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP 100 provides the user with the ability to report on its number portfolio in real time or near real time via an online customer dashboard 132. The online customer dashboard 132 may display simulated gauges and dials, business graphics such as pie charts, bar charts and graphs to provide overview that summarizes all pertinent data in one or two screens or views. The gauges and dials may be based upon real time data that is stored within the TFMP. The TFMP may include a subsystem, referred to as a “node,” that may be used to build a decision tree that is downloaded to the SCPs for use with the dashboard. The decision tree may be used in various manners as otherwise described to facilitate call efficiency.
The online customer dashboard may allow the user to see all its customer data and drill down in the details in near real time. To do so, a data source for the dashboard may maintain the data in real time or near real time. The online customer dashboard may also be associated with a user profile and security administration that grants permissions to different groups of users to access embodiments of the system to create, view, update and activate certain functions. The platform or system can implement a role-based access control mechanism.
The online customer dashboard 132 may provide the user with a view into the user portfolio of toll-free number information. This may allow a user to see basic number information about the toll-free numbers the user has the authority to view. Predictive analytic services may also be provided that allow a user, through the customizable user interface, or dashboard, to access third party data services, sponsored data and information derived from toll-free telecommunications networks, including but not limited to telecommunications carriers, service control points, call centers, or other parties affiliated with a toll-free telecommunication network. As elsewhere described, origination data may be combined with social media and other public domain third party data, and near real-time, apply a valuation model to display a trends and prices on an interactive map via the TFMP.
A user may also access the reporting capabilities of the TFMP through a client device, such as a personal computer, mobile phone, tablet computer, or some other computing facility, and receive data, including multimedia to the user's client device. Functionalities of the TFMP include, but are not limited to, Number Administration (NA) and Customer Record (CR) administration. Such systems may alternatively or additionally be embodied in a distributed computing environment, such as a cloud based computing network. In another embodiment, such systems may be hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks).
The online customer dashboard may utilize real time network statistics, sourced from carriers and the public domain, within an algorithm that provides a call path score. This call path score may be provided to LCR and SCPs to determine the net value of a route for display.
The online customer dashboard may also provide an alert system similar to Internet alerts for toll-free numbers. Numbers, or groups of numbers, may be tagged based on tag groups. The alert system for toll-free numbers may use a subscription prioritization engine and offer premium services for service prioritization.
The online customer dashboard for a toll-free voice registry may share reserved, assigned, and working numbers with the Toll-Free Texting and Smart Services Registry (TSS)
The online customer dashboard may initially provide a main dashboard screen from which the user may drill down within a specific toll-free number to investigate more detailed information thereof. In one example, the main dashboard screen may provide a base set, or minimum list of data elements that are available, including, but not limited to, the following:

    
    
        User Information
        
            Toll Free Provider
            User Id
            Last Login
            Amount of numbers reserved
        
        
        Number Information (a list of all toll free numbers associated with this provider)
        
            Toll Free Number
            Number Status
            Date Reserved
            Date Last Updated
            Customer Name
        
        
    
    


The user can then drill down into the particular toll free number by clicking on that particular number to find more detailed information such as, Area of Service, Carrier(s), Call Routing, Reserve numbers, or other information associated with a toll-free number.
A user may also view the history of the number i.e. “the life of a toll-free number.” By selecting a particular toll free number, the history of use of the toll free number may be readily viewable. Various charts, timelines, and usage data may be included therein. This functionality may allow a user to view and report on the status and activities of an entire RespOrg in real time, rather than parts of a RespOrg's activity and/or only at predefined time intervals (e.g., once per day).
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the online customer dashboard is not a view only tool, but may provide additional or alternative features to be customized by the user. That is individual users may select their desired types of information available via their dashboard.
Such features may include, but are not limited to, the following:

    
    
        Customer information updates from the dashboard.
        System alerts pertaining to all users
        Historical customer usage information and populate information to the user such as suggestions of available numbers
        Alerts announcing the upcoming availability of numbers that the customer has previously searched for
        Billing alerts and notification of payments made
    
    


Overall, the online customer dashboard may provide a single starting point for any user working with toll free numbers. Having a single location may allow a user of the system to use a single user interface (the dashboard) to view the entirety of activity that is associated with a plurality of toll-free numbers.
With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the TFMP may include a toll-free number rating registry (TFRR) 802, that functions as a service to provide customers an indication of how often a toll-free number is abused, such as by fraudulent, frequent calling to increase billing costs. The rating may be calculated based on input from users, automated systems and/or proprietary algorithms that are collecting, storing and analyzing call data from throughout the toll-free system.
In embodiments, the system may collect toll-free number abuse information 804 from a plurality of sources including, but not limited to, a telephone service provider 808, toll-free number operators and Resp Orgs. The abuse information may be collected and processed in real-time to provide timely rating information for entities. In embodiments, the TFMP may publish standard interfaces that reporting parties can invoke to register abuse. Such interfaces may allow clients to connect synchronously and asynchronously. Interfaces may include, but are not limited to:

    
    
        A web page
        RestFul API
        Mobile application
    
    


In embodiments, the abuse reporting interfaces that are associated with the TFMP may be invoked in a manual or automated manner. In the case of service providers, the reporting of abuse may occur during call setup. This may necessitate that the reporting is automated and introduces the least load on the device reporting the abuse. In an example, an asynchronous API may be made available to service providers for this purpose. In another example, for call centers where toll-free numbers terminate, such as a technical support department of a company, call-center processing software may be enhanced to include a module to detect and report abuse.
Additionally, the TFMP may also provide a mobile or other application that small business and single toll-free number users can use to report abuse. The TFMP may include a subsystem, referred to as a “node,” that may be used to build a decision tree that is downloaded to the SCPs. The decision tree may be used in various manners to facilitate operation of the service as otherwise described to facilitate call efficiency. The service may alternatively or additionally be embodied in a distributed computing environment, such as a cloud based computing network. In another embodiment, such systems may be hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks).
In embodiments, to automate the processing of toll-free calls and reduce abuse, the TFMP system may be enhanced to allow customers to provision an abuse route. This route may be distributed to the SCPs along with current information being shared. When a service provider determines that a call being setup is an abuse call, they can use the abuse route specified by the customer.
With reference to FIG. 9, an example abuse reporting interface architecture 900 that is associated with the TFMP is provided. This abuse reporting interface may permit toll-free customers to report when a toll-free number abuse event occurs. The interface may allow for abuse to be reported manually and/or programmatically in an automated fashion. In embodiments, the abuse collection system described herein may collect information that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

    
    
        TFN 904
        Resp Org 908
        Date/time of abuse Date/time of report 909
        Originating number 910
        Has the originating number been verified as authentic (i.e., not spoofed) 912
        Geographic location of the originating number 920
        Geographic location of the terminating number 922
    
    


The abuse database 924 may also collect information about Resp Orgs and other industry details in an offline mode. The abuse information may be captured in the toll-free number abuse database 924. This information may then be processed using a rating engine 928 to compute the toll-free number rating. The rating engine 928 may take into account a plurality of factors including, but not limited to, input provided by Resp Orgs 928, TSPID's associated with service providers, frequency of abuse 930, identified source of abuse, and the like, to compute a rating for the toll-free number. In the absence of specific reports of abuse, predictive analytics methods of the TFMP, as described herein, may be used to infer abuse or unusual call activity, the results of which may be used in computing a rating. In an embodiment, the identification of abuse may be an inference of an abuse event produced by a predictive analytics engine that is associated with the TFMP based on at least a call history and metadata relating to calls placed over the toll-free telecommunications number. In an example, 100 calls may be placed over a toll-free number, each of which by itself does not appear to be abusive. For example the calls may be placed from locations that do not appear suspicious. However, an inference of abuse, based at least in part on the totality of calls placed over the toll-free number, may be used by the predictive analytics engine that is associated with the TFMP to infer that abuse is occurring or has occurred. For example, the totality of the calls may indicate a pattern indicative of abuse, or a call frequency that is indicative of abuse or some other criterion that may be used by the predicative analytics engine to infer that an abuse event, or plurality of abuse events is occurring or has occurred. In embodiments, a toll-free number rating may be a number between “0” and “100” that provides an indication of how often the number is abused and/or how severe the abuse is. A number with “0” rating may indicate a number that is never abused, and a number with a “100” rating may indicate a number for which the majority of activity is abusive in nature. The toll-free number rating may be made available to users of the TFMP, and may be used to make routing and other decisions about the toll-free number.
Based on the rating of a toll-free number, the service provider may take a specific action to ensure legitimacy of a toll-free call. In addition to the number rating, the rating engine may also generate routing rules to be shared with service providers. These rules may be imported by the service provider into their call routing engine to automatically route abusive calls in a manner that is consistent with the routing rules. These rules may also be used in combination with user profiles and security administration may grant permissions to different groups of users to access the toll-free number rating to create, view, update and activate certain functions. The system can implement a role-based access control mechanism. Predictive analytic services may be provided that allow a user, through the customizable user interface, or “dashboard,” to access third party data services, sponsored data and information derived from toll-free telecommunications networks, including but not limited to telecommunications carriers, service control points, call centers, or other parties affiliated with a toll-free telecommunication network. Origination data may also be combined with social media and other public domain third party data, and near real-time, apply a valuation model to display a trend and prices on an interactive map via the TFMP.
The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
A method comprising:

    
    
        storing a taxonomy of abuse events that may occur regarding the usage of a toll-free number;
        storing a rule regarding an action to take upon receipt of a reported abuse event, wherein the rule specifies a routing rule defining how a call that is associated with the abuse event is to be routed over a toll-free telecommunications system;
        receiving a report of abuse of a toll-free number;
        identifying at least one abuse event within the stored taxonomy and routing rule that is related to content of the abuse report; and
        automatically routing a call that is the subject of the abuse report according to the routing rule.
    
    


A method comprising:

    
    
        receiving a report of abuse of a toll-free number;
        identifying an absence of an abuse event definition within a stored taxonomy that is related to the type of abuse reported;
        storing a new definition of the abuse event within the taxonomy; and
        creating a routing rule defining how a call that is associated with the abuse event is to be routed over a toll-free telecommunications system.
    
    


A method comprising:

    
    
        storing a taxonomy of abuse events that may occur regarding the usage of a toll-free number;
        associating the abuse events in the taxonomy with a toll-free number rating action;
        receiving a report of abuse of a toll-free number;
        identifying at least one abuse event within the stored taxonomy and rating action that is related to content of the abuse report;
        automatically computing a rating for the toll-free number based on the rating action; and
        reporting the rating to an entity.
    
    


The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
A user device for presenting data to a user in real time regarding changes in metadata associated with a toll-free number, the user device configured to:

    
    
        receive an indication of a change in status of a toll-free communications number, wherein the telecommunications number is associated with a responsible organization that processes toll-free telecommunications;
        update a metadatum associated with the toll-free communications number based at least in part on the change in status;
        store the metadatum;
        receive a status request from a user relating to the responsible organization;
        present the user with a graphic representation of the telecommunications number's status
    
    


A method of toll-free telecommunications data visualization comprising:

    
    
        presenting a data visualization dashboard to a mobile application on a client device, wherein the presentation includes a selectable listing of toll-free telecommunications data parameters;
        receiving a selection from the client device of the toll-free telecommunications data parameters to analyze and at least one type of data analysis to perform;
        retrieving, in substantially real time, data relating to the selected toll-free telecommunications data parameters;
        analyzing the data according to the at least one type of data analysis; and
        presenting to the mobile application a summary of an analytic result.
    
    


In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may provide a click-to-chat tool. The click-to-chat tool enables users to quickly contact a support representative through the user interface, dashboard, or other interface. The click-to-chat tool may integrate with existing web based access, provides an immediate channel to a support representative, and may facilitate support training.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may provide a simplified two-factor authentication tool for maintaining identity and access security (e.g. dual factor authentication). This may eliminate the need to use hard tokens and improve VPN accessibility.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may provide a password self-service tool that provides the ability for self-service passwords and unlock logon IDs. This may be automated via structured email processes.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may provide a real-time status update tool that provides number counts and tasks within the application. This may facilitate a real-time view of number counts and status (i.e. reserved, assigned, etc.)
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may provide integrated data stores and a reporting tool that integrates data stores for consolidated reporting. This may facilitate the creation of a single operational data store to eliminate separate software as a service licenses and consolidated reporting for responsible organizations.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may provide a single sign-on tool for Web Based Access (WBA), mechanized generic interface (API), Website/Billing, Web-based Reporting System (WRS), Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or some other network type.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may provide an enhanced configurability tool that allows administrators to configure the limit of TFN that can be reserved in a single request, for example, more than 10. This may provide, for example, up to 5000 (would then do 500 batch calls).
The present disclosure includes a toll-free management platform (TFMP) for providing services to toll free subscribers and providers, enabling them to manage a plurality of toll-free numbers and tasks associated with such numbers. Functionalities of the TFMP include, but are not limited to, Number Administration (NA) and Customer Record (CR) administration.
The TFMP enables searching for any number, random number or to search for a plurality of numbers that are consecutive and/or include an indicated combination of digits. Since certain toll-free number codes (e.g. 800) and combinations of digits (e.g. repeating digits, digits whose corresponding telephone keypad letter values spell a word or phrase) may be considered most desirable, the NA function includes capabilities for searches and reservations to be handled so that a toll-free provider does not gain an advantage to reserve a given toll-free number. The TFMP also enables tracking the overall assignment of numbers for each toll-free provider in order to enforce regulations for toll-free number allocation specified by a tariff. NA may maintain a status for each number that reflects whether it has been reserved and whether a customer record has been created and sent to service control points (SCPs). It is possible to query the TFMP for status and reservation information associated with a number.
The TFMP enables customer record administration, allowing toll-free providers to create a customer record and to specify when the information should be sent to SCPs. A reserved toll-free number may become active when routing information for the number, specified in a customer record, is uploaded into SCPs. Customer records may be updated or deleted and the send time updated prior to sending. Once a customer record has been sent, a new record may be created to update or delete the routing specified by the previous record. The routing information specified in a customer record may include, but is not limited to:

    
    
        An Area of Service (AOS) that specifies from where the toll-free number can receive calls
        The carrier that will route calls to the toll-free number
        The terminating number that will receive calls to the toll-free number
        A set of rules that specifies different routing based on criteria like time of day and area from where the call originated
    
    


Carriers who have arrangements to carry calls for a toll-free provider may wish to approve customer records when routing for a toll-free number has been assigned to the carrier. The customer record function may maintain a list of carriers and preferences for whether approval is required when a toll-free provider indicates the carrier in a customer record. A notification may be sent to a carrier when approval of a customer record is required. In embodiments, each customer record may have an associated status. Customer records may be queried to view the status and information contained in the record, based on the permissions of the user.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may include a user interface functionality that allows manual access for human users and mechanized access for systems (such as an application programming interface) to make use of the NA and CR functions provided by the TFMP. Such systems may be embodied in a distributed computing environment, such as a cloud based computing network. In another embodiment, such systems may be hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks). The mechanized interface provided by the TFMP may allow external users to establish data dynamic connectivity with the platform and gain access to its available functions. The TFMP may maintain logins, passwords, encryption, authentication, and the like to provide security to limit system access to only authorized users. Permission levels that restrict access to TFMP's functions and to proprietary data may be assigned for each authorized user, and stored locally or remotely to an enterprise utilizing the TFMP, including within a computing storage facility that is remote to, but operatively coupled, with the TFMP. In embodiments, the user interface functionality may provide real time notifications and other information to external users using mechanisms such as email and File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the TFMP may provide an interface to send routing information from CRs to SCPs. The SCP Management Function of the TFMP may enable management of interactions with SCPs, including maintaining data connectivity, sending CR information at the specified date and time, and monitoring responses in order to update customer record status.
In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the SCP administration functions of the TFMP may allow users to establish and modify SCP-related reference data in the system and send messages to the SCP node and the Call Management Services Data Base (CMSDB) within the SCP to manage data tables at the SCP. Network management functions for toll-free database services may involve the management of various automatic capabilities intended to monitor and control toll-free query traffic and calling volumes at the SCPs, Service Switching Points, terminating switches, terminating subscriber lines, and the like. When various call volume thresholds are exceeded, the SCPs may trigger Automatic Code Gapping (ACG) controls at the originating SSPs. The TFMP's management functions may allow network managers to configure and adjust relevant control parameters. Data collection at the SCPs may be requested through the TFMP to provide network managers with surveillance information that is useful to monitor traffic and analyze problems, such as the detection of SCP overloads and excessive calling or excessive ineffective attempts to dialed codes.
With reference to FIG. 10, in embodiments, the TFMP may provide a Toll-Free Texting and Smart Services Registry (TSS) 1000 to support toll-free telephone numbers and related services, such as SMS, MIMS and streaming media. The TSS 1000 may include several components such as, but not limited to, number administration, call control and route provisioning, as well as number status assessment. The number administration function may provide number assignment for toll-free subscribers as well as provide services to manage the toll-free numbering plan. This component may provide for toll-free number portability as well as managing the mapping of toll-free numbers to geographic numbers. The number administration function may also open new number plan administration codes. The number administration function may forecast the exhaustion of codes and demand for codes for use by organizations such as the FCC.
The call control and routing function may be responsible for providing intelligent routing for calls made to toll-free numbers. Toll-free subscribers may have the ability to configure call routing to include multiple carriers, time of day rules, and rules based on the caller's proximity, among others. These rules may be downloaded to real-time network routing databases or Service Control Points (SCPs) 1008. The number status assessment function may determine the availability of certain numbers. Numbers may be reserved and assigned according to activation date and then are deployed. The number status function may assess whether numbers are spare, reserved, assigned, or currently deployed.
Providers of various smart services, such as voice, media, or texting services, may be able to access the TSS that can be text enabled from a list of reserved, assigned, and working numbers. After numbers are identified, an automated online letter of authorization/agency may be executed. The letter of authorization/agency may independently demonstrate authorization to a responsible organization that maintains the registration for individual toll-free numbers in a distributed database. The distributed database may be associated with a distributed computing network, as described herein. Upon execution of the letter of authorization/agency, the information may then be provisioned to industry routing databases for delivering various services, such as SMS (text) messaging, MMS messaging 1010, and content streaming, including but not limited to video content as well as future services 1012.
Letter of authorization/agency, as used herein, may include but is not limited to communication used by a toll-free end subscriber, such as during the provisioning phase of a toll-free number engagement, to enable that end subscriber to switch providers for a given telephone, messaging service, and the like. In an example, an end subscriber may wish to change its long distance provider so that a local company need not be used. The long distance provider to whom the end subscriber wishes to do business would typically walk the end subscriber through an authorization process to enable the end subscriber to switch long distance carriers from the local company to the new company. This authorization may manifest in the carrier's system as a letter of authorization/agency that documents the needed approvals from the end subscriber.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the TSS may enable a letter of authorization/agency process for a provider to authorizing texting and other services on a toll-free number or plurality of toll-free numbers that are used by an end subscriber. The letter of authorization/agency may be electronically stored and presented to the responsible organization or owner of record for a given number or service. The letter of authorization/agency may further define a time frame during which certain actions, such as the turning on of texting services for a toll-free number, are permitted. Such letters of authorization, as defined herein, may be further associated with stored profiles of an owner of record and/or end subscriber. A letter of authorization/agency may allow a toll-free number end-user, or toll-free number subscriber, to authorize service enablement for services not covered by their existing responsible organization. In this way, consumers can have multiple services enabled on a single telephone number, across multiple service providers. In an example, a letter of authorization/agency may authorize a responsible organization or other entity to take a plurality of actions so that additional communication with, for example, an end subscriber is unnecessary and actions may be taken more quickly and efficiently. This may enable service registrars, and others, to activate new services, such as toll-free texting services or bandwidth increases on a shorter timeline, which may have commercial benefits as speed activation of needed telecommunications services.
With reference to FIG. 11, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the TSS may facilitate the enablement of a letter of authorization/agency process 1100 used to enable toll-free texting capability and capture basic data such as customer name, responsible organization, service registrar, toll free number, service enablement date, and letter of authorization/agency, status of services, or some other type of data associated with toll-free telephone numbers and services. The TSS may facilitate the letter of authorization/agency process by programmatically sending a notification to the responsible organization of record to memorialize the transaction. A timer may be set that will give the responsible organization a limited period of time to dispute the transaction. If no action is taken, the transaction may proceed and texting service enablement, or some other service type, may be fulfilled in the TSS Registry. Continuing the example, this letter of authorization/agency process may be provided for each toll-free number that is provisioned 1102 in the TSS registry, or only a subset of numbers depending on the wishes of the end users.
In order to streamline the letter of authorization/agency process, a “blanket” letter of authorization/agency may be used whereby the customer of record may authorize a specific service registrar to provision, update, and deactivate records in the TSS as needed 1104. In such cases, a notification may be sent to the responsible organization to memorialize each transaction. In order to further streamline the letter of authorization/agency process, responsible organization's may choose to put a “blanket” authorization on specific service registrar's which will allow the transaction to take place in real time 1108.
In embodiments, the TSS may allow electronic documentation to be stored and managed, providing a library of legal documentation that may be used by the system in real time to facilitate transactions more efficiently, and to provide more concrete evidence of formal authorization through a physical electronic document proving, for example, the end user's identity and validity.
In embodiments, the TSS may operate in conjunction with current toll-free services, including a toll-free voice registry. In order to establish unambiguous authority for the use of a toll-free number, a controlling organization for a toll-free number may be the responsible organization of record in the toll-free voice registry. Number administration may be the exclusive function residing only in the authoritative toll-free voice registry.
In embodiments, the TSS may be flexible and extensible to support a plurality of toll-free services such as SMS or MMS messaging services, and content provisioning. The TSS may additionally provide toll-free numbers for services such as videos, mobile device applications, games, or any other software, products or services that may be important to an organization to anchor their identity and brand. To support this environment, in embodiments, the TSS may reside on a stand-alone platform using hardware, software, and support systems independent of those used today in the toll-free voice registry. The TSS may be able to connect to a toll-free voice registry to obtain number information, such as availability and reservation status, as well as control responsible organization information, such as the responsible organization contact information, but may remain otherwise separate in its operation.
A responsible organization may maintain a toll-free voice registry that provides number administration, route provisioning, toll-free database services to various service control points, or some other type of toll-free service. The TSS, as described herein, may incorporate the services from a toll-free voice registry to provide smart services enablement, route provisioning, and smart services registry to existing SMS/MMS routing databases as well as other smart services requiring toll-free numbers, such as mobile device applications or games.
With reference to FIG. 12, in another embodiment, a mobile device 1200 may utilize an unambiguous support identifier along with a toll-free data, message, and voice service. In this embodiment, the mobile device may be assigned a unique Toll-Free ID (TFID) 1202 at the time of manufacturing. That is, the TFID may be agnostic of type of device and may be hard flashed into the mobile device to identify a customer with a toll free provider that is providing the toll free communication. The TFID may be associated with the carrier identifier such as IMEI, MEID if GSM phone, CDMA, a service provider identifier such as a TSPID, as described herein, or to another identifier associated with a mobile device. In another embodiment, the TFID may be associated with other systems, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks).
A standard support app that is natively installed, such as a “setting” 1208 app distributed as part of the device, or separately though an app store, facilitates a consumer's ability to talk, message, view, browse support related features of merchandise, devices or other issues that the consumer may have. The standard support app may further interact with a user profile and security administration that grants permissions to different groups of users to access embodiments of the system to create, view, update and activate certain functions. The system can implement a role-based access control mechanism.
When consumers buy a device, the device manufacturers and retailers may “auto register” the device to the support application at the Point of Sale (POS). The TFID may be embedded in the hardware of the device and cannot be changed to provide a definitive way to identify a device when using toll-free services.
With reference to FIG. 13, in another embodiment, the TFID may permit a customer who is purchasing an appliance, a device, or other merchandise to be presented with an opportunity to associate one or more mobile devices to the merchandise purchased 1300. For example, this can be performed at the POS or after the sale as a registration and/or warranty process 1302. The process of registration is thereby automated to simplify these somewhat otherwise bothersome processes for the customer.
In one example, a TFID Mobile App is operable to permit the mobile device to read QR codes, Barcodes, RFIDs, serial numbers, or other merchandise identifiers and then communicate with the manufacturer via toll free service provided by the manufacturer 1304. For example, a user may need only point a camera of the mobile device toward the merchandise to capture the merchandise identify and thereby complete a registration, warranty, support or other process.
On the backend, a TFID Mobile App registry 1308 may be updated with the added mobile device TFID to merchandise association. Via a separate mechanism, merchandise manufactures 1310 can then update the registry with the contact information associated with the TFID for registration and user association. The TFID Mobile App registry may alternatively or additionally be embodied in a distributed computing environment, such as a cloud based computing network. In another embodiment, such systems may be hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks).
Once the merchandise is associated with the particular mobile device—the TFID Mobile App may present or otherwise store the various information about the merchandise, e.g., product documentation, upgrades, manufacture contact information, etc. This permits the user to readily communicate with the manufacturer via the toll free service provided by the manufacturer and accessed via the TFID. For example, once the merchandise is associated with the mobile device, a support call registry may be made readily available from the manufacturer via a toll free service. Support such as repair and troubleshooting for the merchandise may then be more readily provided as the initial validation of the merchandise to the particular user, e.g., warranty registration and confirmation has already been automatically provided by the registry. That is, the registry facilitates more direct access to support from the manufacturer via a toll free communication provided by the manufacturer as supported by the support application on the device.
The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
A mobile device, comprising:

    
    
        a unique toll-free ID (TFID) present in the mobile device, the TFID operable to facilitate toll-free communication between the mobile device and a manufacturer.
    
    


A method of communication via a toll-free service, comprising:

    
    
        associating at least one mobile device to merchandise purchased from a manufacturer via a unique toll-free ID (TFID) present in the mobile device, the TFID operable to facilitate toll-free communication between the mobile device and the manufacturer.
    
    


A toll-free voice registry may share reserved, assigned, and working numbers with the TSS. The TSS may then establish available numbers for service enablement. As described herein, a service registrar may identify toll-free numbers to be provisioned to an organization and may complete a letter of authorization/agency and provide “owner of record” documentation. The TSS may then request approval for service enablement from a responsible organization. The responsible organization may review the service enablement request. If approved, the TSS may change the service status of the toll-free number from “available” to “assigned.” The service registrar may then assign a unique identifier to number such as a Service Provider Identifier (SPID) or eSPID. The TSS may then provision the service and change the number status from “assigned” to “active.” The routing database associated with the TFMP may then provision the toll-free number with the unique identifier.
With reference to FIG. 14, a toll-free voice registry may share reserved, assigned, and working numbers with the Toll-Free Texting and Smart Services Registry (TSS). The TSS may then establish available numbers for service enablement. As described herein, a service registrar may identify toll-free numbers to be provisioned to an organization and may complete a letter of authorization/agency and provide “owner of record” documentation. The TSS may then request approval for service enablement from a responsible organization. The responsible organization may review the service enablement request. If approved, the TSS may change the service status of the toll-free number from “available” to “assigned.” The service registrar may then assign a unique identifier to number such as a Service Provider Identifier (SPID) or eSPID. The TSS may then provision the service and change the number status from “assigned” to “active.” The routing database associated with the TFMP may then provision the toll-free number with the unique identifier.
Additionally, the TFMP may also provide a mobile or other application that small business and single toll-free number users can use to report abuse in combination with the TSS. The TFMP may include a subsystem, referred to as a “node,” that may be used to build a decision tree that is downloaded to the SCPs. The decision tree may be used in various manners to facilitate operation of the service as otherwise described to facilitate call efficiency. The TFMP may alternatively or additionally be embodied in a distributed computing environment, such as a cloud based computing network. In another embodiment, the TFMP may include hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks).
Telecommunication service providers are required by industry guidelines to have a unique company code assigned to them. This unique company code identifies carriers as they interconnect with each other and allows for rating, guiding, billing and routing functionality. Historically, when service providers provided voice only services, each service provider was identified by a company code termed an Operating Company Number (OCN). With the evolution of the communications industry, service providers started introducing additional voice services, for example number portability. As these services were introduced, the need for uniquely identifying the carriers became of paramount importance. Registries and organizations were set up to facilitate the integration and interactions required to fulfill these services. Such developments prompted service organizations' need for additional context-based metadata to support these interactions (for example number portability). One result was the adding of additional identifiers to each service provider that required integration. These are sometimes referred to as the SPID or Alternate Service Provider Identifier (Alt-SPID).
With the introduction of over-the-top (OTT) providers, for example Skype, and Internet Protocol-based vendors (IP Vendors) selling traditional communication services over a full Internet Protocol (IP) network, the activities between software and the traditional telecommunications industry become more interactive. IP allowed for a new breed of vendors to integrate with traditional communication service provider networks for delivery and exchange of consumer data. This created a new set of challenges for the unique identification of service providers since the IP Vendors were not traditional carriers and did not meet industry guidelines for OCNs. Additional, sometimes proprietary metadata were created to support these new service providers, for example an eSPID, as described herein. The preponderance of different identifiers from eclectic industry organizations lead to lack of a consistent, unique way to identify and interact with service providers, with no centralized industry provider, organization or registry having a complete view of service provider community.
In an example embodiment of a service provider routing text messages though the network, as the text messages are processed the TSS may obtain metadata associated with the messages that includes coding data. By reading these codes, the TSS may confirm that a given message is derived from a service provider such as Skype for delivery to an AT&T subscriber. Such metadata may be obtained, for example, in a header file. Fields in the header file may be associated with a SPID. This may allow the TSS to determine that the text message is coming from Skype en route to ATT. If it were the case that many texts were originating from Skype at a particular time or day, the TSS may utilize this data to assist third parties in providing targeted advertising content. The TSS may also utilize this data to identify the unnecessary usage of intermediaries in processing communications such as text messages and assist users in avoiding the excess charges for intermediaries by routing messages without using intermediaries. The TSS may utilize a context-based unique identifier to distinguish specific services associated with the TSS Registry. The TSPID 1402 may be enabled in TSS and applies to such multimedia services such as but not limited to SMS, MMS, video conferencing, and streaming data. Resp Org IDs may also be associated with any toll free number enabled in TSS. The TSPID may further facilitate the value chain of a multimedia service for toll-free numbers in order for that service to be delivered.
The Toll-Free Service Provider ID “TSPID,” provides an aggregate identifier for Service Registrars, who provide services such as, but not limited to, SMS, MMS, video conferencing, and streaming content that may be registered and distributed by the TSS Registry. That is, the TSPID provides a single unified identifier that may include other identifiers 1404 over a broad distribution of data, to include, but not be limited to, traditional voice services. The TSPID may also be utilized as an authoritative identifier of the service provider of record for toll-free numbers, and/or ultimately local 10 digit numbers. The TSPID may be enabled by a user profile and security administration that grants permissions to different groups of users to access embodiments of the system to create, view, update and activate certain functions. The system can implement a role-based access control mechanism.
Telecommunication service providers are required by industry guidelines to have a unique company code assigned to them. This unique company code identifies carriers as they interconnect with each other and allows for rating, guiding, billing and routing functionality. Historically, when service providers provided voice only services, each service provider was identified by a company code called as Operating Company Number or (OCN). With the evolution of the communications industry, service providers started introducing additional voice services, for example number portability. As these services were introduced, the need for uniquely identifying the carriers became of paramount importance. Registries and organizations were set up to facilitate the integration and interactions required to fulfill these services. Such developments prompted service organizations' need for additional context-based metadata to support these interactions (for example number portability). One result was the adding of additional identifiers to each service provider that required integration. These are sometimes referred to as the SPID or Alternate Service Provider Identifier (Alt-SPID).
The SPID is the authoritative identifier for telephone number ownership in the Number Portability Administration Center, which includes “ported” numbers associated with Local Number Portability as well as “pooled” numbers, which are associated with assigned pool blocks as administered by the Pooling Administration. Over time, many companies may map various identifiers such as the SPIDs to a broader table for use with the TSPID to still further aggregate such data. Further, traditional voice services may be mapped as well.
With the introduction of value added mobile services (for example SMS), exchanges and hubs set up by Inter Carrier Vendors (ICV) provide communication between multiple mobile network operators. Route tables are stored in industry proprietary databases that provided a call path service to determine, in real time, the destination service provider for an incoming mobile service. These ICVs further add additional metadata to identify carriers and facilitate integration. This process may have added complexity insofar as countries have their own local and regional authorities and naming conventions.
With the introduction of over-the-top (OTT) providers, for example Skype, and Internet Protocol-based vendors (IP Vendors) selling traditional communication services over a full Internet Protocol (IP) network, the activities between software and the traditional telecommunications industry become more interactive. IP allowed for a new breed of vendors to integrate with traditional communication service provider networks for delivery and exchange of consumer data. This created a new set of challenges for the unique identification of service providers since the IP Vendors were not traditional carriers and did not meet industry guidelines for OCNs. ICVs created additional, sometimes proprietary metadata to support these new service providers, for example an eSPID, as described herein. The preponderance of different identifiers from eclectic industry organizations lead to lack of a consistent, unique way to identify and interact with service providers, with no centralized industry provider, organization or registry having a complete view of service provider community.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the TSS may provide an inclusive view of industry identifiers, enabling a single system of record for identifying service providers, whether traditional telecommunications provider, OTT provider, or some other type of service provider. During the on-boarding process (e.g., toll-free number reservation and provisioning), service registrars may be required to provide their unique identifiers (UIds) with the various organizations they interact.
In embodiments, the TSS may establish a baseline of UIds by public domain information gathering. Data gathered through the public domain may be further validated through crowd sourcing, where a global, potentially mechanical human process can be used to identify, validate and confirm UIds to create a baseline for the registry. In another embodiment, latent semantic indexing may be used to associate data and metadata associated with communications to the actual owner, provider, or responsible party that is associated with a communication, such as a text message. This crowd-sourced translation table associated with the TSS may enable mapping of service providers to unique identifiers. Such a mapping would enable the a registry that may be used by third parties to locate the plurality of identifiers that may be associated with a service provider or plurality of service providers.
In order to facilitate proper content delivery, service providers may be required by the TSS to periodically update their UIds. A validation, verification and certification process may be used to ensure integrity and validity of data entering the TSS. This may provide the industry with a single resource that may be used to identify and validate the identity of service providers. In an example usage scenario, a communications company that intends to optimize its network and manage traffic, may wish to identify where its end traffic (original source) is located by looking at packet headers and identifying service providers. In another example, a consumer reports-based rating service may use the TSS to provide consumers with message or delivery metrics. Bulk-advertising (pam) management companies may use the TSS look at detailed metadata and associate a name to a code. ICVs may use the TSS to streamline establishment and setup of their recipients without requiring expensive and costly set up. Ad agencies may use data derived from the TSS to customize ads to end users by understanding the source and destination (as opposed to area codes), and personalize content based on the service provider(s), for example if the content originated on an IP network.
In an example embodiment of a service provider routing text messages though the network, as the text messages are processed the TSS may obtain metadata associated with the messages that includes coding data. By reading these codes, the TSS may confirm that a given message is derived from a service provider such as Skype for delivery to an AT&T subscriber. Such metadata may be obtained, for example, in a header file. Fields in the header file may be associated with a SPID. This may allow the TSS to determine that the text message is coming from Skype en route to AT&T. If it were the case that many texts were originating from Skype at a particular time or day, the TSS may utilize this data to assist third parties in providing targeted advertising content. The TSS may also utilize this data to identify the unnecessary usage of intermediaries in processing communications such as text messages and assist users in avoiding the excess charges for intermediaries by routing messages without using intermediaries.
With reference to FIG. 15, in embodiments, the TSS (Texting and Smart Services) Registry 1500 may establish a baseline of UIds by public domain information gathering for messages 1508 sent from a client device 1504. Data gathered through the public domain may be validated through crowd sourcing, where a global, potentially mechanical human process can be used to identify, validate and confirm UIds to create a baseline for the registry. Every Service Provider has a set of unique UIds by which its customers are reached by various methods such as, but not limited to, voice, short messaging service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), video conferencing, and streaming content. When any of these Service Providers signs up to be a TSS user 1502, it has a unique UId, called a TSPID, which is assigned. This TSPID provides the baseline for which many other UIds can be mapped. Many Data Providers, Messaging Hubs, Aggregators, and others who are in the business of routing and providing services such as voice, SMS, MMS, video conferencing, streaming content, and other multimedia services, to sign on to consume TSS Data. Each of these entities that consume data will have a unique identifier to which the TSPID will be mapped. Data Providers that consume TSS data will be required to provide to TSS a new toll-free specific UId for each established TSPID. The end result is a mapping that extends to any data provider that is consuming TSS data. As distribution widens, a fairly comprehensive routing table 1514 for each Service Provider is created.
Furthermore, each TFN that is enabled in the TSS Registry, has the Resp Org ID and Resp Org Entity associated with it, and thus is also mapped to the TSPID. The result is the most comprehensive routing table specific to toll-free numbers that will map toll-free numbers to their voice provider, messaging provider, as well as the routing information across a plurality of data providers. Once this comprehensive Toll-Free routing table 1514 is established, it can be further extended to layer in other identifiers, such as, but not limited to local ten digit numbers (also known as “long codes”), SPID, LRN, OCN, and LATA.
In another embodiment, latent semantic indexing may be used to associate data and metadata associated with communications to the actual owner, provider, or responsible party that is associated with a communication, such as a text message. This crowd-sourced translation table associated with the TSS may enable mapping of service providers to unique identifiers. Such a mapping would enable a registry that may be used by third parties to locate the plurality of identifiers that may be associated with a service provider or plurality of service providers. In embodiments, toll-free number abuse information, as described herein, from a plurality of sources including, but not limited to, a telephone service provider, toll-free number operators and Resp Orgs may also be used for the purposes of creating translation tables, including but not limited to crowd-sourced translation tables. The TSS routing table, once sufficiently established, may be used for services such as value added predictive analytics, as described herein, that service providers can use to gain valuable insights about their customers. Service Providers and other consumers of the data in the routing table would access the information using either an application programming interface (API) for automated integration into their own analytics engines, or a web-based GUI for simpler one-time lookups. Below are some examples of probable use-cases for the routing table.
In order to facilitate proper content delivery, service providers may be required by the TSS to periodically update their UIds. A validation, verification and certification process may be used to ensure integrity and validity of data entering the TSS. This may provide the industry with a single resource that may be used to identify and validate the identity of service providers. In an example usage scenario, a communications company that intends to optimize its network and manage traffic, may wish to identify where its end traffic (original source) is located by looking at packet headers and identifying service providers.
In another embodiment, a consumer reports-based rating service may use the TSS to provide consumers with message or delivery metrics. Bulk-advertising (spam) management companies may use the TSS to look at detailed metadata and associate a name to a code to streamline establishment and setup of their recipients without requiring expensive and costly set up. Ad agencies may use data derived from the TSS to customize ads to end users by understanding the source and destination (as opposed to area codes), and personalize content based on the service provider(s), for example if the content originated on an IP network.
In another embodiment of a service provider routing text messages though the network, as the text messages 1508 are processed, the TSS may obtain metadata associated with the messages that includes coding data. By reading these codes, the TSS may confirm that a given message is derived from a service provider such as Skype for delivery to an AT&T subscriber. Such metadata may be obtained, for example, in a header file. Fields in the header file may be associated with a SPID. This may allow the TSS to determine that the text message is coming from Skype en route to AT&T. If it were the case that many texts were originating from Skype at a particular time or day, the TSS may utilize this data to assist third parties in providing targeted advertising content. The TSS may also utilize this data to identify the unnecessary usage of intermediaries in processing communications such as text messages and assist users in avoiding the excess charges for intermediaries by routing messages without using intermediaries.
In embodiments, the TFMP may provide a Toll-Free Texting and Smart Services Registry (TSS) to support toll-free telephone numbers and related services, such as SMS, MMS and streaming media. The TSS may comprise several components such as, but not limited to, number administration, call control and routing, as well as number status assessment. The number administration function may provide number assignment for toll-free subscribers as well as provide services to manage the toll-free numbering plan. This component may provide for toll-free number portability as well as managing the mapping of toll-free numbers to geographic numbers. The number administration function may also open new number plan administration codes. The number administration function may forecast the exhaustion of codes and demand for codes for use by organizations such as the FCC. The call control and routing function may be responsible for providing intelligent routing for calls made to toll-free numbers.
Toll-free subscribers may have the ability to configure call routing to include multiple carriers, time of day rules, and rules based on the caller's proximity, among others. These rules may be downloaded to real-time network routing databases or Service Control Points (SCPs). The number status assessment function may determine the availability of certain numbers. Numbers may be reserved and assigned according to activation date and then are deployed. The number status function may assess whether numbers are spare, reserved, assigned, or currently deployed. Providers of various smart services, such as voice, media, or texting services, may be able to access the TSS that can be text enabled from a list of reserved, assigned, and working numbers. After numbers are identified, an automated online letter of agency may be executed. The letter of agency may independently demonstrate authorization to a responsible organization that maintains the registration for individual toll-free numbers in a distributed database. The distributed database may be associated with a distributed computing network, as described herein. Upon execution of the letter of agency, the information may then be provisioned to industry routing databases for delivering various services, such as SMS (text) messaging, MMS messaging, and content streaming, including but not limited to video content.
Letter of agency, as used herein, may include but is not limited to communication used by a toll-free end subscriber, such as during the provisioning phase of a toll-free number engagement, to enable that end subscriber to switch providers for a given telephone, messaging service, and the like. In an example, an end subscriber may wish to change its long distance provider so that a local company need not be used. The long distance provider to whom the end subscriber wishes to do business would typically walk the end subscriber through an authorization process to enable the end subscriber to switch long distance carriers from the local company to the new company. This authorization may manifest in the carrier's system as a letter of agency that documents the needed approvals from the end subscriber. In an embodiment, the TSS may enable a letter of agency process for a provider to authorize texting and other services on a toll-free number or plurality of toll-free numbers that are used by an end subscriber. The letter of agency may be electronically stored and presented to the responsible organization or owner of record for a given number or service. The letter of agency may further define a time frame during which certain actions, such as the turning on of texting services for a toll-free number, are permitted. Such letters of agency, as defined herein, may be further associated with stored profiles of an owner of record and/or end subscriber. A letter of agency may allow a toll-free number end-user, or toll-free number subscriber, to authorize service enablement for services not covered by their existing responsible organization. In this way, consumers can have multiple services enabled on a single telephone number, across multiple service providers. In an example, a letter of agency may authorize a responsible organization or other entity to take a plurality of actions so that additional communication with, for example, an end subscriber is unnecessary and actions may be taken more quickly and efficiently. This may enable service registrars, and others, to activate new services, such as toll-free texting services or bandwidth increases on a shorter timeline, which may have commercial benefits as speed activation of needed telecommunications services.
In an embodiment, the TSS may facilitate the enablement of a letter of agency process used to enable toll-free texting capability and capture basic data such as customer name, responsible organization, service registrar, toll free number, service enablement date, and letter of authorization/agency, status of services, or some other type of data associated with toll-free telephone numbers and services. The TSS may facilitate the letter of agency process by programmatically sending a notification to the responsible organization of record to memorialize the transaction. A timer may be set that will give the responsible organization a limited period of time to dispute the transaction. If no action is taken, the transaction may proceed and texting service enablement, or some other service type, may be fulfilled in the TSS Registry. Continuing the example, this letter of agency process may be provided for each toll-free number that is provisioned in the TSS Registry, or only a subset of numbers depending on the wishes of the end users. In order to streamline the letter of agency process, a “blanket” letter of agency may be used whereby the customer of record may authorize a specific service registrar to provision, update, and deactivate records in the TSS as needed. In such cases, a notification may be sent to the responsible organization to memorialize each transaction. In order to further streamline the letter of agency process, responsible organization's may choose to put a “blanket” authorization on specific service registrar's which will allow the transaction to take place in real time.
In embodiments, the TSS Registry, as described herein may be an authoritative database of all, or some subset of, text-enabled toll-free numbers in North America. It may also contain the top-level routing information, in the form of a toll-free service provider identifier (TSPID), used by the texting ecosystem to send messages to the proper toll-free subscriber. Since a letter of agency is required for each toll-free number that is enabled in the TSS, the TSPID may become a centralized and authoritative source identifier and may be used in the provisioning of additional services associated with toll-free numbers such as, but not limited to MMS, video conferencing, and streaming data. Furthermore, since part of the enablement process includes Responsible Organization authorization and/or notification, coupled with the direct connection to a voice telecommunications platform associated with the TFMP, the TSPID may also serve to validate the authority of a call routing table.
The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
A method of identifying and storing an identifier associated with a toll-free-communication entity, comprising:

    
    
        locating an identifier within the header portion of an SMS text message routed over a toll-free telecommunications line, the identifier located based at least in part through latent semantic indexing;
        comparing the located identifier with metadata stored on a server, the metadata associated with a plurality of entities;
        selecting an entity from among the plurality of entities based at least in part on the comparison; and
        storing a code associated with the entity within a translation table associated with a toll-free telecommunications management platform.
    
    


A method of creating and storing an identifier associated with a toll-free-communication entity, comprising:

    
    
        locating data within the header portion of an SMS text message routed over a toll-free telecommunications line, the data located based at least in part through latent semantic indexing;
        creating an entity identifier based at least on the data;
        storing a code associated with the entity identifier and an entity within a translation table associated with a toll-free telecommunications management platform; and
        associating the entity and entity identifier with a call routing table.
    
    


A method of identifying and storing an identifier associated with a toll-free-communication entity, comprising:

    
    
        identifying a toll-free call route trend among a plurality of toll-free calls taking place within a toll-free telecommunications network;
        
            wherein the call route trend is identified at least in part by call routings among toll-free numbers sharing an attribute;
        
        
        creating a call route template based at least in part on the trend;
        identifying an entity using at least one toll-free number with the shared attribute;
        prepopulating a call route tree for the entity based on the call route template.
    
    


With reference to FIGS. 16-20, a system according to various embodiments, and which may be referred to in some instances herein as an intelligent platform, platform, or an architecture, is operable to support the ever evolving toll-free industry through the use of modern technologies which may include enhanced functionality and deliver improved cost efficiencies and quality of service.
The architecture depicted in FIGS. 16-20 may include aspects such as:

    
    
        Number searches return suggestions
        Scheduled number search
        One-click number search to activate
        Number search based on history
        Smart number search
        Bulk search
        Spare number availability notification
        Enhanced number configurability
        Enhanced route management
        Self-service administration
        Additional user roles
        Customer record builder
        Customer record template transfer
        Dashboard
        Customer access
        Open API
        Bulk Processing
        Improved Search
        Workflow
        Customer records/Template
        System Performance
        Reporting and Analytics
    
    


The architecture depicted in FIGS. 16-20 may include the components in the following table:












Component
Decision
Rationale







Application
Apply Service-oriented (SOA) and
SOA and EDA create loose


Platform
event-driven (EDA) design
coupling and high cohesion,



throughout the application. The core
which enable flexibility and



system should be considered a
extensibility to business change



platform for existing application
in alignment with the solution



services as well as future products
principles.



and services, some of which may be



provided by the TFMP while others



would be provided by either third



parties or affiliated entities,



interfacing with the system via



public APIs.


Application
Follow web scale IT design to
Web-Scale design concepts


Platform
enable cloud-based scale and high
consider global-class compute



availability using stateless models,
capacity given the massive



open source tools, Agile/DevOps
expansion of web- and cloud-



approaches, and Web Oriented
enabled capabilities. Web-Scale



Architecture (Web APIs) concepts.
is the modern equivalent to high




quality of service architectures




on low cost/commodity




infrastructure.


Application
Utilize web API architecture to
Traditional N-Tier architectures


Platform
simplify traditional N-Tier models
require significant “platform



by connecting any
plumbing,” and may be quickly



device/channel/interface via a single
being replaced by simpler, more



API that encapsulates a back-end
modern Web API architectures



data/process service.
that use generic interfaces to




back-end data/processing




services. This simpler




architecture aligns well with the




solution principles.


Application
Distributed queue with guaranteed
Traditional, storage-based queues


Platform
(storage-based) messaging to ensure
should be sufficient to handle



FIFO request management. Develop
transaction volumes. If the queue



a proof of concept for in-memory
becomes a bottleneck and the



queue if requirements necessitate
database architecture cannot



faster performance.
maintain integrity, an in-memory




queue may be necessary.


Application
Prefer Java as the programming
Over the last few years, Java has


Platform
platform/language of choice for core
consistently been ranked as one



application components. Leverage
of the most popular



alternative languages
programming languages with an



opportunistically to accelerate
installed base that rivals any



development for lightweight Web
other programming language. A



components, native sockets, or
wide availability of resources



analytics, among others.
and products exist to




complement the language. A




minimal risk exists with Java




based on the fact that it is




controlled by Oracle and does




not share the same degree of




openness as many other




languages. Nonetheless, Java is a




generic rather than a purpose-




specific language, so the




architecture should expect a




plurality of alternatives to solve




discrete technical or business




problems.


User Interface
Design for web-based, thin client
Responsive/cross-channel web



user interface with HTML5,
design and cross-platform/device



JavaScript and CSS.
compatibility requires modern




user interface technologies to




deliver consistency across a




variety of browsers, screen-sizes




and platforms. JavaScript




libraries (formerly referred to as




AJAX/RIA) have significantly




matured, when combined with




HTML5 and CSS, can now




deliver rich, dynamic and usable




experiences that integrate easily




with web APIs. These tools do,




however, require significant




hand-coding.


Business
Implement a business rule engine
Current business processes may


Process and
(BRE), but not a BPMS, to simplify
not require use of a business


Rules
call-tree routing for customer
process management suite



records and enable configuration of
(BPMS) because 1) processes



valid values and ranges throughout
may be deterministic with



the application.
defined beginnings and ends, 2)




processes do not change




frequently, and 3) processes do




not require business user change.




Basic workflow/orchestration




logic and rule evaluation tools




meet minimum solution




requirements. These basic




capabilities may be packaged in




many leading products including




service buses and open source




tools.


Integration
Use a lightweight service bus to
An integration layer centralizes



intermediate Web APIs between
and simplifies Web API



channels/devices/interfaces. The
mediation and security, as well



service bus can be one of two
as decouples the architecture to



patterns/usages:
increase flexibility and



1. Open Source Enterprise
extensibility. ESBs may be



   Service Bus (ESB) that
traditional integration mainstays



   provides advanced service
that provide a suite of integration



   mediation, intelligent routing,
functionality. Popular open



   BPEL/orchestration, rule
source tools include Talend,



   evaluation, security and robust
Mulesoft, Red Hat Fuse, and



   message transformation
WSO2. Lighter-weight API



2. API Management Appliances
Management Appliances



   that provide basic service
(formerly referred to as SOA



   mediation, routing,
Governance tools) may be



   orchestration and
increasingly popular for



   transformation plus hardware
simplified and accelerated



   acceleration for security/SSL
service mediation. Popular



   and message processing
appliances may be CA/Layer 7,




DataPower, and Intel SOA




Express.


Integration
Both SOAP and REST, and others
Both REST and SOAP WS-I



can be used. SOAP WS-I is
may be mainstream Web Service



preferred for higher quality of
integration technologies. These



service requirements such as
technologies provide for



security and reliable messaging.
relatively easy and efficient



REST is preferred for ubiquity and
integration following industry-



interoperability.
accepted standards.


Integration
Use data integration to ensure
CDC and ETL may be both



consistency across data stores and
mainstream options for moving



synchronization for replication. Data
data. CDC should be used for



integration tools may deliver two
near real-time data integration



patterns/usages:
whereas ETL should be used to



1. Change data capture (CDC)
move bulk changes on a periodic



   for moving data from
basis. Numerous open source



   transaction processing systems
data integration tools may be



   (OLTP) into the operational
available, including those



   data store (ODS) in near/real-
packaged with the chosen



   time
database.



2. Extract, transform, load (ETL)



   for moving data from ODS to



   other data stores for



   replication and analysis in



   batch/scheduled mode


Business
Expand use of the SAP
There is an existing investment,


Intelligence
BusinessObjects suite investment to
comfort, and experience with



address the three business
BusinesObjects for end-user



intelligence use cases: Dashboards,
reporting. BusinessObjects is a



Reporting, and Analytics. This
leading product and suite for



includes using BusinessObjects as a
dashboards, reporting and



replacement for Concurrent
analytics. The Knosys platform is



Technologies Knosys, which is
expensive, adds complexity to



currently used for management
the environment, and requires



reporting. Evaluate use of
data to be sent off-site without



BusinessObjects On-Demand/SaaS
clear repossession rights.



to reduce the infrastructure footprint.


Business
Analytics and Reporting can run
A separate reporting database is


Intelligence
against the operational data store
essential to remove those



(ODS) for both management and
workloads from the transaction



end-user reports (dashboards,
processing database (when not



canned reports, parameterized
using an in-memory database,



reports, ad hoc reports). The ODS
which is the current direction).



can provide insight into “what
The ODS can maintain an



happened?” and “what is
integrated, near real-time set of



happening?”
all operational data including




number, customer, and billing




information.


Business
Analytics and Reporting can run
A separate analytics database is


Intelligence
against a data warehouse or “big
essential to remove those



data” data store. The analytics data
workloads from the ODS. This



store can be created for industry
analytics data store may also



intelligence workloads, which may
include a different schema,



include mining, forecasting, and
different data types, and different



trending to provide insight into “why
semantics. ETL, and others can



is this happening?” and “what is
be used to move data from the



likely to happen next?”
ODS to the analytics data store




unless near/real-time information




is necessary for industry




analytics.


Data
There is no need for master or
There may be current or future


Management
metadata management, search
requirements that necessitate



engines or Web/content/document
active data quality management,



management.
metadata management, or




unstructured content search. Web




and content management may be




out of scope.


Data
The database architecture can enable
Traditional, shared-everything,


Management
partitioning in a shared nothing
monolithic database architectures



model. This can ensure that data
may be being replaced by



access and indexing can be scaled in
modern, shared-nothing, highly



a widely accepted, fault-tolerant
scalable architectures. These



manner.
concepts align with Web-Scale




deployments and disclosed




embodiments solution principles.


Data
Data integrity and availability may
ACID is the traditional, high


Management
be characterized by two data model
integrity database model that



patterns/usage: ACID and BASE.
provides ample scale and



Preference is for ACID, but others
capacity. This is a low risk



may be prototyped such as BASE
solution for well-known number



using strict success criteria
and customer administration



(monitoring, management,
functionalities. BASE offers



consistency, responsiveness) to
nearly infinite performance and



determine if additional benefits
scale benefits, but requires a



exceed the risks of complexity,
significant shift in developer and



difficulty, and ability to maintain
user experience that introduces



user expectations.
risk into the deployment. This



1. ACID: Traditional session-
degree of change and risk



   based database locking
currently outweigh the benefits



   strategies to guarantee
of scale and capacity. Further



   transaction integrity (e.g.,
investigation is needed to



   Oracle, DB2, SQL Server,
understand the true



   mySQL)
benefits/tradeoffs, and



2. BASE: Trending stateless
implications to other



   database models that favor
architectural decisions.



   data availability and eventual



   consistency over data integrity



   (e.g., mySQL Cluster,



   Cassandra, MongoDB)


Data
If the performance requirements
Data sharding is an advanced


Management
necessitate additional scale, the
alternative technique that not



BASE pattern design should be
only partitions data but also



favored over data sharding.
moves those partitions into




separate databases. This requires




intelligence in the application to




know in which database certain




sets of data reside. For disclosed




embodiments, the benefit of




sharding scale and performance




do not justify the costs of




additional application




complexity.


Monitoring
Monitoring may cover three levels:
Application monitoring is a



1) application performance
critical piece of application



monitoring (end-user experience,
management and is essential to



application runtime, transaction
reduce maintenance costs.



profiling, component deep-dives), 2)
Consistent application



server monitoring and 3) network
instrumentation implementation



monitoring. Unified monitoring
practices are followed to ensure



tools may be utilized to simplify the
accurate end-to-end user and



landscape and provide a single
transaction level monitoring.



console for application and



infrastructure health.


Security
Multiple products may be used to
Application security is a



secure the runtime environment.
fundamental concern for all



Web Application Firewalls provide
application development, and



real-time event monitoring and
should be ingrained into every



protect against known SQL injection
aspect of the application code.



and phishing vulnerabilities.
Web Application Firewalls may



Dynamic security testing tools may
be simple hardware appliances



continually verify protection against
that can also accelerate and load



known signatures and patterns. Data
balance requests. Many other



masking tools should be used to
security tools may be open



obfuscate production data for
source or easily acquired.



test/development purposes.


Security
Identity and Web access
Security cannot be compromised,



management can be provided via on-
but there may be more usable



premises Web Access Management
solutions available that can



tools. These tools provide integrated
sustain and even enhance system



identity management, self-service
security posture.



password management,



authentication management and



authorization integration. Disclosed



embodiments may still require two-



factor authentication. A password is



likely to be the first factor. A token



(soft or certificate-based) or a one-



time password (OTP) may be likely



to be the second factor. A VPN



should be used to create a secure



tunnel and mitigate Man-In-The-



Middle attacks.









With reference to FIG. 21, in embodiments, the TFMP may include a subsystem that enables distributed call collectors to collect data from various sources including service control points (SCPs), toll-free service providers, interexchange carriers, and others. Data may be real-time grouped, aggregated and reduced based on toll-free numbers and relevant parameters, including but not limited to origination location, originating area of service, originating NPA, ANI, or some other criterion. Call counts may be calculated for high priority numbers. Data may be enriched with call duration information when it is available. This process may assist in reducing the overall data set size and speeding processing. A local NoSQL data store may be used to aggregate local trends and pre-process raw data.
In embodiments, once pre-processing completes, data may be shared in real time, or near real time, to a centralized analytics data store 2102 that is associated with the TFMP for more real time mapping and reduction. The analytics NoSQL datamart may combine data feeds from various service providers from the network and further reduce information to call counts, call completion rates and call duration for high priority numbers. This subsystem of the TFMP may gather historical macroeconomic data from market sources 2104 like BloombergTM and ReutersTM and create a reference data store that groups and summarizes economic trends month over month. This subsystem may serve as a reference data source for the analysis, inference and indexing system.
In embodiments, this subsystem may collect historical call completion and call count data from high priority numbers and apply mapping and data reduction techniques to create historical baselines for calls. Calls may be sourced from market data sources, data purchases, data bartering from call sources, or through some other type of data source. Call sampling and aggregation may be iteratively performed until a statistically significant dataset is created (e.g., over a tuning period). Multi-factor models may be created for correlating toll-free call activity with selected macroeconomic trends, backed by high priority numbers tied to businesses. For example, calls to toll-free numbers for employment commissions in the 50 states may be tied to a forward-looking indicator for unemployment and consumer sentiment.
In another example, historical changes in macroeconomic data may be plotted with changes in call metrics like call volume, call duration, or some other data related to toll-free data. This may provide a correlation between telemetry and economic indicators. Financial modeling techniques may be applied, and additional factors may be analyzed, including but not limited to consumer sentiment, including sentiment that is sourced by social media comments and online behaviors related to relevant topics (e.g., questions regarding unemployment benefits or questions regarding food stamps). Interrelationships between indicators may also be analyzed. Credit card spending data may be an additional factor analyzed. These underlying factors may drive stochastic probabilities to determine a prediction model that may be utilized by the TFMP. The TFMP system may include a subsystem, referred to as a “node,” that may be used to build a decision tree that is downloaded to the SCPs to facilitate the stochastic probabilities to determine a prediction model. The decision tree may be used in various manners as otherwise described to facilitate call efficiency. The output of the model may be a prediction trend 2108 that can forecast the probability of a relative positivity or negativity of the upcoming indicator. Data from the analytics data store and the historical trends data store may be analyzed through a multi-factor model for deriving a macro economic trend indicator and a relative level of confidence with the trend.
In embodiments, a client device 2110 such as an online and/or a mobile application may allow users to filter, search and sort trend data, increase or reduce granularity, include or exclude factors and zone in or drill down based on dimensions. For example, a user may choose to include or exclude a state from the model to derive a trend prediction and a prediction confidence indicator. Alternatively or in addition, a customizable user interface, or “dashboard,” may be utilized to provide access for third party data services, sponsored data and information derived from toll-free telecommunications networks, including but not limited to telecommunications carriers, service control points, call centers, or other parties affiliated with a toll-free telecommunication network. As elsewhere described, origination data may be combined with social media and other public domain third party data, and near real-time, apply a valuation model to display a trends and prices on an interactive map via the TFMP. Further, the user profile and security administration grants permissions to different groups of users to access embodiments of the system to create, view, update and activate certain functions. The system can implement a role-based access control mechanism.
In embodiments, this analytic subsystem of the TFMP may provide a flexible mapping interface for a user 2112 to enter their own data as part of an analysis. Once configured, additional data sources may be added in real time, or near real time, through an API or a web interface to further refine the model based on customer specific data sets to make intelligent business decisions. The system may alternatively or additionally be embodied in a distributed computing environment, such as a cloud based computing network. In another embodiment, such systems may be hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks).
The system may also provide a marketplace for data trading where subscribers can choose and buy data sources that are of interest to them to include in their analysis to further refine their predictive model. The system may facilitate the sale of data sources and assist in ensuring that the data uploaded and made available on the data market is scrubbed of personally identifiable or other sensitive data. For facilitating the data sale, the system may charge a percentage of the sale proceeds in addition to an annual or monthly subscription fees. For consumers interested in a monthly subscription, overall sentiment data may be made available through a number trend report. Alerts may be presented to users, such as to a client device. The user may also access the reporting capabilities of the TFMP through a client device, such as a personal computer, mobile phone, tablet computer, or some other computing facility, and receive data, including multimedia to the user's client device. Functionalities of the TFMP include, but are not limited to, Number Administration (NA) and Customer Record (CR) administration.
In embodiments, the TFMP may provide macroeconomic data trend over a network to a remote client device, by providing a user interface dashboard to a user for installation on the remote client device; receiving third party social media data; modeling at least one of call duration or call count data with the third party social media data to derive a macroeconomic trend; receiving a request from the remote client device to present the macroeconomic data trend; generating an alert from the macroeconomic data trend that contains a stock name, stock price and a universal resource locator (URL), which specifies the location of the data source; and transmitting the alert over a communication channel to the remote client device associated with the user based upon a destination address and transmission schedule that is associated with the remote client device, wherein the alert activates the user interface dashboard to cause the alert to display on the remote client device and to enable connection with the user interface dashboard when the remote client device is activated.

    
    
        The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
    
    


A method comprising:

    
    
        receiving data relating to toll-free number call activity from a toll-free telecommunications system, wherein the data includes at least one of call duration or call count data;
        receiving third party data relating to macroeconomic activity;
        modeling at least one of call duration or call count data with the third party data to derive a macroeconomic trend;
        receiving a request from a client device to present the macroeconomic trend; and
        presenting a representation of the macroeconomic trend to a user interface on the client device.
    
    


A method comprising:

    
    
        receiving data relating to toll-free number call activity from a toll-free telecommunications system, wherein the data includes at least one of call duration or call count data;
        receiving metadata about the toll-free numbers that are the subject of the call activity, wherein the metadata includes data pertaining to at least one of business type or location;
        modeling at least one of call duration or call count data with the metadata to derive a macroeconomic trend;
        receiving a request from a client device to present the macroeconomic trend; and
        presenting a representation of the macroeconomic trend to a user interface on the client device.
    
    


A method of distributing a macroeconomic data trend over a network to a remote client device, the method comprising:

    
    
        providing a user interface dashboard to a user for installation on the remote client device;
        receiving third party social media data;
        modeling at least one of call duration or call count data with the third party social media data to derive a macroeconomic trend;
        receiving a request from the remote client device to present the macroeconomic data trend;
        generating an alert from the macroeconomic data trend that contains a stock name, stock price and a universal resource locator (URL), which specifies the location of the data source; and
        transmitting the alert over a communication channel to the remote client device associated with the user based upon a destination address and transmission schedule that is associated with the remote client device, wherein the alert activates the user interface dashboard to cause the alert to display on the remote client device and to enable connection with the user interface dashboard when the remote client device is activated.
    
    


With reference to FIG. 22, in another embodiment, a toll-free management platform (TFMP) may refine a recommendation for a toll-free number search via a recommendation engine that utilizes a searcher's profile to improve the search. The toll-free management platform (TFMP) may utilize other assets of a toll-free system generally, such as carrier data, location information regarding call origination, payment data and so forth. The TFMP system may include a subsystem, referred to as a “node,” that may be used to build a decision tree that is downloaded to the SCPs. The decision tree may be used in various manners as otherwise described to facilitate call efficiency. In one example, the toll-free number search may be based upon a customer's historical data such as prior search criteria and existing toll-free numbers, and thereby provide the customer suggestions or notification of toll-free numbers that are available for use. This toll-free number search may be based upon previous searches by either that customer and alternatively or in addition, upon other customer searches.
The toll-free number predictive search is operable to utilize multiple sources of data to extrapolate possible toll-free numbers and those included in a Resp Org and/or user's search history to include, but not be limited to, a current Resp Org inventory, an overall search history, lists of upcoming available numbers, or some other type of data. Predictive analytics is an area of data mining that deals with extracting information from data and using it to predict trends and behavior patterns. The toll-free number predictive search is operable for the user profile and security administration grants permissions to different groups of users to access embodiments of the system to create, view, update and activate certain functions. The system can implement a role-based access control mechanism.
Predictive analytics utilized for the predictive search may encompass a variety of statistical techniques from predictive modeling, machine learning, and data mining that analyze current and historical facts to make predictions about future, or otherwise unknown, events. Predictive analytics can be applied to any type of unknown whether it be in the past, present or future. Predictive analytic services may also be provided that allow a user, through the customizable user interface, or dashboard, to access third party data services, sponsored data and information derived from toll-free telecommunications networks, including but not limited to telecommunications carriers, service control points, call centers, or other parties affiliated with a toll-free telecommunication network. As elsewhere described, origination data may be combined with social media and other public domain third party data, and near real-time, apply a valuation model to display a trends and prices on an interactive map via the TFMP.
The toll-free number predictive search may check on the availability of a suggested toll-free number before making a particular suggestion and may otherwise automatically reserve that toll-free number, based upon the customer selecting an “automatically reserve” option. That is, the toll-free number may be automatically reserved if it meets particular search criteria to essentially automate the reservation thereof. Further, the automatic reservation may be a fee-based function in which particular bidders are able to prioritize the choice of toll free numbers via particular fee based arrangements.
In embodiments, initially, a user may be provided the option to opt in to the toll-free number predictive search feature as well as the option to automatically reserve toll-free numbers determined to be available based upon the predictive search. That is, rather than wait for a request, a customer-desired number is predicted, offered, and potentially reserved. The user may also access the reporting capabilities of the TFMP through a client device, such as a personal computer, mobile phone, tablet computer, or some other computing facility, and receive data, including multimedia to the user's client device. Functionalities of the TFMP include, but are not limited to, Number Administration (NA) and Customer Record (CR) administration. It should be appreciated that other options may be alternatively or additionally provided.
In one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of a method 2200 for operation of a toll-free number predictive search is initiated via accessing a Resp Org's search history (step 2202; FIGS. 23, 24, 25, and 26). Numerous criteria may be used when searching for toll-free numbers including the use of wildcards, words translated to numbers, and the like. The search may be performed at both a Resp Org level and broken down by a user as well. This history may be one of the factors used in providing suggestions. Typically, an inventory of toll-free numbers associated with a particular Resp Org as well as an inventory of available toll-free numbers is accessible. Next, the toll-free number predictive search feature may utilize an algorithm that would, for example using the data noted above, produce a list of customer desired toll-free numbers for the customer (step 2204). For example, the algorithm may use any and/or all of the following information to make a search recommendation:

    
    
        Previous search number history (what numbers has a user/Resp Org searched for recently and how many times has the search been performed).
        Current inventory of toll-free numbers managed by this particular Resp Org. For example, if 888-234-CARS is managed perhaps 800-234-CARS may be predicted as being desired.
        Numbers that are to be spared (made available). Examine numbers that are going to become available and determine if they meet any patterns in which a user has expressed interest.
        Search histories from this or other Resp Orgs as it relates to a number this Resp Org has searched for.
    
    


The predictive search results may facilitate a standing willingness for a customer to pay for a particular toll-free number and thus automatically reserve the predicted toll-free number (step 2206). For example, once a toll-free number is identified, various offers may be made available via an auction, payment to be first in line, subscription offerings, and others. Finally, a plurality of options may be provided when the customer receives the predictive search results (step 2208), such as, but not limited to:

    
    
        At every logon;
        Emailed at a specific time of the day. In one example, coordinated around the TFN Spare activity.
    
    


The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
A method of searching for a toll-free number, comprising:

    
    
        identifying a previous search number history for a user; and
        offering a toll free number associated with the previous search number history to the user.
    
    


A method of searching for a toll-free number, comprising:

    
    
        predicting a customer-desired toll free number for a user;
        reserving a toll free number in response to the predicting; and
        offering the reserved toll free number to the user.
    
    


A method of searching for a toll-free number, comprising:

    
    
        identifying a previous search number history for a user;
        predicting a customer-desired toll free number for a user from the previous search number history; and
        offering the predicted toll free number to the user.
    
    


One disclosed embodiment of the system can support future and the ever-evolving toll-free industry through the use of modern technologies, enhanced functionality, and improved cost efficiencies and quality of service. The system can provide additional and enhanced system capabilities that meet or exceed the performance of the existing legacy system on all parameters such as response time, capacity, scalability and cost. The system can improve core services, lower operational expenses, and enable innovations for customers.
More specifically, embodiments of the system can facilitate:

    
    
        Modernization of core technologies
        Relevance with transition to IP.
        Use cloud, mobile, and leading-edge technologies to enable new business opportunities and facilitate customer innovation.
        Meet/Exceed current service levels.
        Optimize processes and data.
        Make it easier for customers to do business thereby building stronger relationships.
        Increase customer satisfaction and perceived value
        Enable business process automation to optimize cycle time
        Make data more valuable and accessible for both internal and external use.
        Optimize functionality and system access methods to the minimum required. Increase ability to change.
        Be more flexible to quickly add/enhance products and services.
        More easily adapt to and support business/industry change over time.
        Simplify in everything to optimize and reduce costs.
        Broaden pool of available talent by leveraging current technologies and leading concepts.
    
    


Embodiments of the disclosed system may include the integration of one or more of the following capabilities:

    
    
        Number searches return suggestions.
        Scheduled number search.
        One-click number search to activation.
        Number search based on history.
        Smart number search.
        Bulk search.
        Spare number availability notification.
        Enhanced number configurability.
        Enhanced route management.
        Self-service administration.
        Additional user roles.
        Customer record builder.
        Customer record template transfer.
        Dashboard.
        Customer access.
    
    


Additionally, the capabilities listed herein may include the following features in its integration such as Minimal Feature Sets (“MFS”), New Feature Sets (“NFS”) and Non-Functional Requirements. Additionally, the capabilities listed in the MFS, NFS, and Non-Functional Requirements may include the following:

    
    
        Ease of Use.
        Open API.
        Bulk Processing.
        Improved Search.
        Workflow.
        Customer records/Template.
        System Performance.
        Reporting and Analytics.
    
    


With reference to FIG. 27, a high performance Agile and DevOps application delivery organization 2700 permits each vendor to examine the organization and sample toolset to see if it fits within their idea of a delivery organization. The system can be built on a Web-Scale infrastructure capable of delivering continuous availability and continuous delivery. The Web-Scale infrastructure can enable developers and administrators to easily provision and deploy environments on-demand. The infrastructure and application services can scale up and down based on external factors (i.e., current load, performance requirements). Integrated teams, process and tools that provide increased agility, transparency and ease of governance, and effective allocation of resources
A subscriber to basic telephone service is assigned a telephone number that identifies the service and is billed for calls originated from the telephone line associated with the service. In contrast, with toll-free service the subscriber is assigned a toll-free telephone number and is billed for all calls terminated to that number. There is no charge to the originator of the toll-free call.
Toll-free number portability made it possible for any company to provide service for any available toll-free number. FCC Tariff No. 1×, 800 Service Management system functions specified the functionality of a Service Management system that would be operated by the Bell Operating Companies (BOCs). One embodiment of a tariff is Tariff F.C.C. No. 1×, 800 Service Management System Functions, Issued Jan. 31, 2013, Effective Feb. 15, 2013. A disclosed embodiment, originally developed and maintained by Bellcore, facilitates a company that wishes to provide toll-free service (referred to as a Responsible organization/Resp Org/toll-free service provider) to obtain control of toll-free numbers and provision of the information in the network needed to route calls to a designated terminating number. (This information is sometimes referred to as a Customer Record.) This tariff outlines the requirements for becoming a toll-free service provider, the capabilities required of the disclosed embodiment to allow toll-free service providers to search for and reserve toll-free numbers and provision Customer Record information, and how toll-free service providers may be to be billed for use of the disclosed embodiment and control of toll-free numbers.
With geographic portability made possible through the use of centralized routing databases, it became possible for the same toll-free number to be dialed from anywhere in the country and for the toll-free call to be delivered to different destinations based on routing criteria specified in the Customer Record. Toll-free service quickly grew in popularity, and the supply of available 800 numbers neared exhaustion. The toll-free code 888 was opened in 1996, followed by 877 in 1998, 866 in 2000, and 855 in 2010. Plans may be underway for opening of the 844 code in the near future and the FCC tariff has designated the future use of the 833 and 822 codes. As the value of toll-free service and the advantages to having a meaningful combination of digits in a toll-free number (referred to as a vanity number) became increasingly apparent, numerous companies became toll-free service providers and established businesses selling toll-free service. Today, there may be more than 450 toll-free service providers, including telecommunications network providers, resellers, and independent organizations.
To understand routing of toll-free calls, it may be useful to understand how routing is performed for standard (i.e., not toll-free) calls.
With reference to FIG. 28, the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) 2800, introduced in the 1940s, established the 10-digit telephone number format used in the United States, Canada, and neighboring countries in the Caribbean. The format, shown in FIG. 28 consists of a three-digit Numbering Plan Area (NPA) code, and a seven-digit telephone number that includes three digits that identify an office code or local exchange and four digits that identify the individual number within the office code. The NPA, or area code, uniquely identifies a geographic area, the office code uniquely identifies a central office switching system (historically referred to as an exchange) within an NPA, and the line number points to the service components and dedicated resources in the switching system that provide the service instance identified by the line number.
When toll-free service was introduced in 1967, telephone calls were routed using information provisioned in each Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) local switching system. A routing table specified how the switch should process an originating call based on the digits dialed by the calling party and the arrangement of facilities that connected the switch to other switches. A switch has direct connections to other switches in the same area and connections to intermediate switches called tandems that provide the next hop toward other switches operated by the same company. Additional connections to specialized tandems provide access to long distance networks to transport calls to switches outside the local area. The local area where a company provides services is known as a Local Access and Transport Area (LATA).
The NPA or NPA-NXX of the dialed called party number identifies an entry in the routing table that points to the route needed to transport the call toward the terminating switch that serves the dialed line number. Initially, calls within a local area only required 7-digit dialing (just the NXX and the final 4 digits), but as the demand for telephone numbers grew, additional area codes were opened within a local area, and it became necessary to dial 10 digits for both local and long distance calls. If the digits dialed may be for an NPA-NXX served by the same switch, the routing table can indicate that a call should be offered to the subscriber identified by the telephone number. If the digits dialed indicate a NPA-NXX not served by the switch, the routing table can point to a route to a neighboring local switch, a local tandem, or a long-distance tandem.
Unlike a typical NPA, the 800 code introduced to identify toll-free numbers does not identify a unique area to which a call can be routed. To support toll-free service, additional entries had to be made in each local switch routing table to indicate the route for an 800-NXX code. Calling a particular 800 number was limited to the local switches that had been provisioned with routing information for that number. Additionally, further routing information was required at a terminating switch to map the 800 number to the terminating line.
In the early 1980s, AT&T introduced centralized call routing databases to handle routing of 800 calls. With a centralized database, it was not necessary to provision routing information for toll-free numbers in every local switch. Instead, switches were configured to query the database for routing information when it was recognized that an 800 number had been dialed. The database can be provisioned with routing information to direct a call to a route based on many factors, providing flexibility and removing the association of an 800 number to a specific local switch. This made it possible for a company to own a national 800 number and for calls to that number to be routed to a different local switch depending on where the call originated or the time of day. The flexibility provided by centralized call routing databases also enabled any carrier to provide service for any 800 number. Both geographic and carrier portability for toll-free service had become possible.
Today, in addition to toll-free calling, services like local number portability, operator services, and Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) features, make use of advanced routing capabilities enabled by signaling system 7 (SS7).
With reference to FIG. 29, in the SS7 network 2900, the local switch is known as a Service Switching Point (SSP). A Signal Transfer Point (STP) 2902 provides routing of SS7 messages, and databases with call routing and feature information may be known as Service Control Points (SCP) 2904. To enable advanced routing via a centralized database, local switch routing tables may be configured to trigger a query to a database for additional call processing instructions based on various criteria.
In the case of a toll-free call origination, the switch can recognize the 8 XX code in the dialed digits and launch a query to an SCP for routing information using the SS7 Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) protocol to transport a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) query.
As shown in FIG. 30, the query may be routed by an STP to an SCP that has been provisioned with the information that describes how to route the toll-free call. In some cases the initial SCP that is queried by the local switch can return information that can cause the call to be routed to a switch operated by another carrier where a subsequent query to a different SCP can be performed to obtain the routing information needed to direct the call to the destination.
The routing information, consisting of a carrier code and terminating number, is returned in a TCAP response to the originating switch. The switch uses the information to select a route from its routing database and continues processing 3000 of the toll-free call.
Toll-free number administration includes management of number assignment and provisioning of customer records. This section describes the toll-free business, the key stakeholders, roles and responsibilities, and disclosed embodiment capabilities.
Key aspects of the toll-free number business may be described by the FCC tariff. This tariff, describing “regulations, rates and charges applying to the provisioning of functions and support services” was first released in 1993. Updates have occurred since, with the latest released January, 2013, becoming effective in February, 2013. This tariff describes the undertakings of the company responsible for the disclosed embodiment and the capabilities required of embodiments of the system itself. It defines key terminology and specifies the responsibilities of toll-free service providers, who may be the primary users of the disclosed embodiment. It also provides a schedule of rates and charges with regulations for billing toll-free service providers for disclosed embodiment access and usage. System requirements defined by this, or any other, tariff may be provided in “Business Rules” Section.
Some key participants in the toll-free business 3100 and the interactions between them may be illustrated in FIG. 31. Note that a primary geographic area for the toll-free business is the United States, Canada, and other areas where the NANP is used.
A toll-free subscriber contacts a toll-free service provider to order toll-free service. The toll-free service provider may be a carrier who operates a network or may have a relationship with a network provider in order to enable service. The toll-free service provider has an interface to the disclosed embodiment to search the pool of unassigned toll-free numbers and reserve one or more for use by the toll-free subscriber. Working with the toll-free subscriber, the Resp. Org determines how calls to the toll-free number should be routed.
On behalf of the toll-free subscriber, the toll-free service provider enters a Customer Record in the disclosed embodiment that specifies routing and carrier information for the toll-free number. The disclosed embodiment sends this information to the SCPs that control real-time routing of calls in the network. When the SCPs have received the routing information in the customer record, toll-free service is enabled for the toll-free number.
The toll-free subscriber has a business relationship with the toll-free service provider 3102 to pay for toll-free service. The toll-free service provider has a relationship with the TFMP to pay for access to the disclosed embodiment and use of the toll-free number assigned to the toll-free subscriber.
There may be a number of stakeholders that play key roles in the toll-free business, which may include those that follow:
FCC 3108—The FCC is the federal agency that has responsibility for the FCC tariff that specifies the need for a toll-free number Service Management system and defines the regulations, rates, and charges applicable for the use of system functions and support services. The FCC may approve changes to rates or other aspects of the FCC tariff.
The TFMP 100—The TFMP is responsible for the administration and operations of the disclosed embodiment and enforcement of the regulations outlined by a tariff. The TFMP may retain a number of contractors to assist with the activities required to manage the disclosed embodiment and related functions, including maintaining the disclosed embodiment software, running the data centers that house the disclosed embodiment, performing routine and corrective maintenance activities on the disclosed embodiment hardware, handling billing for access and use of the disclosed embodiment, and running the help desk to handle questions and requests from disclosed embodiment users.
Administrators and the TFMP Help Desk personnel can access the disclosed embodiment. Administrators can enter and maintain configuration and reference information needed for operation of the disclosed embodiment. Help Desk personnel can assist with troubleshooting access and Customer Record issues, complete TFMP Requests, and submit trouble reports.
Toll-Free Subscribers—Toll-free subscribers may be the end users of toll-free service. Toll-free service includes a toll-free telephone number and the network capabilities that enable calls to a toll-free number to be delivered to a designated terminating number according to conditions specified by the toll-free subscriber. Toll-free service is obtained from a toll-free service provider.
Toll-free service providers (aka Resp Orgs)—Toll-free service providers may be responsible for the overall coordination required to provision, maintain, and test toll-free service. A toll-free service provider may be a carrier that operates a network or instead could be an independent company or organization that interfaces with a carrier to arrange toll-free service. Toll-free service providers may be the primary users of disclosed embodiment. In embodiments, the system may be used to search for and reserve toll-free numbers for subscribers and provision Customer Records that provide the network with the information needed to route toll-free calls. Toll-free service providers may be billed for access and use of the disclosed embodiment and control of toll-free numbers on a monthly basis as described by a tariff.
Toll-free service providers often maintain sub-organizations based on geography or other organization classifications. The toll-free service provider entity is the top-level organization against which reservation limits may be imposed (represented by the first 2 digits of toll-free service provider ID in the current system). The sub-organization within a toll-free service provider entity (represented by the full 5 digit toll-free service provider ID in the current system) is referred to as a toll-free service provider unit. The toll-free service provider users who access the disclosed embodiment can be associated with a toll-free service provider unit and the corresponding toll-free service provider entity. A toll-free service provider entity may manage many toll-free service provider units, each having a unique toll-free service provider ID.
SCP Owners/Operators (SCP O/O)—SCPs may be the databases in the SS7 network that contain the information used to route toll-free calls. SCP Owners/Operators contract with the TFMP to receive updates from the disclosed embodiment. An interface is established between the disclosed embodiment and the SCPs so Customer Record information can be provisioned to SCPs to enable the real-time routing of toll-free calls. SCP O/Os may be billed for this service.
At SCP O/O companies, the SCP administrator is responsible for establishing reference data about the SCPs and their corresponding SS7 networks. The administrator also manages tables at the SCP node and the Call Management Services Database (CMSDB) within the SCP to set controls and limits for SCP operations. They may be permitted to access and change data only for the O/O's SCPs in the SS7 network.
A network manager is a member of Network Management Center (NMC) or Network Operations Center (NOC) at the SCP O/O company staff responsible for managing mass calling surveillance and control capabilities in its managed SS7 networks.
SCP O/O SCP administrators and SCO O/O Network managers may be users of the disclosed embodiment.
Billing Administrator—This function coordinates the Billing of all customers, using information provided in the disclosed embodiment.
Industry and Regulatory Liaison—This function uses information in the disclosed embodiment to respond to inquiries or to make inquiries to the regulatory bodies.
Carriers—Actual telephone entity that carries the toll-free call. Carriers operate networks that process telephone calls. Local-Exchange Carriers (LECs) operate end office switches that provide access service to subscribers and carry calls within a local area, known as a LATA. Interexchange carriers (IC) carry calls between local areas. A subscriber receives service from a local-exchange carrier and designates the default IC to carry calls between LATAs. Historically, local carriers and ICs were distinct, but today a carrier can be both a LEC and an IC. A carrier may also be an SCP O/O, or a carrier may obtain SS7 signaling and database services from a separate SCP O/O.
With reference to FIG. 32, in one disclosed embodiment, the architecture 3200 for a solution for toll-free with key enhancements to support the unique requirements for toll-free number administration and call routing is illustrated.
With reference to FIG. 33, in one disclosed embodiment, the architecture 3300 provides number administration capabilities for toll-free numbers facilitating integration between PSTN and an IP network. This unified platform can serve both PSTN and IP enabled numbers.
Toll-free subscribers work with Resp Orgs to search and reserve toll-free numbers. Responsible organizations continue to populate the disclosed architecture with CICs for PSTN numbers and an NS Records for IP-enabled numbers.
The disclosed embodiments of the architecture can store additional metadata (for example: toll-free CNAM, industry code, description, license status, trade group affiliations, BBB ratings and such) for the toll-free organization As the transition completes, toll-free calls would provide consumer assurance through a validated neutral third party trust chain to significantly improve consumer confidence and prevent identity fraud.
In addition to the NS Record for the iSCP, Resp Orgs can choose to configure aspects of the routing logic with the disclosed architecture (second dip). They can map a SIP URI to a toll-free record. In this example scenario, a Resp Org would copy over that information with the iSCPs. In addition to the enhanced aspects of the iSCP, the iSCP may also facilitate direct IP interconnects between RespOrgs and their service providers, if desired, through sharing additional metadata about a route.
With reference to FIG. 34, Toll-free numbers 3414 (unlike mobile and landline numbers) have evolved to be a branding and identity vehicle. Companies are increasingly using their toll-free numbers along with their online assets to provide an integrated customer experience. With this growth, availability of vanity numbers has become sparse and demand is increasing. In embodiments, a toll-free tagging service may be provided that includes a subscription-based service that is made available to Responsible Organizations (Resp Orgs), consumers and businesses. The toll-free tagging service may provide the ability to tag a toll-free number (or group of numbers), and once a number is tagged, to track updates to that number (e.g., a change in ownership, change in availability, increase in search statistics) that may then be distributed (“pushed”) to customers through emails/text messages or other means. Subscribers of the toll-free tagging service may also have the ability to create, view, update and delete tags through a web application, mobile application, or some other user interface.
The toll-free tagging service may alternatively or additionally be embodied in a distributed computing environment, such as a cloud based computing network. In another embodiment, the toll-free tagging service may be utilized via hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks). The toll-free tagging service may permit the user to access the reporting capabilities of the TFMP through a client device, such as a personal computer, mobile phone, tablet computer, or some other computing facility, and receive data, including multimedia to the user's client device. Functionalities of the TFMP include, but are not limited to, Number Administration (NA) and Customer Record (CR) administration.
In embodiments, subscribers may be provided options to create custom toll-free number tags based on keywords, using a website. Subscribers may have the option to choose, for example:

    
    
        Keywords that spell a number (for example 800-Success)
        Category based tagging (for example “Laundry”)
        Location based tagging (for example “California Numbers”)
        Popularity (suggestions based on search engine metrics)
        Social Media mentions (Facebook and twitter feeds)
        Suggestive Tags (based on peer user behavior)
    
    


In embodiments, the system may ingest data from a plurality of sources, including but not limited to the following:

    
    
        Number popularity sourced from number searches from the toll-free management platform (TFMP) 3402
        Number dips sourced from SCPs and network elements 3404
        Facebook, LinkedIn and twitter mentions of key words based on categories 3408
        Location information from fuzzy location parameters (including network location elements like NPA-NXX, ANI, JIP) and such
        Tag trend report based on tags that are most frequently indexed 3410
        News and Current event tags
        User contact sourcing (tag generation from subscribers address book)
        User social feed sourcing (tag generation based on users social media feeds)
        Seasonal tag sourcing (for example, Thanksgiving ads)
    
    


In embodiments, the TFMP 100 may allow for differentiated services based on subscriptions through a user interface 3420. For example, service offerings may be tiered:

    
    
        Regular Tier: May allow for tag alerting based on acceptable latency. Alerts may be available through a non-guaranteed delivery mechanism like email, and allows for basic subscription services with a cap on subscribers.
        Plus Tier: May allow for low latency alerting based on multiple mechanisms. Premium customer support and access to artificial intelligence based indexing may be provided to see popular tags. This may allow for extended customer bases.
        Premium Tier: May allow for premium access to see search patterns from others, unlimited tags, high speed and high frequency alerting, and the like. May also allow for an “auto reserve” function.
    
    


In embodiments, the tagging service of the TFMP may provide an unbiased valuation for a number or group of numbers based on several factors including, but not limited to:

    
    
        Tag popularity
        Industry financial metrics
        Call completion, dip status
        Average call duration
        Vanity-ness
        In embodiments, the tagging service of the TFMP may source data from distributed data sniffers that reside in networks to see dip rate and dip volume for popular numbers. This data may be compiled with other data sources including, for example, GoogleTM and AlexaTM trends (or other web traffic data and analytics) for tags and provide a heat map that shows “hot spots” for where the numbers are in demand and who is calling these numbers, nationally and internationally. In another example, a view may be provided that is a near real time valuation trend (e.g., analogous to a stock ticker) for, say, the top 10 tags/numbers by state/city. Current methods are limited in that they cannot combine call origination data, with social media and other public domain data, and near real-time, apply a valuation model to display a trends and prices on an interactive map, however the methods and systems of the TFMP enable such functionality.
        The toll-free tagging service may alternatively or additionally utilize the TFMP system and may include a subsystem, referred to as a “node,” that may be used to build a decision tree that is downloaded to the SCPs. The decision tree may be used in various manners as otherwise described to facilitate call efficiency. Tagging data associated with toll-free numbers may be used, including with real-time network information and static call routing information, to create a real-time call path score. In an example, a toll-free number that is associated with spoofing or other fraudulent call activity may be tagged as a problematic number and a call route assigned to it to minimize the financial impact of receiving a high volume of fraudulent calls to the toll-free number. SCPs may also be a source of real-time call routing data and data used for tagging purposes. Using this information facilitates extrapolation and determination of uptime, downtime, congestion, geographical movement and economic movement of people communicating via calls. Based on real-time data that can be obtained from the SCPs and from the network, the TFMP may create a score that can be assigned to each call decision node. Such a score may also be used for the purposes of tagging. Similar to a mapping algorithm that uses distance and speed limit, given a starting point and a destination, the quickest or shortest map may be mapped. Changes in the call routing tree may be dependent upon an update to the routing tree that is then validated by the TFMP and then downloaded to the SCPs. With the use of real-time data, and more network decisions nodes added to a call routing tree based on the needs of the end subscriber, the TFMP may provide the ability to allow an end subscriber to have real-time business continuity for their toll-free number instead of having to contact their service provider, or getting a ticket opened to update their routing tree, and then having it download to all the SCPs for the new routing to take place. In embodiments, a call path score and real-time routing may be based on the best possible availability score. This may also be modified by the TFMP to allow for lowest cost score, based on the per-call and per-minute cost for particular carrier. The call score may be updated during low activity periods with a date/time stamp associated with it. This may allow real-time, or near real time, detection of a path's status. Upon completion of a call down a particular path, the TFMP may also update the call path score and the data used for the purposes of tagging. Further, real time status changes in a telecommunications network, the performance of a given call route, or some other status change, may be used as additional tagging data. In an example, a toll-free number that may experience a season high-demand may begin to operate less efficiently, this metadata 3412 may be tagged to the toll-free number for use in, for example, predictive analytics provided by the TFMP regarding temporal changes in call activities and the optimization of certain call routes. Toll-free numbers tagged as having significant seasonal variation in call volume, or some other criterion, may have additional enhanced routing trees created for the purpose of handling peak seasonal call demands. A plurality of tagged numbers may be further associated with a TSPID so that a common entity associated with the toll-free numbers may be identified.
    
    


In embodiments, number trend optimization 3410 may be provided by the TFMP in order to provide recommendations to target the right audience for a number. Recommendations may include marketing a number on a certain media within a certain geography to promote calls to the right customer. Call origination data (in partnership with the call originators and service control points (SCPs)) will be sources to provide effectiveness metrics to users based on, for example, originating numbers and derived call success rates (based on average call duration) and call completion. The toll-free tagging service may alternatively or additionally be utilized with predictive analytic services that allow a user, through the customizable user interface, or “dashboard,” to access third party data services, sponsored data and information derived from toll-free telecommunications networks, including but not limited to telecommunications carriers, service control points, call centers, or other parties affiliated with a toll-free telecommunication network. As elsewhere described, origination data may be combined with social media and other public domain third party data, and near real-time, apply a valuation model to display a trend and prices on an interactive map via the TFMP.
The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
A method comprising:

    
    
        receiving data relating to at least one of a dip rate or dip volume that is associated with a toll-free number;
        receiving social media data relating to usage of the toll-free number;
        analyzing the combined data and social media data to create a valuation metadata tag that is associated with the toll-free number, wherein the valuation metadata is a quantitative summary of the demand associated with the toll-free number; and
        distributing a communication to an entity regarding the current valuation of the toll-free number.
    
    


A method comprising:

    
    
        analyzing data relating to a toll-free number and social media data to create a valuation metadata tag that is associated with the toll-free number, wherein the valuation metadata is a quantitative summary of the inferred economic activity associated with the toll-free number;
        inferring a rating of a second toll-free number based at least in part on the valuation metadata, wherein the toll-free number and the second toll-free number share an attribute; and storing the inferred rating of the second toll-free number.
    
    


A method comprising:

    
    
        receiving data relating to at least one of a dip rate or dip volume that is associated with a toll-free number;
        receiving social media data relating to usage of the toll-free number;
        analyzing the combined data and social media data to create a valuation metadata tag that is associated with the toll-free number, wherein the valuation metadata is a quantitative summary of the demand associated with the toll-free number; and
        initiating a toll-free number reservation based on the current valuation of the toll-free number.
    
    


With reference to FIG. 35, routing information in NS records 3500 may be downloaded to originating service provider (SP) ENUM or similar directory for call control. PSTN Call originations can continue existing PSTN 8xx call flow.
IP call originations can use an intelligent ENUM-like and SIP enabled intelligent Service Control Point (iSCP). In embodiments, many geographically redundant, highly available iSCP servers can reside in the originating service providers or provided by independent third parties. iSCPs can operate in mixed mode (SIP and PSTN) or be exclusively SIP. iSCPs provide ENUM like functionality enhanced with intelligent routing capabilities required for toll-free routing.
For IP call originations, the originating service provider queries its local naming (ENUM-like capability) server for call routing. The SP ENUM or similar service delegates the 8xx number queries to the iSCPs (similar to level 2 DNS). iSCPs execute intelligent call routing logic, and return a SIP Redirect with a URI for the SIP gateway of the toll-free service provider. The originating service provider can then route the SIP INVITE to the terminating toll-free subscriber's service provider.
For IP calls terminating to the PSTN network, the originating service provider queries its ENUM server similar to IP termination as described above, with the iSCP returning the URI for a PSTN gateway.
Toll-free numbers follow the NANP 10-digit format (NPA-NXX-XXXX) used for all telephone numbers in North America. A toll-free NPA designated by the FCC, such as 800 or 888, identifies a number as a toll-free number. Toll-free numbering may follow the E.164 format for identifying telephone numbers. The disclosed embodiment maintains status and associated information for the complete pool of toll-free numbers.
The Number Administration function provides the ability for a user to perform any of the following capabilities:

    
    
        Number Query: the ability to find out information such as availability, toll-free provider ownership, and status about a specific toll-free number.
        Number Search: the ability to look for one or many toll-free numbers.
        Number Reserve: the ability to reserve one or many toll-free numbers for his/her toll-free provider based upon the results of a search.
        Number Search & Reserve: the ability to search for one or many toll-free numbers and reserve them in the same single user action.
    
    


Except when noted otherwise, all number reservations may be taken and processed on a first come/first served basis. In embodiments, this may be due to a tariff requirement and true regardless of the source of the request.
A status is associated with each toll-free number that changes based on user actions to search for and reserve numbers and to provision and delete Customer Records for a number. Other status changes may be made automatically by embodiments of the system based on rules specified by a tariff.
The business rules around status change in the may include:

    
    
        Spare—Number is available to be reserved. No toll-free service provider entity has control of the number.
        Reserved—Toll-free service provider entity has taken control of the number, but a Customer Record has not yet been provisioned.
        Assigned—Customer Record has been provisioned in the disclosed embodiment, but has not been sent to SCPs.
        Working—Customer Record has been sent to SCPs and accepted by at least one SCP.
        Disconnect—Toll-free service has ended and intercept treatment, such as an announcement, is provided; a Customer Record may be needed to specify routing for intercept treatment.
        Transitional—Toll-free service and intercept service, if provided, have ended; there is no longer routing information in SCPs for the number and therefore no active Customer Record reflecting current information in an SCP associated with the number.
        Unavailable—Number cannot be reserved by a toll-free service provider.
        Suspend—Number has been disconnected but has a Customer Record to restore service, or number is the subject of a billing dispute.
    
    


For all statuses except usually SPARE and UNAVAILABLE, a toll-free service provider entity may be associated with the number. This association begins when the toll-free service provider entity takes control of the number by completing a reservation. Except when noted otherwise, all number reservations may be taken on a first come/first served basis.
With reference to FIG. 36, in another embodiment for one click activation 118, a widget 3602 may be embedded within a webpage 3604 to facilitate reservation of a toll-free number via a user interface 1806. The term widget as used herein may refer to a client side, browser based application which displays data coming from different sources. In an embodiment, the widget 3602 may also be used on a mobile device as a mobile app. The embedded widget 3602 may communicate with a server 3608 using an API 3608 such as secure Restful API.
The widget 3602 may be embedded within a webpage 3604 with HTML tags. The complexity and logic may thus be hidden in the Javascript that resides on the server 3608. Loading the widget 3602 on to the hosting webpage 3604 may be performed through a bootstrap script that, for example, may be written as a Javascript file, or in some other language, that resides in the server 3608. A script tag can then be used to invoke loading this, thereby loading the bootstrap.
Generally, there are two ways to embed the content on the hosting webpage 3604, using IFrame, or using DOM in Javascript, and placing it within the host site or a combination thereof. The host page may be a client website within which the widget 3602 is embedded.
Communication technology may include HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, JSON and Restful API and services. The client may utilize HTML5, Javascript, or CSS whereas the server may provide the Restful API and services. In order for the widget to communicate with the host page or if the widget needs to send data to the server, based on what is being used, it can be performed using Normal Post, AJAX (asynchronously), or some other process. In order for cross domain communication between the host page, embedded code or IFrame, HTML 5's API called postMessage may be used. JSON is a file format that is understood by both client and server and hence may be also be readily used for data representation and transfer.
With reference to FIG. 37, various methods may be utilized to secure this communication. The widget 3602 may include a login feature 3902 in order to use the services. After initial credential validation with username and password, tokens may be provided to users. This may be used in the subsequent communication back to the server. In the alternative, API keys may be used. On authentication and authorization, various search 3904, reserve 3906, activation 3910, and confirmation 3912 elements may be provided.
With reference to FIG. 38, one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of a method 3800 may be initiated by loading the webpage 3604 (step 3802) then lazy loading the widget 3608 (step 3804). That is, the lazy loading may be utilized to minimize any effect upon the loading speed of the webpage 3604. Once the widget 3608 is loaded (step 3804) the login and search features (step 3808) are provided such that reservation/activation may be initiated.
The widget 3602 may be particularly beneficial to a business owner and/or Resp Org/Toll Free Service Provider. The business owner who visits a web page may view the widget 3602 that includes a statement such as, for example, “Reserve your Toll Free Number or “Do you have your Toll Free Number?” with a ready presented text field to search for a desired Toll Free Number or to enter their business name. A list of appropriate or related toll free numbers and an option to reserve and activate is thereby provided in a one-click or relatively one-click manner.
For a Resp Org/Toll Free Service Provider, the widget 3602 can be embedded in their portal. The widget 3602 provides a login page such that the widget 3602 provides a text field to reserve toll-free numbers along with a drop down list of numbers that expire in the next month and a popup link to extend. A popup link may also provide historical information such as their last 10 actions. The widget 3602 may also display a popup link to display status of the toll-free numbers in which a user previously indicated interest.
In the toll-free industry, it currently is a multi-step process to obtain a toll-free number and submit a request to active that number. It requires the user to first search and reserve a number and then in a separate transaction, often on a separate user screen, input the information to create a toll-free number routing record that is sent to the service control points (SCPs), thus activating the number for use. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, users may complete such a request related to activation of a toll-free number in a single user interaction with the system, providing minimal information. This process may provide a one-click-type functionality, hereinafter referred to as one-click activate, to activate the number, and will, in the same single-step user activation search for the toll-free number based upon user criteria. Initiation of the one-click activation may be facilitated by the use of a widget, as described herein, such as a widget operating on a client device. In embodiments, a one-click activate request may be a request from a user to 1) search for a number, or multiple numbers, that fit a provided search criteria, 2) reserve the number(s) matching the criteria, and 3) activate the number(s) using a selected customer record template, as described herein, and producing a pointer record. The final result of this request will be a toll-free number assigned to the user's Resp Org that has a customer pointer record assigned to it.
In embodiments, a user may utilize a new user interface screen, including but not limited to a customizable dashboard, as described herein, that may be accessed from a landing page of the user interface that is associated with the TEMP. The new screen may be referred to as the “Search-Reserve-Active,” also referred to herein as the S-R-A, from the landing page. A user may be required to have the correct permissions to be able to perform these actions, such as:

    
    
        The user must have Update in NUS_PERMISSIONS
        The user must have Update in PAD_PERMISSIONS
    
    


The S-R-A may also provide for predictive analytic services that may be provided to a user, through the customizable user interface, or dashboard, to access third party data services, sponsored data and information derived from toll-free telecommunications networks, including but not limited to telecommunications carriers, service control points, call centers, or other parties affiliated with a toll-free telecommunication network. As elsewhere described, origination data may be combined with social media and other public domain third party data, and near real-time, apply a valuation model to display a trends and prices on an interactive map via the TFMP.
In embodiments, the S-R-A screen may be a clone of a number search screen that is associated with the TFMP, and have, but not be limited to, the following screen design elements:

    
    
        Present an action button called “Activate New Number”
        Provide an action for the user to select a template record to be used for activation from a drop down list of template records
        Provide an action for the user to specify information necessary to be supplied in order to active a number, including but not limited to the following:
        
            Effective date & time—A future date and time or “now.” Now may indicate that the record should go directly to an activated state.
            Service order number
            Number of lines to validate
        
        
    
    


With reference to FIG. 39, a sample UI design 3900 is provided. The UI may alternatively or additionally be embodied in a distributed computing environment, such as a cloud based computing network. In another embodiment, the UI may be hybrid networks, including usage of a cellular telephone network (and associated mobile communication devices, such as smart phones), a distributed, cloud network and an enterprise network associated with a carrier or other business organization (and any combination or sub-combination of such networks).
In embodiments, when a user selects the S-R-A function of the landing page, the system may retrieve a list of customer template records that have been defined for a Resp Org. If this Resp Org does not have any customer template records defined, the user may receive a message notifying the user of a lack of required definition, such as “E205: Search, Reserve, & Activate functionality requires the users Resp Org to have at least one customer template record defined. Your Resp Org does not.” The user may then be returned to the Landing page. If the Resp Org does have customer template records defined, the customer template record names may be displayed in a scrolling list on the screen. The user may then select one of the customer template records for use in the request.
In embodiments, a user may select a number search criterion that provides the ability to specify a specific number, a number with wildcard selection, or the NPA, NXX, and line number selections. The user may elect to have a set of default information (template, effective date, and service order number and so forth) associated with their Resp Org and/or user ID. Rather than select these items, the user may elect to use default values that are provided, thus expediting the process even further. The user may also elect not to use the default values, and may then supply the values. The search process may also include utilizing predictive analytics of the TFMP, as described herein, in order to learn more about the history and metadata that is associated with a number. Toll-free numbers, including those that are reserved and/or activated using the one-click activation may be tagged, using the methods and systems described herein, according to criteria of interest to a user. In an example, a user may search for toll-free numbers based on a predictive analytic result of toll-free numbers the TFMP has determined are active in the New England area. Predictive analytic results may also relate to specific populations of interest to a user (e.g., New York residents), behavioral data, or some other data parameter.
In embodiments, a number may then be reserved and/or activated and tagged by the user as a number that is relevant to the New England marketplace. Prior to reserving or activating a number, a user may also check a TFMP registry to determine if there is a history of reports of abuse associated with the number, for example frequent fraudulent calls (i.e., “spoofing”). The user may tag toll-free numbers in order to note this history of abuse, or other factor of interest, for future searches, and reserved or activated numbers may be associated with a toll-free service provider identifier (TSPID). The TSPID may be an existing TSPID that the user has, or as part of the one-click to activate method and system, a new TSPID may be created for the user. The user may select a customer template record from a list to be used when creating a pointer record used to active toll free number(s). The user may select only one customer template record to be used and that template record may be used with every number requested in this particular request. The user may select an effective date and time for the request. The user may further specify a future date and time or select “now” for immediate processing. Formatting and validation criteria may also be provided. The user may complete additional fields as necessary for a pointer record to be created:

    
    
        Service Order number
        Number of Lines
    
    


In embodiments, once all the required fields are populated, the user may select the “Activate New Number” button to start the process. The process may include the search of, and reservation for, the toll-free number(s), and the submission of a request to create a pointer record for the number(s). Errors encountered along the way may result in an error being reported back to the user for that number. In an example, requests of more than ten numbers may be processed in the background, from the perspective of the user. The user's request may be validated and the user provided a request ID. Control of the one-click activate function may be given back to the user with a notice that they will be informed when the request completes. In another example, requests for ten or fewer numbers may be processed in real time and the results are returned to the user when the request completes.
In embodiments, the one-click activate function may perform a search and reserve function for all the requested numbers in blocks of up to ten numbers, depending upon how many numbers are requested. The activation function of the process may require a separate system request for each number being activated. The one-click activate function may control the processing of the individual requests so that, from a user standpoint, it appears as a single user interaction with the system, and a response does not go back to the user until the process has been completed. Once the request has completed processing, the one-click activate function may display back to the user in the search results area of the screen (e.g., ten or fewer numbers) the list of numbers and information about them similar to how it is done with the search and reserve functionality, as described herein. For more than, for example, ten numbers, the results may be made available in the communication area off the landing page.
In embodiments, a parking lot functionality may allow a user to go through a similar one-click activate process, but instead of establishing specific routing for a number via a customer record template, the user may define the routing for this number as “parked.” Parked in this context means that the number may have a default routing to a pre-defined customer announcement so the number can be activated without a final determination of the routing and when called, the user may be presented with this announcement stating the service this number provides is not currently available.
The following are illustrative clauses demonstrating non-limiting embodiments of the disclosure described herein:
A method comprising:

    
    
        receiving a one-click activate request from a user, wherein the request includes at least a customer record template reference and an indication of when to active a toll-free number associated with the request;
        searching a responsible organization record to determine the presence of a defined customer template record relating to the user request, wherein the responsible organization is associated with toll-free telecommunications;
        retrieving at least one customer template record, wherein the customer template record is a defined customer template record for the responsible organization; and
        activating the user request, wherein the activation includes at least one of activating or reserving the toll-free number.
    
    


A user interface, comprising:

    
    
        a webpage; and
        a widget operable to reserve a toll free number embedded within the webpage.
    
    


A method to secure user interface, comprising:

    
    
        lazy loading a widget operable to reserve a toll free number embedded within a webpage.
    
    


A representative flow operation showing the current system common number status transitions for activation of a toll-free service, starting with a number in SPARE status 4002, is shown in FIG. 40. Transitions that may not be part of the typical flow may not be illustrated in FIG. 40, including transition from WORKING 4004 to ASSIGNED 4008 and ASSIGNED 4008 to RESERVED 4010, as well as transitions to and from UNAVAILABLE status. SUSPEND 4012, DISCONNECT 4014 and TRANSITIONAL 4016 features may be provided. This flow is shown to facilitate understanding of system status transitions as may be understood by the customers.
A description of possible number status transitions is provided in the below table. This flow is shown to facilitate understanding of system status transitions as is understood by the customers and is not a dictate of limitations thereto.












Transition
Transition



From
To
Trigger







Initial
Spare
System administrator opens a toll-free NPA-NXX.


Creation


Spare
Reserved
Successful reservation by toll-free service provider entity




user or system administrator user.


Spare
Unavailable
System administrator user action.


Reserved
Assigned
CR provisioned against the number.


Reserved
Spare
Time since transition from SPARE to RESERVED has




reached specified limit (Reserved Duration Limit,




currently specified by FCC as 45 days) or user action.


Reserved
Unavailable
System administrator user action.


Assigned
Working
CR has been sent to SCPs and accepted by at least one.


Assigned
Reserved
CR provisioned against the number, but deleted by toll-




free service provider entity user, and Reserved Duration




Limit timer has not been reached.


Assigned
Spare
CR provisioned against the number, but deleted by the




toll-free service provider entity user, and Reserved




Duration Limit timer has expired. Or Assigned Duration




Limit, currently specified by the FCC as 6 months,




expires.


Working
Disconnect
CR disconnect has been accepted by all SCPs and




intercept routing is being provided.


Working
Transitional
CR has been deleted from all SCPs (no intercept routing




provisioned).


Disconnect
Transitional
End Intercept date has been reached and SCPs have




deleted CR.


Disconnect
Spare
Time since transition from WORKING has reached




specified limit (currently specified by FCC as 4 calendar




months) or toll-free service provider entity user or system




administrator user action.


Transitional
Spare
Time since transition from WORKING has reached




specified limit (currently specified by FCC as 4 calendar




months) or toll-free service provider entity user or system




administrator user action.


Transitional
Reserved
System administrator user action.


Transitional
Unavailable
System administrator user action.


Disconnect
Suspend
“New Connect” CR entered while number is in




DISCONNECT status.


Suspend
Working
CR to restore service has been sent to SCPs and accepted




by at least one.


Suspend
Assigned
Intercept period ends and “New Connect” CR is pending.


Suspend
Spare
Time since transition into SUSPEND has reached




specified limit (currently specified as 8 calendar months)




with no connect CR or CR deleted by the toll-free service




provider entity user or system administrator user.


Unavailable
Spare
System administrator action.



















Number Administration: Query, Search, Reserve, and Search &


Reserve Requirements- Minimal Feature Set











Current





state




MFS #
or New
Function
Description





MFS 1
Current
Search Available
Find available numbers. Control



state
Numbers
search by configurable parameters.


MFS 1a
New
Locking numbers
Do not lock numbers during a




after search
straight search. Numbers may be





only locked on a reserve.


MFS 2
Current
Reserve Avail
ROs reserve available numbers.



state
Numbers
Reservation limits apply by resp.





org & overall number





administrator rationing and FIFO.


MFS 3
Current
Search & Reserve
Combination of MFS 1 & 2 in one



state
Available
user action.




Numbers



MFS 4
Current
Query a Number
Return relevant attributes



state

regarding a number.


MFS 4a
Current
Number
In embodiments, the system may



state
Reservation
maintain limits for the quantity of




Limits
numbers an individual toll-free





service provider entity is allowed





to have in RESERVED status.





The current limit specified by the





FCC tariff is the greater of 7.5%





of the toll-free service provider's





working numbers or 2000





numbers, not to exceed 3% of the





total quantity of SPARE numbers.





A system administrator may





specify different limits. Defining a





limit should be configurable.


MFS 4b
Current
Number
In embodiments, the system may



state
Allocation Limits
impose weekly limits for how





many numbers a toll-free service





provider entity can reserve. The





available pool of numbers in





SPARE status is divided into a





portion that is allocated to each





toll-free service provider entity





based on market share and a





portion that is allocated equally





among all toll-free service





provider Entities. This function





should be configurable.



















Functional Descriptions









Function
Function Criteria
Response Criteria





Query a
Query for a specific number
Return information about the


Number

number including status of the




number, Date/time of transition




to current status, toll-free service




provider, Reserved Until Date,




Disconnect Until Date, Last




Active Date depending upon




permissions.


Search for
Search for completely random
Return a number or list of


a Number
number(s)
numbers meeting the search




criteria (1—configurable max




number) with status. The number




is not locked until a reserve is




executed.



Search for multiple consecutive




numbers with any criteria as specified




herein




Search for numbers in a specific NPA




(i.e., 800, 888, 877, etc.)




Search using wildcards to represent any




number




(i.e., 800-***-CARS)




Search for numbers with duplicated




numbers in them (i.e., 855-345-&&&&




where & means a duplicate numbers




like 2222 or 5555)




Search for numbers containing a




specific string of numbers at any point




in the number (i.e.***-777-0000)




Search for numbers starting with a




specific string




(i.e., 855-234-****)




Search for numbers ending with a




specific string




(i.e., 855-***-5555




Search for numbers using alpha




characters as well as numbers (i.e.,




888-234-CARS)



Reserve a
Reserve a single number selected from
Return updated number status of


Number
a search result
Reserved and updated toll-free




service provider assigned if




number still available; else return




notification of number no longer




available.



Reserve multiple numbers selected
Return updated number status of



from a search result (1—configurable
Reserved and updated toll-free



max number)
service provider assigned for all




numbers that may be still




available; else return notification




of number no longer available




for those that may be not




available.


Search &
Search & Reserve completely random
Return a number or list of


Reserve a
number(s)
numbers meeting the search


Number

criteria with updated number




status of Reserved and updated




toll-free service provider




assigned.



Search for numbers in a specific NPA




(i.e., 800, 888, 877, etc.)




Search using wildcards to represent any




number




(i.e., 800-***-CARS)




Search & Reserve numbers with




duplicated numbers in them (i.e., 855-




345-&&&& where & means a




duplicate numbers like 2222 or 5555)




Search & Reserve numbers containing




a specific string of numbers at any




point in the number (i.e.***-777-0000)




Search & Reserve numbers starting




with a specific string




(i.e., 855-234-****)




Search & Reserve numbers ending with




a specific string




(i.e., 855-***-5555




Search & Reserve numbers using alpha




characters as well as numbers (i.e.,




888-234-CARS)









The below delineated example use cases may be generic in showing the flow for multiple specific cases as defined in the particular example use case.













Use Case ID
NA-UC-1


Use Case Name
Search for a number


Use Case
Search for a toll-free number or multiple numbers with status of


Description
SPARE


MFS Reference
MFS 1; MFS 1A;


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or disclosed embodiment



administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional Category
NA—Number Administration


Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system



In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user and of the toll-free service



provider as a whole


Post-Conditions
User has found Spare numbers meeting criteria



No change for the searched number status


Assumptions
None identified


Interface
None identified


Considerations









Primary Flow
Step 1
The user initiates a Search. The user may specify none,




one, or more of the following Search criteria:




 One or more than one number returned




 Specific starting NPA




 Various combinations of alpha & numbers included




 in the number




 Specify numbers using wildcards and duplicate value




 indicators




 Request consecutive numbers



Step 2
In embodiments, the system returns a number or list of




numbers with SPARE status








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 2, if no values with SPARE status may be found,



embodiments of the system indicates this to the user



E2: At Step 2, if multiple numbers may be requested and there



may be not enough SPARE numbers to match the quantity



requested by the user, embodiments of the system returns the



quantity that is available



E3: At Step 2, if the maximum allowed quantity of RESERVED



numbers for the toll-free service provider entity has been



exceeded, embodiments of the system indicates this to the user



when the SPARE number is returned






















Use Case ID
NA-UC-2


Use Case Name
Reserve a number with spare status


Use Case Description
Reserve a number or multiple numbers with spare status based



upon the results of a previously executed Search


MFS Reference
MFS 2


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or disclosed embodiment



administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional Category
NA—Number Administration


Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system.



In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user and of the toll-free service



provider as a whole



The user has executed a Search that has returned a toll-free



number or list of toll-free numbers in Spare status


Post-Conditions
Numbers in RESERVED status.


Assumptions
None identified


Interface
None identified


Considerations









Primary Flow
Step 1
The user requests Reservation of one or more of the




numbers returned by the system.



Step 2
For each number requested to be reserved, system




verifies that the number is still available (in Spare status)




for reservation.



Step 3
For each number requested to be reserved, system




verifies that the toll-free service provider entity has not




reached the maximum allowed number of RESERVED




numbers.



Step 4
For each number for which is still available and the




maximum allowed quantity of RESERVED numbers has




not been reached, embodiments of the system places the




requested numbers in RESERVED status, and updates




the count of RESERVED numbers for the toll-free




service provider entity.



Step 5
In embodiments, the system indicates the numbers that




have been reserved for the user.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 2, If a number requested to be reserved is no longer



available, embodiments of the system can return to the user a



notification that this number is no longer available and continue



with the list of numbers to be reserved.



E2: At Step 3 and 4, if the toll-free service provider entity has



reached the maximum allowed number of RESERVED numbers,



the Reservation attempt fails for that number: an indication of



this error is provided to the user. This applies for each number for



which reservation was requested. At Step 7, embodiments of the



system indicate the numbers that may be reserved and that the



maximum allowed quantity of RESERVED numbers has been



reached.






















Use Case ID
NA-UC-3


Use Case Name
Search And Reserve a number or multiple numbers


Use Case
Search for a number or multiple random in SPARE status using


Description
any of the available search criteria and reserve the numbers in one



operation


MFS Reference
MFS 3


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or disclosed embodiment



administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional Category
NA—Number Administration


Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system



In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user and of the toll-free service



provider as a whole


Post-Conditions
Numbers may be in RESERVED status


Assumptions
None identified


Interface
None identified


Considerations









Primary Flow
Step 1
The user initiates a Search. The user may specify none,




one, or more of the following Search criteria:




 One or more than one numbers returned




 Specific starting NPA




 Various combinations of alpha & numbers included




 in the number




 Specify numbers using wildcards and duplicate value




 indicators




 Request consecutive numbers



Step 2
In embodiments, the system verifies the quantity




requested, the current count of numbers reserved for the




toll-free service provider entity, and the maximum




allowed quantity of RESERVED numbers.



Step 3
In embodiments, the system places a quantity of numbers




in RESERVED status, up to the limit allowed for the toll-




free service provider entity, and updates the count of




RESERVED numbers for the toll-free service provider




entity.



Step 4
In embodiments, the system indicates the numbers that




have been reserved for the user.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 2, if no SPARE values may be found, embodiments



of the system may indicate this to the user and no further action is



taken.



E2: At Step 2, if the maximum allowed quantity of RESERVED



numbers has been exceeded before reserving any numbers,



embodiments of the system indicates this to the user and no



further action is taken.



E3: At Step 4, if the quantity of numbers reserved in Step 3 is less



than the quantity requested (because the maximum allowed



quantity of RESERVED numbers is reached), embodiments of the



system indicates the numbers that may be reserved and that the



maximum allowed quantity of RESERVED numbers has been



reached.


Use Case ID
NA-UC-4


Use Case Name
Query for Information about a number


Use Case Description
The user queries embodiments of the system for information



related to a specific number


MFS Reference
MFS 4


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or disclosed embodiment



administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional Category
NA—Number Administration


Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system



In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user and of the toll-free service



provider as a whole


Post-Conditions
No change for the queried numbers


Assumptions
None identified


Interface
None identified


Considerations









Primary Flow
Step 1
The user requests information about a number.



Step 2
In embodiments, the system returns status and other




information about the number. Information returned




depends on the permissions of the user and the toll-free




service provider entity controlling the number.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 2, embodiments of the system provide an indication



to the user information cannot be returned for the number.









Examples
Number Search Using Starting Point












Starting Point
Example Starting Point
Possible Search Result







NXX
NXX = 321
NPA-321-XXXX to NPA-999-XXXX,




where NPA is any valid toll-free NPA and




XXXX is 0000-9999


XXXX
XXXX = 1234
NPA-NXX-1234 to NPA-NXX-9999,




where NPA is any valid toll-free NPA and




NXX is any valid NXX in the NPA


NXX and
NXX = 321 and
NPA-321-1234 to NPA-999-9999,


XXXX
XXXX = 1234
excluding XXXX = 0000-1233,




where NPA is any valid toll-free NPA




Note: NPA-322-0000 is not a valid response




for this search


NXX-XXXX
NXX-XXXX = 321-1234
NPA-321-1234 to NPA-999-9999,




where NPA is any valid toll-free NPA




Note: NPA-322-0000 is a valid response for




this search























Example Masks






and Search


Results for a


Consecutive-
Valid Quantity
Quantity of


Number
of Consecutive
Numbers
Example Valid
Example Invalid


SearchMask
Numbers
Requested
Search Results
Search Results







888-234-567*
2-9
4
888-234-5673
888-234-5678





888-234-5674
888-234-5679





888-234-5675
888-234-5680





888-234-5676
888-234-5681


888-234-56**
 2-99
4
888-234-5678
888-234-5698





888-234-5679
888-234-5699





888-234-5680
888-234-5700





888-234-5681
888-234-5701


888-234-5&&*
2-9
4
888-234-5111
888-234-5888





888-234-5112
888-234-5889





888-234-5113
888-234-5890





888-234-5114
888-234-5891





Or





888-234-5885





888-234-5886





888-234-5887





888-234-5888









Example Number Search with Mask Characters
















Possible Search


Mask Character
Usage
Example Mask
Results







Wildcard-*
Number returned in
888-456-78**
888-456-7800 to



search results can include

888-456-7899



any digit in the indicated



position


Repeat Wildcard-&
Number returned in
800-456-&23&
800-456-0230



search results includes the

800-456-1231



same digit in each of the

800-456-2232



positions indicated

800-456-3233





800-456-4234





800-456-5235





800-456-6236





800-456-7237





800-456-8238





800-456-9239


Number - 0-9
Number returned in
***-87*-****
NPA-870-0000 to



search results includes the

NPA-879-9999



specified digit in the

Where NPA is a



position(s) indicated

valid toll-free





NPA


Alpha - A-Z
Number returned in
866-***-TEAM
866-NXX-8326



search results includes a

where NXX is a



digit that maps to the

valid NXX



letter specified in the



position(s) indicated,



based on the mapping



provided by a standard



telephone keypad









In addition to the existing number search and reserve functionality noted above, embodiments of the disclosed architecture may support search and reserve features. Description of at least some of these is provided at a relatively high level describing the business functionality required as follows:










Search & Reserve Requirements- New Feature Set









NFS #
Function
Description





NFS 1
Suggested
When a toll-free provider searches for a specific



Number
number and that number is not available, the



Response
system should provide the ability to return




suggested alternative numbers to the user. The




alternative numbers would be determined via an




algorithm based upon the number requested. This




same functionality should be able to be expanded




to return suggested alternative when a partial




number search is performed, but there are no




numbers matching the mask entered by the user.




The user should have the ability to turn off this




feature if they do not want suggestions.




Example: The user searches for 888-222-1234 and




it is not available, but 888-777-1234 is, the




system can return this as an alternative.


NFS 2
Predictive
By performing an analysis of the toll-free



Number
providers current number allocation, provide a list



Search &
of available numbers that that similar character-



Reserve
istics to the current allocation. The user should




then have one click reservation ability for this




number




Example: The toll-free provider has allocated the




numbers 877-234-3000 thru 877-234-3015 and




the number 877-234-3016 is available, provide




this as an informatory suggestion when going




to the Search function.


NFS 3
User Saved
Allow the toll-free provider to create searches and



Searches
save them for future use. These saved searches



with one
could then be executed with a single click or



click
could also be setup to be run every time the



initiation
user logs into the system.


NFS 4
Bulk Load
Bulk import/export TFN (toll-free numbers) for



Numbers
search and reservation requests performed online



for
or thru an API. This would allow a user to



Search
maintain list of TFNs they wish to search on a




regular basis.


NFS 4A
Bulk
The user will be able to search & reserve more



Number
than 10 numbers in one request (10 numbers is



Search &
the current system limit). The new limit should



Reserve
be configurable. Depending upon the size of the




request and time it takes to process, the control




of the system can be returned to the user and a




notification of the completion of the request




will be sent to the user upon request completion.


NFS 5
Scheduled
Allow toll-free providers to schedule a specific



Searches
search to be performed on a regular basis at a




date/time desired by the user without the user




being logged in. Allow the user to either be




notified via email or text if a number becomes




available or alternatively to set a reserve option




on the search and reserve the number




automatically.


NFS 5A
One Click
Allow a toll-free provider to search for a number,



Activate
reserve that number and activate that number by




assigning it a default customer record with a




single user transaction.



















Number Administration: Additional User Functions


Requirements - Minimal Feature Set









MFS #
Function
Description





MFS 5
Update user
Update contact information for end user of



information
number or comments.


MFS 5a
Update number
Update any of the information associated



information
with the number that is reserved.


MFS 5b
Find toll-free
Have their ability for a toll-free service



service provider
provider to determine their numbers and



numbers & status
status information utilizing a “toll-free



information
Service provider dashboard of numbers”


MFS 6
Toll-free service
Toll-free service provider releases numbers,



provider release
return to spare.



numbers


MFS 7
Toll-free service
Transferring a number or multiple



provider number
numbers from one toll-free service provider



transfer
to another.



















Functional Descriptions









Function
Function Criteria
Response Criteria





Update
Update Information such
Acknowledge changes were made and


Numbers
as dates, contact info,
display updated information.


MFS 5 & 5a
etc. for number(s)



associated with a toll-



free service provider.


Toll-free
Toll-free service
Acknowledge changes were made and


service
provider releases
display updated information.


provider release
numbers, returning them


numbers
to spare status


MFS 6


Toll-free
Transferring a number or
Acknowledge changes were made and


service
multiple numbers from
display updated information.


provider
one toll-free service


number transfer
provider to another.


MFS 7


Find toll-free
Have their ability for a
Provide a toll-free service provider a


service
toll-free service provider
method of displaying current up to date


provider
to display their numbers
information about the numbers they


numbers &
and status information
control. The information should be current


status
utilizing a “toll-free
with minimal latency.


information
service provider


MFS 5b
dashboard of numbers”









As an example use case, to update Information such as dates, contact info, etc. for number(s) associated with a toll-free service provider may be provided as follows:













Use Case ID
NA-UC-4


Use Case Name
Change Reserve-Until Date/Disconnect Until Date for a Number


Use Case
User requests that embodiments of the system change the date


Description
associated with an expected change of status of a number.


MFS Reference
MFS 5a


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or disclosed embodiment



administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
NA—Number Administration


Category



Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system



In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user and of the toll-free service



provider as a whole


Post-Conditions
The specified date is changed


Assumptions
None identified


Interface
None identified


Considerations










Primary Flow
Step 1
The user requests one of the following date changes:










1.
Reserve-Until Date (for a RESERVED number)



2.
Disconnect Until Date (for a Disconnected number)










Step 2
In embodiments, the system verifies the identity and




permissions of the user and that the specified number has




the expected status.



Step 3
In embodiments, the system verifies that the specified




date is earlier than the existing date.



Step 4
In embodiments, the system changes the date when the




number can change to its next status (in the absence of




other user activity).








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notify the user if the



user does not have permission for the change or if the number is



not in the expected status.



E2: At Step 3, if the specified date is beyond the current value, an



indication is provided to the user.






















Use Case ID
NA-UC-6


Use Case Name
Change the Status of One or More Numbers


Use Case Description
The user requests that embodiments of the system change the



status of one or more numbers to another allowed status


MFS Reference
MFS 5a; MFS 6


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or disclosed embodiment



administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional Category
NA—Number Administration


Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system



In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user and of the toll-free service



provider as a whole


Post-Conditions
The specified numbers may be SPARE and may be reserved by



any toll-free service provider.


Assumptions
None identified


Interface
None identified


Considerations









Primary Flow
Step 1
The user requests that the status of one or more numbers




currently at one status be changed to another allowed




status.



Step 2
In embodiments, the system verifies the identity and




permissions of the user



Step 3
In embodiments, the system changes the status of the




numbers to the status.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notify the user if any



of the specified numbers cannot change from the current status to



a status.









Change the toll-free service provider information for one or more numbers













Use Case ID
NA-UC-7


Use Case Name
Change the toll-free service provider information for one or more



numbers


Use Case
User requests that embodiments of the system change the toll-free


Description
service provider Unit associated with a number or numbers in



RESERVED, WORKING, DISCONNECTED, or



TRANSITIONAL status


MFS Reference
MFS 7


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or disclosed embodiment



administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
NA—Number Administration


Category



Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system



In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user and of the toll-free service



provider as a whole


Post-Conditions
The specified toll-free service provider unit is changed for all



information associated with the number(s).


Assumptions
None identified


Interface
None identified


Considerations










Primary Flow
Step 1
The user requests that the toll-free service provider Unit




associated with a number or list of numbers that is




currently controlled by a particular toll-free service




provider Unit be changed to a value.



Step 2
In embodiments, the system verifies the identity and




permissions of the user.



Step 3
In embodiments, the system changes the toll-free service




provider Unit associated with the number(s).








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notifies the user if any



specified numbers may be not associated with the specified toll-



free service provider unit.



E2: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notifies the user if the



specified toll-free service provider unit is not valid.



E3: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notifies the user if not



permitted to request this change.









Number Administration: Additional User New Features
Additional features in the embodiments of the disclosed architecture may be supported such as:










Additional User New Features Requirements- New Feature Set









NFS #
Function
Description





NFS 6
Spare Number
This feature would allow for a toll-free Provid-



Availability
er to submit requests to be notified if a specif-



Notification
ic toll-free number became available to be re-




served. The notification could be via an email




notification, pop-up when they log in, or text




notification. This could be a value added




service with an additional charge, which would




have tariff implications or just a service




provided to all users.









There may be a number of tasks where a system administrator enters values for configuration parameters that control an aspect of system functionality. A pre-condition is that the user is a system administrator with permissions to perform the specific administrative task.
For each administrative use case, the following sequence of steps applies:

    
    
        Step 1: The user enters values
        Step 2: In embodiments, the system verifies the user input
        Step 3: In embodiments, the system accepts the parameter values and notifies the user of success
    
    


If the user input is not valid or some other condition prevents successful completion of the use case, embodiments of the system can inform the user of an error.










Requirements- Minimal Feature Set











Current





state




MFS #
or New
Function
Description





MFS 9
Current
NPA &
Open & Close NPA's and NP ANXXs



state
NPANXX Mgmt.
(SMS Admin only). The pool of toll-free





numbers is controlled by opening and





closing toll-free NPAs and NPA-NXXs as





directed by the FCC. An NPA becomes





Open when the numbers in the first NXX





within the NPA become available. An





NPA becomes Closed when all the NXXs





within the NPA may be Closed.


MFS10
Current
Reservation and
Set mandated Reservation and Allocation



state
Allocation limits
limits. In embodiments, the system can





impose weekly limits for how many





numbers a toll-free service provider entity





can reserve. The available pool of





numbers in SPARE status is divided into





a portion that is allocated to each toll-free





service provider entity based on market





share and a portion that is allocated





equally among all toll-free service





provider entities.





(SMS Admin may be only allowed to set





limits)



















Functional Descriptions









Function
Function Criteria
Response Criteria





NPA/NNX
Open & Close
Return information about the number including


Management
NPA's and
status of the number, date/time of transition to


MFS9
NPANXXs
current status, toll-free service provider, Reserved




Until Date, Disconnect Until Date, Last Active




Date depending upon permissions.


Reservation and
Set Tariff
Return a number or list of numbers meeting the


Allocation
mandated
search criteria (1 - configurable max number)


limits
Reservation and
with status.


MFS 10
Allocation limits









An example use case to open a Toll-Free NPA and NXXs is as follows:













Use Case ID
NA-UC-8


Use Case
Open a Toll-Free NPA and NXXs


Name



Use Case
Administrator opens a toll-free NPA and schedules opening of


Description
one or more of the included NXXs.


MFS
MFS 9


Reference



Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
NA—Number Administration


Category



Pre-
The user has logged into the system


Conditions
In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user


Post-
A toll-free NPA is added to the system. Numbers within the


Conditions
NXXs may be added with an initial status of SPARE.


Assumptions
None identified


Interface
None identified


Consider-



ations










Primary
Step 1
The user enters the three digit toll-free NPA to be


Flow

opened.



Step 2
In embodiments, the system verifies that the NPA




is a valid format and is not currently open.



Step 3
In embodiments, the system facilitates the user to




enter a date and time to schedule availability for each




of the NXXs within the NPA that may be to be avail-




able for Search/Reserve. (Allocation controls can be




specified for an NPA).



Step 4
At the indicated date and time, embodiments of the




system add the numbers in the NXXs within the




NPA with an initial status of SPARE and, for the




first NXX that is made available in the NPA,




marks the NPA as Open.








Alternate
E1: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notify the user if


Flows
the operation cannot complete due to system conditions or



invalid inputs.



E2: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notify the user if



the user does not have permission to execute the operation.



E3: At Step 3, prior to reaching the specified date and time



for opening of an NPA-NXX, the user can revise the date.



and time









An example use case to Specify Number Reservation Limits is as follows:













Use Case ID
NA-UC-9


Use Case Name
Specify Number Reservation Limits


Use Case
In embodiments, the system administrator enters values to


Description
specify limits for percent of numbers in working status, count of



numbers in RESERVED status, and percent of quantity of



SPARE numbers that a toll-free service provider entity is allowed



to have in RESERVED status.


MFS Reference
MFS 10


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
NA—Number Administration


Category



Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system



In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user


Post-Conditions
The limits for percent of working numbers, count of working



numbers, and percent of quantity of SPARE numbers that a toll-



free service provider entity is allowed to have in RESERVED



status may be set.


Assumptions
None identified


Interface
None identified


Considerations










Primary Flow
Step 1
In embodiments, the system administrator enters values




for the limits for percent of working numbers, count of




reserved numbers, and percent of quantity of SPARE




numbers that a toll-free service provider is allowed to




have in RESERVED status.



Step 2
In embodiments, the system verifies that the user input




and sets reservation limits.



Step 3
In embodiments, the system notifies the user that the




operation has completed.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notify the user if the



operation cannot complete due to system conditions or invalid



inputs.









There may be additional features the embodiments of the disclosed architecture may include those that follow:










Additional User New Features Requirements- New Feature Set









NFS #
Function
Description





NFS 7
Enhanced
Allow administrators to configure most of



Number
the settings within the system without



Administration
development changes. For example, the



Configurability
system may have a limit of 10 TFNs




returned from a search, which can be




raised, but be configurable.









The Customer Record Administration (CRA) functions may be those concerned with the input, validation, processing, and management of the toll-free Customer Records (CRs). These may also include the processes by which embodiments of the system can upload relevant customer record data to the SCP toll-free databases in the public network, to enable their processing of SS7 toll-free database queries. Multi-number and mass change capabilities impacting CRs may also be included in CRA functionality.
The system's CRA functions support interactions with external users or systems at the toll-free service provider to create and update the customer records. Additional interactions may be supported with telecommunications carriers, to approve and/or be notified of CR updates that impact toll-free calling traffic in their respective networks, i.e., Carrier Notification and Approval (CNA) functions. Further interactions may be supported with respect to the Local-Exchange Carriers (LECs), including Incumbent Local-Exchange Carriers (ILECs), Competing Local-Exchange Carriers (CLECs), other IntraLATA carriers, and CCS network operators whose networks may be involved in terminating the toll-free calls to the toll-free subscriber lines, and whose reference data, and others can be used to validate certain call routing instructions in the CRs. These latter capabilities may be referred to as IntraLATA Carrier Management (ICM) functions.
After a toll-free number (TFN) is reserved by a toll-free service provider's toll-free service provider, it should be assigned to a customer, and Customer Records (CRs) for that TFN may be created in the disclosed embodiment, ultimately resulting in their downloading to Service Control Points (SCPs) and the activation of service for the toll-free subscriber (the customer) in the public network.
A CR contains both customer administrative data and call routing information for a customer's toll-free service. In particular, it defines important aspects of the service, including the originating Area of Service (AOS)—the geographic area from which calls to the toll-free number can be allowed, and the rules for translation of the toll-free number to call routing instructions. The call routing instructions may include Destination Telephone Number(s) to which the toll-free calls may be routed, the Carrier Identification Code (CICs) of telecommunications carriers whose networks may be used for IntraLATA and InterLATA calls, and call announcement treatment instructions for those cases in which the toll-free calls should not be routed further.
Each TFN may have several CRs associated with it, each containing the toll-free service information to take effect at a given date and time (i.e., the Effective Date and Time of the CR). Once established, service for a customer may be modified or disconnected via subsequent future-dated CRs. Future pending CRs then replace the active CR when their effective dates and times may be reached.
At the effective date and time, a subset of the active CR's data applicable to toll-free database query processing is then downloaded to the applicable SCPs in the public network, replacing (overwriting) any previous SCP customer record in effect for that TFN. Only one CR may be the active CR in embodiments of the system reflecting the current toll-free service for a given TFN.
Customer Records can be considered either one of two types:

    
    
        Regular Customer Records: Define the call routing for a toll-free number and define the final toll-free-to-TN destination number translations and what carrier can carry the call. These may be simple or complex.
        Turnaround Records: The originating toll-free calls may be routed only via the TFNs and CICs. The routing is deferred to the interexchange carrier networks, which may be responsible for the final toll-free-to-TN destination number translations. The term “turnaround routing” refers to the CR's instruction to the SCP to “turn around” the TFN received in the SS7 query message as the routing number (Destination Telephone Number) in the SCP response, and the call is then routed onward to a carrier network based on the TFN and obtained CIC. It is then the responsibility of the carrier network to provide the final translation to the POTS Destination Telephone Number for final call routing. A TR can therefore contain only the TFN as a DTN or intercept treatment in its call routing instructions, and always without final routing to POTS destination numbers.
    
    


The disclosed embodiment administers 3 types of CRs:

    
    
        Customer Records: each pertaining to a single TFN and containing all of its service parameters;
        Pointer Records: each pertaining to a single TFN but pointing to a “reusable” “template record,” for much of its more complex service data, which it may share with other TFNs, and
        Template records: a record with service information that can be referenced (shared) by multiple Customer Records and referenced via Pointer Records (TFNs). Template records are valuable as a single complex record can be created and then referenced by multiple Pointer records. This saves space in the SCPs
    
    


Each type of CR may have a required common administrative data portion, and more complex, optionally populated Call Processing Record (CPR) data portions for more complex routing scenarios. The CPR portion facilitates a tree structure for the specification of variable (branching) call routing logic based on various decision criteria (decision nodes) and the resulting translations to destination numbers and carriers or announcement treatments (action nodes). CPRs may be used within Regular CRs and Template Records.
Creation/Updating of Customer Records to Reflect Call Routing










Requirements- Minimal Feature Set











Current





state




MFS #
or New
Function
Description





MFS 11
Current state
Customer Record -
There may be a number of Call Routing




Routing options
options in the current system. These can





be needed and possibly options moving





forward.


MFS 12
Current state
CRUD (Create
Includes user input, modification, query,




Read Update
view, disconnect, copy, transfer, list, and




Delete) Customer
status retrieval, includes scheduling in




Records
future.


MFS 13
Current state
Validate CRs
Validate Customer Records against





reference data, syntax, and routing





correctness


MFS 14
Current state
CR Templates
CRUD (Create Read Update Delete).


MFS 15
Current state
Customer Record
View all associated CRs with a TFN.




View
Drill down into details for CRs


MFS 16
Current state
Pointer Records
CRUD (Create Read Update Delete).





Pointer Records may be tied to TFNs.


MFS 17
New
Copy
Create an easy way for toll-free service




CR/Template
providers to create records based on




(clone & modify)
existing records









In embodiments, the platform may include a customer record template builder. The process and tools currently available for building a complex customer record may be single threaded and cumbersome. In addition, a tool may be required that works intelligently with the user to interpret natural language input to produce a complex customer record while using existing user records and usage data to prepopulate information for the user. This tool may be intuitive such that a first time user could build a complex record without hours of training.
The Customer Record Template Builder (CRTB) can allow toll-free providers to easily build a complex customer record template using a simple UI that can then let that record be designated at the default customer record. A toll-free provider can build multiple complex customer record templates for their use and to define a record as the default customer record, allowing the user to select the default with a single click, thus significantly reducing their work effort.
The CRTB can lead the user thru both the initial customer data population (known as the CAD portion) but also the call routing logic (known as the CPR portion) utilizing a simple UI using a decision tree logic structure with defined data nodes. Based upon the decisions at those nodes the UI can drive down a branch to a new decision node ultimately driving the customer record decision logic to the lowest level.
A decision tree can represent a series of decision points. Each decision point is called a node and off each node is one of more branches. The point at which there may be no more decisions to be made is called a leaf and is used as the “end point” of a branching structure. See FIG. 3 for a generic visualization of this structure.
The CAD portion of the CRTB can logically lead the user to populate the example following pieces of information:

    
    
        Administrative data about the toll-free customer
        Toll-free number
        Effective date and time
        Control toll-free provider identifier
        End customer name
        End customer address
        Area Of Service (AOS),
        List of destination telephone number(s)
    
    


Carrier Identification Codes (CICs) for IntraLATA and InterLATA traffic
The complex customer record (CPR) decision nodes supported by the may be as follows:

    
    
        Originating State
        Originating NPA
        Originating LATA
        Originating POTS NXX
        Originating POTS NPANXX
        Originating POTS number
        Specific date
        Day(s) of the week
        Time-of-day range
        Percent load share, which may be used to automatically direct different percentages of processed queries (calls) to different branches below the node.
    
    


The “leaves” supported by the data model at the ends of a given branch may include:

    
    
        Destination Telephone Number;
        Carrier; and
        Announcement Treatment.
    
    


A simple example of Customer Record routing would be as in FIG. 4.
In this relatively simple example, starting from the left-most branched path, the 3 decision paths corresponding to the decision trees branched paths can be represented as:

    
    
        Area Code=732, NXX={699,494}, Carrier=ATX-0288, Tel#=800-234-5678
        Area Code=732, NXX=Other, Carrier=MCI-0222, Tel#=800-234-5678
        Area Code=Other, NXX=<null>, Carrier=MCI-0222, Tel#=800-234-5678.
    
    


The CRTB toll can be built in such a manner to allow a customer works his/her way down the decision tree and anticipate/pre-populate information based upon the information already provided in this build or also information provided in previous customer record entries. Once a default customer record template is built, the system can build the capability to invoke this template when creating a customer record for a new number, thus reducing the time and effort for a customer record to be built.
The CPR portion of the CR may provide a mechanism for users to specify branching call routing and call treatment logic involving multiple destination numbers and multiple carriers based on one or more decision criteria. The decision criteria include aspects of the toll-free call, such as its originating geographic area (the originating state, CCS network, NPA, LATA, NPANXX etc.) to be mapped by the SCP, based on the calling party number and other attributes of the query), and the date, time-of-day and day-of week of the query, among other variables.
The CPR is linked to the CAD portion of a regular customer record by the referenced TFN and the Effective Date and Time. The CPR portion is also used in Template Records. When used in a Template record, the CPR portion is linked to the Template Record by the referenced Template Name and Effective Date and Time in the equivalent TAD portion of the Template Record.
The logical branch points of the CPR decision tree may be specified within one or more “decision nodes” along each traversable branched path. The resulting call processing actions, including the translation of the toll-free number to specific destination numbers, call routing via specific carriers, or the announcement treatment for non-routed calls may be specified in “action nodes” at the ends of each path. Each path logically begins at the dialed toll-free number being translated, progresses through one or more decision nodes that define the call criteria, and ends at one or more action nodes. Each possible path through the decision tree from root to the end of each branched path may be conceived of as a “row” in a logical data table or matrix. Each row may contain numerous decision nodes defining the set of criteria to be matched by the call attributes for a call routing case (path) and may end with one or two action nodes.
The CPR decision nodes supported by the data model according to one embodiment can include one or more of the following:

    
    
        Originating State (STATE)
        Originating NPA (AREA CODE)
        Originating LATA (LATA)
        Originating POTS NXX (NXX)
        Originating POTS NPANXX (6-DIGIT#)
        Originating POTS number (10-DIGIT#)
        Specific date (DATE)
        Day(s) of the week (DAY)
        Time-of-day range (TIMES)
        Binary Switch (SWITCH)—an on-or-off binary switch, which may be used to manually redirect call processing onto an alternate branched path.
        Percent load share (PERCENT), which may be used to automatically direct different percentages of processed queries (calls) to different branches of the node.
    
    


The action nodes supported by the data model according to one embodiment at the ends of a given branch can include:

    
    
        Destination Telephone Number (TEL#)
        Carrier (CARRIER)
        Announcement Treatment (ANNOUNCE)
        Go-To (GOTO) a pointer to another decision tree (CPR subsection) within the CPR, which defines further (refining) decision criteria.
    
    


Logically, decision nodes can have more than one argument for their included decision criteria (e.g., a list of more than one originating NPA, or more than 1 day of the week), and there may be multiple decision nodes used in combination to define each branched path (row). Each action node may have, at most, one outcome in the call routing logic. Null (empty) values for a decision node within a row convey its decision criteria is not to be part of the matched criteria defining the decision case for that row (i.e., that any value for that call parameter can suffice). A conceptual view of a CPR routing tree example is illustrated in FIG. 3.
Sample of Main Flow Customer Record Use Cases
This section has a sample of some of the many use cases that may be covered in this functionality. It does not represent every possible use case and should be a base for determining CRA functionality.
An example use case for Create a New CR for a Reserved toll-free number (New Service Connect) is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-1


Use Case Name
Create a New CR for a Reserved toll-free number (New Service



Connect)


Use Case
The user creates a regular or pointer customer record in


Description
embodiments of the system to activate service for a given



RESERVED toll-free number, either immediately, or at a future



effective date and time. The user may create a regular customer



record or a pointer record referencing an existing template record.


MFS Reference
MFS 11; MFS 12


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the identity and


Pre-Conditions
permissions of the User or has established the necessary API



interface connectivity.



The toll-free number is in the RESERVED state and is



reserved by the requesting toll-free service provider unit.



No CRs for the TFN yet exist.



If a pointer record is being defined, it may point to an existing



active template record.


Post-Conditions
A CR for the toll-free number with a future or current effective



date and time is created and stored in embodiments of the system



with PENDING status for future or immediate activation in the



network. (Its subsequent state in embodiments of the system can



depend upon whether its final validation and carrier approval



processing has completed successfully.) The number status is



changed to “ASSIGNED” when the first valid CR for the TFN is



successfully created.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API interface (REQ/RSP-CRA or REQ/RSP-CRC)









Primary Flow
1.
The user enters the toll-free number, a requested future




effective date and time (or NOW for an immediate activation),




all mandatory parameters, and any optional parameters for the




CR's CAD portion (Regular CR) or PAD portion (Pointer




Record).



2.
For regular CRs, the user may also populate a LAD portion of




the CR specifying TFN-specific labels for use in CPR decision




and action nodes.



3.
For regular CRs, the user optionally populates a CPR portion




to specify any complex call routing logic, including any LAD




labels defined in the LAD portion for decision and action




nodes.



4.
The user submits the completed CR, including all of its




applicable component data portions to embodiments of the




system for validation and processing.



5.
In embodiments, the system validates the CR is correct and




complete, per CR data requirements and per CR validations,




and posts the validated CR to the TFMP database with an




initial status of PENDING.








Alternate Flows
E1: In Step 1, the TFN was not valid or reserved by the user's



toll-free service provider, creation of the CR is not allowed, and



an error indication is returned to the user.



E2: In Step 1, a CR with the TFN and same effective date and



time already exists, so creation of a CR with the same key data is



not allowed, and an error indication is returned to the user.



E3: In Step 4, the CR data in the CAD (or PAD), LAD, or CPR



portions may be invalid, missing, inconsistent, or incomplete,



embodiments of the system rejects the CR as invalid. The CR



enters the INVALID state and is stored in the database. It may be



corrected (modified) and resubmitted in a separate update request.



In all cases, further processing is stopped.









An example use case for Query/Retrieve/View an Existing CR is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-2


Use Case Name
Query/Retrieve/View an Existing CR


Use Case
The user retrieves an existing CR (regular CR or pointer record)


Description
for a given TFN and Effective Date and Time for the purpose of



viewing/reading its content.


MFS Reference
MFS 15


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider, Customer, Agent, Carrier, or



administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the identity and


Pre-Conditions
permissions of the user or has established the necessary API



interface connectivity.



The CR may exist in the database.



The user may be from the CR's Control toll-free service



provider entity, TFMP administration, or an involved routing



carrier on the CR, or the CR's customer (or their agent) with



online access.


Post-Conditions
The retrieved CR is unchanged. Its contents may be displayed or



returned to the user or external user system, subject to CR access



restrictions, with only the authorized information provided or



displayed.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API interface (REQ/RSP-CRV)









Primary Flow
1.
The user specifies or selects the toll-free number, and the




specific Effective Date and Time of the CR to be retrieved.



2.
In embodiments, the system retrieves the indicated customer




record, facilitates the user to view appropriate data (HUI case),




or sends the appropriate data to the requesting external user




system (API case).




(The Control toll-free service provider, customer, agent, and




TFMP administration can retrieve/view all fields. Involved




carriers and their associated toll-free service providers may




view only those portions of the record relevant to their role,




including their own CICs and the Destination Telephone




Numbers to which the TFN routes via their CICs. Non-




involved toll-free service providers can view only the TFN,




Effective Date/Time, Control toll-free service provider, CR




Status, and Approval Status.) Refer to functional requirements




concerning returned information and restrictions for this use




case.








Alternate Flows
E1: In Step 1, no CR with the TFN and effective date and time



exists, so the record cannot be retrieved. A record not found



indication or error is returned to the user.



E2: In Step 2, a requesting user is not from one of the specified



types of entities that may be allowed to access CRs for the TFN,



and therefore is denied access to the record. An error notification



to this effect should be returned.



In either case, further processing is stopped.









An example use case to Create a New CR (Update Active or Pending toll-free service) is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-3


Use Case Name
Create a New CR (Update Active or Pending Toll-Free Service)


Use Case
The user creates a CR for a TFN (regular CR or PR) for which an


Description
ACTIVE record and/or other future PENDING records for that



TFN already exist in the database. The CR can replace or become



the active record at the future effective date and time.



Relative to any earlier-effective record or the active record for the



TFN, the differences in the CR's parameters may include, in



Regular CRs, for example (but may be not limited to):










1.
The addition of Destination Numbers and their related




destination parameters.



2.
Expanding or changing the Area of Service (AOS)



3.
Changing other administrative parameters on the CR.



4.
Adding a LAD portion, or adding or removing labels and




argument lists from/to the LAD.



5.
Adding or removing a CPR portion or a CPR section.



6.
Changing the call routing (decision nodes, DNs, carriers, or




announcement treatments in any of the CPR table rows




defining the CPR tree).








MFS Reference
MFS 11; MFS 12


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system verifies the identity and


Pre-Conditions
permissions of the user or has established the necessary API



interface connectivity.



An ACTIVE CR or one or more PENDING CRs already exist



in the database for the TFN.



No other PENDING CRs exist for that TFN with the same



effective date and time.



The user may be from the TFN's Control toll-free service



provider entity or the administration, or may otherwise have



update permission for the control toll-free service provider's



CRs.


Post-Conditions
A CR for the TFN and with the effective date and time and with



the updated CR data attributes can be created with an initial status



of PENDING. (Its subsequent state in embodiments of the system



and in the network can depend upon whether its validation and



carrier approval processing has proceeded.)


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API interface (REQ/RSP-CRA or REQ/RSP-CRC)









Primary Flow
1.
The user specifies the TFN, the requested effective date and




time (NOW for immediate updates and a future effective date




and time for future updates), all mandatory parameters, and




any optional parameters for the CR's CAD or PAD portion.



2.
For a regular CR, the user optionally populates a LAD portion




of the CR specifying TFN-specific labels for use in CPR




decision nodes.



3.
For regular CRs, the user optionally populates a CPR portion




to specify any complex call routing logic, including any LAD




labels for decision and action nodes.



4.
The user submits the completed CR, including all of its




component portions to embodiments of the system for




validation and processing.



5.
In embodiments, the system validates the CR is correct and




complete, per CR data requirements and per CR validations,




and posts the validated CR to the database with an initial




status of PENDING (future) or SENDING (immediate).








Alternate Flows
E1: In Step 1, the user does not have update permission for the



TFN. Creation of the CR is not allowed, and an error indication



returned to the user.



E2: In Step 1, a CR with the TFN and same effective date and



time already exists, so creation of a CR with the same key data is



not allowed, and an error indication is returned to the user.



E3: In Step 5, the CR data in the CAD (or PAD), LAD, or CPR



portions may be invalid, missing, inconsistent or incomplete, and



in embodiments, the system rejects the CR as invalid and returns



an error response to the user. The CR enters the INVALID state



and may be corrected (modified) and resubmitted as a subsequent



update.



In all cases, further processing is stropped.









An example use case to Delete an Existing (Future) CR is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-4


Use Case Name
Delete an Existing (Future) CR


Use Case
The user deletes an existing CR (Regular CR or PR) with a given


Description
TFN and future Effective Date and Time.


MFS Reference
MFS 12


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system verifies the identity and


Pre-Conditions
permissions of the user or has established the necessary API



interface connectivity.



The CR may exist in the database.



The CR's current status may be one of PENDING, INVALID,



MY CHECK, or HOLD so that its effective date and time is in



the future. (The ACTIVE record may not be deleted.).



The user may be from the TFN's Control toll-free service



provider entity or the administration, or may otherwise have



update permission for the control toll-free service provider's



CRs.


Post-Conditions
The existing record is deleted from the database.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API interface (REQ/RSP-CRA or REQ/RSP-CRC)









Primary Flow
1.
The user specifies or selects the toll-free number, and the




specific effective date and time of the CR to be deleted.



2.
In embodiments, the system deletes the future CR and returns




a confirmation of the action to the user.








Alternate Flows
E1: In Step 1, no CR with the TFN and Effective Date and Time



exists, so the record cannot be deleted. A record not found



indication or error is returned to the user.



E2: In Step 1, if the user specifies a CR with a past effective date



and time (ACTIVE, FAILED, OLD, SENDING, or HOLD), the



deletion action may not be permitted and an error indication may



be returned. Only the system's database purge process may be



permitted to delete CRs with past EDTs.



E3: In Step 1, the requesting user is not from the Control toll-free



service provider entity or Administration, or does not otherwise



have update permission for the CR, so the user is not authorized to



delete the record.



In all error cases, an appropriate error indication is returned on the



requesting interface and further processing is stopped.









An example use case for Query/View the List of CRs for a given TFN is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-5


Use Case Name
Query/View the List of CRs for a Given TFN


Use Case
The user selects or specifies a TFN and retrieves a list of all CRs


Description
(regular or PRs) that exist in the database for that TFN (aka CR



Status Query).


MFS Reference
MFS 15


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system verifies the identity and permissions


Pre-Conditions
of the user or has established the necessary API interface



connectivity.


Post-Conditions
A list of CRs for the specified TFN is returned to the user, with



their effective dates and times and CR status values. No



information is changed in the system.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API Interface (REQ/RSP-CRQ)









Primary Flow
1.
The user specifies or selects the toll-free number for the CR




list to be retrieved and submits the request to the system.



2.
In embodiments, the system retrieves the information,




generates the CR list, and presents it to the user. The response




may include:




the retrieved TFN




the Control toll-free service provider for the TFN




the CR list




Within the CR list, individual CRs may be sorted in ascending




order by effective date, i.e., with the oldest record at the top




and later effective-dated/timed records. The list may include




for each CR:










a.
The Effective Date and Time



b.
The CR Order Type



c.
The CR Status



d.
The CR Carrier-Approval Status



e.
Indicators conveying the presence of CR component









data portions (CAD or PAD, CPR, and LAD)










f.
A link or other mechanism by which the user may









select the individual CR for retrieval and/or subsequent



actions. (HUI case only)









Additional requirements concerning the CR list response may



be specified in the functional requirements.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, no CRs exist in the database for the specified TFN.



E2: At Step 1, embodiments of the system determine the user is



not authorized to access the CR list for the TFN.



In either case an appropriate not-found or error indication is



returned on the user interface and processing is stopped.









An example use case for Disconnect Toll-Free Service is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-6


Use Case Name
Disconnect Toll-Free Service


Use Case
The user establishes a future or immediate disconnect date for a


Description
currently working TFN by populating the following Disconnect-



related parameters in a PENDING disconnect CR with a future



effective date and time:









Disconnect Referral Option



End-Intercept Date









(This may be regarded as a special case of CR-UC-3. Create a



New (Future) CR (Update Toll-Free Service), in which a CR for a



working or assigned number can be created to populate the



disconnect-related parameters and becomes a “Disconnect



record.”)


MFS Reference
MFS 11; MFS 12


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the identity and


Pre-Conditions
permissions of the user or has established the necessary API



interface connectivity.



The current Number Status is WORKING or ASSIGNED, and



there is either an ACTIVE CR or one or more future



PENDING CRs for the TFN in the database.



The user may be from the TFN's Control toll-free service



provider entity or the administration, or may otherwise have



update permission for the control toll-free service provider's



CRs.



In the ACTIVE CR or latest future CR, none of the



disconnect-related parameters may be yet populated.


Post-Conditions
A CR for the TFN, and with the effective date and time and with



populated disconnect-related CR parameters can be created in



embodiments of the system with an initial status of PENDING.



(At the effective date and time, the CR status can become



DISCONNECT. At the End Intercept Date it can be deleted from



the SCPs and transition to CR status OLD in the system.)


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API interface (REQ/RSP-CRA or REQ/RSP-CRC)









Primary Flow
1.
The user specifies or selects the TFN to be disconnected and




the latest effective dated CR.



2.
In embodiments, the system retrieves the CR and presents the




CR view to the user. (HUI case only)



3.
The user populates the effective date and time (either “now” or




in the future) and the following disconnect-related parameters




in the CR (assumed to be previously null or blank per pre-




condition):









Disconnect Referral Option is changed from blank



(null/empty) to “Yes (with referral)” or “No (without



referral)”



The End-Intercept Date is populated and is greater than or



equal to the effective date and time (when the End-



Intercept Date is equal to the Effective Date the CR can be



treated as an immediate disconnect without an intercept



period.)










4.
The user submits the CR update as a “disconnect request” with




a future effective date and time or “now” for an immediate




disconnect.



5.
In embodiments, the system validates the TFN, user's toll-free




service provider, and above Disconnect parameters, per




procedures described in Section 4.5.2.1.8, and posts the




validated CR to the database with an initial status of




“PENDING.









Subsequent to this interaction:









If the record is deemed valid at the intended effective date and



time it goes active in the network with DISCONNECT status



and applies the specified disconnect referral option, until the



end-intercept date is reached.



At the end intercept date, the CR is deleted from the SCPs. (If



the End-Intercept Date is the same as the Effective Date and



Time on the CR, the CR is deleted immediately from the SCP



when the Effective Date and time is reached.)








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, the user's toll-free service provider does not match



the Control toll-free service provider entity for the TFN, or does



not otherwise have update permission, such that access of the



target CR is not allowed to issue the disconnect request.



E2: At step 1, no active CR or future CRs with the effective date



and time exist in the database for the TFN.



E3: At Step 5, the specified End-Intercept Date is earlier than the



current date or more than <m> months later than the effective



date, and is considered invalid. (The limit m is administrator-



configurable with a default of 4 months.)



In these cases an appropriate error indication can be returned to



the user interface and further processing stops.









An example use case to Create a New Template Record is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-7


Use Case Name
Create a New Template Record (TR)


Use Case
The user creates a template record (TR) in embodiments of the


Description
system to establish or update a routing template that may then be



referenced by multiple PRs, either immediately, or at a future



effective date and time.


MFS Reference
MFS 14


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the identity and


Pre-Conditions
permissions of the user or has established the necessary API



interface connectivity.



No TR with the requested Template Name and Effective Date



and Time yet exist.


Post-Conditions
A TR with the given Template Name and with the current or



future Effective Date and Time is created and stored in



embodiments of the system with PENDING status for future



activation or SENDING status for immediate activation in the



network. (Its subsequent state in embodiments of the system can



depend upon whether its validation processing has completed



successfully.)


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API interface (REQ/RSP-TRC)









Primary Flow
1.
The user enters the existing Template Name, a requested




future Effective Date and Time (or NOW for an immediate




activation), all mandatory parameters, and any optional




parameters for the TR's TAD portion.



2.
The user may also populate a LAD portion of the TR




specifying record-specific labels for use in CPR decision and




action nodes.



3.
The user optionally populates a CPR portion to specify any




complex call routing logic, including any LAD labels defined




in the LAD portion for decision and action nodes. Note that all




DTNs in the CPR may be either the TFN or the special




argument “#DIAL” representing the TFN, i.e., the TR may




specify turnaround routing per SCP limitations on the TR




DTNs.



4.
The user submits the completed TR, including all of its




applicable component data portions to embodiments of the




system for validation and processing.



5.
In embodiments, the system validates that the CR is correct




and complete, per TR Data Requirements specified in Sections




4.3.2.9 through 4.3.2.12, and per TR validations specified




within Section 4.5.2.2. It generated a numeric Template ID




and posts the validated TR to the database with an initial




status of PENDING.








Alternate Flows
E1: In Step 1, the user does not have permission to create a TR,



and the request is rejected with an error indication returned to the



user.



E2: In Step 1, a CR with the same Template Name and Effective



Date and time already exists, so creation of a TR with the same



key data is not allowed, and an error indication is returned to the



user.



E3: In Step 5, the TR data in its TAD LAD, or CPR portions may



be invalid, missing, inconsistent, or incomplete, embodiments of



the system rejects the TR as invalid. The TR enters the INVALID



state and is stored in the database. It may be corrected (modified)



and resubmitted in a separate update request.



In all cases, further processing is stopped.









An example use case to Convert a Regular Customer Record to a Pointer Record is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-8


Use Case Name
Convert a Regular Customer Record to a Pointer Record


Use Case
The user converts a regular CR to a Pointer Record


Description



MFS Reference
MFS 16


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the identity and


Pre-Conditions
permissions of the user.



The selected (source) regular CR already exists in the



database. If it's Effective Date and Time (EDT) is not being



changed for the PR being created (it is to be converted “in



place”), then its EDT may be in the future and so it may not be



an OLD, ACTIVE, SENDING, or DISCONNECT record. If



the selected source regular CR has different Effective Date.



A corresponding Template Record to be referenced by the PR



already exists and is ACTIVE in the network and has the same



toll-free service provider entity as the control toll-free service



provider of the source regular CR.



The user's toll-free service provider may be part of the



Control toll-free service provider entity of the TFN for both



the converted CR and the Template Record to be referenced in



the PAD, or administration, or the user may otherwise have



update permission for the control toll-free service provider's



CRs.


Post-Conditions
The PR is created in PENDING status and contains the subset of



CAD parameter values applicable to a PAD data portion of the



PR. The prior regular CR is either replaced by the CR (if it has the



same future EDT), or is retained in the database unaffected.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API Interface (REQ-CRC)









Primary Flow
1.
The user specifies or selects the TFN and Effective Date and




Time of the existing regular CR to be converted to a PR, the




Template Name of the Template Record to be referenced by




the PR, and (optionally) a future Effective Date and Time for




the PR. (If not specified, embodiments of the system may




retain the future date and time of the source regular CR.)



2.
The user submits the request for the conversion action.



3.
In embodiments, the system initially validates that the




requesting user is from the Control toll-free service provider




of the TFN for the record being converted, or the user




otherwise has update permission, that the regular CR exists in




the database and that the referenced Template Record (TR)




exists in the ACTIVE state in the database and its Control toll-




free service provider entity code matches that of the CR being




converted. If the source regular CR's EDT is in the past it




ensures a user-entered EDT is specified and is in the future.



4.
In embodiments, the system performs the conversion action. It




copies applicable parameters from the source CR's CAD to




the CR's PAD, referencing the indicated Template ID, and




removes any CPR or LAD data portions. In embodiments, the




system facilitates only the TFN or the special argument




#DIAL on the Destination Telephone Number List on the




CAD to be copied to the PAD, or if neither may be on the




CAD, it can substitute the TFN for the DTNs on the




Destination List.



5.
In embodiments, the system validates the PR in combination




with its referenced Template Record is correct and complete




as of the Effective Date and Time, per CR Data Requirements




and per CR Validation Requirements.



6.
In embodiments, the system posts the PR to the database with




an initial status of PENDING. The original regular CR if




previously PENDING, no longer exists in the database.









Subsequent to this interaction, the newly created PENDING PR is



activated at the new Effective Date and Time, replacing the prior



ACTIVE CR, which transitions to OLD status.


Alternate Flows
E1: In Step 1, the source CR does not exist, so the record cannot



be retrieved and converted. A record not found indication or error



is returned to the user and processing stops.



E2: In Step 3, the initial validation conditions may be not met, the



conversion action is rejected, an error response is returned to the



user, and processing stops.



E3: In Step 5, if the resulting PR/TR is found to be invalid, an



error indication is returned to the user.



In exception cases E2 and E3 above, the original regular CR



remains in the database and is not removed/replaced by a valid



PR.









There may be additional features the embodiments of the disclosed architecture may support such as the examples that follow.










Customer Record Creation/Updating New


Features Requirements - New Feature Set









NFS #
Function
Description












NFS 8
Change call
With the expected movement from a PSTN



routing
based telephone routing to an IP based



anchoring
standard sometime in the future, it is



from PSTN
important to build the ability to utilize



to E64 URI
an E64 URI routing platform using SIP



standard
protocol into disclosed embodiments while




still supporting the current PSTN routing




approach.


NFS 9
Dynamic
Create a decision tree to assist the



decision
toll-free provider in creating a complex



tree logic
record by leading the user to routing



for building
decisions based upon information already



complex
provided.



customer




records.



NFS 10
Default
Allow the toll-free Provider the ability



Customer
to create a default customer record that



Record
can be activated against newly reserved




numbers. This functionality should provide




the user more capabilities than they




currently have with the Template




functionality.


NFS 11
Enhanced
Provide the toll-free provider additional



Route
decision points for routing decisions.



Management
Currently complex routing decisions can be




made on the following data points:









Originating State (STATE)



Originating NPA (AREA CODE)



Originating LATA (LATA)



Originating POTS NXX (NXX)



Originating POTS NPANXX



(6-DIGIT#)



Originating POTS number



(10-DIGIT#)



Specific date (DATE)



Day(s) of the week (DAY)



Time-of-day range (TIMES)











There is a lot of additional metadata




available to provide routing instructions




on, especially given the future with IP




routing. These metadata points can be




defined at design.


NFS 12
Automated
The system may enable the transfer of call



Template
routing information in the same action as



Data
the TFN transfer if that information is



Transfer
documented via a Template when a toll-free




provider is transferring a number to a




different toll-free provider. Today, this




is a multi-step process.


NFS12A
Template
The user will have a simplified approach



Record
to the creation of complex Template



Wizard
records using a Wizard like approach with




“Suggestive” intelligence from template




repository.









Customer Record Administration: Record Processing/SCP Downloads










Requirements - Minimal Feature Set











Current





state




MFS #
or New
Function
Description





MFS 18
Current
Customer
In embodiments, the system may



state
Record
maintain internal business logic




Processing
for tracking CR status. See the





CRA Status and flow in the





Overview section.


MFS 19
Current
Download
Activation at EDT (Effective



state
Records
Date & Time). A subset of the




to SCPs
active CR's data (defined in the





TM-798 format) applicable to





toll-free database query





processing is then downloaded to





the applicable SCPs in the public





network, replacing (overwriting)





any previous SCP customer





record in effect for that TFN.





Only one CR may be the active CR





in embodiments of the system





reflecting the current toll-free





service for a given TFN.


MFS 20
Current
Initial DB
When a SCP is added to the CCS



state
load to
network, the CRs may be loaded in




SCP
bulk as an “initial load.”


MFS 21
Current
Customer
A user may initiate the resend of



state
Record
a CR to all or some pertinent




Resend
SCPs in the CR's AOS (area of





service). CR resends can be





initiated by the CR's Control





toll-free service provider, the





SCP O/O's for any CRs at their





SCPs, and administration, subject





to user security settings.









The Customer Record (CR) Status indicates the status of the Customer Record with respect to its validation in embodiments of the system and its activation status at the SCPs. The CR Status is automatically generated by the current system. Because these states, as used by the legacy system, may be well known to the user community and may be regarded as fundamental to CR processing, they may be preserved as much as possible in the next generation system.










Customer Record Status Definitions








Status
Definition





Saved
The record is stored in embodiments of the system but is not yet



validated, because it has not yet been submitted for validation and



posting by the user after it was created or modified. This state applies to



CRs that may not be completely built or previously SAVED or



PENDING CRs that have been copied and/or modified from another CR



but not submitted.


Pending
The record has passed all validations and has a future Effective Date and



Time. A PENDING record can be accessed and modified. Records



specified for immediate activation (with an Effective Date and Time of



“now” may also pass through the PENDING state before they may be



subject to activation processing and enter the SENDING state.


Sending
The record is being sent to all pertinent SCPs, but not all of those SCPs



have responded with an OK status, meaning the CR may be activated in



none or some, but less than all SCPs. Sending records cannot be



modified. (Any changes to the customer's service for the toll-free



number may be made by creating a future customer record, or “copying



forward” the latest of the SENDING or ACTIVE customer records to a



future effective date and time and then modifying it.) (When all the SCPs



subsequently respond with an OK acceptance indication, the status can



then transition to ACTIVE or DISCONNECT.)


Active
The one record for the TFN that is currently working in all pertinent



SCPs. Only one active record can exist for a TFN at a given time. An



active record cannot be modified. (Any changes to the customer's service



for the toll-free number may be made by creating a customer record, or



“copying forward” the latest of the SENDING or ACTIVE customer



records to a future effective date and time and then modifying it.)


Old
A record whose status was previously ACTIVE, DISCONNECT,



or SENDING, but which has since been replaced by another ACTIVE,



DISCONNECT, or SENDING record with a later effective date and



time, or has since been deleted at the SCPs due to service disconnection.



Previously DISCONNECT records transition to OLD after their



Disconnect End Intercept Date has been reached and they may be deleted



from the SCPs. Previous ACTIVE records also transition to OLD if they



may be immediately disconnected without intercept and may be deleted



from the SCPs. OLD records cannot be modified. They may be



temporarily maintained in the TFMP database for reference or copying



for service rollback or recovery, and may be periodically purged from the



TFMP database.


Invalid
The record did not pass validations after being submitted by the user and



its effective date and time has not yet been reached. It remains in the



database but cannot be sent to the SCPs if/when its effective date and



time may be reached. Invalid records may be modified and resubmitted.


Disconnect
Normal service for the TFN has been discontinued and all callers may be



receiving disconnected number or referral number announcements. This



state is reached when a PENDING record with a populated Disconnect



Intercept Indicator reaches its Effective Date and Time and is then



successfully activated at all pertinent SCPs (The record in this state has a



specified Disconnect Intercept End Date later than the Effective Date and



Time.) Only one record for a given TFN can be in the DISCONNECT



state.


Much Check
A previously validated and pending record may be revalidated as its data



may no longer be appropriate since other pending CRs for the TFN with



earlier or later effective dates and times have been defined (inserted) in



the activation sequence.


Failed
The record has reached its Effective Date and Time, but has not been



successfully activated at any SCP because it remained SAVED,



INVALID, MAY CHECK, or PENDING without required carrier



approval at that time, or was in the SENDING state and has been rejected



by all SCPs to which it was sent.


Hold
The record has been placed on hold by request of the customer or the



Control toll-free service provider, as indicated by the Hold Indicator in



its CAD or PAD portion set to “Yes.” A CR in the HOLD state is



retained in the disclosed embodiment, but is not released (sent) to the



SCPs at its Effective Date and Time, even if it is otherwise valid and



approved. The HOLD status applies to regular CRs and Pointer Records,



but not to Template Records. HOLD status facilitates users to



indefinitely delay activation of a CR if there is some problem with other



coordinated aspects of the toll-free subscriber service, such as the



terminating lines or call centers not being ready to accommodate the



service. CR database clean-up procedures described in Section 4.14.2.4



can remove HOLD records from embodiments of the system after a



suitable administrator-defined interval (from 1-30 days) has passed



beyond their Effective Dates and Times. Refer to that section for details.



(State transitions from database clean-up procedures may be not reflected



in the mainline status transition diagrams.)









With reference to FIGS. 41 and 42, customer record state diagrams for activation and output 4100, 4200, refer to the processes by which CRs can be translated and transmitted to the appropriate SCPs after they may be validated and receive any necessary carrier approvals through various nodes such as invalid, saved, hold, pending, and must check. This can occur when their Effective Dates and Times may be reached, or immediately in the case of CRs for which and Effective Date and Time of “now” has been specified by the user at input, and no carrier approvals may be required. Note that the standard processing of CR output (download) to SCPs is done via TM-798 data links.
In embodiments, the system may translate the information in the Customer record (either a CR, a TR (template record), or a PR (Pointer Record)) to the TM-798 format for transmission to the SCPs.
The CR SCP Resend function may be used to resend a single CR to specific SCPs and use the SCP's CR update confirmation responses to update the CR's activation status. At the end of the CR resend process for a CR, embodiments of the system may update the CR's activation status and time as maintained for each SCP on the CR's Active SCP list. An example use case is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-9


Use Case Name
Resend CR to SCP(s)


Use Case
A user requests that embodiments of the


Description
system resend a Customer Record (Regular



CR, PR, or TR) to Service Control Points



(SCPs). The request may be applied to



specific SCPs or all SCPs in the CR's



Area of Service (AOS). This capability



is often used to clear CR's “stuck” in



SENDING status due to problems



at one or more SCPs in the CR's AOS.


MFS Reference
MFS 21


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider, SCP



network administrator, network manager,



or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the


Pre-Conditions
identity and permissions of the user or has



established the necessary API interface



connectivity.



The target CR exists in the database with



status of SENDING, ACTIVE,



DISCONNECT, or FAILED.


Post-Conditions
A resend report is made available to the



user regarding the results of the resend



(update) action with respect to the



requested SCP(s).



Log entries of the resend results at each



SCP may be recorded.



The CR status may be updated for the SCP



IDs on the CR's Active SCP List.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API interface (REQ/RSP-SCP)









Primary Flow
1.
The user specifies or selects the TFN




or Template Name of the CR for the




resend request.



2.
In embodiments, the system validates




that the CR exists in the database in




the ACTIVE, SENDING, DISCONNECT,




or FAILED states, and that the user




is generally authorized to perform the




CR resend action.



3.
In embodiments, the system retrieves




the CR from the database, and




determines the Control toll-free




service provider and the SCPs in the




CR AOS that may receive the resend.




In embodiments, the system presents




the list of SCPs defined in




embodiments of the system to the




user, with those SCPs from the CR's




Active SCP list (for its Area of




Service) identified, and with the




CR's last known activation status at




each SCP.



4.
The user specifies or selects:










a.
SCP List - the list of 1 or more




SCP IDs for the resend, or all




SCPs in the CR's AOS



b.
Critical Indicator - Whether or




not the request is to be




processed by any SCPs in




overload (deemed a “critical




resend”).










5.
In embodiments, the system validates




that the user is authorized to request




the re-send for the CR at the




indicated SCPs (the Control toll-free




service provider, an SCP administrator




or network manager at the SCP O/O, or




from administration sources). If a




Template Record is being re-sent,




embodiments of the system validates




that the specified SCPs support




template records.



6.
In embodiments, the system confirms to




the user that the resend request has




been accepted and is being processed.



7.
In embodiments, the system interacts




with the SCPs via the TM-798




UPD-CPR and RSP-RCU messages to




resend the CR to each SCP and logs the




results.



8.
In embodiments, the system updates the




CR's activation status at each SCP and




logs each SCP's resend result for the




CR. It compiles the results for the




TFN or Template Name across all




target SCPs.



9.
The results of the resend at each SCP




may be presented or made available to




the user.








Alternate Flows
E1: At step 1, embodiments of the system



determines that no CR corresponding to the



TFN or Template Name exists in the database



in the SENDING, ACTIVE,



DISCONNECT or FAILED states, or that



one exists but the user is not authorized



to initiate resends for it. An appropriate



not-found or error indication is returned,



and processing stops.



E2: At Step 5, embodiments of the system



determines the user is not authorized to



perform the resend to one or more of the



specified SCPs. An error indication is



returned with the SCP IDs indicated, and



processing stops.



E3: At Step 5 embodiments of the system



determines the user has requested to



resend a Template Record to an SCP that



does not support Template Records, and an



error indication is returned with the



SCP IDs indicated, and processing stops.



A1. In Step 7, one or more SCPs either



fail to respond to the CR update command,



and embodiments of the system times out



and stops waiting for the responses, logs



the non-responses, and completes Steps 8



and 9 with the information available.









There may be a number of tasks where a system administrator enters values for configuration parameters that control an aspect of system functionality. A pre-condition is that the user is a system administrator with permissions to perform the specific administrative task.
For each administrative use case, the following sequence of steps applies:

    
    
        Step 1: The user enters values;
        Step 2: The system verifies the user input; and
        Step 3: The system accepts the parameter values and notifies the user of success.
    
    


If the user input is not valid or some other condition prevents successful completion of the use case, embodiments of the system inform the user of an error.










Requirements - Minimal Feature Set











Current





state




MFS #
or New
Function
Description





MFS 22
Current
Annual
Annual audit between system and



state
Customer
SCP using 798. Record Key audit




Record
only. Compare keys. Resend CR




Audit
gaps.


MFS 23
Current
SCP-SMS
A separate SCP-SMS Reverse Audit



state
Reverse
process may input batch files of




Audit
CRs extracted from the individual




process
SCPs, compare them to those in





the CR database and note any





discrepancies in terms of the





presence and Effective Dates/





Times of the CRs, and (as a user





option) verify the control





toll-free service provider.


MFS 25
Current
Carrier
As a carrier, I need to get paid



state
Notification
every time you dip against me.




and
This relates to inter-carrier




Approval
compensation charges for





providing call routing services





through an SCP. The SCP provides





a call processing record for





every call that terminates to a





toll-free number. Usually,





carriers through their LECs





handle all toll free call





routing by “dipping” an SCP.





When a RespOrg decides to route





their calls through a carrier,





it is required that they (the





RespOrg) have a commercial





agreement with that carrier. This





administrative function allows a





carrier to allow or disallow





RespOrgs to use their network to





deliver calls.


MFS 26
Current
CRA
In embodiments, the system can be



state
Logging
required to provide logging of





detailed CRA activity.









IntraLata (CIC 0110) Routing Support










Requirements - Minimal Feature Set











Current





state




MFS #
or New
Sub Function
Description





MFS 27
Current
CIC 0110
IntraLATA routing support



state
Support









With reference to FIG. 43, the CIC 0110 validations 4300 from the perspectives of each of the involved service providers, including the Incumbent LEC (ILEC)/CCS Network Provider that operates the SSP, the terminating CCS network (the “Network Provider”), the ILEC or CLEC that has been assigned the NPA-NXX code and offers service to the terminating subscriber lines (the “Carrier”), and their relationship to the CR's toll-free service provider Control toll-free service provider, which may all be the same or different entities.
With reference to FIG. 44, the series of reference data lookups that may be performed to validate the use of CIC code OTC-0110 with specified POTS destination telephone numbers in the CPR may be depicted. Functional requirements for the specifics of validation processing then follow.













Use Case ID
CR-UC-10


Use Case Name
Notify Affected Carrier of CIC Routing or



Toll-Free Service Provider Change


Use Case
In embodiments, the system autonomously


Description
notifies a carrier's external system that



another toll-free service provider's CR using



its CICs has been pended in the database with



a change requiring the carrier's approval, or



has been activated in the network with a



change requiring the carrier be notified. (The



notification action also applies to



cancellations of prior requests when



subsequent CR changes or deletions result in a



prior reported change no longer being



applicable.)


MFS Reference
MFS 25


Actor(s)
User (Carrier)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the


Pre-Conditions
identity and permissions of the user or has



established the necessary API interface



connectivity.



The Carrier has established Carrier



Notification and Approval (CNA) controls for



the CIC in question.


Post-Conditions
The notification is delivered to the carrier's



external system or user mailbox.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API interface (UNS-SNA)









Primary Flow
1.
A CR with the carrier's CIC and presenting




a change in service of the type requiring




approval by the carrier is pended to the




database, OR A CR with the carrier's CIC




and presenting a change of the type




requiring carrier notification is




activated in the system.



2.
An autonomous notification is generated




and sent to the Carrier system to notify




the Carrier user about the service change




reflected in the CR update and when




applicable, requesting their review and




approval of the change.









The Carrier notification function facilitates authorized carrier users to receive and review notifications about CR changes affecting their CICs. The Carrier Notification and Approval (CNA) functions allow telecom carriers to define business agreements with toll-free service providers, set up permissions for the use of their Carrier Identification Codes (CICs) in toll-free service CRs, receive notifications of when their CICs may be used or modified on CRs, and approve when their codes may be used on specific CR's controlled by other service providers.
In embodiments, the system can validate the CICs used in CRs to specify call routing, based on carrier permissions and restrictions specified in carrier and CNA reference data, generate notifications to the carriers, and correlate those against carrier approvals before the CRs containing the carrier's CICs may be activated.
The toll-free service providers' View of Carrier Approval Status facilitates toll-free service providers to query carrier approval status information for their CRs at both a summary level and a detailed level (per-carrier), when multiple carriers may be involved.
An example use case to notify an affected carrier of CIC routing or toll-free service provider change is as follows













Use Case ID
CR-UC-11


Use Case Name
Carrier Reviews Notifications


Use Case
A carrier selects, retrieves, and views a list


Description
of outstanding CNA notifications and approval



requests for their CICs resulting from other



service provider's CRs being pended or



activated in the system, and selects one for



viewing and follow-on activity.


MFS Reference
MFS 25


Actor(s)
User (Carrier or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the


Pre-Conditions
identity and permissions of the user.



The Carrier has established Carrier



Notification and Approval (CNA) controls for



their CICs.


Post-Conditions
A summary list of outstanding CNA notifications



and approval requests meeting the user's



request criteria is returned/displayed, from



which one may be selected. No change is made to



the notification data.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations










Primary Flow
1.
A carrier user enters or selects a CIC,




an Effective Date range, and Toll-Free




NPA filter for the desired list of CIC




Routing or toll-free service provider




Change notifications.



2.
The user submits the request to the




system.



3.
In embodiments, the system validates that




the user is from the carrier entity that




controls the CIC, or is from SMS




administration, and is authorized to




access the notification list.



4.
In embodiments, the system retrieves and




displays the notification list, including




for each notification:









CR's TFN or Template Name



CR's Effective Date and Time



The Notification Reason (the CR's



change condition)



The CR's Carrier Approval Status



An indication of whether the carrier's



approval is requested/required



A link or other mechanism by which



the notifications may be selected for



subsequent action.










5.
The user then selects an individual




notification to view and retrieves the




notification details.









Additional information requirements regarding



the detailed notifications may be discussed in



the functional requirements of Section 4.6.2.4.



Subsequent to this interaction the user may



conduct other follow-on activity concerning the



notification such as viewing relevant portions



of the CR, submitting an approval response, or



deleting the notification.


Alternate Flows
E1: In Step 3, embodiments of the system



determine the user is not authorized to access



notifications for the selected CIC. An error



response is returned and processing stops.



E2: In Step 3, no notifications meeting the



filter criteria may be found in the system, and



a not-found indication is returned to the



requesting user.









Carrier Submits Approval or Denial of CR Update













Use Case ID
CR-UC-12


Use Case Name
Carrier Submits Approval or Denial of CR



Update


Use Case
A carrier selects a CR approval request


Description
concerning their CIC(s) and submits the



carrier's approval or denial for the CR.


MFS Reference
MFS 25


Actor(s)
User (Carrier or administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CR—Customer Record Administration


Category



Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the


Pre-Conditions
identity and permissions of the user or has



established API interface connectivity.



The Carrier has established Carrier



Notification and Approval (CNA) controls for



their CICs.



CR approval requests for one or more of their



CICs exist in the database.


Post-Conditions
A status of “granted” or “denied” is



assigned to the approval request with respect



to the carrier, and can be correlated to the



corresponding PENDING CR in the database.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API Interface (REPT/RSP-APR)









Primary Flow
1.
A carrier user (or TFMP Administration




user) searches (HUI case only) for one or




more CR approval requests, based on one




or more of the following search criteria:









CIC



TFN (or TF NPA, or TFN range), or



Template Name



Effective Date and Time (EDT) or



EDT range



Control toll-free service provider



Notification Time stamp



Current Request Approval Status



(granted, denied, undetermined)










2.
In embodiments, the system responds with




one or more Approval Requests meeting the




search criteria. (HUI case only)



3.
The user specifies or selects a specific




approval request (about a PENDING CR)




to address.



4.
In embodiments, the system validates that




the user is from the carrier entity that




controls the CIC, or is from TFMP




administration, and is authorized to




specify approvals for the CIC.



5.
The user specifies or selects the desired




approval status for the request (granted,




denied), and if denied, the reason for




the denial (a 2 character alphabetic,




carrier-specific code for the reason).



6.
The user submits the request to update




the approval status.



7.
In embodiments, the system responds,




confirming the specified status value for




the approval request, and logs the




approval response action.








Alternate Flows
E1: In step 1, no requests match the search



criteria, so a not-found indication is



returned to the user and processing stops.



E2: In step 4, an embodiment of the system



determines the user is not authorized to



access/respond to the approval requests for



the selected CIC. An error response is



returned to the user.






















Use Case ID
CR-UC-13


Use Case Name
Notify Control toll-free service provider of Carrier Approval or



Denial


Use Case
In embodiments, the system autonomously notifies a Control toll-


Description
free service provider user or external system that all carriers



requiring approval have granted approval requests for a pending



CR, or that one carrier has denied the request, so that the CR has



transitioned from the AWAIT carrier approval status to the



GRANTED or DENIED approval status (respectively).


MFS Reference
MFS 25


Actor(s)
User (toll-free service provider)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional Category
CR—Customer Record Administration


Assumptions and
In embodiments, the system has verified the identity and


Pre-Conditions
permissions of the user or has established the necessary API



interface connectivity.



The approval request(s) was/were previously generated by



embodiments of the system as a result of CR creation or



updates, combined with one or more carriers' CNA policies



with respect to the toll-free service provider.


Post-Conditions
The notification is delivered to the toll-free service provider's



external system or user mailbox.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations
API interface (UNS-ACT)









Primary Flow
1.
The system, which tracks carrier responses to the approval




requests, determines that either the last outstanding approval




request for a given CIC on the CR has been granted, OR one




of one of more carriers requiring approval has denied




approval.



2.
In embodiments, the system updates the CR's Carrier




Approval Status from AWAIT to GRANTED or DENIED,




respectively, and generates a notification of the event to the




CR's TOLL-FREE SERVICE PROVIDER. The notification




contains the following information about the CR:




 The Control toll-free service provider




 TFN or Template Name




 Effective Date and Time




 Date and time of receipt (denial or last grant)




 Approval Indication (granted all carriers, denied by a




 carrier)




 Denial information (if denied by a carrier):




  CIC




  Reason code (2-character carrier-specific reason




  code).








Alternate Flows
None identified.









In embodiments, the system can be required to provide various logs of detailed CRA activity in order to support a number of key reports. In embodiments, the system can also provide a variety of measurements of CRA activity and associated resource usage, both in aggregate for the system, and where attributable to the respective toll-free service providers whose CRs may be being processed.
There may be certain items that may be validated in embodiments of the system as a result of outside carriers or partner's rules. One such rule is:










Requirements - Minimal Feature Set











Current





state




MFS #
or New
Sub Function
Description





MFS 32
Current
Carrier business
AT&T accepts only turn-around



state
rules
records/validations.









A Mass Change is an event that requires embodiments of the system to perform a large volume of changes in a short period of time. Depending on the Mass Change event, it may be necessary to update system reference data and a large number of impacted AoS labels and customer records. In embodiments, the system thus provides functionality for management and administration of Mass Changes.
The setup of Mass Changes may, for example, be performed online and the execution of the job processing the Mass change is done in the background.










Customer Record Mass Changes MFS











Current





state




MFS #
or New
Sub Function
Description













MFS 28
Current
Owning toll-free
Convert all or subset of



state
service provider
numbers and CRs from old




give away all
toll-free service provider




numbers to
to new toll-free service




another Provider
provider




(Mass toll-free





service provider





Change)



MFS 29
Current
POTS NPA Changes
Updates CRs due to



state
(not TF)
overlays. While NPA Splits





may be unlikely to happen,





support is provided to CR





updates based on Overlays.











MFS 30
Current
1.
CR updates
Industry data changes such



state

from
as Overlays or Splits can





Industry
cause CRs to be updated.





Network
Other industry data





data
changes (reference data





changes.
changes) can also cause




2.
Toll-free
CRs to require automatic





service
updates. (POTS





provider
NPA Changes) and (CR





driven
updates due to industry





CR updates
data changes).






Mass toll-free service






provider






Changes, Mass Carrier






Change, Mass Disconnect &






Spare.










MFS 31
Current
SCP Area of Service
A CCS Network consists of



state
Definition/Expansion
SCPs that provide routing





information for toll-free





calls originated from a





defined area of the POTS





network, referred to as





the SCP Area of Service.





When a CCS Network is





added or due to changes





in the operations of





CCS Networks, such as a





merger or expansion, it





is necessary to define





or add to an SCP Area of





Service









This section has a sample of some of the many use cases that may be covered in this functionality. It does not represent every possible use case and should be but an example base for determining CRA functionality.
Example Set Criteria for a NPA Code Opening/Overlay Mass Change is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-14


Use Case Name
NPA Code Opening/Overlay Mass Change Setup


Use Case
Administrator prepares for and executes an


Description
upcoming NPA Code Opening/Overlay


MFS Reference
MFS 29


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CRA Mass Changes


Category



Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system.


and Assumptions
In embodiments, the system has verified



identity and permissions of the specific user.


Post-Conditions
Criteria for an NPA Code Opening/Overlay Mass



Change may be set.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations










Primary Flow
Step 1
The user indicates the mass change is




an NPA Code Opening/Overlay and




enters the following information:









New NPA Code



New NPA State



Existing NPAs to be overlaid



CCS Networks for New NPA



LATAs for New NPA










Step 2
The user enters the date the NPA code




can be operational (Open date) and




the number of days in advance for the




beginning of Mass Change processing




(used to calculate Open-X date).



Step 3
In embodiments, the system verifies




that the data entered is valid and




provides a response that the Mass




Change criteria have been accepted.



Step 4
An identifier for the mass change




operation is established and status




is set to PENDING for the Mass




Change.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, embodiments of the system may



notify the user if any of the data entered is



invalid, such as an incorrect state or



existing NPAs, CCS networks, or LATAs that



may be not operational in the indicated



state.



E2: At Step 2, embodiments of the system may



notifies the user if the date information is



not valid. The Open date and Open-X date may



occur after the current date.









Example Set Criteria for a mass carrier change is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-15


Use Case Name
Set Criteria for a Mass Carrier Change


Use Case
Administrator sets up the criteria for a mass


Description
carrier change


MFS Reference
MFS 28; MFS 29;


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CRA Mass Changes


Category



Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system.


and Assumptions
In embodiments, the system has verified



identity and permissions of the specific user



All reference data required to define a carrier



has been entered for the Change-to Carrier.


Post-Conditions
Criteria for a mass carrier change may be



set.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations










Primary Flow
Step 1
The User indicates the mass change




is a mass carrier change and enters




the following information:









One or more change-from carriers



One change-to carrier for each



change-from carrier



One or more toll-free service



provider entities or toll-free



service provider units per change



from/change-to carrier (optional)



One or more LATAs per change



from/change-to carrier (optional)










Step 2
The user enters the date the carrier




change can be completed (carrier




date) and a number of days prior for




when carrier changes can begin




(carrier-X date).



Step 3
In embodiments, the system verifies




that the data entered is valid and




provides a response that the mass




change criteria have been accepted.



Step 4
An identifier for the mass change




operation is established and status




is set to PENDING for the Mass




Change.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, embodiments of the system



notifies the user if any of the data entered



is invalid, such as an invalid Carrier code.



Toll-free service provider entity or Unit, or



LATA.



E2: At Step 2, embodiments of the system



notifies the user if the date information is



not valid. The Carrier and Carrier-X date may



occur after the current date.






















Use Case ID
CR-UC-16


Use Case Name
Set Criteria for a Mass Toll-Free Service Provider Change


Use Case Description
Administrator sets up the criteria for a mass toll-free service



provider change


MFS Reference
MFS 28


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional Category
CRA Mass Changes


Pre-Conditions and
The user has logged into the system.


Assumptions
In embodiments, the system has verified identity and



permissions of the specific user.


Post-Conditions
Criteria for a mass toll-free service provider change may be set.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations









Primary Flow
Step 1
The user indicates the mass change is a mass toll-free




service provider Change and enters the Change-from




toll-free service provider entity or toll-free service




provider Unit and corresponding Change-to toll-free




service provider entity or toll-free service provider Unit



Step 2
The user enters the date the toll-free service provider




Change can be completed (toll-free service provider




date) and a number of days prior for when carrier




changes can begin (toll-free service provider-X date).



Step 3
In embodiments, the system verifies that the data entered




is valid and provides a response that the Mass Change




criteria have been accepted.



Step 4
An identifier for the mass change operation is established




and status is set to PENDING for the Mass Change.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, embodiments of the system notify the user if any



of the toll-free service provider entity or toll-free service provider



Units entered may be invalid.



E2: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notify the user if the



date information is not valid. The toll-free service provider date



and toll-free service provider-X date may occur after the current



date.









In embodiments, the system may identify records impacted by a mass change. Using the mass change criteria, embodiments of the system can search for records that may be impacted by the mass change and determine if the record can be updated for the mass change information or if manual intervention is required. The identification process can be repeated after verification of the results and manual action has been taken for those records that cannot be updated automatically.
In embodiments, the system can identify and update records that are impacted by a mass change. Updated records may be assigned an appropriate effective date and time.
An example use case that updates customer records impacted by a mass change is as follows:













Use Case ID
CR-UC-17


Use Case Name
Update Customer Records Impacted by a Mass



Change


Use Case
Administrator executes a system process to


Description
update the customer records that may be



impacted by a mass change


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
CRA mass changes


Category



Pre-Conditions
The user has logged into the system.


and Assumptions
In embodiments, the system has verified



identity and permissions of the specific



user.



Customer records impacted by the mass change



have been identified.


Post-Conditions
Customer records that may be impacted by a



mass change may be updated and assigned an



effective date and time.


Interface
Human User Interface


Considerations










Primary Flow
Step 1
The user indicates the mass change




for the customer record update




process, the date to begin download




of updated customer records and the




number of customer records to




download each quarter hour. For an




SCP Area of Service Expansion, the




user indicates if updated customer




records may be to be sent over the




links to SCPs (online update) or




extracted to a file (offline




update).



Step 2
The user specifies a start date




and time for the process to begin




(default is immediate).



Step 3
In embodiments, the system creates




a version of Active, Sending, and




Disconnect impacted customer records




with the an effective date and a




time calculated based on the




indicated download start date,




number of records and the indicated




quarter hour quantity. Pending and




Hold impacted customer records may




be updated with no change to the




effective date and time.



Step 4
In embodiments, the system provides




an indication that processing is




completed and that the results




(customer records updated, customer




records failed update) may be




available for review.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1 and 2, embodiments of the



system notify the user if the mass change or



the start date and time may be invalid.



E2: At Step 4, embodiments of the system



notify the user if processing cannot begin or



ends before completion.









SCP administration and network management may be two important functions defined under SCP management. SCP administration functions in embodiments allow users to establish and modify SCP-related reference data in embodiments of the system and send messages to the SCP nodes and their Call Management Services Database (CMSDB) subsystems to manage data tables that reside there.
Network management functions for the toll-free Service involve the management of various parameters for automatic capabilities intended to monitor and control toll-free query traffic and calling volumes at the Service Control Points (SCPs), Service Switching Points (SSPs), terminating switches and terminating subscriber lines. When various call volume thresholds may be exceeded, the SCPs trigger Automatic Call Gapping (ACG) code controls at the originating SSPs.
The disclosed embodiment of the Network Management functions allow network managers to configure and adjust the relevant control parameters on SCP. Data collection at the SCPs can be configured through the disclosed embodiment to provide network managers with relevant surveillance information useful to monitor traffic and analyze problems, such as the detection of SCP overloads and excessive calling or excessive ineffective attempts to dialed codes.
The SCP Management (SCP-M) functions may be used by SCP administrators at the SCP Owner/Operator (SCP O/O) companies and by network managers for the SS7/CCS networks, which may be typically operated by the same SCP O/O entities or otherwise affiliated with them. SCP-M functions may interact directly with the SCPs via the SCP Interface as defined in TM-798. An example of these interactions is illustrated in FIG. 45.










Requirements - Minimal Feature Set











Current





state




MFS #
or New
Sub Function
Description





MFS 33
Current
SCP
The definition and



state
Administration
configuration of SCPs and





related SCP information


MFS 34
Current
Master Number
In embodiments, the system may



state
List
maintain for each managed





SCP a list of toll-free NPAs,





and for each NPA - an





effective dated list of their





contained NXXs for which





toll-free Customer Records





(CRs) may be loaded and for





which toll-free database





queries may be received.


MFS 35
Current
SCP Mated
SCP's may be generally defined



state
Pairs
in mated pairs. In embodiments,





the system can need to keep





track of this relationship.


MFS 36
Current
798 Protocol
TM-798 Interface messaging,



state

and others can be used for





communicating and exchanging





the messages between the





disclosed embodiment and the





SCP.


MFS 37
Current
Network
Network management is done by



state
Management
the SCP implementing overload





controls whenever call volume





thresholds may be exceeded.





The disclosed embodiment





defines the controls and sets





thresholds. Data collection





at the SCPs can be requested





through disclosed embodiment





to provide network managers





with information to analyze





problems.









There may be additional features supported by the disclosed architecture such as the examples which follow:










SCP Management - New Feature Set









NFS #
Function
Description





NFS 13
Provide to the
Today, all information sent to an SCP



SCPs the
is sent via a push. In some cases the



ability to pull
SCP requests this information, but



call routing
they may wait till the request is



details rather
processed before receiving the



than only
information. In embodiments, the



allowing a
system should allow an SCP to pull



push
information directly from the system.




Controls may be built into embodiments




of the system to only allow records




that may be released by the toll-free




provider to be pulled.









SCP administration functions of the disclosed embodiment allow users to establish and modify SCP-related reference data in embodiments of the system and send messages to the SCP nodes.
The principal users of SCP-M functionality may be assumed to be SCP administrators at the SCP Owner Operator (SCP O/O) companies and network managers at Network Management Centers (NMCs) or Network Operations Center (NOCs) at the telecom network providers who operate the SS7/Common Channel Signaling (CCS) networks. Secondary users may be administrators, who have global privileges to access the data and facilitate administrative and control actions of the SCP administrators and network managers.
The current system SCP Administration supports the management of SCP data tables or similar data structures. Functionality provided by a current system may be supported in embodiments of a new system. Design of disclosed embodiments may vary. These may include the following:











Table
Description/Purpose







SCP ID Table
The SCP ID table defines SCPs managed by the



disclosed embodiment and key parameters



associated with each


SCP Mated Pair
The SCP Mated Pair Table is used to define


Table
active/active highly available relationships


Active/Active
between individual SCPs within the same CCS


Configuration)
network.


SSP Lists
For each CCS network, embodiments of the system



can maintain a list of SSPs that may route



Toll-Free Database queries to an SCP. This



information is used to validate SSPs specified



for SSP based special studies.


Toll-Free
The SCP Toll-Free NPA-NXX List contains the


NPA-NXX Lists
toll-free NPAs and their NXXs belonging to the



SCP in the user's CCS network. This list



specifies the domain of dialed codes whose



customer records may be loaded at that SCP and



whose toll-free database queries may be to be



handled by that SCP. This is sometimes referred



to as the SCP's Master Number List.









A common practice among SCP owner-operators is the running of periodic (typically annual) batch audits of extracted files of SCP customer records against the database in order to detect outdated or missing SCP CRs. The process is known as a reverse audit, because it uses the extracted SCP records as a basis for the audit comparison instead of the database. The typical practice for each SCP O/O has been to periodically audit each toll-free NPA's range of CRs by extracting a SCP-generated CR audit file for that NPA.
The audit file is not a complete view of the CRs, but is rather an extracted listing of each loaded CR's Customer Record Number (CRN), i.e., the TFN or numeric Template ID in NPA-NXX-XXXX format, Effective Date and Time, and toll-free service provider ID. The audit file is then loaded to the TFMP administration. The reverse audit process then compares the records to the corresponding CRs. The discrepancies may then trigger CR resends to the target SCP via the TM-798 interface, or may be written to file for a subsequent batch resend.
The SCP Administration function supports actions performed by SCP administrators and disclosed embodiment administrators. The following may be sample use cases addressing SCPs, SCP mates, SSP lists and SCP-NPA NXX lists, among other administrative controls and limits for SCP Operations. These do not cover every possible action.
An example use case to define a SCP ID in the disclosed embodiment is as follows:













Use Case ID
SM-UC-1


Use Case Name
Define a SCP ID and its attributes within the



disclosed embodiment.


Use Case
The administrator enters the information


Description
required to create an SCP into the disclosed



embodiment.


MFS Reference
MFS 33


Actor(s)
User (administrator system)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
SM—SCP Management.


Category



Pre-Conditions/
User has logged on to embodiments of the system


Assumptions
and has permissions to perform the requested



action.



The SCP ID has not been defined in the system.



The CCS Network Id has already been defined in



the system.


Post-Conditions
A SCP ID is defined in the system's database.


Interface
The user should be connected via a HUI (Human


Considerations
User Interface) to access the system.









Primary Flow
1.
The user enters the CCS Network ID, the




parent object for which the SCP ID is




being defined.



2.
The user enters the information related to




data elements to define a SCP ID:









Node Id



Template Record Indicator










3.
The user submits all SCP information to




the system.



4.
In embodiments, the system validates the




data elements per data requirements and




that the SCP ID has not already been




defined in the system.



5.
In embodiments, the system validates the




information provided and interacts with




the SCP



6.
In embodiments, the system returns a




confirmation message to the user




confirming creation of the SCP ID in




embodiments of the system








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, if the CCS Network Id is not



found, embodiments of the system cannot allow



the user to create the SCP.



E2: At Step 4, if system validation fails,



then embodiments of the system cannot allow



the user to create the SCP.



E4: At Step 5, if the SCP fails to interact



with embodiments of the system or does not



accept the information, then embodiments of



the system cannot allow the user to create the



SCP.



In all cases, an error indication is returned



to the user and further processing stops.









An example use case to Update the SCP ID data is as follows:













Use Case ID
SM-UC-3


Use Case Name
Update the SCP ID data in the disclosed



embodiment.


Use Case
The TFMP administrator can update the SCP ID


Description
data in the disclosed embodiment.


MFS Reference
MFS 33; MFS 34


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
SM—SCP Management.


Category



Pre-Conditions/
User has logged on to embodiments of the system


Assumptions
and has permissions to perform the requested



action



The SCP ID, for which the update is being made,



has been defined in the system.



The CCS Network ID has already been defined in



the system.



The user can only update the queue status (from



Queue to Not Queue) and Template Supported



indicator in the SCP.


Post-Conditions
A SCP ID data is updated in the system


Interface
The user should be connected via a HUI (Human


Considerations
User Interface) to access the system.









Primary Flow
1.
The user enters the SCP Id to retrieve the




SCP ID data from the system's database.



2.
In embodiments, the system verifies if the




user has permission to manage the above




SCP Id.



3.
User modifies the SCP ID data and submits




the SCP ID information (Template Supported




and Queue status) for validation and




processing.



4.
System validates the data elements per




data requirements section and according to




FR section.



5.
In embodiments, the system returns a




confirmation message to the user




confirming modifications of the SCP ID




data in the system.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, if the SCP ID does not match the



system's database, then embodiments of the



system cannot allow the user to retrieve/update



the SCP ID data.



E2: At Step 2, if the SCP ID does not belong to



the user's CCS network, then embodiments of the



system cannot allow the user to retrieve the



SCP ID data.



E3: At Step 3, if validation fails, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to modify the SCP ID data. In all the above



cases, an error indication is returned to the



user and further processing is stopped.









Establish or Update SCP mated pair inside the disclosed embodiment is as follows:













Use Case ID
SM-UC-5


Use Case Name
Establish or Update SCP mated pair inside the



disclosed embodiment.


Use Case
The TFMP administrator or SCP administrator


Description
enters the SCP IDs to establish a relationship



between two SCPs as SCP mates in the system.


MFS Reference
MFS 35


Actor(s)
User (SCP administrator or disclosed embodiment



administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
SM—SCP Management.


Category



Pre-Conditions/
The SCPs to be defined as a mated pair should


Assumptions
belong to the user's CCS network.



The SCP IDs that may be mated should have been



defined in the SCP ID table.



The SCPs should not be a mated with any other



SCPs.



User has logged on to embodiments of the system



and has permissions to perform the requested



action.


Post-Conditions
The SCP Mate relationship is now established in



the system


Interface
The user should be connected via a HUI (Human


Considerations
User Interface) to access the system.









Primary Flow
1.
User enters or selects an SCP ID and a




second (different) SCP ID for the SCP




mate.



2.
In embodiments, the system verifies that




both SCP IDs may be managed by the same




user of a CCS Network.



3.
The user requests the two SCPs be defined




as mated pair.



4.
In embodiments, the system validates the




mated pairs.



5.
The system updates the table identifying




these two SCPs as a mated pair.



6.
The system returns a confirmation message




to the user noting the establishment the




SCP mated pair in the system.








Alternate Flows
E1: At step 1, if the entered SCP ID is not



found in the table and an error or not-found



indication is returned.



E2: At Step 2, if the SCP ID does not belong to



the user's CCS network, then embodiments of the



system cannot allow the user to mate the pair.



E3: At Step 4, If either SCP ID is already



mated to another SCP ID or any other



validations fail, then an error message is



returned to the user indicating the SCPID is



already mated.



In all the above cases, an error indication is



returned to the user and further processing is



stopped.









The disclosed embodiment may interface with all the SCPs using the TM-798 standard interface protocol. The embodiments of the disclosed architecture can maintain that interface standard as have each SCP change the interface may not be a viable approach.
The SCP interface is a dedicated Wide-Area Network (WAN) link supporting the establishment of TCP/IP socket connections between embodiments of the system and each SCP. In embodiments, the system may maintain a set of data related to the interface for each SCP, such as an IP address and TCP port number, as described by SR-4959, SCP-TFMP TCP/IP Interface Specification.
The embodiments of the disclosed architecture may need to translate the necessary information from its internal data stores into a standard interface for transmission to the SCPs.
Network management is performed automatically by the SCP implementing overload controls whenever call volume thresholds may be exceeded. The disclosed embodiment defines the controls and sets thresholds. Data collection at the SCPs can be requested through disclosed embodiment to provide network managers with information to analyze problems.
Mass Calling Thresholds may be used to provide the SCPs with surveillance and control thresholds for each of 15 destination threshold level classes defined by the disclosed embodiment. Each of these thresholds is expressed in terms of the number of call attempts during, for example, a 2.5-minute period.
The disclosed embodiment automatically assigns a threshold level class to a particular destination telephone number of a toll-free-number, based on the number of lines associated with it, as specified on the Customer Record (CR).
The SCP detects focused overloads by counting call attempts for each destination number and comparing the accumulated count to the surveillance and control thresholds for the threshold level class assigned to the destination number.
If the call attempts during an example 2.5-minute measurement period exceed the surveillance threshold for a destination telephone number, then the number is placed on a surveillance list.
A destination telephone number remains on the surveillance list until it either does not exceed its surveillance threshold during a full 2.5-minute measurement period or it exceeds its control threshold when it's moved to the control list.
An example use case to Change the Mass Calling Threshold Data is as follows:













Use Case ID
SM-UC-6


Use Case Name
Change the Mass Calling Threshold Data


Use Case
The administrator changes the default values of


Description
Mass Calling Threshold Data like Surveillance



Threshold, Control Threshold and Initial Gap



Interval in the CCS network of its SCPs.


MFS Reference
MFS 37


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
SM—SCP Management.


Category



Pre-Conditions/
The CCS Network ID has already been defined in


Assumptions
the system.



User can update the threshold values even when



the SCPs may be overloaded.



User has logged on to embodiments of the system



and has permissions to perform the requested



action.


Post-Conditions
The Mass Calling Threshold values may be



updated.


Interface
The user should be connected via a HUI (Human


Considerations
User Interface) to access the system.









Primary Flow
 1.
The user enters the CCS network ID, for




which the thresholds need to be defined.



 2.
In embodiments, the system verifies if




the user has permission to manage the




above CCS network ID.



 3.
The user initiates to modify the




Surveillance threshold data of a CCS




network.



 4.
In embodiments, the system checks if the




surveillance threshold values changed by




the user for threshold levels through 14




increases or remain the same with each




threshold level increase and may be




greater than their associated




surveillance thresholds. Threshold level




15, which is used for study purposes and




tele voting, is excluded from these cross




field validations



 5.
The user now modifies the default Control




threshold data.



 6.
In embodiments, the system checks if the




control threshold values changed by the




user for threshold levels 1 through 14




increases or remain the same with each




threshold level increase and may be less




than their associated control




thresholds. Threshold level 15, which is




used for study purposes, is excluded from




these cross-field validations.



 7.
The user may also enter a value as




initial gap interval.



 8.
The user submits all these changes to the




system.



 9.
In embodiments, the system validates the




information provided and interacts with




all the SCPs.



10.
In embodiments, the system sends these




changes to all the SCPs in the CCS




network and returns a confirmation




message of the updated values.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, if the CCS Network ID is not



found, embodiments of the system cannot allow



the user to modify the threshold values.



E2: At Step 4, if system validation fails, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to modify the threshold values.



E3: At Step 6, if system validation fails, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to modify the threshold values.



E4: At Step 9, if system validation fails, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to modify the threshold values.



E5: At Step 10, if the SCP(s) fails to interact



with embodiments of the system or does not



accept the information, then embodiments of the



system cannot allow the user to modify the



threshold values.



In all cases, an error indication is returned



to the user and further processing stops.









The Excessive Calling Controls may be used to set and change the calling thresholds for 6-digit and 10-digit vacant toll-free and out of area numbers. These excessive calling thresholds may be expressed in terms of the number of call attempts in a defined time interval (for e.g., 5 minute period). When the thresholds may be met, the numbers may be added to the control list and the calling rate is automatically limited by the SCP. In addition, a threshold is defined to automatically take these numbers off of the control list, when the calling rate decreases sufficiently.
The disclosed embodiment does not enforce the ACG (Automatic Call Gapping). A set of control parameter thresholds may be used to invoke the ACG. Once the thresholds may be reached, the ACG is triggered at the SCP-SSP level.













Use Case ID
SM-UC-7


Use Case Name
Changing Excessive Calling Controls


Use Case
The administrator or a network manager change


Description
the control and decontrol threshold values for



a 6-digit and 10-digit vacant toll-free numbers.


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator/



network manager)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
SM—SCP management.


Category



Pre-Conditions/
The SCP to be defined should belong to the


Assumptions
user's CCS network.



User has logged on to embodiments of the system



and has permissions to perform the requested



action.



User can override the threshold class



assignments even when the SCP is overloaded.


Post-Conditions
The desired controls of calling threshold for



the vacant toll-free number may be changed.


Interface
The user should be connected via a HUI (Human


Considerations
User Interface) to access the system.









Primary Flow
1.
The user enters the CCS network ID, for




which the thresholds need to be defined.



2.
In embodiments, the system verifies if the




user has permission to manage the above




CCS network.



3.
The user enters the SCP ID to set the




Excessive Calling Thresholds.



4.
User enters the control and decontrol




threshold values.



5.
The user updates the entered values.



6.
In embodiments, the system validates the




information provided and interacts with




all the SCPs.



7.
In embodiments, the system sends the




updated threshold values to the desired SCP and




returns a confirmation message of the updated




control thresholds.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, if the CCS Network ID is not



found, embodiments of the system cannot allow



the user to modify the threshold values for



vacant toll-free numbers.



E2: At Step 2, if system validation fails, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to modify the threshold values for vacant



toll-free numbers.



E3: At Step 3, if the SCP ID entered incorrect



or does not belongs to the CCS network, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to modify the threshold values for vacant



toll-free numbers.



E4: At Step 6, if system validation fails, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to modify the threshold values for vacant



toll-free numbers.



In all cases, an error indication is returned



to the user and further processing stops.









The Special Studies Request is done when a potential problem is suspected in the network and is done by sampling traffic to a specific number, Telecom Owner Operator Network or an SSP (Service Switching Point). A toll-free service provider, administrator, or a network manager can request an SCP owner operator for a special study into their SCP and they can either accept or reject the request to enable the study.
The study is conducted to allow a maximum of 100 calls in a maximum duration of 168 hours (7 days), which ever limit is reached first i.e., the collection of data can end when the specified number of call attempts have been monitored, or when the specified time limit is reached first.
The special study can be requested for a toll-free number, Destination Telephone Number, carrier, or for an SSP. A toll-free number or a Destination Telephone Number of either 6-digit (NPA-NXX) or a full 10-digit number (NPA-NXX-XXXX) can be requested for the study.
An example use case to Create a Special Study Request is as follows:













Use Case ID
SM-UC-8


Use Case Name
Create a Special Study Request


Use Case
The disclosed embodiment administrators or


Description
network managers create a Special Study Request



for one or more SCPs


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator/



network manager)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Functional
SM—SCP management.


Category



Pre-Conditions/
The network manager creating the special study


Assumptions
should belong to the same CCS Network as the



SCPs at which the study is requested.



User has logged on to embodiments of the system



and has permissions to perform the requested



action.



The study is conducted to allow a maximum of



100 calls in a maximum duration of 168 hours



(7 days), which ever limit is reached first



i.e., the collection of data can end when the



specified number of call attempts have been



monitored, or when the specified time limit is



reached first.


Post-Conditions
The Special Study Request is created in the



desired SCPs.


Interface
The user should be connected via a HUI (Human


Considerations
User Interface) to access the system.









Primary Flow
1.
The user enters the CCS network ID, for




which the Special Study need to be




defined.



2.
In embodiments, the system verifies if the




user has permission to manage the above




CCS network Id.



3.
The user enters the SCP ID for the Special




Study.



4.
In embodiments, the system verifies if the




user has permission to manage the above




SCP ID.



5.
For one or more desired SCPs, the user




requests a special study for a certain




10-digit or 6-digit toll-free or




destination code, carrier, or SSP.



6.
The user submits the request to the




system.



7.
In embodiments, the system validates the




special study and interacts with the SCP.



8.
In embodiments, the system accepts the




information, activates the study at the




SCPs, and returns a confirmation message




to the user.



9.
At the end of the special study,




embodiments of the system sends the




results of the special study to the user.








Alternate Flows
E1: At Step 1, if the CCS Network ID is not



found, embodiments of the system cannot allow



the user to create a special study.



E2: At Step 2, if system validation fails, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to create a special study.



E3: At Step 4, if the SCP ID entered incorrect



or does not belong to the CCS network, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to create a special study.



E4: At Step 8, If the Special Study limit



maximum allowed quantity for an SCP has been



exceeded, embodiments of the system rejects the



request and indicates this to the User.



E5: At Step 8, if system validation fails, then



embodiments of the system cannot allow the user



to create a special study.



In all cases, an error indication is returned



to the user and further processing stops.









In embodiments, the system is operable to generate a billing event record whenever an event occurs that results in a charge to toll-free service provider entity in control of a toll-free number. Billing event records may be collected and transferred to an external billing system. Currently, not all billable events result in a billing event record being generated by embodiments of the system and a manual Billing event record may be generated external to the current system. It may be desirable to automate the creation of as many of the billing event records as possible.
In embodiments, the system generates a record when an event related to a billable function occurs. The event record can provide the information needed to calculate a bill for the charges incurred by each organization that makes use of the embodiments of the disclosed architecture according to embodiments. The event record can include the identification of the user, the action performed, and the date and time of the occurrence.










Events Related to Billing Calculations per FCC Tariff










Supported Billing




Calculation












Non-





Recurring
Monthly



Event
Charge
Charge*
Notes





Establishment
Charge per
Non-dedicated
Billing event data


of a system
Logon ID
access
currently provided


Logon ID

charge
by the TFMP Help





Desk/Data Center,





no record generated





by disclosed





embodiment


Suspension
None
Non-dedicated
Billing event data


of System

access
currently provided


Access

charge
by the TFMP Help





Desk/Data Center,





no record generated





by disclosed





embodiment


Re-
Service
Non-dedicated
Billing event data


establishment
restoration
access
currently provided


of System
charge
charge
by the TFMP Help


Access


Desk/Data Center,





no record generated





by disclosed





embodiment


Deletion of
None
Non-dedicated
Billing event data


a System

access
currently provided


Login ID

charge
by the TFMP Help





Desk/Data Center,





no record generated





by disclosed





embodiment


Assignment of
Charge per
Non-dedicated
Billing event data


a Smart Card
Smart
access
currently provided


for System
Card
charge
by the TFMP Help


Access


Desk/Data Center,





no record generated





by disclosed





embodiment


Establishment
None
Dedicated
Billing event data


of a

access
currently provided


Dedicated

charge
by the TFMP Help


Interface


Desk/Data Center,





no record generated





by disclosed





embodiment


Deletion of a
None
Dedicated
Billing event data


Dedicated

access
currently provided


Interface

charge
by the TFMP Help





Desk/Data Center,





no record generated





by disclosed





embodiment


Reservation
None
Customer
Billing event


of a Number

Record Admin
record generated




charge
by system


Number
None
Customer
Billing event


Status

Record Admin
record generated


Changed to

charge
by system


Spare





Report
Charge per
None
Billing event data


Request
report

currently provided





by the TFMP Help





Desk/Data Center,





no record generated





by disclosed





embodiment


Change of
Charge per
Customer
Billing event


Toll-free
toll-free
Record Admin
record generated


Service
service
charge*
by system


Provider for
provider




a Number
change per





number




Bulk
Non-
None
Billing event data


Operation
recurring

currently provided


Request
charge per

by the TFMP Help



bulk

Desk/Data Center,



operation

no record generated





by disclosed





embodiment





NOTE:


A tariff may define dedication and non-dedicated access as follows: “Access to TFMP can be via non-dedicated or dedicated connections. Dedicated access requires use of a dedicated port on the disclosed embodiment on a full-time basis, other forms of access share ports and other access resources.”






The interface to the billing system should remain intact and require minimal changes to the current billing system to support disclosed embodiments. The current Billing system Interface format of the file and the records it contains is described in TM-NWT-021766, and TFMP—Bill/800 Interface Requirements.
A summary of the current Billing Event record data elements may be as follows:










Billing Event Record Data Elements









Billing Event
Data Element
Description and Usage





Toll-Free Number
Date and time of event



Billing Event
Controlling toll-free
Current toll-free service provider



service provider entity
entity associated with toll-free




number



Toll-free service provider
Current toll-free service provider



unit
Unit associated with toll-free number



Responsible user login ID
Identifies user who initiated event,




indication of “system” for system




initiated events



Toll-free number
Number involved in billing event



Toll-free number current
Status of toll-free number involved



status
in billing event



Toll-free number
If event involves a status change



previous status




Previous toll-free service
If event is toll-free service provider



provider entity
entity change



Previous toll-free service
If event is toll-free service provider



provider unit
Unit change


System Access
Date and time of event



Billing Event
Access type
Indicates the type of access involved




in the billing event - login ID,




dedicated, Smart Card



Toll-free service provider
Toll-free service provider entity



entity
involved in access event



Access action
Indicates action taken regarding the




access type - suspend, restore, delete



Access identifier
Identifier for the access involved in




the billing event (i.e., login ID),




value of “All”, and others can be




used for suspend and restore actions


Report or Bulk
Date and time of event



Operation Event
Toll-free service provider
Toll-free service provider entity



entity
requesting report of bulk operation



Responsible user login ID
Identifies user who requested report




or bulk operation



Report or operation
Report or bulk operation requested



requested









Billing Event records illustrate changes to toll-free service provider entity control of toll-free numbers that may be used to calculate charges to toll-free service provider Entities. On a periodic basis and in response to an on-demand request, embodiments of the system can compile a list of toll-free numbers with the controlling toll-free service provider entity, current status, and date the number entered that status and transfer the data to an external billing system. Only numbers with a controlling toll-free service provider entity may be included.
In one example, a system administrator can specify when billing audit data is to be collected and transferred. It is also possible to make an on-demand request for data to be collected and transferred as in the example use case as follows.













Use Case ID
BR-UC-1


Use Case
Schedule Periodic Billing Audit Data Collection


Name
and Transfer


Use Case
Administrator specifies the frequency for the



collection of billing


Description
audit data and the timing for the data to be



transferred.


Actor(s)
User (disclosed embodiment administrator)



System (disclosed embodiment)


Pre-Conditions
The User has logged into the system.


and
In embodiments, the system has verified


Assumptions
identity and permissions of the specific user.


Post-
Billing audit data collection frequency and


Conditions
transfer time for billing data may be set.


Interface
None identified


Considerations










Primary Flow
Step 1
The User enters the billing audit data collection




frequency and the corresponding transfer.




Possible values are:









None (audit data not collected)



Weekly with day of week and time of



day for collection and transfer1



Monthly with date of them month and



time of day for collection and transfer










Step 2
In embodiments, the system verifies that




the data entered is valid and provides a




response that the collection frequency




and transfer time is accepted.








Alternate
E1: At Step 2, embodiments of the system notify


Flows
the user if data entered is not correctly formatted.









Due to the localized nature of call routing prior to the introduction of centralized routing databases, the same toll-free number may need to be controlled by a different toll-free service provider and provide service to a different toll-free subscriber in different geographic regions. In some instances arrangements still exist where the same number supports different toll-free service in different U.S. states and different service in the U.S. and Canada and other jurisdictions. A number involved in this type of arrangement is referred to as a duplicate number. The terms toll-free number, toll-free system, toll-free telecommunications network, toll-free carrier, and related terms as used herein are not limited to the United States or North America, but have equivalents throughout the world in other political, geographic, and technological regions. The methods, systems and functionalities, as described herein, are applicable to and operable within such equivalent jurisdictions.
On a periodic basis, embodiments of the system can compile a list of duplicate numbers and transfer the data to an external billing system. The data consists of the toll-free number providing duplicate service, the toll-free service provider entity for the number, the current status of the number, and data related to the Customer Record for the number. The CR data includes the status of the CR and the effective date and time of the CR. For the current system, this also includes indications if the CR includes Call Processing Record (CPR) and Label Definition (LAD) structures. Additional data is included from remarks entered in the CR that indicates the actual toll-free service provider that controls the number for each area where service is provided.
In embodiments of the disclosed architecture a subset of the series of reports can be provided. The system will provide a warehouse of data for reporting and analytics. The warehouse will enable a user to pull either standard (aka canned) reports or to generate user specific reports. Listed below are a series of reports that the current TFMP system provides. As an example of what reporting may be required, is a high level description of the reporting of the disclosed embodiment provides the following types of reports:











Report Type
Description







On-demand
The disclosed embodiment generates on-demand report


Reports
when a “system user” requests the report. The on-de-



mand reports may be not stored in the disclosed em-



bodiment since they may be createdbon user's request.



Results of the on-demand reports may be not



stored in the disclosed embodiment


Scheduled
The scheduled reports may be generated by the disclosed


Reports
embodiment operational personnel on scheduled basis



(i.e., daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). A user can request



a scheduled report to get the most recently generated re-



port by the disclosed embodiment. Results of the



scheduled reports may be stored in the disclosed



embodiment.


Exception
Reports that may be automatically generated by the disclosed


Reports
embodiment when exclusive events occur either in the dis-



closed embodiment or in an SCP. The exception reports



may be sent to the user's designated address information 



provided by the “system user” to the disclosed embodiment.


Industry
Reports required by the Industry:








Reports
Weekly Number Admin Report - Distributed to industry,



including FCC



Auto Return to Spare Report - Distributed to FCC monthly,



identifies TFNs in reserved status that have exceeded the



45 day limit and may be automatically returned to the



spare pool








Miscel-
Reports may be requested by the user himself through


laneous
accessing the database tables and extracting the information


Reports
through querying data needed









Most scheduled reports can also be accessed on-demand. The differences are how the report is kicked off and where the results of the report are sent/stored. The reports below are required at a minimum, but the Provider is expected to propose additional reports, for example:











Report type
Specific Reports







Network
Mass Calling Summary for Toll-Free Numbers Under


Management
Control report. This report is available on-demand.


Reports
Summary for Out of Area Toll-Free Numbers Under



Control report. This report is available on-demand.



Summary for Vacant Codes Under Control report. This



report is available on-demand.



Manual Control List report. This report is available on-



demand.



Special Studies List report. This report is available on-



demand.



Special Study Summary report. This report is available



on-demand.



POTS Number to Toll-Free Number Inquiry report.



This report is available on-demand.



SCP List report.



SSP List report.


SCP
Customer Record Execution Error Summary report.


Administration
Low Sample Space Summary report.


Reports
Misrouted Query Summary.



SCP Values Audit report.



SCP NPA-NXX List report.



SCP NPA-NXX List Audit report.



SCP Status report.



SCP Status Audit report.



TFMP SCP CR Confirmation.


Number
Approaching Due report.


Administration
Unavailable Numbers report.


Reports
Reserved Numbers report.



Assigned Numbers report.



Transitional Numbers report.



Number Administration Summary report.



Daily Log Number Administration report.



Daily Log Summary of Number Administration report.



TFMP Number Administration Confirmation report.


Customer
CAD Only report.


Record
CPR Only report.


Reports
LAD Only Report.



PAD Only Report.



TAD Only Report.



Whole Customer Record Report.



Whole Template Record Report.



Customer Record Audit Results report.



Customer Record Activation reports.



Area of Service Label List reports.



Deficient Customer Record report.



Destination NPA-NXX Report.



POTS to Toll-Free number Inquiry Report.



Sending Customer Record Report.



AOS Label to Toll-Free Number Inquiry (AIR).



Template Records List Report.



Pointer Records List report.



Daily Log of Customer Record report.



Daily Log Summary of Customer Record.



Validation Results report.



Affected CR By NPA-NXX-LATA Activity.



Failed CR By NPA-NXX-LATA Move report.



Directory Assistance NPA Selection List.



Carrier Information List.



CCS Network-State-NPA Report.



CCS Network-LATA Report.



Toll-free service provider List report.



Logon ID List report.



Telephone Company List report.


Carrier
Allowable CICs for CR Input & Approval report


Notification



and Approval



Reports



Administration
Scheduled Activities report is an on-demand report.


Reports
NXX Percent Used report.



SCP-SMS Audit Results report.



Security User Data report.


Service
Past Due toll-free service provider Change Requests


Maintenance
report.


Reports
Denied toll-free service provider Change Requests



report.









The Exception reports may be automatically generated by embodiments of the system when exclusive events occur either in the disclosed embodiment or in an SCP. For example, the Misrouted Queries Exception Report is sent each time an SCP receives a call processing query for a toll-free number having NXX not in the SCP's database.











Report type
Specific Reports







Network Management
SCP Status Change report.


Exception Reports
Threshold Level Class Override report.



Failed Requests report.


SCP Administration
Customer Record Execution Error report.


Exception Reports
Low Sample Space Exception report.



Misrouted Query Exception report.


Customer Record
Customer Record Activation Failure report.


Exception Reports
CNA toll-free service provider Change



Notification to Involved Carriers report.


Security
Unsuccessful Logons.


Administration
Unsuccessful Password Change.


Exception Reports









The user can query the database tables and extract information, as mentioned in the following examples:

    
    
        In embodiments, the system logs specific number administration events as history records e.g., status change and ownership changes. The users can access this data to create their own reports.
        In embodiments, the system logs specific customer record events as history records e.g., status change and ownership changes. The users can access this data to create their own reports.
        In embodiments, the system logs logon ID locking history that the administrator can access and query reports from.
        In embodiments, the system logs specific template record events as history records e.g., status change and ownership changes. The users can access this data to create their own reports.
    
    


There may be additional features that the embodiments of the disclosed architecture may support such as the examples which follow:










Reporting - New Feature Set









NFS #
Function
Description





NFS 14
Toll-free
Currently, toll-free provider reporting data is not



Provider
available for up to 24 hours. The embodiments of



Dashboard
the disclosed architecture should provide to its




users the ability to obtain status information about




is numbers, number statuses, recent activity, and




other relevant information in near real time. This




should be done via a feature called the toll-free




provider dashboard.









The system will provide a platform for Analytics of TFMP data and usage. The Analytics platform should be flexible in providing some canned analytics as well as to allow the user to define and produce analytics on an ad hoc basis. The analytics should be able to be reports on current day actions as well as historical actions. Categories of analytic reports are:

    
    
        Individual toll-free Provider specific information on usage, TFNs, activity
        All or multiple selected toll-free providers information on usage, TFNs, activity
        SCP activity
        System performance information
    
    


In embodiments, the system is architected, designed, and implemented with security as a key attribute. The system shall ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets. Controls will be implemented that protect IP and data against unauthorized use, disclosure, transfer, modification, or destruction. Measures will be implemented such that legitimate users continue to have access to the system for the expected services levels. The security functionality will address two perspectives. One is the potential security threats and types of attacks that may be targeted at the system or service. The other is a framework for a systematic analysis of the measures available to protect the system or service from attack. One is the potential security threats and types of attacks that may be targeted at embodiments of the system or service. The other is a framework for a systematic analysis of the measures available to protect embodiments of the system or service from attack.
All aspects of a system, including the physical plant and facilities, operating system and application software, signaling interfaces and protocols, operations interfaces for configuration, surveillance, and administration, and data storage and processing functions, have security vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited.
At a high-level, the security threats include: damage or destruction of information and/or other system or service resources, corruption or modification of information, illicit use, theft, or removal of information and/or other system or service resources, disclosure of information, and denial or interruption of services.
A security framework identifies the aspects of a system or service that require security and the methods available to address the security threats for each. From a security perspective, a system or service can be viewed as consisting of User, Control and Management planes. Each plane includes infrastructure, services, and application layers.
Security services provide capabilities to prevent attacks. At each plane and layer, one or more of the following example security services may be applicable:











Service
Description







Authentication
Authentication is used to validate the identity presented or asserted



by an entity attempting to initiate communications with a system or



service or identified as the source of data presented as input to a



system or service. Peer entity authentication occurs at the initiation,



or potentially during, communication between entities.



Authentication can be one-way or mutual. Data origin



authentication attempts to verify the source of data.


Access Control
Access control is used to protect against unauthorized access to



system resources, including functional components, stored



information, information flows, services, and applications. Role-



Based Access Control (RBAC) is a mechanism to provide different



levels of authorization based on the entity attempting to gain access



and the function or information to be accessed. RBAC is



configured based upon the designated role or job function of the



entity accessing the system


Data
Data confidentiality prevents unauthorized disclosure of data.


Confidentiality
Mechanisms for data confidentiality apply for data stored by a



system and data as it is being transferred from or to a system.



Confidentiality can apply for selected fields of data as well as



protect information that can be derived from observation of traffic



flows


Integrity
Data integrity focuses on modification, insertion, deletion, and



replay of data. Like confidentiality, data integrity can apply for



stored data, data as it is transferred, and for selected data elements



or fields. Data integrity mechanisms may include capabilities for



data recovery.


Non-repudiation &
Non-repudiation provides a means to verify the entity involved in


Logging
messages or data exchanges or responsible for activities performed



by the system. A receiver of data can be provided with proof of



origin of the message, while a sender can be provided with proof of



receipt. Audits and logs support non-repudiation for access to



embodiments of the system and actions taken by users.


Communication
Communication security ensures that information is exchanged


Security
only between authorized endpoints and is not diverted or



intercepted


Availability
Security measures associated with availability may be intended to



ensure there is no denial of authorized access to system



functionality and stored information due to events impacting the



system


Privacy
Sensitive information about a system and its users should be



protected. Privacy is concerned with protecting information so that



it cannot be gathered through network observation or other means.



















Requirements - Minimal Feature Set









MFS #
Sub Function
Description





MFS 39
Authentication &
The system shall require authenticated identity to



Access Controls
allow access to the system.




The system shall use role-based permissions to




control access to system functions and data.




The system shall support the modification of user




credentials via automated password reset as well as




Password reset from a system help desk.




The system will support user ID locking/unlocking




for reasons typically such as non-payment or 6




months of non-use.




The system shall allow an authorized TFMP




Administrator to perform the following functions:




  Remove a lock from a specific user ID(s)




  Manually lock a specific user ID(s)




  Manually exempt a specific user ID(s) from being




  automatically locked




The system shall automatically close user sessions




due to an extended period of inactivity. The system




will provide capability to configure the ‘inactive




time’ after which user sessions are closed.




The system shall support capabilities to detect,




provide notification and proactively manage a




potential DoS (Denial of Service) attack.




The system shall track login account type and




permissions by interface.


MFS 40
Data
The system shall restrict the access and display of



Confidentiality,
stored data to maintain data confidentiality based on



Integrity and
authenticated and authorized identity.



Availability
The system shall use firewalls and virus protection




software to protect against corrupt or malicious




software.




The system shall ensure information integrity,




accuracy and consistency is maintained over its life




cycle. Information cannot be modified in an




unauthorized or undetected manner.




The system shall be available when it is needed. This




means the system with its data, security controls and




communication channels must be functioning




correctly at all times as specified by the SLAs.


MFS 41
Communication
The system shall provide for encryption for data



Security
transferred across interfaces that cross trust domain




boundaries.




All sensitive information will be protected with




transmission encryption.


MFS 42
Non-repudiation &
The system will generate a log message for actions



Logging
taken by users that identify the user, the interface, the




action taken and parameters provided by the user, and




the date and time.




The system will log all potential, suspected or know




security incidents. The system must be able to




integrate with Incident management tools.


MFS 43
Password policy
The system shall allow for configurable password



compliance
rules and will force users to change passwords




periodically and enforce minimum password strength




requirements.




The system shall encrypt all passwords.


MFS 44
Role Based Access
Create, Manage, Assign roles to users including RO's,



Control
Carriers, SCP O/O, Ops.




Permissions will be based upon Roles.


MFS 45
Support Tariff
There is proprietary info per a tariff that needs to be



Requirements
maintained such as logon ID codes, list of customers,




CPRs information & other related information capable of




being displayed in tabular form


MFS 56
Audit
The system shall maintain audit trail of all transactions



requirements
that result in access, modification and/or deletion of




information. The audit trail should have the following




minimum information




 Type of event




 Date time of event




 Source of the event




 Outcome of the event




 Identity of user/subject associated with the event




Audit logs must be read-only and protected from




unauthorized access.


MFS 57
Physical Security
The system shall be housed in a secure facility with




physical safeguards and access controls. Unauthorized




access to the facility housing the system will not be




permitted.


MFS 58
Vulnerability
The system shall expect security patches (application



Management
and infrastructure software included) to be applied on




a regular basis. And should be architected to minimize




downtime during these events.




Application code will be regularly scanned with at




least one static code analysis tool to ensure good




security practices are being followed.




All assets will be regularly scanned to ensure no




malware or trojans are present.




A proactive threat management solution (e.g.: SIEM)




shall be implemented to identify threats and manage




compliance


MFS 59
Backup and
The system shall be architected to continue



Disaster Recovery
functioning even in case of a disaster at its primary




site.




The system and its data will be regularly stored at an




off-site location. Backup mechanism and procedures




should be developed, documented and implemented




as part of the solution.









There may be additional features the embodiments of the disclosed architecture may support such as the examples that follow:










system Security - New Feature Set









NFS #
Function
Description





NFS 15
Single
In embodiments, the system may authenticate the



Sign-on
source for all attempts to access embodiments of




the system via multi-factor authentication.




Methods include, but may be not limited to items




such as a certificate provided by a credentialing




authority, a login ID and password or other known




approaches.


NFS 16
Self-Serve
Provide the ability for self-service password resets



Password
and the ability to unlock logon IDs when all issues



Reset
with it have been resolved without Help desk




intervention.


NFS 17
Additional
Allow a toll-free provider the ability to identify a



User
“super user” ID for their organization and allow



Manage-
the super user additional capabilities in managing



ment
the users under this provider. These capabilities




could include, but may be not limited to:




 Deactivating user IDs




 Activating user IDs




 Resetting passwords




 Restricting access (i.e., can search, but not




 reserve, cannot modify an existing record, can




 only search and not create customer records,









Some primary functions provided by the embodiments of the disclosed architecture include the ability to search for and reserve toll-free numbers and provision customer records that may be uploaded to SCPs to enable toll-free service. This can be done via an online interface (HUI) as well as by a machine-to-machine (API) interface. These interfaces allow manual and mechanized access to embodiments of the system for these functions such as those that follow:










Requirements - Minimal Feature Set









MFS #
Sub Function
Description





MFS
Number
Online ability to provide all the user


47
Administration
functionality described in the Number




Administration section of this document.


MFS
Customer Record
Online ability to provide all the user


48

functionality described in the Customer




Record Administration section of this




document.


MFS
System
Online ability to provide all the user


49
Administration
functionality needed to perform




embodiments of the system




administration functions of this system.


MFS
Reporting
Online ability to provide all the user


50

functionality described in the Reporting




section of this document.



















Requirements - New Feature Set









MFS #
Sub Function
Description





NFS 19
Single
Allow the ability for a user to login once and have



Sign-on
access to any and all areas of the system that they




have permission to access without a separate




login.


NFS 20
Ease Of Use
The user and administrator interfaces should be




designed in such a way as to provide an easy and




intuitive interface for users. Considerations should




include, but are not limited to:




 Prompts for entries




 Intuitive defaults based upon user




 characteristics.




 Suggestive entries based upon previous user




 actions.









The embodiments of the disclosed architecture may include a Web Services API for functionality supported in the Human User Interface (HUI).
The Human User Interface (HUI) provides user interface functions to the human users to access the system. The HUI may be accessed by many types of users. For example, a user can be administrator, a toll-free service provider user, SCP administrator, and network manager. Access to the HUI functions by a user can depend on the security permissions that have been assigned for the user by the administrator.
The HUI provides the following logical groups of functions which can be accessed by a user: User Profile and Security Administration; Number Administration Customer Record Administration; SCP Management; Reports; and Administration
The administrator and/or others may use the user profile and security administration functions provided by the HUI to protect embodiments of the system data from being viewed or updated/deleted by unauthorized users. The user profile and security administration grants permissions to different groups of users to access embodiments of the system to create, view, update and activate certain functions. The system can implement a role-based access control mechanism.
The HUI provides functions to perform number search, reserve or cancel reservation for one or more toll-free numbers, change parameters associated with already reserved numbers, and query numbers for determining the number status and other number administration parameters. The HUI interacts with the “Number Administration Requirements” functional area to perform the number administration functions.
The HUI interacts with the “Customer Record Administration” functional area to perform the functions described in this section.
The CAD function is used to enter the date and time for the toll-free number service, subscriber/customer information for the toll-free number, the Areas of Service (AOS) to be supported for the toll-free number, the carriers that, and others can be used to route calls to the toll-free number, and other associated service data for the toll-free number.
An example CAD can be associated with a Call Processing Record (CPR) for complex call routing data and can be associated with a Labels Definition (LAD) record for additional complex call routing data that is entered on the CPR.
The HUI interacts with the “SCP Management Requirements” functional area to perform the Service Control Point administration and network management functions.
The administrator or other toll-free service provider's users can request the Scheduled and On-demand reports via the Report Request function of the HUI. The HUI interacts with the “Reporting Requirements” functional area to perform RRR request.
The disclosed embodiment Administration functions of the HUI may be used for Bulletin Board Messages, System Processing Options (SPO) and Downtime/Default Effective Time for CR (DDT). An Administrative Console may facilitate the system administrators and Help Desk personnel administrative functions for managing the system.
There may be additional features the embodiments of the disclosed architecture may support such as the examples that follow:










Administration Features Requirements - New Feature Set









NFS #
Function
Description





NFS 18
Click to Chat
Enable end users to quickly contact a support




representative through the user interface. This




feature can provide an immediate channel to a




support representative.









The API interface 4600 operates as a liaison between the toll-free service provider client systems (CS) 4602 and the disclosed embodiment (disclosed embodiments), thereby providing a mechanism through which interactions between the client systems 4604 and embodiments of the architecture can take place. The API interface 4612 may, for example, be used by Customer Record Administration 4608 and Number Administration 4610 components of the disclosed embodiment on one end, and the toll-free service provider client systems on the other end. This interaction is schematically illustrated in FIG. 46.
It is expected that disclosed embodiments can define a REST/SOAP API for machine interfaces. There is a current Mechanized Generic Interface (MGI) interface that supports many of our customers today and the embodiments of the disclosed architecture according to embodiments. The MGI interface is being used across the network by all client systems and there has to be backward compatibility. The move from MGI to an API interface cannot be overnight and has to be phased accordingly. The MGI Interface specification is available in SR 4592 MGI Interface specification.
In embodiments, the system provided alerts for certain situations. These alerts can be in the form of emails or via a logon notification or a console alert. Examples of these alerts may include:










Requirements - Minimal Feature Set









MFS #
Sub Function
Description





MFS 51
API notifications
The system may support notifications back to




the user when background functionality is




completed.


MFS 52
SCP queuing
If queue builds for a specific SCP toll-free




service providers cannot see the confirmation




of download and can tend to resend the CRs;




an alert is sent to notify the community that




the SCP is queuing. Not automated in current




system.


MFS 53
Report
Notification to user that a report is available



availability



MFS 54
System outage
Inform users when embodiments of the



notifications
system can be down for scheduled




maintenance.


MFS 55
New feature or
Let the users know that functionality is



functionality
available.



notification









This section provides a summary of characteristics of reference data. This need not define the absolute data needs, but can provide some insight into the data stored and used.
Reference Data may fall into the following categories:

    
    
        Network Administration reference data—primarily used to construct and/or validate Customer Records
        CCS Network Information is used to identify the CCS network served by the SCPs
        LATA to CCS Network Mapping is used to determine which networks and their SCPs can receive customer records for a specified LATA as the area-of-service
        NPA to CCS Network Mapping is used to determine which CCS networks and their SCPs can receive customer records for a specified NPA as the area-of-service
        Network Allowed Carriers is used to identify a subset of CICs that may be supported by a CCS network
        NPA-NXX to LATA Information is used as reference data of NPA-NXXs in LATAs and the association with an Operating Company Number (OCN) code, Company Code (CO), and Effective Date
    
    


General reference data about each telecommunications carrier that may be involved in carrying toll-free calls and might thus be an involved carrier included in the CRs of various toll-free service providers:

    
    
        Carrier Information
        Toll-free service providers and associated carriers
        Carrier Agreements with Entities For CR Input
        Entity Agreements with Carriers for CR Input
    
    


IntraLATA carrier management reference data—Used to support Local-Exchange Carriers (LECs) and other network service providers with the capability to control and/or manage the use of their networks for IntraLATA toll-free calls to a destination POTS number that terminates on their network include:

    
    
        Carrier Operating Company Numbers
        Network Provider-SCP Owner/Operator Company Codes
        Network Provider-SCP Owner/Operator Carrier Agreements
        Network Provider-SCP Owner/Operator IntraLATA Agreements
        Network Provider-SCP Owner/Operator IntraLATA Exceptions
        Carrier IntraLATA Agreements
        Carrier IntraLATA Exceptions
        Toll-free Service Providers Allowed Carriers
        Toll-free Service Providers Disallowed Carriers
        Non-Functional Requirements
    
    


In order to run a system, there is a need to understand the performance requirements of embodiments of the system and the processing throughput. This includes embodiments of the system availability needs as well as the capacity and performance requirements. The performance of the system must meet or exceed the performance of the existing legacy system for all parameters described in this section.
This section addresses the expected availability of the disclosed embodiment. The approach used for this section is based on industry standards related to availability.
This section establishes an understanding of terminology and establish context in this area in order to provide clear requirements regarding the reliability of the disclosed embodiment. A defined time period is needed to support an availability measurement. A typical calculation involves setting an availability objective or determining the actual availability of a system or service over a year. It may be necessary to identify exclusions from the time period, such as planned periods when it is known that embodiments of the system or service cannot be available. It can also be specified that unexpected circumstances that would impact availability, such as excessive demand, unusual operating conditions, or unexpected or disastrous events (e.g., earthquake, fire etc.) may be to be excluded from availability calculations.
Discussion related to availability often involves a number of 9s, i.e., “five 9s” availability. This refers to an availability objective or measurement of 99.999%. Applied for a year, this means the availability subject can provide the expected functionality across the given domain for 525594.744 minutes and therefore not be available to provide the expected functionality across the given domain for 5.256 minutes during the year.










Availability: Definition









Rating
UnPlanned
Planned





Very Good
Fewer than 61.32 hours*
Fewer than 200



(99.3%)
hours


Outstanding
Fewer than 26.28 hours*
Fewer than 50 hours



(99.7%)



Best in Class
Fewer than 4.38 hours*
Fewer than 12 hours



(99.95)



Continuous Availability
Zero (100%)
Zero (100%)





By definition, continuous availability is 100% IT service uptime Based on 24/365 or 8,760 hours/year scheduled uptime






When considering availability requirements, it is necessary to understand the functions it provides and its overall role in supporting toll-free service. Certain functions of the system, namely Number Administration, Customer Record Administration, and SCP Management, may be essential for supporting toll-free service. More specifically, the expected functions of embodiments of the system when it is available may be to:

    
    
        Receive and process number search/reserve requests and customer record input and update requests;
        Administer statuses for toll-free numbers and customer records based on user actions, effective dates and process rules applied by the system; and
        Download customer record information to SCPs.
        The disclosed embodiment may be considered an operations system. Unlike an SCP, it is not involved in real-time routing of toll-free calls. If this were not functioning, callers would still be able to make toll-free calls and the calls would be routed to the correct toll-free service subscriber. In embodiments, the system does, however, provide “real-time” services (such as toll-free number and customer record administration) to toll-free service providers. An additional consideration is that access to toll-free numbers may be provided to all users equally so that one toll-free service provider entity does not gain a competitive advantage over others for reserving desirable numbers. This underscores the importance of consistent availability across user interfaces.
    
    














Category
Service
Requirement







Avail-
Unscheduled downtime for core
Best-in-class availability de-


ability
functions and interfaces. Core
fined as 99.95% (fewer than



functions are Number
262.8 minutes down per



Administration, Customer
year, measured monthly)



Record Administration, SCP




Management and any support




functions that these core




functions depend on (i.e.,




Authentication & Authorization)




Unscheduled downtime for all
Very good availability de-



non-core functions. Non-core
fined as 99.50% - (fewer



functions can be identified as
than 2620.8 minutes down



any function not identified as a
per year, measured monthly)



core function




(i.e., Reports, Billing).




Scheduled downtime for all
Not to exceed on average



functions and interfaces
4 hours per month









In embodiments, the system may also allow time and processing for the loading of industry reference data during routine maintenance windows.
Business continuity encompasses the strategic and tactical capability of the organization to plan for and respond to incidents and business disruptions in order to continue business operations at an acceptable predefined level.
Disaster recovery capabilities include the strategies and plans for recovering and restoring the organizations technological infrastructure and capabilities after a major system failure.
It may be necessary to establish objectives for unusual external events like earthquake or fire and non-routine activities like major infrastructure upgrades or transitions to new platforms. Overall solution design, including operations processes and procedures, may be needed to maintain business continuity during unusual circumstances and recover from disasters. Solution design considerations for business continuity and disaster recovery include geographic redundancy for solution components, deployment of backup systems and capabilities, and selection of the sites where equipment and operating personnel may be located.
A pictorial view of a disaster recovery scenario is illustrated in FIG. 47 at 4700.












Category
Service
Requirement







Resiliency
System Recovery Time
Less than two (2) hours



Objective (RTO) - Restore




after a disaster or major




disruption




System Recovery Point
15 minutes



Objective (RPO) - Maximum




tolerable period in which data




can be lost




Transaction error rate -
Less than 0.001%



percentage of transactions that




may be not successful for any




reason









In embodiments, the system can facilitate the required optimal use of disaster recovery sites and expenses such that analytics or other non-critical workloads can be run out of a warm/hot DR site, thus avoiding “Cold DR.” Redundant/disaster recovery site may be greater than 100 miles away (range listed in ISO 27001 as 30 to 100 miles)
Capacity planning involves a judgment regarding the anticipated usage of the functions of a system and a correlation to embodiments of the system resources needed to support the anticipated usage of a function. Based on the usage forecast, the quantity of each system resource needed to meet the demand is determined. Capacity is directly related to performance. If load or demand surpasses the level used to plan capacity, system resources can become overloaded and the ability of embodiments of the system to provide its intended function is likely to degrade. Once a system is operational, capacity management is a continuous operational process. Usage and performance may be monitored to recognize trends and capacity resource quantities may be adjusted accordingly. The objective is to maintain system performance and efficient use of resources as usage and demand change.
There may be a number of components that provide the resources needed to support the functionality provided by a system. Depending on embodiments of the system resource, capacity is expressed as a fixed size or quantity, or in terms of the demand, load, or usage the resource is expected to support. Capacity related to system usage is generally planned based on the average period of largest usage of the system, taking into account the cost of system resources, the probability of excessive usage beyond the average peak, and the impact of degraded performance when the anticipated peak is exceeded. For example, there may be three main areas for which the capacity may be considered as indicated in the following table:











system



Areas
Description







Processing
A system needs sufficient processing capacity to support



usage of required functions. To quantify processing cap-



acity requirements, it is necessary to determine the tasks



that may be performed to support the functionality pro-



vided by embodiments of the system and quantify the



relative processing capacity needed for each one. A com-



plicated task can use more processing resources as com-



pared to a simple task. Using forecasts of the volume and



frequency of each task, a determination can be made 



regarding how much processing capacity is needed.


Memory
There may be a number of uses for system memory. Memory



is needed to support real-time system processing, including



storage for embodiments of the system software. Additional



memory is needed for storage of data used by the system.



Types of data used by a system include:



 Configuration data that facilitates users to access



 embodiments of the system and controls how embodi-



 ments of the system operate.



 Functional data that is entered by users and manipulated



  by the system.



 Reference data that provides information used to support



 each system function.



 Historical data such as log files retained by the system.


Interfaces
Systems include interfaces for users to access the function-



ality of embodiments of the system and for embodiments



of the system to exchange information with other systems.



It is important to understand the types and quantity of in-



terfaces a system is expected to support to determine em



bodiments of the system hardware and software resources



required.









In order to understand the system capacity requirements some current metrics having to do with capacity and utilization are provided (FIGS. 48-51).
Capacity related to system usage is generally planned based on the average period of largest usage, taking into account the probability of excessive usage beyond the average peak, as well as the impact of degraded performance when the anticipated peak is exceeded. The following assumptions were made when developing the capacity and performance requirements. In embodiments, the performance of the system may meet or exceed the performance of the current system for parameters:

    
    
        The initial processing capacity for the system can be engineered to include capacity for growth of 20% YOY.
        The system must be able to deliver burstable capacity.
        Assuming 7,988,500 usable toll-free numbers per NPA and 8 toll-free NPAs, the system must be engineered to maintain data for roughly 64 million usable toll-free numbers.
        During peak usage periods, assume 25% of user logins are logged in.
        It is assumed the system will have the capacity to support interfaces to 30 SCPs minimally.
    
    












Transaction Data - April 2015











Hourly




Transaction Type
Average
Peak Hour
Peak Hour Volume













Number Search
2,234,000
22
5,700,000***  


Number Reserve
13,900
23
51,000***


Number Spare
3,500
23
72,000***


Customer Record Updates
6,360
20
31,600  





***Because a large volume of toll-free numbers are spared in hour 23, many toll-free service providers execute automated scripts to search and reserve for numbers that have just been spared.






















Capacity


Category
Service
Current
Requirement







Capacity
# Toll-Free Numbers
40 million
64 million



# Toll-Free Providers
450
600



# SCP Owner/Operator
 22
 30



Interfaces





# Customer Records
128 million
192 million



# Online User
16,250 users
24,360 users



# Concurrent Online
4,875 users
6,090 users



User Sessions



















Toll-free Number Capacity - Minimal Feature Set









MFS #
Function
Description





MFS 60
Toll-free
The volume of toll free numbers, currently at 40



Number
million, are growing by an average 180,000 per



Capacity
month. This growth will continue as the system




must be scaled to be able to be able to handle this




growth as an expected activity.

























Peak Hour




Average Volume
Volume


Category
Service Level
Requirement
Requirement




















Performance
Search transactions
2.5
million per hour
6.0
million per hour



(all types)



Number Reservation
14,000
per hour
51,000
per hour



transactions



Number Spare
3,500
per hour
72,000
per hour



transactions



Customer Record
6,500
per hour
31,500
per hour



Updates











# SCP Updated
20/second
30/second



Customer Record



downloads




















Capacity & Performance - New Feature Set









MFS #
Function
Description





NFS 21
Extreme system
In the event of an extreme system usage



usage situation
situation (i.e. NPA code opening) the system




must be able to quickly scale up to handle up




to four times (4X) the normal peak usage




period.




To illustrate extreme usage, in once case




during the opening of toll-free NPA 844, a




peak of 77,000 transactions per minute




were received.









Usage measurement and monitoring is required to provide fair and equal system access to all toll-free service providers. In order to do that, the system may measure, monitor, and alert the system usage for any instances where one provider's utilization is at a point where it is impacting the other provider's use of the system. The measurements must be on a toll-free service provider level.










Usage Measurement and Monitoring - Minimal Feature Set









MFS




#
Function
Description





MFS
Usage
The system can must measure, monitor, and alert


38
Measurement
for any instances where one provider's utilization



&
is at a point where it is impacting the other



Monitoring
provider's use of the system. The measurements




must be on a on a toll-free service provider level




The alerting level should be a configurable setting




in the system.









Reference data may be required to represent routing and numbering in the POTS network and the service areas supported by SCP O/O networks. The information provides the relationships between SCP O/O CCS networks and the LATAs, NPAs and NPA-NXXs each network serves and is used to validate the information in customer records. There may be 8 CCS networks supported by the system.
There are 164 LATAs in the NANP, roughly 380 NPAs in use or planned for use for POTS call routing, and roughly 160,000 NPA-NXXs assigned to central offices for call routing.
The system can provide memory capacity for the reference data needed to capture the relationships between States, LATAs, NPAs, and NPA-NXXs required to represent the POTS network.
The system can provide memory capacity for the reference data required to represent the network relationships supported by each SCP O/O CCS network.
The system must also allow time and processing for the loading of industry reference data during routine maintenance windows.
In embodiments of the system, functional data is the data required by each function supported by the system. The system maintains functional data for each NPA-NXX within a toll-free NPA and each toll-free number with each NPA-NXX. Currently, the toll-free NPAs 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, and 844 are open and NPA 833 is anticipated to open in 2017, making a total of 7 toll-free NPAs. Note that 822 and 889 are also reserved as a potential future toll-free NPAs.
For each toll-free NPA, NXXs 000-199, 911, and 555 are not used. Additionally, in NXX 250, XXXX numbers 0000-1499 are not used. This results in 7,988,500 toll-free numbers per NPA. Assuming 8 toll-free NPA, the system will need to maintain data for roughly 64 million toll-free numbers.
In embodiments of the system, initial minimum memory capacity for the data required to support 64 million toll-free numbers. Toll-free service is enabled when a toll-free number is reserved by a toll-free service provider, a customer record is provisioned against the number, and information from the record is downloaded to SCPs. Numbers that are not currently controlled by a toll-free service provider (i.e., numbers in SPARE status) and numbers not available for toll-free service (i.e., numbers in UNAVAILABLE status) do not have customer records. Customer records are provisioned in advance of an effective date, and the system maintains current and pending customer records, so it is possible for multiple customer records to be associated with a number.
A percentage of toll-free numbers will be in SPARE status and therefore not have an associated customer record. Additionally, many working numbers have not had changes to the provided toll-free service and therefore have a single active customer record. However, some numbers may have an active and pending customer record, and old records are stored by the system for a period of time. For the purposes of capacity planning and to account for the differences in size between simple and complex customer records, it is assumed that there is an average of 2 customer records per toll-free number. Therefore, the system will need to maintain 128 million customer records.
The system can provide initial minimum memory capacity for the data required to support 128 million customer records.
During peak usage periods, 25% of user logins are logged into the system. The system must provide capacity for 16,250 login IDs and anticipating 30% peak concurrent usage, capacity for 4,875 concurrent HUI sessions. Note that not all users who are logged into the system will be actively and continuously sending requests to the system.
During a time of extreme usage, such as the opening of a new toll-free NPA, there will a significant increase in the number of concurrent sessions. In the event of an extreme system usage situation the system should be able to quickly scale up to handle up to four times (4×) the normal peak usage period.
Instantaneous response time is the time for a response when performing an action regarding objects on the screen, such as using a mouse to select on an on-screen object or drag a scroll bar.
When a human user takes an action related to an object on a screen, the system can provide an initial acknowledgment response in 0.1-0.2 seconds.
When a human user takes action to request an operation or execute a command requiring system process of the request, the system can provide a response in 0.5-1 second.
A feedback response provides information regarding the progress or completion of a requested action.
For transactions that take longer than 5 seconds—the system will provide the user feedback that the transaction has been accepted and that the response will be available at a later time.
In embodiments, the system can provide an API interface for machine-to-machine transaction processing. The system can provide resources to support having API connections from each toll-free Providers (number of expected providers defined above).
The system can minimally have the capacity to support interfaces to 30 SCPs at launch with the ability to add more as the number of users grow.
The table below presents example minimum data rates for the SCP interface as stated in Section 4.2.2 of TM-798. The performance of the system may meet or exceed the performance of the current system for all parameters described in this section.










Minimum Non-Peak Data Rates for SCP Interface from TM-798










Transaction
Size/Data Rate






Customer Record Updates
9.6 Kbytes/CR × 20 CR/sec




Or 192 Kbytes/sec




Or 1.536 megabits/sec



Other
88 Kbytes/hour









The system can provide the resources to support the data rate and message frequency for each SCP interface as specified.










SCP Data Rates- Minimal Feature Set









MFS #
Function
Description





MFS 46
SCP Data
The system must be able to process a minimum of



Rates
1200 commands per minute and a minimum of 20




customer record update (UPD-UCR) commands




per second. The typical, non-peak message




frequency is roughly 1 per second









There are four main areas of data integrity that may need to be addressed and monitored. They are:

    
    
        Latency: The time between when information is expected and when it is readily available for use.
        Accuracy: Data accuracy refers to the degree with which data correctly represents the “real-life” objects they are intended to represent.
        Timeliness: Refers to the time expectation for accessibility and availability of information. Timeliness can be measured as the time between when information is expected and when it is readily available for use.
        Consistency: Two data values drawn from separate data sets must not conflict with each other, although consistency does not necessarily imply correctness.
    
    


Acronyms & Glossary











Acronym
Meaning







ACG
Automatic Call Gapping


ACNA
Access Customer Name Abbreviation


AIN
Advanced Intelligent Network


AOS
Area of Service (of customer record or CCS network)


ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange


ASLs
Area-of-Service Labels


ATIS
Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions


BOC
Bell Operating Company


CAD
Customer Administrative Data



(portion of Customer Record)


CAG
Carrier Agreements with Entities table


CAN
Customer Notification and Approval


CAT
Customer Acceptance Testing


CCP
Cost Causer Pays


CCI
(Mass) Carrier Change Information


CCS
Common Channel Signaling (is a standards terminology)


CIC
Carrier Identification Code



(is an industry standard element)


CLLI
Common Language Location Identifier



(is an industry standard element)


CLEC
Competing Local Exchange Carrier


CMSDB
Call Management Services Data Base


CNA
Carrier Notification and Approval


CO
Company Code (defined by the TPM industry data)


CO
Central Office


CPR
Call Processing Record


CR
Customer Record


CRA
Customer Record Administration


CRA/CRR
Customer Record Audit/Resend


CRA&O
Customer Record Activation and Output


CRB
Customer Record Benchmarks


CRN
Customer Record Number


CRO
Customer Record Output (process of CRA)


CS
Client system


CSE
Carrier Security Information


CSV
Comma Separate Variable


CVER
Conversion Error


d/b/a
“Doing Business As” operating units of carriers


DDT
Down & Default Time


DoS
Denial of Service


DTN
Destination Telephone Number


E2E
End-to-end system Integration Testing


EAG
Entity Agreements with Carriers (for CR Input)


EAP
TFN Exceptions for Approvals (for CNA process)


ECC
Excessive Calling Controls


EDR
Event Data Record


EDT
Effective Date and Time


EID
End Intercept Date


ENA
Entity Notification and Approval Set-up


ENO
TFN Exceptions for Notifications (for CNA process)


ENO/EAP
Exception Notification and Approval



(by Toll-Free Numbers)


FA
Final Acceptance


FCAPS
Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance



and Security management


FCC
Federal Communications Commission


FMO
Future Mode of Operation


FTP
File Transfer Protocol


GAN
M2M (MGI) Activation Notice Control table


GNA
Carrier General Notification and Approval Set-up


GUI
Graphical User Interface


HH:MM:SS
Hours, minutes, seconds


HPU
High Priority (CR) Updates


HTML
HyperText Markup Language


HUI
Human User Interface


IC
Inter-exchange Carrier


ICM
IntraLATA Carrier Management (CIC 0110 validations)


ID
Identification


ILEC
Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier


INWATS
Inward Wide Area Telephone Service


IOT
Inter-Operability Testing


IP
Internet Protocol


IPSec
Internet Protocol Security


KPI
Key Performance Indicators


LAD
Label Definitions


LAN
Local Area Network


LATA
Local Access and Transport Area


LECs
Local Exchange Carriers


LERG
Local Exchange Routing Guide


LSO
Local Serving Office


LT
Load Test


LUI
Locked and Inactive User IDs


M2M
Machine to Machine


MAS
Mass Calling Thresholds


MCC
Manual Control Request


MCP
Multi-Number Customer-to-Pointer Record Conversion


MGI
Mechanized Generic Interface


MHG
Multi-Line Hunt Group


MNA
Multi-Number Automation


MND
Multi-Dial Number Disconnect


MNL
Master Number List



(supported TF NPANXX domain of an SCP)


MoP
Methods of Procedures


M&P
Methods and Procedures


MRO
Multi-Dial Number Resp Org Change


MRT
Migration Regression Test


MTBF
Mean Time Before Failure


MTTR
Mean Time To Repair


NA
Number Administration


NAC
Network Allowed Carriers table


NANP
North American Numbering Plan


NCA
Network Provider-SCP Owner/Operator



Carrier Agreements table


NCC
Network Provider-SCP Owner/Operator Company Codes


NCN
NPA to CCS Network Mapping table


NDA
Non-Disclosure Agreement


NET
CCS Network Information table


NFY
Notify (CNA action indicator value)


NGN
Next Generation Networks


NLA
Network Provider-SCP Owner/Operator



IntraLATA Agreements table


NLE
Network Provider-SCP Owner/Operator



IntraLATA Exceptions table


NMC
Network Management Center or


NMC
Network Management Class (a/k/a Threshold



Level Class)


NOC
Network Operation Center


NOF
Carrier Notification


NON
No notification (CNA action indicator value)


NPA
Numbering Plan Area


NPANXX
The leading 6-digits of a 10-digit NANP telephone



number


NRC
Network Management Report Control


NRL
Network Management Report Limits


NXL
NPA-NXX to LATA Information table


NXX
The 4th through 6th digits of a NANP Telephone number


OAM&P
Operations, Administration, Maintenance and



Provisioning


OCN
Operating Company Numbers


OEI
Other External Interfaces


ORC
Resp Org Control


ORG
Resp Org Info


OSI
Open systems Interconnect


PAD
Pointer Administrative Data


PMO
Present Mode of Operation


POTS
Plain Old Telephone Service


PR
Pointer Record


PRC
SCP Report Control


PRL
SCP Exception Report Control


PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network


RA
Require approval (CNA action indicator value)


RAC
Resp Org Allowed Carriers (reference data table)


RAO
Revenue Accounting Office


RAT
Revenue Assurance Test


RBAC
Role Based Access Control


RDC
Resp Org Disallowed Carriers (reference data table)


Resp Org
Responsible Organization


(RO)



RM
Removal of Invalid 6-Digits in AOS Labels


ROC
Resp Org Associated Carriers for View



(reference data table)


ROI
(Mass) Resp Org Change Information (ROI)


ROP
Resp Org Profile


RRR
Report Request Reports


RSP-RCU
Response to Customer Record Update message



(SMS-SCP interface)


RSP-ROR
Response to Update Resp Org message



(SMS-SCP interface)


RSS
Rich Site Summary


SAP/DAP
Summary and Detail of Carrier Approval Status


SCCP
Signaling Connection Control Part


SCP
Service Control Point


SCP-M
Service Control Point Management


SCP O/O
Service Control Point Owner/Operator


SEC/SUD
Security Control/Security User Data


SEP
Security Parameters


SFG
Simulated Facility Group


SID
SCP ID Definition


SLA
Service Level Agreement


SMS
Short Message Service


SMS/800
Service Management system/800


SPO
System Processing Options


SR
Special Report


SRC
SMS Administration Report Control


SS7
Signaling System 7


SSP
Service Switching Point


STD
Security Terminal Data


STN
Screening Telephone Number


STP
Signaling Transfer Point


SUD
Security User Data


TAD
Template Administrative Data



(portion of a Template Record)


TAL
Template Allocation Limits


TCP
Transmission Control Protocol


TF
Toll Free


TFN
Toll-Free Number


TLC
Threshold Level Class


TM-798
The - SCP/CMSDB Interface Specification


TLS
Transport Layer Security


TPM
Terminating Point Master


TR
Template Record


TRA
Telecom Routing Administration


UAL
User Application Layer


UC
Use Case






















Advanced Intelligent
Mechanism used with the Signaling system 7 to provide


Network (AIN)
advanced call routing and processing


Area of Service (AOS)
Area from which a toll-free number can receive calls


Billing
Capability of the system to provide information required to



calculate monthly bills


Carrier
Provider of telephone service, operator of a network that



processes telephone calls


Customer Record
Defines routing of calls to a toll-free number, provisioned in



the system and uploaded to SCPs


Customer Record
Supports entry and update of customer records associated


Administration
with a toll-free number


Local Access and
Geographic area of service for a local carrier


Transport Area (LATA)


Local Exchange
End-office switching system in the telephone company



network that provides service to telephone subscribers


Number Administration
Supports search, reserve, query and update of toll-free



numbers and maintains number statuses


North American
Standard that describes the format and use of telephone


Numbering Plan (NANP)
numbers


Number portability
Ability to move the service associated with a telephone



number from one carrier to another


Query
Request for the system to provide information about a



number


Reporting
Capability of the system to provide data to users in the form



of reports


Resp Org/toll-free
User of the system to obtain control of toll-free numbers and


Provider
provision customer records, sells service to toll-free



subscribers


Search
Request for the system to find toll-free numbers that are not



controlled by a Resp Org


SCP Management
Supports management of SCPs via the system


Function


Service Switching Point
Local exchange switch supporting access to Signaling System 7


Signaling system 7 (SS7)
Network architecture and protocol supporting out-of-band



signaling for call setup and feature control


Signaling Control Point
Database containing information used to route calls and


(SCP)
provide features


Service Control Point
Responsible for operation of SCPs


Owner/Operator (SCP


O/O)


Signaling Transfer Point
Routes Signaling System 7 messages


(STP)


Reserve
Request to take control of a toll-free number, number



becomes associated with a toll-free service provider


Tandem
Switching system that provides interworking between other



switching systems


Telephone number
Identifies telephone service and the unique network resources



dedicated to providing the service, format is NPA-NXX-



XXXX as described by the North American Numbering Plan



9 NANP)


Toll-free service
Type of telephone service where calls are billed to the



terminating subscriber, not the caller


Toll-free subscriber
End-user for toll-free service, obtains service, including an



associated toll-free number, from a toll-free service provider


User Interface Function
Supports mechanized access to the system via a machine-to-



machine interface and manual access via a human user



interface









The methods and systems described herein may be deployed in part or in whole through a machine that executes computer software, program codes, and/or instructions on a processor. The processor may be part of a server, client, network infrastructure, mobile computing platform, stationary computing platform, or other computing platform. A processor may be any kind of computational or processing device capable of executing program instructions, codes, binary instructions and the like. The processor may be or include a signal processor, digital processor, embedded processor, microprocessor or any variant such as a co-processor (math co-processor, graphic co-processor, communication co-processor and the like) and the like that may directly or indirectly facilitate execution of program code or program instructions stored thereon. In addition, the processor may enable execution of multiple programs, threads, and codes. The threads may be executed simultaneously to enhance the performance of the processor and to facilitate simultaneous operations of the application. By way of implementation, methods, program codes, program instructions and the like described herein may be implemented in one or more thread. The thread may spawn other threads that may have assigned priorities associated with them; the processor may execute these threads based on priority or any other order based on instructions provided in the program code. The processor may include memory that stores methods, codes, instructions and programs as described herein and elsewhere. The processor may access a storage medium through an interface that may store methods, codes, and instructions as described herein and elsewhere. The storage medium associated with the processor for storing methods, programs, codes, program instructions or other type of instructions capable of being executed by the computing or processing device may include but may not be limited to one or more of a CD-ROM, DVD, memory, hard disk, flash drive, RAM, ROM, cache and the like.
A processor may include one or more cores that may enhance speed and performance of a multiprocessor. In embodiments, the process may be a dual core processor, quad core processors, other chip-level multiprocessor and the like that combine two or more independent cores (called a die).
The methods and systems described herein may be deployed in part or in whole through a machine that executes computer software on a server, client, firewall, gateway, hub, router, or other such computer and/or networking hardware. The software program may be associated with a server that may include a file server, print server, domain server, internet server, intranet server and other variants such as secondary server, host server, distributed server and the like. The server may include one or more of memories, processors, computer readable transitory and/or non-transitory media, storage media, ports (physical and virtual), communication devices, and interfaces capable of accessing other servers, clients, machines, and devices through a wired or a wireless medium, and the like. The methods, programs or codes as described herein and elsewhere may be executed by the server. In addition, other devices required for execution of methods as described in this application may be considered as a part of the infrastructure associated with the server.
The server may provide an interface to other devices including, without limitation, clients, other servers, printers, database servers, print servers, file servers, communication servers, distributed servers and the like. Additionally, this coupling and/or connection may facilitate remote execution of program across the network. The networking of some or all of these devices may facilitate parallel processing of a program or method at one or more location without deviating from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, all the devices attached to the server through an interface may include at least one storage medium capable of storing methods, programs, code and/or instructions. A central repository may provide program instructions to be executed on different devices. In this implementation, the remote repository may act as a storage medium for program code, instructions, and programs.
The software program may be associated with a client that may include a file client, print client, domain client, internet client, intranet client and other variants such as secondary client, host client, distributed client and the like. The client may include one or more of memories, processors, computer readable transitory and/or non-transitory media, storage media, ports (physical and virtual), communication devices, and interfaces capable of accessing other clients, servers, machines, and devices through a wired or a wireless medium, and the like. The methods, programs or codes as described herein and elsewhere may be executed by the client. In addition, other devices required for execution of methods as described in this application may be considered as a part of the infrastructure associated with the client.
The client may provide an interface to other devices including, without limitation, servers, other clients, printers, database servers, print servers, file servers, communication servers, distributed servers and the like. Additionally, this coupling and/or connection may facilitate remote execution of program across the network. The networking of some or all of these devices may facilitate parallel processing of a program or method at one or more location without deviating from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, all the devices attached to the client through an interface may include at least one storage medium capable of storing methods, programs, applications, code and/or instructions. A central repository may provide program instructions to be executed on different devices. In this implementation, the remote repository may act as a storage medium for program code, instructions, and programs.
The methods and systems described herein may be deployed in part or in whole through network infrastructures. The network infrastructure may include elements such as computing devices, servers, routers, hubs, firewalls, clients, personal computers, communication devices, routing devices and other active and passive devices, modules and/or components as known in the art. The computing and/or non-computing device(s) associated with the network infrastructure may include, apart from other components, a storage medium such as flash memory, buffer, stack, RAM, ROM and the like. The processes, methods, program codes, instructions described herein and elsewhere may be executed by one or more of the network infrastructural elements.
The methods, program codes, and instructions described herein and elsewhere may be implemented on a cellular network having multiple cells. The cellular network may either be frequency division multiple access (FDMA) network or code division multiple access (CDMA) network. The cellular network may include mobile devices, cell sites, base stations, repeaters, antennas, towers, and the like.
The methods, programs codes, and instructions described herein and elsewhere may be implemented on or through mobile devices. The mobile devices may include navigation devices, cell phones, mobile phones, mobile personal digital assistants, laptops, palmtops, netbooks, pagers, electronic books readers, music players and the like. These devices may include, apart from other components, a storage medium such as a flash memory, buffer, RAM, ROM and one or more computing devices. The computing devices associated with mobile devices may be enabled to execute program codes, methods, and instructions stored thereon. Alternatively, the mobile devices may be configured to execute instructions in collaboration with other devices. The mobile devices may communicate with base stations interfaced with servers and configured to execute program codes. The mobile devices may communicate on a peer to peer network, mesh network, or other communications network. The program code may be stored on the storage medium associated with the server and executed by a computing device embedded within the server. The base station may include a computing device and a storage medium. The storage device may store program codes and instructions executed by the computing devices associated with the base station.
The computer software, program codes, and/or instructions may be stored and/or accessed on machine readable transitory and/or non-transitory media that may include: computer components, devices, and recording media that retain digital data used for computing for some interval of time; semiconductor storage known as random access memory (RAM); mass storage typically for more permanent storage, such as optical discs, forms of magnetic storage like hard disks, tapes, drums, cards and other types; processor registers, cache memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory; optical storage such as CD, DVD; removable media such as flash memory (e.g. USB sticks or keys), floppy disks, magnetic tape, paper tape, punch cards, standalone RAM disks, Zip drives, removable mass storage, off-line, and the like; other computer memory such as dynamic memory, static memory, read/write storage, mutable storage, read only, random access, sequential access, location addressable, file addressable, content addressable, network attached storage, storage area network, bar codes, magnetic ink, and the like.
The methods and systems described herein may transform physical and/or or intangible items from one state to another. The methods and systems described herein may also transform data representing physical and/or intangible items from one state to another.
The elements described and depicted herein, including in flow charts and block diagrams throughout the figures, imply logical boundaries between the elements. However, according to software or hardware engineering practices, the depicted elements and the functions thereof may be implemented on machines through computer executable transitory and/or non-transitory media having a processor capable of executing program instructions stored thereon as a monolithic software structure, as standalone software modules, or as modules that employ external routines, code, services, and so forth, or any combination of these, and all such implementations may be within the scope of the present disclosure. Examples of such machines may include, but may not be limited to, personal digital assistants, laptops, personal computers, mobile phones, other handheld computing devices, medical equipment, wired or wireless communication devices, transducers, chips, calculators, satellites, tablet PCs, electronic books, gadgets, electronic devices, devices having artificial intelligence, computing devices, networking equipment, servers, routers and the like. Furthermore, the elements depicted in the flow chart and block diagrams or any other logical component may be implemented on a machine capable of executing program instructions. Thus, while the foregoing drawings and descriptions set forth functional aspects of the disclosed systems, no particular arrangement of software for implementing these functional aspects should be inferred from these descriptions unless explicitly stated or otherwise clear from the context. Similarly, it will be appreciated that the various steps identified and described above may be varied, and that the order of steps may be adapted to particular applications of the techniques disclosed herein. All such variations and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. As such, the depiction and/or description of an order for various steps should not be understood to require a particular order of execution for those steps, unless required by a particular application, or explicitly stated or otherwise clear from the context.
The methods and/or processes described above, and steps thereof, may be realized in hardware, software or any combination of hardware and software suitable for a particular application. The hardware may include a dedicated computing device or specific computing device or particular aspect or component of a specific computing device. The processes may be realized in one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, embedded microcontrollers, programmable digital signal processors or other programmable device, along with internal and/or external memory. The processes may also, or instead, be embodied in an application specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array, programmable array logic, or any other device or combination of devices that may be configured to process electronic signals. It will further be appreciated that one or more of the processes may be realized as a computer executable code capable of being executed on a machine readable medium.
The computer executable code may be created using a structured programming language such as C, an object oriented programming language such as C++, or any other high-level or low-level programming language (including assembly languages, hardware description languages, and database programming languages and technologies) that may be stored, compiled or interpreted to run on one of the above devices, as well as heterogeneous combinations of processors, processor architectures, or combinations of different hardware and software, or any other machine capable of executing program instructions.
Thus, in one aspect, each method described above and combinations thereof may be embodied in computer executable code that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps thereof. In another aspect, the methods may be embodied in systems that perform the steps thereof, and may be distributed across devices in a number of ways, or all of the functionality may be integrated into a dedicated, standalone device or other hardware. In another aspect, the means for performing the steps associated with the processes described above may include any of the hardware and/or software described above. All such permutations and combinations are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
While the disclosure has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, various modifications and improvements thereon will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present disclosure is not to be limited by the foregoing examples, but is to be understood in the broadest sense allowable by law.
All documents referenced herein are hereby incorporated by reference.

## Claims

1. A method of communication via a toll-free service, comprising: receiving, by a TFID merchandise registry, a unique toll-free ID (TFID) of at least one mobile device, wherein the TFID is associated with merchandise purchased by a user of the mobile device, wherein the TFID is hard flashed in the mobile device, the TFID operable to facilitate toll-free communication between the mobile device and a manufacturer; receiving, by the TFID merchandise registry, from the manufacturer, a toll-free (TF) number associated with the purchased merchandise; and providing an automatic warranty registration of the purchased merchandise based on the TFID and the TF number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading of at least one of a QR code, Barcode, RFID, and a serial number associated with the purchased merchandise via a camera of the mobile device in order to associate the TFID of the at least one mobile device with the purchased merchandise.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising associating at least one of the QR code, Barcode, RFID, and the serial number with the TFID via a TFID Mobile Application on the at least one mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a customer via the TFID.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a toll free provider that is providing the toll-free service via the TFID.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing information associated with the warranty registration to the at least one mobile device, and initiating a customer service toll-free call without incurring cost to the user based on the information associated with the warranty information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the customer service toll-free call includes allowing the user to access multimedia content.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the toll-free call occurs in a location where the toll-free communication prevents incurring international roaming expenses on the device placing the communication.