Patent ID: 7889855

Claim:
In a telecommunications system that is operative to route telephone calls to a specific communications device of a particular subscriber, a routing system for routing a telephone call from a caller to said specific communications device, said routing system comprising: means for assigning a telephone number to the particular subscriber; and means for routing the telephone call to the specific communications device of the particular subscriber by recognizing said telephone number; wherein, if the telephone call is directed to a business that is located within the state, province, territory, island or island group in which the caller is located, said first telephone number comprises a tilde followed by a one-character to four-character stock ticker symbol of the business; and wherein, if the telephone call is directed to a business that is located outside of the state, province, territory, island or island group in which the caller is located, said first telephone number is prefaced by a one and comprises a two-character state, province, territory island or island group abbreviation or an indication that the state, province, territory, island or island group in which the subscriber is located is unknown, followed by a tilde, followed by a one-character to four-character stock ticker symbol.