Patent ID: 8180045

Claim:
A device for directing a call connection request, the device comprising: a database storing one or more identifiers, each of the one or more identifiers associated with a respective called party and further associated with one or more communication networks; a processor in communication with the database; memory for storing computer instructions, the computer instructions operable, when executed by the processor, to: receive an identifier associated with a called party in response to a call connection request to set up a call from a calling party to the called party; query the database using the identifier; receive a first communication network indicator and a second communication network indicator in response to such query, the first communication network indicator and the second communication network indicator indicate a first communication network and a second communication network over which the called party associated with the identifier is operable to receive the call; receive a third communication network indicator associated with a calling party, the third network indicator indicates a communication network over which the call connection request was received from the calling party, the communication network operated by a first service provider; determine if a service provider operating the first communication network or the second communication network over which the called party associated with the identifier is operable to receive the call matches the first service provider of the communication network over which the call connection request was received from the calling party; and responsive to a determination that the service provider of either the first communication network or the second communication network over which the called party associated with the identifier is operable to receive the call matches the first service provider of the communication network over which the call connection request was received from the calling party, determine a selected network from either the first communication network or the second communication network in which the service provider matches the first service provider of the communication network over which the call connection request was received from the calling party; and establish the call over the selected network.