Least cost routing
View Patent ↗A system includes a communications device configured to selectively allow communications in a plurality of communications protocols, and a router configured to receive a communications request from a user. The router may determine a preferred communications protocol from the plurality of communications protocols, based on at least a portion of the received communications request.
1. A system comprising:
a communications device configured to selectively allow communications in a plurality of communications protocols over a communications network; and
a router configured to
receive, from over the communications network based on a change in at least one of time of day and network status, updated protocol settings indicative of a mapping of call types to the plurality of communications protocols for the current time of day and network status,
receive a communications request from a user of the communications device, the communications request including a destination telephone number,
determine a call type based on the destination telephone number, and
determine, according to the received protocol settings, a preferred communications protocol from the plurality of communications protocols based at least in part on the call type.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the router is a software program residing on the communications device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communications protocols includes at least Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the router is configured to determine the call type by comparing one or more leading digits of the destination telephone number to data in a data store.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the data store includes a database of local area codes.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the data store is populated over a network.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the router is configured to update a protocol database according to the received protocol settings, and determine the preferred communications protocol by referencing the determined call type in the protocol database.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the call type is one of a local call, a long distance call, a toll-free call, an international call, an operator call and an emergency call.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the router is configured to determine the preferred communications protocol based on minimizing a system cost.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the router is configured to determine the preferred communications protocol based on maximizing network efficiency.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the router is further configured to determine the preferred communications protocol accounting for the time of day.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the router is further configured to determine the preferred communications protocol based on an amount of traffic over at least one of the plurality of communications protocols.
13. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a communications device configured to selectively allow communications in a plurality of communications protocols, from over a communications network based on a change in at least one of time of day and network status, updated protocol settings indicative of a mapping of call types to the plurality of communications protocols for the current time of day and network status;
receiving a communications request from a user, the communications request including a destination telephone number;
determining a call type based on the destination telephone number; and
determining, according to the received protocol settings, a preferred communications protocol from a plurality of available communications protocols based at least in part on the call type.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of communications protocols includes at least Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising accessing a data store to retrieve the preferred communications protocol associated with the determined call type.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the call type includes comparing one or more digits of the destination telephone number to data in a data store.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the call type is one of a local call, a long distance call, a toll-free call, an international call, an operator call and an emergency call.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the data store includes preferred communications protocols for at least one of local calls, long distance calls, toll free calls and emergency calls.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the call type includes comparing a received area code of the destination telephone number to a database including at least one of local area codes, long distance area codes and toll free area codes.
20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the preferred communications protocol based on minimizing a system cost.
21. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the preferred communications protocol based on maximizing network efficiency.
22. A communications device configured to selectively make telephone calls over at least POTS and VOIP communications protocols, the communications device configured to:
receive, from over a communications network based on a change in at least one of time of day and network status, updated protocol settings indicative of a mapping of call types to the plurality of communications protocols for the current time of day and network status,
receive a telephone number from a user, to determine a preferred communications protocol based on at least a first received digit of the phone number,
determine a call type based on the received phone number,
determine, according to the received protocol settings, a preferred communications protocol from a plurality of available communications protocols based at least in part on the call type, and
initiate a call using the preferred communications protocol.