Virtual telephone extension
View Patent ↗Call routing to user communication devices is facilitated. According to an example embodiment, a call-routing switch arrangement uses data in a programmable database to associate or match incoming calls with destination user-communication devices for users employing two or more user identifiers. The incoming calls are then routed to the destination user-communication devices in response to the match. In some applications, the user identifiers include local and virtual telephone numbers for a particular user, the local number pertaining to a geographical location relating to the user's communication device or to a service via which the user's communication device is connected (e.g., a mobile telephone service), and the virtual telephone number to a different geographical location. In this context, a virtual number allows telephone calls to be made to a particular user to give the impression to a caller that the user is located or has offices in a particular geographical location pertaining to an area code in the virtual number.
1. A communication routing system for routing calls from a remote communications network to a plurality of user-communication devices over a packet-based network, the system comprising:
a user-programmable computer system database configured to store association data that can be implemented by a computer to associate, for each user, at least two independent user identifiers with at least one device identifier that identifies one of the user-communication devices, the independent user identifiers including, for each user, a location-based telephone number having an area code prefix assigned to the user's telephone user-communication device and a virtual telephone number having a different area code prefix for a geographical region designated by the user, and data associating the telephone numbers with a device identifier for a telephone user-communication device; and
a call-routing switch arrangement configured to route each call received from a remote communications network to a destination user-communication device over a packet-based network in response to user identifier data in the call and association data in the user-programmable database.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the call-routing switch arrangement is a computer arrangement programmed to operate a call switching platform to switch received calls to a destination user-communication device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the call-routing switch arrangement receives and routes telephone calls to a particular user's communication device designated by the device identifier, using the association data in the user-programmable database, in response to the telephone call specifying either the user's location-based telephone number or the user's virtual telephone number.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user-programmable database stores a multitude of telephone numbers having disparate area codes for selective association with user-communication devices, and is responsive to inputs from a particular user by selectively storing association data that associates one of the multitude of telephone numbers with a device identifier for the particular user's telephone user-communication device.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote communications network includes a PSTN network.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for each user,
the user-programmable database stores caller ID data for outgoing calls, and
the call-routing switch arrangement selectively assigns caller ID data to each outgoing call made from the user-communication devices in response to at least one of the stored caller ID data and the telephone number for the outgoing call.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the at least two user identifiers for a particular user include two telephone numbers for a user, and
the call-routing switch arrangement is responsive to a received call designating either of the two telephone numbers by routing the received call to the communication device having a device identifier associated with the two telephone numbers.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for a particular user,
the at least two user identifiers include two telephone numbers, at least one of the telephone numbers having an area code prefix that is different than an area code prefix designated to a geographic location at which the user-communication device having a device identifier associated with the two telephone numbers is located, and
the call-routing switch arrangement is responsive to a received call designating either of the two telephone numbers by routing the received call to the communication device having a device identifier associated with the two telephone numbers.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for a particular user,
the at least two user identifiers include two telephone numbers having different area code prefixes, and
the call-routing switch arrangement is responsive to a received call designating either of the two telephone numbers by routing the received call to a communication device having a device identifier associated with the two telephone numbers.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the user-communications devices is a packet-based device.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the user-communications devices is a telephone device coupled to the packet-based network via a packet-based interface device.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for at least one particular user having at least two user-communication devices,
the user-programmable database stores association data that can be implemented by a computer to associate, for each of the particular user's user-communication devices, at least one of the at least two independent user identifiers with a device identifier, and
the call-routing switch arrangement uses the association data to route received calls to one of the particular user's user-communication devices by identifying a device identifier of one of the at least two communication devices associated with a destination user identifier designated in the call.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the call-routing switch arrangement is coupled to at least one PSTN via a packet-based network for routing calls to a destination user-communication device via the PSTN.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for a particular user,
the at least two user identifiers include two telephone numbers associated with a device identifier for a particular user-communication device, at least one of the telephone numbers having an area code prefix that is different than an area code prefix designated to a geographic location at which the particular user-communication device is located, and
the call-routing switch arrangement facilitates the assessment of call fees associated with a telephone call made from a telephone device on the remote communications network to the area code designated in the telephone call.
15. A communication routing system for routing calls from a remote communications network to a plurality of user-communication devices over a packet-based network, the system comprising:
means for storing association data that can be implemented by a computer to associate, for each user, at least two independent user identifiers with at least one device identifier that identifies one of the user-communication devices, the independent user identifiers including, for each user, a location-based telephone number having an area code prefix assigned to the user's telephone user-communication device and a virtual telephone number having a different area code prefix for a geographical region designated by the user, and data associating the telephone numbers with a device identifier for a telephone user-communication device; and
means for routing each call received from a remote communications network to a destination user-communication device over a packet-based network in response to user identifier data in the call and the stored association data.
16. A communication routing method for routing calls from a remote communications network to a plurality of user-communication devices over a packet-based network, the method comprising:
storing association data that can be implemented by a computer to associate, for each user, at least two independent user identifiers with at least one device identifier that identifies one of the user-communication devices, the independent user identifiers including, for each user, a location-based telephone number having an area code prefix assigned to the user's telephone user-communication device and a virtual telephone number having a different area code prefix for a geographical region designated by the user, and data associating the telephone numbers with a device identifier for a telephone user-communication device; and
routing each call received from a remote communications network to a destination user-communication device over a packet-based network in response to user identifier data in the call and the stored association data.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein storing association data includes assigning at least two unique user identifiers and at least one unique device identifier to each of a plurality of users.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein routing each call includes
matching a user identifier in the call with a device identifier using the stored association data, and
switching the call to a destination communication device designated by the matched device identifier.
19. The method of claim 16 ,
wherein
routing each call includes routing telephone calls to a particular user's communication device designated by the device identifier, using the association data, in response to the telephone call specifying either the user's location-based telephone number or the user's virtual telephone number.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein
storing association data includes storing, for a particular user, at least two user identifiers that are telephone numbers, at least one of the telephone numbers having an area code prefix that is different than an area code prefix designated to a geographic location at which the user-communication device having a device identifier associated with the two telephone numbers is located, and
routing each call includes, in response to a received call designating either of the two telephone numbers, routing the received call to a communication device having a device identifier associated with the two telephone numbers.