Dynamic call anchoring
View Patent ↗A non-transitory computer-readable medium can include includes instructions to perform dynamic call anchoring. The instructions can include call anchor logic programmed to determine if an outbound call leg being initiated from a mobile unit should be anchored at an anchor point based on evaluating anchoring criteria to input data. The call anchor logic can providing an anchor control signal to cause the outbound call leg to be one of (i) anchored at the anchor point or (ii) connected to a called party without anchoring at the anchor point. The anchor point can correspond to a node in an associated private network where the outbound call leg and another call leg are connected together that is outside of a service provider network for the mobile unit.
1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions comprising:
call anchor logic programmed to determine if a call leg of an outbound call being initiated from a mobile unit authorized to operate in an associated private network should be anchored at an anchor point based on evaluating anchoring criteria to input data,
the call anchor logic providing an anchor control signal to cause the outbound call leg to be one of (i) anchored at the anchor point if the evaluation of the anchoring criteria to the input data indicates that anchoring of the outbound call is required or (ii) connected to a called party without anchoring at the anchor point if the evaluation of the anchoring criteria to the input data indicates that anchoring of the call is at least one of not required, overridden or prohibited, the anchor point corresponding to a node in the associated private network where the outbound call leg and another call leg are connected together that is outside of a service provider network for the mobile unit.
2. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the anchor point comprises a predetermined gateway of the associated private network that is outside of the service provider network for the mobile unit.
3. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the anchor point comprises at least one of a predetermined gateway that is outside of the service provider network for the mobile unit or a predetermined private branch exchange that is outside of the service provider network for the mobile unit.
4. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the anchoring criteria further comprises at least one of a user input entered at the mobile unit, a condition of the associated private network, a cost associated with the outbound call, and predefined data associated with an intended recipient of the outbound call.
5. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
a user interface configured to receive a dialed number for the outbound call from the mobile unit, the dialed number defining at least a portion of the anchoring criteria, and
wherein the call anchor logic further comprises a dialed number analysis component programmed to analyze the dialed number to determine whether or not the outbound call should be anchored, the anchor control signal being provided based at least in part on the analysis of the dialed number.
6. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the call anchor logic further comprises a contact list control component that is programmed to analyze predefined anchor data that is associated with stored contact data for the called party associated with the outbound call, the anchor control signal being provided based at least in part on the analysis of the predefined anchor data.
7. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the mobile unit is pre-registered with a server of the associated private network to enable anchoring at the anchor point in the associated private network.
8. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise a user interface programmed to receive a user input to manually override the call anchor logic such that, in response to the user input, the outbound call leg is initiated by the mobile unit so as to be anchored at the anchor point and connected with the called party.
9. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise a user interface programmed to receive a user input to manually override the call anchor logic such that, in response to the user input, the outbound call leg is initiated by the mobile unit and connected to the called party without anchoring at the anchor point.
10. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the call anchor logic is further programmed to provide the anchor control signal to cause the outbound call leg to be anchored at the anchor point in response to recognizing the outbound call as a short digit dialing or an extension within the associated private network.
11. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the call anchor logic is further programmed to cause the outbound call to be connected directly to the called party without anchoring at the anchor point in response to recognizing the outbound call as a short digit call to a public service.
12. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the associated private network is an enterprise network.
13. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the associated private network is a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) network.
14. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the associated private network is a personal network.
15. The mobile unit of claim 1 , wherein the mobile unit comprises the non-transitory computer-readable medium.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions comprising:
call anchor logic programmed to determine if a call leg of an outbound call being initiated from a mobile unit should be anchored at an anchor point based on evaluating anchoring criteria to input data,
the call anchor logic providing an anchor control signal to cause the outbound call leg to be one of (i) anchored at the anchor point or (ii) connected to a called party without anchoring at the anchor point, the anchor point corresponding to a node in an associated private network where the outbound call leg and another call leg are connected together that is outside of a service provider network for the mobile unit;
wherein the call anchor logic further comprises a location based control component programmed to determine if the anchoring of the outbound call leg is required based on location-identifying data for the mobile unit, the location-identifying data for the mobile unit defining at least a portion of the input data, the anchor control signal being provided based at least in part on the location-identifying data for the mobile unit.
17. The medium of claim 16 , further comprising network location data stored in memory to define at least one pre-identified area for which anchoring has been determined to be required for the mobile unit,
the location based control component being programmed to compare the location-identifying data for the mobile unit with the network location data, the anchor control signal being provided based at least in part on the comparison of the location-identifying data with the network location data.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium to store instructions for performing a method that comprises:
detecting an outbound call initiated from a mobile unit that is registered in an associated private network;
applying call anchoring criteria to input data associated with at least one of the mobile unit or the outbound call to determine whether anchoring the outbound call from the mobile unit is required;
causing the mobile unit to call an access number assigned to the associated private network to anchor the outbound call at an anchor point if the application of the call anchoring criteria indicates that anchoring of the outbound call is required, the anchor point corresponding to a point in the associated private network where the outbound call and another call leg are connected together by switching functions implemented outside of a service provider network for the mobile unit; and
causing the mobile unit to connect the outbound call to the called party without anchoring the call in the associated private network if the application of the call anchoring criteria indicates that anchoring of the call is not required, overridden or prohibited.
19. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the anchor point comprises at least one of a predetermined gateway that is outside of the service provider network for the mobile unit or a predetermined private branch exchange that is outside of the service provider network for the mobile unit.
20. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the call anchoring criteria further comprises at least one of a user input entered at the mobile unit, a condition of the associated private network, a cost associated with the outbound call, and predefined data associated with an intended recipient of the outbound call.
21. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises calling the access number to anchor the outbound call at the anchor point in response to recognizing the outbound call as a short digit dialing or an extension within the associated private network,
if the short digit dialing for the outbound call is placed to a number corresponding to a public service, the outbound call is connected to the called party without anchoring at the anchor point.
22. The medium of claim 18 , the method further comprising:
receiving a dialed number for the outbound call from the mobile unit, the dialed number defining at least a portion of the call anchoring criteria, and
analyzing predefined anchor data that is associated with stored contact data for the dialed number; and
determining whether or not to cause the outbound call to be anchored based at least in part on the analysis of the predefined anchor data.
23. The medium of claim 18 , the method further comprising registering the mobile unit with a server of the associated private network to enable the outbound call to be anchored at the anchor point.
24. The medium of claim 18 , the method further comprising receiving a user input to manually override the call anchoring criteria such that the outbound call is initiated by the mobile unit to the called party without anchoring at the anchor point in response to the user input.
25. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the input data comprises at least one of a user input entered at the mobile unit, an input associated with a condition of a private network in which the anchor point resides, data indicative of a location of the mobile unit, a cost associated with the outbound call, and predefined data associated with an intended recipient of the outbound call.
26. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the outbound call to the called party is configured with a first identity for the mobile unit, which is presented to the called party, if the outbound call is anchored at the anchor point and is configured with a second identity of the mobile unit, which is presented to the called party, if the call is not anchored in the associated private network.
27. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the associated private network is an enterprise network.
28. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the associated private network is a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) network.
29. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the associated private network is a personal network.
30. A mobile unit, comprising:
a first wireless interface configured to provide for bidirectional communication over a first radio technology and within a service provider network for the mobile unit;
a second wireless interface configured to provide for bidirectional communication over a second radio technology, the first radio technology being different from the second radio technology;
a processor controlling operation of the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface, the processor executing instructions to perform a method of dynamically controlling whether an outbound call initiated using the first wireless interface requires anchoring in an associated private network that is outside of the service provider network, the method comprising:
applying call anchoring criteria, which includes predefined location data, to determine whether anchoring the outbound call from the mobile unit is required based at least in part on comparing the predefined location data to data representing a location of the mobile unit;
calling an access number for the associated private network using the first wireless interface to anchor the outbound call at an anchor point in the associated private network if the application of the call anchoring criteria indicates that anchoring of the call is required; and
connecting the outbound call to the called party without anchoring the outbound call in the associated private network if the application of the call anchoring criteria indicates that anchoring of the call is one of not required or prohibited.
31. The mobile unit of claim 30 , wherein the call anchoring criteria further comprises a cost associated with the outbound call.
32. The mobile unit of claim 30 , wherein the call anchoring criteria further comprises predefined data associated with an intended recipient of the outbound call.