Patents by Inventor Richard Terpstra
Richard Terpstra has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 7657017Abstract: A method includes jurisdictionalizing a long distance intra-MTA call as a local call. The method may further include receiving an intra-Major Trading Area (MTA) call, determining whether the intra-MTA call satisfies terms of use of a direct connection to a terminating network, and routing the intra-Major Trading Area (MTA) call directly to the terminating network via the direct connection if the intra-MTA call satisfies the terms of use of the direct connection. A method for routing calls includes determining that a received intrastate call is an intra-MTA call, determining whether the intra-MTA call satisfies terms of use of a direct connection bypassing a Local Exchange Carrier, and routing the intra-MTA call for termination via the direct connection if the intra-MTA call satisfies terms of use of the direct connection. A system includes a switch configured to jurisdictionalize a long-distance intra-MTA call as a local call, and may be further configured to route the call over a local route.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2008Date of Patent: February 2, 2010Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLCInventors: Bill Long, Richard Terpstra, Greg Gualtieri, Dan Jordan
-
Publication number: 20090129580Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a method for routing an Internet Protocol (IP)-based call through a first IP-based network to a second IP-based network. The method includes receiving an IP-based call request in the first network; identifying one or more geographic trunk groups that can be used to route the call request out of the first network, wherein each of the one or more geographic trunk groups represents a logical grouping of one or more IP trunk groups between the first IP-based network and the second IP-based network; selecting one of the one or more geographic trunk groups; and routing the received call request via the selected geographic trunk group to an IP address associated with the selected geographic trunk group. Other embodiments are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2007Publication date: May 21, 2009Applicant: Level 3 Communications LLCInventors: Richard Terpstra, Greg Gualtieri
-
Publication number: 20090080630Abstract: An embodiment of a method includes determining a customer service plan identifier from information associated with a received call, determining a route plan associated with the identified customer service plan, and routing the call on a trunk group identified in the determined route plan. The method may further include determining a jurisdiction of the call based on a dialed number identified in the call, determining a local routing number (LRN) associated with the call, and using a portion of the LRN to determine the trunk group. An embodiment of a system includes a switch operable to select a route for routing a call received on an ingress trunk associated with a customer that subscribes to a service plan, wherein the switch is further operable to select the route based on the service plan subscribed to by the customer associated with the ingress trunk.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2008Publication date: March 26, 2009Applicant: Level 3 Communications LLCInventors: Matthew K. Davis, Dan Jordan, Greg Gualtieri, Richard Terpstra, Janis Griffin, Murli S. Nair, Susmita G. Saha
-
Publication number: 20090074173Abstract: An embodiment of a method includes generating one or more route plans, each route plan being associated with a service plan, and provisioning the one or more route plans on a core routing engine accessible by a softswitch for routing calls according to the one or more route plans. The one or more route plans may include an on-net route plan and an off-net route plan. An embodiment of a system includes a local route manager (LRM) configured to generate one or more route plans associated with one or more respective service levels that customers can subscribe to. The system may further include an inventory of trunk groups containing a plurality of trunk group identifiers (IDs), wherein trunk group IDs are marked as either on-net or off-net.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2008Publication date: March 19, 2009Applicant: Level 3 Communications LLCInventors: Matthew K. Davis, Dan Jordan, Greg Gualtieri, Richard Terpstra, Janis Griffin, Murli S. Nair, Susmita G. Saha
-
Publication number: 20090010418Abstract: A method includes jurisdictionalizing a long distance intra-MTA call as a local call. The method may further include receiving an intra-Major Trading Area (MTA) call, determining whether the intra-MTA call satisfies terms of use of a direct connection to a terminating network, and routing the intra-Major Trading Area (MTA) call directly to the terminating network via the direct connection if the intra-MTA call satisfies the terms of use of the direct connection. A method for routing calls includes determining that a received intrastate call is an intra-MTA call, determining whether the intra-MTA call satisfies terms of use of a direct connection bypassing a Local Exchange Carrier, and routing the intra-MTA call for termination via the direct connection if the intra-MTA call satisfies terms of use of the direct connection. A system includes a switch configured to jurisdictionalize a long-distance intra-MTA call as a local call, and may be further configured to route the call over a local route.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2008Publication date: January 8, 2009Inventors: Bill Long, Richard Terpstra, Greg Gualtieri, Dan Jordan
-
Publication number: 20080279354Abstract: A method for routing a toll-free call through a network includes receiving a toll-free call from a call origination endpoint, determining an identifier associated with the call origination endpoint, determining a meet point trunk based on at least a portion of the identifier if a DAL is not available, and routing the toll-free call to a LEC via the determined meet point trunk. A system for routing a toll-free call entering a network to an appropriate carrier includes an inbound gateway device configured to receive a toll-free call from a call origination endpoint having an assigned telephone number and to query a core routing engine (CRE) for a route plan using the assigned telephone number, and a CRE configured to select an interconnection access line based on the origination endpoint telephone number, wherein the interconnection access line is connected to a LEC that is operable to route the call to the appropriate carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2007Publication date: November 13, 2008Applicant: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLCInventors: Richard Terpstra, Greg Gualtieri, Dan Jordan
-
Publication number: 20080056244Abstract: A system includes a core routing engine operable to receive a call setup request and identify one or more IP trunk groups through which the call setup request can be routed, select one of the one or more identified IP trunk groups and route the call setup request to an internal IP address associated with the selected IP trunk group. The system may further include an IP edge node associated with the internal IP address, the IP edge node in the backbone network and operable to receive the call setup request and route the call setup request to one of a plurality of IP addresses associated with a plurality of carrier edge nodes in the carrier network.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2007Publication date: March 6, 2008Applicant: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLCInventors: Richard Terpstra, Greg Gualtieri
-
Publication number: 20070147356Abstract: A calling network capable of accepting voice and data information includes a voice distribution server, wherein the voice distribution server is communicably coupled to an integrated access device, wherein the voice distribution server is associated with a computer readable medium, and wherein the computer readable medium includes a customer profile; and wherein the customer profile includes at least one registered access number associated with the integrated access device, and at least two quasi-registered access numbers associated with the integrated access device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2005Publication date: June 28, 2007Applicant: Level 3 Communications, Inc.Inventors: Daryl Malas, Richard Terpstra
-
Publication number: 20060188080Abstract: According to various embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods for verifying the routing of a call through a network, including: generating an outbound call from a test tool in a first network, the outbound call including a test key and a destination number, the destination number being associated with a communication device accessible to first network, routing the outbound call to second network, receiving outbound call from second network in the form of inbound call to first network, the inbound call including the test key and the destination number, accessing the test key, and based at least in part on the test key, routing the inbound call to the test tool. In some instances, call tracking information may be collected, analyzed, and/or displayed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2005Publication date: August 24, 2006Applicant: Level 3 Communications, Inc.Inventors: Richard Terpstra, Thomas Traylor, Gregory Brown, John Ward, Andrew Lundgren
-
Publication number: 20060187850Abstract: According to various embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods for collecting, analyzing, and/or displaying signaling information for a call through a network, including: receiving a request for signaling information, wherein the request identifies a particular call handled by at least one network element within a voice over internet protocol network, querying the at least one network element for signaling information related to the particular call, and displaying the signaling information for the particular call. According to some embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods may further include storing signaling information on a network element, generating a call detail record based on the signaling information, wherein the call detail record identifies the network element and the particular call, sending the call detail record to a database, and searching the database based on the one or more criteria to identify the at least one network element.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2005Publication date: August 24, 2006Applicant: Level 3 Communications, Inc.Inventors: John Ward, Richard Terpstra, Thomas Traylor, Timothy Missner, Andrew Lundgren
-
Publication number: 20060013147Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically registering a communication device are disclosed. As one example, a communication network architecture is disclosed that includes multiple feature servers, multiple registration redirect servers (RRSs), and multiple communication devices. The feature servers provide services to the communication devices. The RRSs each service a shared virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address and perform load balancing of registration requests on behalf of multiple feature servers located geographically proximate to the RRS. The communication devices are configured to issue initial registration requests intended for any of the feature servers to the shared virtual IP address, whereby upon issuing an initial registration request, a communication device is directed to a particular feature server that is associated with a RRS that is closest to the communication device, and where the particular feature server is selected by a load balancing routine executing on the RRS.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2004Publication date: January 19, 2006Applicant: Level 3 Communications, Inc.Inventors: Richard Terpstra, John Hearty