Abstract: To facilitate routing changes, a telecommunications network (10, 10?, 10??) includes a centralized network routing database (28) queried by each ingress switch upon receipt of a call by a calling subscriber (12). In response to the query, the network routing database returns to the querying switch the identity on the next (downstream) switch in the routing path. The querying switch then translates the switch identity to establish the link to that next switch. Because each querying switch makes the necessary translation of the next switch identity to make the link to the next switch, the centralized network database need not concern itself with the particular characteristics of the switch. To make global routing changes, only the network routing database need be updated, not each individual switch.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for learning call routing information in a communication system. A switching architecture is presented. The switch may be implemented in a centralized architecture or a distributed architecture. In addition, the switch may be implemented in a variety of networks such as a circuit-switched network or a packet-switched network. The switch includes a policy server and a self-learning application server. The policy server includes routing information for routing calls across the switch. The routes for incoming and outgoing calls are analyzed as they pass through the switch. The self-learning application server uses artificial intelligence techniques and caching algorithms to learn new more-efficient routing paths or initial routing paths based on the incoming and outgoing calls. The self-learning application server then updates the policy server with the new learned routes.

Abstract: Virtual dedicated access of telecommunication subscribers (12, 14 and 16) to an inter-exchange carrier (IXC) (20) is provided by way of an intelligent local End Office switch (180) that routes calls either to the IXC or to a local End Office switch (18). The intelligent local End Office switch (180) advantageously serves to perform inter-exchange processing of calls, as required, for calls that originate with, or terminate at, a customer rather than automatically route calls to the IXC for such inter-exchange processing, as was previously required.