초록 ▼

A long distance service bureau assists subscribers in selecting a long distance carrier for a long distance, or tariff, call. The long distance service bureau includes a rate table memory and a service logic element. The rate table memory stores rate data, representing tolls charged by various long

A long distance service bureau assists subscribers in selecting a long distance carrier for a long distance, or tariff, call. The long distance service bureau includes a rate table memory and a service logic element. The rate table memory stores rate data, representing tolls charged by various long distance carriers, and subscriber preference data, representing a subscriber's preferences for certain ones of the various long distance carriers. The service logic element controls the rate table memory. The service logic element periodically communicates with the various long distance carriers to retrieve rate data changes, stores the rate data changes in the rate table memory, and downloads only the rate data changes to local equipment of the subscriber during idle periods of the subscriber's local equipment.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A method for placing a tariff call, comprising the steps, executed by a processor, of:receiving carrier preference data indicating preferred long distance carriers for chosen telephone numbers,receiving a dialed telephone number;determining whether the dialed telephone nu

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A method for placing a tariff call, comprising the steps, executed by a processor, of:receiving carrier preference data indicating preferred long distance carriers for chosen telephone numbers,receiving a dialed telephone number;determining whether the dialed telephone number is one of the chosen telephone numbers;routing the call on one of the preferred long distance carriers when the dialed telephone number is one of the chosen telephone numbers; androuting the call on a selected long distance carrier when the dialed telephone number is not one of the chosen telephone numbers, the step of routing the call on the selected long distance carrier including the substeps ofpresenting rate information offered by long distance carriers, andreceiving a long distance carrier selection.