Harminder Paul Singh

US Patent:

60944781, Jul 25, 2000

Filed:

Aug 19, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/912812

Inventors:

Paul Shepherd - McKinney TX
Jin Chen - Plano TX
Sanjay Kulkarni - Plano TX
Edgar Martinez - Cary NC
James Bender - Dallas TX
De D. Cai - Dallas TX
Harminder Singh - Raleigh NC
Laxminarayan G. Iyengar - Raleigh NC

Assignee:

Nortel Networks Corporation - Montreal

International Classification:

H04M 356

US Classification:

379211

Abstract:

A method and system are disclosed for extending the directory number of a terminal. The invention allows service providers to provide a service which uses an existing subscriber directory number and effectively extends it to include one or more other directory numbers. To the subscriber, the terminals associated with the other directory numbers effectively look like virtual extensions. The method and system provide this flexibility without requiring any additional personal numbers being assigned to the subscriber. The subscriber can choose to have all incoming calls to a directory number (DN) of one of their existing terminals alert or ring one or more other terminals having a different DN. The terminals may for example be on the same network (e. g. all on the wireline network) or they may be on different networks (e. g.

US Patent:

58781226, Mar 2, 1999

Filed:

Feb 7, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/797244

Inventors:

Lester Lynn White - Raleigh NC
Harminder Singh - Raleigh NC
Peter A. Fortman - Raleigh NC

Assignee:

Northern Telecom Limited - Quebec

International Classification:

H04M 1500

US Classification:

379115

Abstract:

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.