Method and apparatus for placing a long distance call based on a virtual phone number

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reducing the cost of long distance phone calls is disclosed. Accordingly, an originating phone network is operatively connected to a first intermediate point, and a receiving phone network is operatively connected to a second intermediate point. Each intermediate point is operatively connected to communicate via a data network. Users on the originating and destination phone networks may communicate based on virtual numbers. The virtual number is preferably within the local calling area of the originating phone network. The first and second intermediate points route calls to any geographic location, regardless of distance, over the data network based on the virtual number. This provides the advantage of allowing a user on the originating phone network to access a user at a distant location for a price that is substantially similar to the price of a local call.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of establishing a communications link, comprising:
 receiving a virtual telephone number at a first intermediate point from an originating point, the first intermediate point being operatively connected to a data network; and 
 transmitting a call setup request over the data network that includes a second intermediate point, wherein the call setup request includes the virtual telephone number or its equivalent, and wherein information in the call setup request allows the second intermediate point to establish a communications link to a destination point that corresponds to the virtual telephone number. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining an identity of the second intermediate point based on the virtual telephone number or its equivalent. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of determining the identity of the second intermediate point comprises:
 sending a query to an intermediate point routing table, the query including the virtual telephone number or its equivalent; and 
 receiving, from the intermediate point routing table, an indication of the identity of the second intermediate point. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of receiving an indication of the identity of the second intermediate point comprises receiving an Internet protocol (IP) address of a proxy server that can act as the second intermediate point. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the virtual telephone number or its equivalent, the identity of the second intermediate point, the second intermediate point being capable of establishing a communications link to a destination point that corresponds to the virtual telephone number; and 
 transmitting the identity of the second intermediate point to the first intermediate point. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising establishing a communications link between the second intermediate point and the destination point using information in the call setup request. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of establishing a communications link between the second intermediate point and the destination point comprises:
 sending a query to a destination point routing table, the query including the virtual telephone number or its equivalent; 
 receiving, from the destination point routing table, an indication of the an identity of the a destination point that corresponds to the virtual telephone number; and 
 establishing a communications link between the second intermediate point and the destination point using the identity information received from the destination point routing table. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the indication of the identity of the destination point comprises a physical telephone number. 
     
     
       9. A system for establishing a communications link, comprising:
 a computer server that is operatively connected to a data network and that acts as a first intermediate point in the data network, where the computer server is configured to:  
 means for receivingreceive a virtual telephone number at a first intermediate point from an originating point, the first intermediate point being operatively connected to a data network; and 
 means for transmittingtransmit a call setup request over the data network from the first intermediate point to a second intermediate point, wherein the call setup request includes the virtual telephone number or its equivalent, and wherein information in the call setup request allows the second intermediate point to establish a communications link to a destination point that corresponds to the virtual telephone number. 
 
     
     
       10. A system for establishing a communications link, comprising:
 an intermediate point routing table that includes information linking virtual telephone numbers to identities of intermediate points capable of establishing communications links to destination points associated with the virtual telephone numbers; and 
 a first intermediate point comprising at least one processor that receives a virtual telephone number from an originating point, and that transmits a call setup request to a second intermediate point, wherein the call setup request includes the virtual telephone number or its equivalent, and wherein the intermediate point routing table, the first intermediate point and the second intermediate point are all coupled to a data network. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein information in the call setup request allows the second intermediate point to establish a communications link to a destination point that corresponds to the virtual telephone number. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first intermediate point queries the intermediate point routing table to determine an identity of the second intermediate point. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first intermediate point sends a query to the intermediate point routing table, the query including the virtual telephone number or its equivalent, wherein the intermediate point routing table uses the virtual telephone number or its equivalent to determine an identity of the second intermediate point, and wherein the intermediate point routing table sends an indication of the identity of the second intermediate point to the first intermediate point in response to the query. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the indication of the identity of the second intermediate point comprises an Internet protocol (IP) address of a proxy server that can act as the second intermediate point. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the second intermediate point uses the virtual telephone number to establish a communications link to a destination point corresponding to the virtual telephone number. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first intermediate point establishes a communications link to the originating point, and wherein a communications link is also established between the first intermediate point and the second intermediate point such that communications can pass between the originating point and the destination point via the first and second intermediate points. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the second intermediate point sends a query to a destination point routing table, the query including the virtual telephone number or its equivalent, wherein the destination point routing table uses the virtual telephone number or its equivalent to determine an identity of a destination point corresponding to the virtual telephone number, and wherein the destination point routing table sends an indication of the identity of the destination point to the second intermediate point in response to the query. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the second intermediate point uses the indication of the identity information it of the destination point that the second intermediate point receives from the destination point routing table to establish a communications link to the destination point. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the destination point routing table sends a physical telephone number corresponding to the virtual telephone number to the second intermediate point. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the second intermediate point uses the physical telephone number to establish a communications link to the destination point. 
     
     
       21. A system for facilitating at least a portion of a telephony communication between an originating point and a destination point, comprising:
 a first intermediate point comprising at least one processor that is configured to receive a communication setup request from a second intermediate point, wherein the communication setup request includes a virtual telephone number received from the originating point, wherein the virtual telephone number corresponds to a physical number associated with the destination point; and   a first routing table that comprises a part of the first intermediate point, wherein the first intermediate point is configured to use the communication setup request and information in the first routing table to determine an identity of the destination point;   wherein the first intermediate point facilitates the telephony communication, at least in part, by receiving the communication setup request over a data network from the second intermediate point.    
     
     
       22. A system for facilitating at least a portion of a communication link between an originating point and a destination point, comprising:
 a first intermediate point configured to receive a virtual number from the originating point, wherein the virtual number corresponds to the destination point, and wherein the first intermediate point is configured to send a communication setup request to a second intermediate point over a data network, the communication setup request including the virtual number; and   a routing table that comprises information linking virtual numbers with the identities of intermediate points capable of establishing communications links to destination points based on a proximity of the intermediate points to the destination points.    
     
     
       23. A system for facilitating at least a portion of a communication link between an originating point and a destination point, comprising:
 a first intermediate point configured to receive a virtual number from an originating point, and   a routing database that comprises information that associates second intermediate points with destination points that correspond to virtual numbers based on a proximity of the second intermediate points to the destination points;   wherein the first intermediate point is configured to use the virtual number and information in the routing database to determine the identity of a second intermediate point associated with the destination point that corresponds to the virtual number, and wherein the first intermediate point is configured to send a communication setup request to the second intermediate point over a data network, the communication setup request including the virtual number.    
     
     
       24. A method of facilitating at least a portion of a communication link between an originating point and a destination point, comprising:
 receiving, from the originating point, a virtual number at a first intermediate point, wherein the virtual number corresponds to the destination point;   determining an identity of a second intermediate point capable of communicating with the destination point based on a proximity of the second intermediate point to the destination point; and   sending a communication setup request to the second intermediate point over a data network, the communication setup request including the virtual number.