METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROUTING CALLS PLACED TO A VIRTUAL TELEPHONE NUMBER

Territorial boundaries and the assignment of responsive telephone numbers are prescribed for a virtual telephone number. Telephone calls placed to that number, even though the territories are within a metropolitan or other relatively local area, are automatically routed to actual telephone numbers so that the responding telephone in each case depends on the territory from which the call is placed. For call processing, a switch receiving a call to a virtual telephone number momentarily suspends call processing and a first database is queried by entry of the calling station identity (ANI). The first database relates the calling station to a geographic location, preferably by postal zip code. Using the zip code, a second database, dedicated to the virtual number and relating zip codes to actual telephone numbers, is consulted. The telephone number assigned to the calling station's zip code is then returned to the switch. The switch resumes processing of the call to route it to that number. For multiple virtual telephone numbers, multiple second databases are provided, the first database serving as a common source for postal zip codes for entry into each second database. To set the content of a second database, an area map is produced from street segments and postal zip codes such that the map will encompass the territories. The territories are defined on the map by setting the boundary lines and from each territory the zip codes encompassed by the territories are extracted. To the zip codes, the actual telephone numbers are assigned, and the data for all of the territories are sorted for assembly into a file, or routing plan, for insertion into the second database.