US 12,171,048 B2
Methods and systems for allocating telephone numbers
Matthew J. Christopher, Highlands Ranch, CO (US); and Raghavendra P. Hegde, Wayne, PA (US)
Assigned to Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, Philadelphia, PA (US)
Filed by Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, Philadelphia, PA (US)
Filed on Nov. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/087,324.
Prior Publication US 2022/0141650 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. H04W 8/26 (2009.01); H04W 8/00 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 8/26 (2013.01) [H04W 8/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a network, a request for a telephone number, wherein the request comprises an identifier of a user device associated with a requested communication session;
determining a telephone number from a group of available telephone numbers;
sending, to the network, the telephone number;
associating the telephone number with a group of allocated telephone numbers, wherein the group of allocated telephone numbers comprises telephone numbers that are in use by a user device for a communication session; and
associating, based on an indication that the requested communication session is terminated, the telephone number with a group of reserved telephone numbers for a time period, wherein the group of reserved telephone numbers comprises telephone numbers that are associated with a user device for a time period after a communication session and are removed from the group of allocated telephone numbers, and wherein during the time period the telephone number may be used for one or more communication sessions associated with the identifier.