Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Usage measurement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-14
2001-07-24
Maung, Nay (Department: 2681)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Usage measurement
C455S408000, C455S414200, C455S415000, C455S567000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266524
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to a method and system for providing call screening capabilities in conjunction with a variety of network-based call services.
BACKGROUND
Consumers have traditionally used telephone answering machines to ensure that callers can leave a message when the called party is unable to get to the phone. Recently, consumers have also been turning to an ever increasing number of network-based services to ensure that they get all of their calls. The growing number of subscriptions to call waiting service and call answer service (CAS), both offered today by many local telephone companies, are good examples of this “I've got to get my calls” phenomena.
Call waiting is a custom calling service that uses a short tone or a “click” to let a subscriber know someone else is calling while the subscriber is on the phone. The subscriber can then put the first call “on hold” to talk to the second caller. CAS is a custom calling service that redirects all calls encountering either a ring-no-answer or busy condition to a network voice messaging platform where the caller can record a message for the called party. The called party is then provided with a message waiting indicator in the form of a stutter dial tone or a flashing light on the called party's telephone. The called party, upon detection of this indicator, can dial into the voice messaging platform to retrieve the recorded message from his/her mailbox.
One feature that neither of the foregoing network-based services offers is passive call screening. A subscriber to call waiting service does not presently have the ability to determine the identity of the second caller without actually placing the first call on hold and talking to the second caller. Moreover, consumers are faced with a dilemma when deciding whether to discontinue using a conventional telephone answering machine in favor of call answer service. Although consumers switching to call answer service gain the ability to have callers leave a message upon encountering a busy condition (conventional telephone answering machines only provide callers with this opportunity upon encountering a ring-no-answer condition), they lose all ability to screen their calls.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The above-identified problems are solved and a technical advance is achieved in the art by providing a method and system for call screening in conjunction with a variety of network-based call services. An exemplary method for providing a called party at a called party station with call screening includes (a) forwarding a call to the called party station to a voice mailbox so that a calling party can leave a message for the called party; (b) initiating a call to the called party station; and (c) bridging the call forwarded to the voice mailbox and the call to the called party station so that the called party can hear the calling party leaving a message for the called party station. In one embodiment of the present invention, the step of initiating a call includes the step of delivering a distinctive ring to the called party station indicating that the calling party is leaving a message for the called party station. In another embodiment of the present invention, the step of initiating a call includes the step of transmitting a call waiting indicator to the called party station. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the step of initiating a call includes the step of transmitting a signal to the called party station indicating that the calling party station has elected to pay for cellular charges associated with the call.
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Dee Heather C.
Hanson Bruce L.
Huber Kenneth M.
Joseph Eugene J.
Salimando Steven C.
AT&T Corp
Maung Nay
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