Telephonic communications – Special services – Priority override
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-23
2001-10-30
Hong, Harry S. (Department: 2742)
Telephonic communications
Special services
Priority override
C379S035000, C379S048000, C379S204010, C379S218020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06310946
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a technique for enabling a telephone subscriber calling the subscriber's own line to interrupt a telephone call on that line after receiving a busy signal.
BACKGROUND ART
Residential telephone subscribers often find it necessary to call their own line to communicate with a family member or a baby sitter. Often, the reason for making the call may be minor. For example, a subscriber away from home may wish to remind a family member at home, such as a child, to perform some task, such as homework. Some times, the reason for calling home may be more important. For example, a subscriber who is traveling may want to call home to alert a family member of a sudden change in plans, such as a delayed arrival because of bad weather.
Not surprisingly, a subscriber seeking to call his/her own home number may experience a busy signal as a consequence of a family member using the phone. If the subscriber enjoys call waiting, the family member using the phone hears a pulsed tone indicating an incoming call. In response, the family member on the phone can receive the incoming call by executing a “flash” on-hook operation. Reception of the “waiting” call is dependent on willingness of the party on the phone to execute the flash on-hook operation. In some instances, the party on the phone may choose to ignore the pulsed tone signaling a waiting call. Depending on the nature of the call, the party on the phone may even choose to disable the call waiting option, particularly if the party is using the phone to establish a data connection to an On-line or Internet Service Provider.
In addition to call waiting, a telephone subscriber may also subscribe to a network-based messaging service that records a message when the subscriber's own line is busy or does not answer. Thus, a subscriber trying to reach his/her own line can leave a message when the line is busy. However, a family member may not necessarily access the message on a timely basis, if at all. The subscriber has no way of knowing whether the message was indeed received and acknowledged.
Most providers of local telephone service allow their operators to interrupt an existing call to a subscriber's premises on an emergency basis. While the subscriber seeking to call his/her home may believe that the call is important, in actuality, the reason for interrupting the call is not likely to be an emergency to justify an operator's intervention. Consequently, without an actual emergency, a subscriber may be unable to reach home because the line is busy.
Thus, there is a need for a technique to allow a subscriber to interrupt a call on the subscriber's line after receiving a busy signal.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, a technique is provided for allowing a subscriber placing a call through a telecommunications network to the subscriber's own telephone line to interrupt a call on that line. In accordance with the invention, a subscriber placing a call to the subscriber's own telephone line is alerted by the network whether the line is busy with another call. If the line is busy, the subscriber may enter an interrupt code that authorizes interruption of a call on the subscriber's own line. The interrupt code entered by the subscriber is received in the network which then verifies the code to determine whether the code entered corresponds to that associated with the subscriber's line. If so, the network allows the subscriber to interrupt the call on the subscriber's line. The interruption may be accomplished in several ways. For example, after verifying that the subscriber's interrupt code corresponds the code assigned to the subscriber's line, the network may interrupt the call by placing a particular signal or an announcement on the line indicating to the party on the subscriber's line that an incoming call is waiting which may be received by executing a flash on-hook operation. Alternatively, the network may interrupt the call on the subscriber's line by bridging the subscriber's incoming call immediately, or after a brief announcement indicating that the call will be bridged.
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Bauer Thomas Michael
Cartwright Elroy P.
Taylor Walter C.
AT&T Corp
Hong Harry S.
Levy Robert B.
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