Telephonic communications – Special services – Reserved call
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2002-06-18
Hong, Harry S. (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Special services
Reserved call
C379S900000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408062
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to concurrently filed and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/443,759 entitled “AUTONOMOUSLY ADMINISTERING ENHANCED TELEPHONY SERVICES” and concurrently filed and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/443,990 entitled “ADMINISTERING CALL BACK SERVICES,” the disclosure of which applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates in general to telecommunication systems, and in specific to administering Call Back services.
BACKGROUND
Because of the tariffs imposed by governments in many countries on telephone calls made outside the country, it is sometimes more expensive for a person located in a first country to call a person in a second country than it is for the person located in the second country to call the person in the first country. For example, if person X is in Brazil and wants to call person Y in the United States, the call may cost person X $1.50 per minute due to tariffs imposed by the Brazilian government. However, if person Y in the United States called person X in Brazil the call may only cost person Y $0.75 per minute. The difference in price for the two calls is generally due to caller X's home country (Brazil in this example) imposing higher tariffs on calls originating in that country.
Because of such difference in prices, a need arose for a system and method which would allow a person in a country with higher tariff rates to place a call to a person in a country with lower rates at the lower rate. That is, there exists a desire to have a method and system whereby person X could call person Y at the lower rate that person Y would be charged to place a call to person X (e.g., $0.75 in the above example).
An enhanced telephony service referred to as “Call Back” is currently being provided by enhanced telephony service providers, which allows callers from a country with high tariff rates to call persons in countries with lower rates at the lower rates. Utilizing the currently administered Call Back service for the above example, caller X would place a call to a service provider in the United States. The service provider would have a call back server in the United States that would answer caller X's call. Such a call back server would typically play a recording that would prompt caller X to enter the telephone number from which caller X is calling. Some call back servers would also prompt caller X to enter the United States telephone number that caller X wants to call. Caller X would use the touch-tone keys on the telephone keypad to enter his telephone number and person Y's telephone number if requested. Caller X would then hang up.
The above-described process of calling a service provider in the United States and entering the required telephone numbers typically takes under a minute. Therefore, caller X would typically be charged $1.50 for the first minute that it took to place the call from Brazil to the service provider in the United States.
Once the call back server receives the required telephone number(s), the server calls caller X back in Brazil. If the server has not already received the United States telephone number to be called from caller X, the server will request that number from caller X at this time. The server then places caller X on hold while the server attempts to connect the call to person Y in the United States. At this time, caller X is being charged the lower $0.75 per minute rate that it costs to call from the United States to Brazil. After a connection is made to person Y, caller X and person Y can talk with caller X being charged the lower United States rate of $0.75 per minute for the call. In this manner, the prior art Call Back service allows a caller from a country with a higher rate to place a call to a country with a lower rate at the lower rate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Several problems exist with the prior art method and system for administering Call Back service. In the prior art method and system for administering Call Back service, a customer requesting Call Back service is called back before an attempt is made to connect to the called party. As the above-example for prior art Call Back service demonstrates, the prior art call back server calls caller X back before the call back server attempts to establish a connection with the called party Y. The customer requesting Call Back service (e.g., caller X) begins being charged at the lower calling rate once the call back server returns the customer's call. Thus, the customer is charged for the time required for attempting to establish a connection with the called party (e.g., called party Y). The customer is charged for such time required for attempting to make a connection with the called party even if a connection is ultimately not established with the called party.
Utilizing the above example, caller X requests Call Back service from a call back server. The call back server then places a call back to caller X, and once a connection is established with caller X, caller X begins being charged the lower $0.75 per minute rate. Thereafter, the call back server attempts to establish a connection with the called party Y. During the time that the call back server is attempting to establish such a connection with called party Y, caller X is charged at the lower $0.75 per minute rate. Thus, caller X begins being charged at the lower $0.75 per minute rate before a connection is actually established with called party Y in the United States. If there is ultimately not an answer at called party Y's telephone number, caller X is still charged $0.75 per minute for the time required for the call back server to attempt to establish a connection with person Y. Even though the charges accumulated during the time in which the call back server is attempting to establish a connection with the called party are typically low, such charges are costs that a customer would like to avoid.
In view of the above, there exists a desire for a method and system for pre-qualifying Call Back service wherein a customer requesting Call Back service is not charged for the time that the call back server is attempting to establish a connection with the called party. There is a desire for a method and system for pre-qualifying Call Back service wherein a customer does not begin being charged the less expensive rate before the call is connected to the called party. There is a further desire to provide a method and system for administering Call Back service wherein the caller does not get charged for calls that are not completed to the called party.
These and other objects, features and technical advantages are achieved by a system and method for administering Call Back service which are capable of pre-qualifying such Call Back service. Such a system and method are capable of pre-qualifying a request for a Call Back service before returning a call back to the requesting customer. In this manner, the customer may not begin being charged at the lower call rate until after a connection is first established with the called number.
In a preferred embodiment, the system and method for pre-qualifying Call Back services is implemented within a system and method for administering Call Back services as disclosed in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. entitled “ADMINISTERING CALL BACK SERVICES.” Such implementation may provide decreased cost and increased convenience to a customer requesting Call Back services. However, in alternative embodiments the system and method for pre-qualifying Call Back services disclosed herein may be implemented in other systems and methods for administering Call Back services, including those of the prior art. Any such implementation and embodiment is intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
In a preferred embodiment, an Enhanced Services Platform (hereinafter “ESP”) provides enhanced telephony services offered by a service provider, including Call Back service. However, in alternative embodiments a call back server other than an ESP may be utiliz
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Hong Harry S.
InterVoice Limited Partnership
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