Telephonic communications – Plural exchange network or interconnection – With interexchange network routing
Reexamination Certificate
1995-06-30
2001-10-09
Matar, Ahmad (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Plural exchange network or interconnection
With interexchange network routing
C379S207030, C379S211020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301350
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) services and, more particularly, to an automated system and method for call handling.
BACKGROUND ART
It is commonplace today for owners and employees of even a small business to be accessible to receive telephone calls and/or messages at numerous exchanges and geographic locations. For example, depending upon the day and time of the call, i.e., business versus non-business hours, a person may be reached at one or more exchanges at one or more offices, in one or more vehicles, via portable telephone(s), by pager(s), at one or more home(s), at a relative or friend's house, etc. As readily seen, for a given person, the list of accessible numbers may be endless.
Several attempts have been made in the prior art to develop call handling systems which forward calls to predetermined locations. Such systems are generally switch-based, provide routing to a single destination number (or only one number at a time), and do not allow the subscriber to easily and directly create and modify a routing “profile.” One such system is known as Call Forward Don't Answer (CFDA) service and is a call management feature of the Bell Communications Research (Bellcore) Custom Local Area Signaling System generally referred to by the acronym CLASS
SM
. The CLASS
SM
system is a switch-based system that relies on Signaling System No. 7. (SS7) capabilities to provide Advanced Intelligent Network services such as equal access 800 dialing and private virtual networks. CLASS
SM
is generally directed to residential subscribers and provides them with many of the enhanced features previously available only with Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs) or Centrex services.
See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,604 to Ryan; U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,848 to Pula; U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,328 to Peacock; U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,535 to Gechter et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,515 to Gechter et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,571 to Kaye et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,310 to Honda et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,986 to Pershan; U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,785 to Akiyama et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,929 to Wolf; U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,587 to Romero; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,353 to Canale et al.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for call handling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for automatically forwarding a call to a plurality of predetermined destination numbers in accordance with a subscriber's predetermined service profile.
According to the present invention, then, a system and method for automated call handling is provided.
The system includes architecture for processing incoming calls from third parties (to subscribers) and outgoing calls from subscribers (to create/modify their respective Service Profiles). The architecture of the incoming call portion of the present invention comprises signal generation means for generating a call handling request signal representing selected parameters of a call. There is further provided storage means for storing a unique Service Number for each of a plurality of subscriber Calling Numbers (telephone numbers). The storage means is also operative to store a corresponding Service Profile (call forwarding profile) with each Service Profile comprising a plurality of Destination Numbers (DNs) which in turn are each assigned a calling day, a calling time, and a calling priority designation. Processing means is further provided for processing the call handling request signal and the subscriber Service Profile so as to generate a list of Destination Numbers to route the call to as well as a corresponding routing order for the day and time the call is placed.
In the preferred embodiment, the processing means of the incoming call architecture further comprises means for determining the subscriber Calling Number as well as the day and time of the call from the call handling request signal. The processing means further comprises means for identifying the Service Number and Service Profile which corresponds to the subscriber Calling Number. Yet still further, the processing means comprises means for comparing the calling day and calling time of each Destination Number of the Service Profile to the day and time of the call. Finally, the processing means comprises means for selecting each Destination Number whose calling day and calling time match the day and time of the call. Routing means is also provided for sequentially routing the call to the selected Destination Numbers in accordance with their calling priority designations. In the preferred embodiment, the signal generation means, storage means, processing means and routing means include components of the AIN. Preferably, but not necessarily, the signal generation means is an Intelligent Services Peripheral (ISP) and the processing means is an Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP).
In keeping with the invention, architecture of the outgoing call portion (subscriber profile creation/modification) of the present invention comprises signal generation means for generating a call handling request signal representing selected parameters of a call. Storage means is also provided for storing a unique Service Number and a unique Security Code for each of a plurality of subscriber Calling Numbers (telephone numbers). The storage means is also operative to store a corresponding Service Profile for each Service Number and its corresponding security code. Still further, processing means is provided for processing the call handling request signal to locate the corresponding Service Profile.
In the preferred embodiment, the processing means of the outgoing call architecture further comprises means for determining a subscriber's Calling Number and Security Code from the call handling request signal. Still further, the processing means comprises means for comparing the determined Security Code to the stored Security Code corresponding to the subscriber's determined Calling Number so as to verify the subscriber service. The outgoing call architecture further comprises playing means for playing selected announcements to the subscriber as well as collection means for collecting selected digits so as to create and modify the Service Profile. In the preferred embodiment, the signal generation means, storage means, processing means, playing means, and collection means are elements of the AIN. Preferably, but not necessarily, the signal generation means is an ISP and the processing means is an ISCP.
The automated method of the incoming call portion of the present invention comprises generating a call handling request signal representing selected parameters of a call. The method further comprises providing storage means for storing a unique Service Number for each of a plurality of subscriber Calling Numbers and a corresponding Service Profile (call forwarding profile). As in the above-described architecture, each of the Service Profiles comprise a plurality of Destination Numbers each assigned a calling day, a calling time, and a calling priority designation. The method further comprises processing the call handling request signal and the subscriber Service Profile so as to generate a list of Destination Numbers to route the call to and a corresponding routing order for the day and time the call was placed.
In the preferred embodiment, the processing comprises determining the subscriber Calling Number, and the day and the time of the call from the call handling request signal. The processing further comprises identifying the Service Number and Service Profile corresponding to the subscriber Calling Number. Still further, the processing comprises comparing the calling day and calling time of each Destination Number of the call forwarding profile to the day and time of the call. Finally, the method comprises sequentially routing the call to the selected Destination Numbers in accordance with their calling priority designations. The steps of generating, providing, processing and routi
Catellier William C.
Henningson Brent D.
Staller Joshua D.
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Deane, Jr. William J.
Matar Ahmad
Qwest Communications International Inc.
LandOfFree
System and method for call handling does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System and method for call handling, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and method for call handling will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2611271