METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ENHANCED CALL WAITING AND CALLER IDENTIFICATION

• US 20010043691A1
• Filed: 03/09/1999
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: BULL, REX NORMAN, MACIEJEWSKI, JAMES THOMAS
• Granted Patent: US 6,498,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 : Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 : Signaling in general, in-band signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

An efficient and effective method and system for providing to a customer an audible call notification of a current call and a subsequently received call waiting call. The present embodiments notify the customer that a current call is waiting in an effective manner that reduces confusion. Confusion is reduced by the combination of audible call waiting indicators and audible caller identification information associated with the calling telephone station. Additionally, both the indicator and the representation of the information can be provided automatically without significant delay. The indication is provided even when standard caller identification information is not available by prompting the caller to provide spoken caller identification information. The spoken caller identification information is provided to the called party along with call disposition options, such as options to accept or reject the call, route the call to voice mail or send a sales refusal message.

Claims

1. A method for processing a call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called party at a called communication station, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the call intended for the called communication station; and

before completing the call between the calling communication station and the called communication station, providing to the called communication station audible caller identification information using one of standard caller identification information and spoken caller identification information provided by the calling party.

2. The method of

claim 1

further comprising the steps of:

determining whether standard caller identification information for the calling communication station can be provided to the called communication station;

if standard caller identification information for the calling communication station cannot be provided, prompting the calling party to provide spoken caller identification information; and

providing to the called communication station the spoken caller identification information as the audible caller identification information.

3. The method of

claim 1

further comprising the steps of:

determining whether standard caller identification information for the calling communication station can be provided to the called communication station;

if standard caller identification information for the calling communication station can be provided, detecting name data from the standard caller identification information; and

converting the name data into the audible caller identification information for provision to the called communication station.

4. A method for processing a call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called party at a called communication station, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining if the called communication station is off hook or on hook;

(b1) if the called communication station is off hook, transmitting an audible call waiting indicator to the called communication station;

(b2) if the called communication station is on hook, ringing the called communication station; and

(c) providing to the called communication station audible caller identification information using one of standard caller identification information and spoken caller identification information provided by the calling party.

5. The method of

claim 4

further comprising the step of determining whether standard caller identification information for the calling communication station can be provided to the called communication station.

6. The method of

claim 5

further comprising the steps of:

prompting the calling party to audibly provide the spoken caller identification information when the standard caller identification information for the calling communication station can not be provided; and

storing the spoken caller identification information.

7. The method of

claim 6

wherein step (c) comprises replaying the stored spoken caller information.

8. The method of

claim 5

further comprising the steps of:

when the standard caller identification information can be provided, retrieving from a database the standard caller identification including name data for the calling party; and

providing the audible caller identification information in response to the name data for the calling party.

9. The method of

claim 8

further comprising the step of performing a text to speech function on the name data to produce the audible caller identification information.

10. The method of

claim 4

further comprising the steps of:

(d) providing to the called party call disposition options for the call;

(e) detecting a selected disposition option; and

(f) processing the call according to the selected disposition option.

11. The method of

claim 10

wherein step (d) comprises offering an option to suspend a current call between the called communication station and a third communication station while completing the call between the calling communication station and the called communication station.

12. The method of

claim 4

further comprising the steps of:

(d) determining if a human answers the call;

(e) if a human does not answer the call, routing the call to a voice messaging system.

15. The method of

claim 12

further comprising the step of:

(i) completing the call between the calling communication station and the called communication station only in response to an input from the called party.

16. The method of

claim 15

further comprising the step of:

(j) suspending a call between the called communication station and a third communication station while the call is completed between the calling communication station and the called communication station.

13. A method for processing a call in a communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called communication station;

(b) determining if standard caller identification information for the calling communication station can be provided to the called communication station;

(c) if standard caller identification information cannot be provided, transmitting a request for spoken caller identification information to the calling communication station;

(d) storing the spoken caller identification when provided;

(e) if standard caller identification information can be provided, obtaining the standard caller identification information; and

(f) providing audible caller identification information to the called communication station in response to one of the standard caller identification information and the spoken caller identification information.

14. The method of

claim 13

further comprising the step of:

(g) if the called communication station is off hook, transmitting an audible call waiting indicator to the called communication station; and

(h) transmitting the audible caller identification information to the called communication station.

17. The method of

claim 14

further comprising the steps of:

(h) providing to the called party call disposition options for the call;

(i) detecting a selected disposition option; and

(j) processing the call according to the selected disposition option.

18. The method of

claim 17

wherein the step of providing disposition options includes the steps of:

(h1) prompting the called party to accept the call;

(h2) prompting the called party to deny the call;

(h3) prompting the called party to send the call the voice mail;

(h4) prompting the called party to send a sales refusal message in response to the call; and

(h5) prompting the called party to block the call and future calls from the calling communication station.

19. The method of

claim 13

further comprising the steps of:

(g) if the called communication station is on hook, providing the audible caller identification information when the called communication station is answered; and

(h) completing the call between the calling communication station and the called communication station in response to an input from the calling party.

20. A communication system configured to process a call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called party at a called communication station, the communication system comprising:

a service control point operative to determine whether standard caller identification information for the calling communication station can be provided to the called communication station; and

system equipment coupled with the service control point,

the system equipment being configured to transmit a request for spoken caller identification information to the calling communication station and store the spoken caller identification information as audible caller identification information in response to a determination that the standard caller identification information cannot be provided to the called communication station,

the system equipment being further configured to obtain audible caller identification information from the standard caller identification information if available, and

the system equipment operative to provide the audible caller identification information to the called communication station.

21. The communication system of

claim 20

wherein the system equipment comprises a service node coupled with the service control point and the called communication station.

22. The communication system of

claim 20

wherein the system equipment comprises an intelligent peripheral coupled with the service control point and the called communication station.

23. The communication system of

claim 20

further comprising a service switching point (SSP) and wherein the system equipment comprises an intelligent peripheral coupled with the SSP and the called communication station

24. The communication system of

claim 20

further comprising a memory which stores caller identification information and associated name information.

25. The communication system of

claim 24

wherein the system equipment is operative to retrieve from the memory the associated name information in response to the standard caller identification information.

26. The communication system of

claim 25

further comprising a text to speech circuit coupled to the memory for producing the audible caller identification information in response to the associated name information.

27. Apparatus for processing a call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called party at a called communication station, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining if the called communication station is off hook or on hook;

means for transmitting an audible call waiting indicator to the called communication station if the called communication station is off hook or ringing the called communication station if the called communication station is on hook; and

means for providing to the called communication station audible caller identification information using one of standard caller identification information and spoken caller identification information provided by the calling party.

28. A computer readable medium having computer executable software code stored thereon for processing a call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called party at a called communication station, the computer readable program code comprising:

a first computer readable program code for causing a computer to determine if the called communication station is off hook or on hook;

a second computer readable program code for causing a computer to transmit an audible call waiting indicator to the called communication station if the called communication station is off hook or ring the called communication station if the called communication station is on hook; and

a third computer readable program code for causing a computer to provide to the called communication station audible caller identification information using one of standard caller identification information and spoken caller identification information provided by the calling party.

29. The computer readable medium of

claim 28

further comprising a fourth program code for causing a computer to provide to the called communication station a plurality of call disposition options including a first option prompting the called party to accept the call, a second option prompting the called party to deny the call, a third option prompting the called party to send the call the voice mail, a fourth option prompting the called party to send a sales refusal message in response to the call, and a fifth option prompting the called party to block the call and future calls from the calling communication station.