Method for auditory differentiation of forwarded phone calls

• US 20040042603A1
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perez, Gail, Edge, Brandi, Carter, Rolanda
• Granted Patent: US 7,120,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• 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: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

The present invention is directed to the auditory differentiation among forwarded phone calls within a phone network, and in particular an advanced intelligent phone network. Unique distinctive forwarded ring alerts and distinctive forwarded call waiting alerts are assigned to selected subscriber phone numbers in the phone network. Upon the forwarding of one or more of these subscriber phone numbers to a target phone number within the telephone network, auditory differentiation between the forwarded phone numbers and the target phone number can be achieved by a customer.

Claims

1. A method for the auditory differentiation of forwarded phone calls in a phone network, the method comprising:

selecting at least one subscriber phone number in the phone network;

assigning a distinctive forwarded ring alert to each selected subscriber phone number; and

forwarding at least one selected subscriber phone number to a target phone number in the telephone network;

wherein upon initiation of a call to the forwarded selected subscriber phone number, the distinctive forwarded ring alert assigned to the forwarded subscriber phone number is announced at the target phone number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of subscriber phone numbers;

assigning a unique distinctive forwarded ring alert to each one of the selected plurality of subscriber phone numbers; and

forwarding two or more of the selected subscriber phone numbers to the target phone number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target phone number comprises a target ring alert, and the method further comprises:

comparing the target ring alert to the forwarded ring alert of each forwarded subscriber phone number; and

adjusting each forwarded ring alert as necessary to ensure auditory differentiation between each forwarded ring alert and the target ring alert.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging each selected subscriber phone number and assigned forwarded ring alert to a database accessible by the telephone network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of logging each subscriber phone number and forwarded ring alert is executed by a customer through a telephone connected to the telephone network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of logging each subscriber phone number and forwarded ring alert is executed by a customer through a computer linked to the database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the computer is linked to the database through a computer internet.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a distinctive forwarded call waiting alert to each selected subscriber phone number;

wherein upon initiation of a call to one of the forwarded selected subscriber numbers contemporaneously with a previously connected call, the distinctive forwarded call waiting alert is announced at the target phone number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone network is a packet-switched telephone network.

10. A method for the auditory differentiation of forwarded phone calls among a plurality of interconnected subscribers linked to an advanced intelligent telephone network through a plurality of service switching points, the method comprising:

selecting at least one subscriber in the network;

assigning a distinctive forwarded ring alert to a subscriber phone number associated with each selected subscriber;

placing a forwarding call trigger on the service switching point in communication with each selected subscriber; and

forwarding each selected subscriber phone number to a target subscriber phone number in the telephone network;

wherein upon initiation of a call to the forwarded subscriber phone number, the forwarding call trigger contacts a service control point in the telephone network and the service control point instructs the signal servicing point in communication with the forwarded subscriber phone number to announce the forwarded ring alert at the target subscriber phone number.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of subscribers;

assigning a unique distinctive forwarded ring alert to each subscriber phone number associated with the selected subscribers;

placing a forwarding call trigger on a plurality of service switching points in communication with the selected subscribers; and

forwarding two or more of the subscriber phone numbers to the target subscriber phone number.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the target subscriber phone number comprises a target ring alert, and the method further comprises:

comparing the target ring alert to the forwarded ring alert of each forwarded subscriber phone number; and

adjusting each forwarded ring alert as necessary to ensure auditory differentiation between each forwarded ring alert and the target ring alert.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising logging each selected subscriber phone number and assigned forwarded ring alert to a database accessible by the service control point;

wherein the service control point accesses the database in response to the trigger from the service switching point.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the database is internal to the advanced intelligent telephone network and is accessed directly by the service control point.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the database is resident in a computer network external to the advanced intelligent telephone network and is accessed by the service control point through a gateway attached to the external computer network through a data link.

16. The method is claim 14, wherein the step of logging each selected subscriber phone number and forwarded ring alert is executed through a subscriber attached to the network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of logging each selected subscriber phone number and forwarded ring alert is executed through a computer linked to the external computer network.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

assigning a unique forwarded call waiting alert to each selected subscriber phone number; and

placing a call waiting trigger on the service switching points in communication with the selected subscribers;

wherein upon initiation of a call to one of the forwarded selected subscriber numbers contemporaneously with a previously connected call, the call waiting trigger contacts a service control point and the service control point instructs the signal servicing point in communication with that forwarded subscriber phone number to announce the forwarded call waiting alert at the target subscriber phone number.