Sender-address-based telecommunications operator callback system and method

• US 20040063432A1
• Filed: 10/01/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cosmin Borsin, Jamaieddin Family Trust
• Original Assignee: ISP Operator Corporation
• Inventors: Borsan, Dumitru
• Granted Patent: US 7,146,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0048 where the text-based messaging service is a Short Message Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service

Abstract

A Sender-Address-Based Telecommunications Operator Call-back System and Method is disclosed. Unlike the prior systems, the present invention eliminates the use of a direct inward dialing telephone number. The system recognizes a triggering email or SMS message and associates the message to a particular authorized user. Once authorized, the system places a call to the caller and then places a call to the called person. The triggering email or SMS message only requires minimal special formatting, such as containing the sender'"'"'s registered email address in the “from” field and the called number in the “subject” field. The system may permit third party persons to be authorized to make collect calls to the account holder on the account holder'"'"'s account. The system may further provide the user with periodic account balance updates both manually and automatically as calls are being made.

Claims

1. A method for placing telephone calls, comprising the steps of:

creating a triggering message, said triggering message comprising digital data further including information identifying a message sender;

sending said triggering message to callback service provider, said sending conducted via a computer network;

identifying a caller phone number responsive to said message sender identifying information, said identifying conducted by a callback service system being executed on a programmable computer; and

placing a telephone call to said caller telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said creating step further comprises including digital data identifying a called telephone number; and

said placing telephone call step is followed by a second placing telephone call step comprising placing a telephone call to said called telephone number.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said creating step is preceded by a cross-reference data file creating step, said data file creating step comprising creating a data file including digital data indicating linked pairs of message sender identity data and caller telephone number data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said identifying step comprises locating said caller telephone number data linked to said sender identity data contained in said digital data of said triggering message, said locating resulting from searching said cross-reference data file.

5. A telephonic system, comprising:

a first calling location further including a telephone device;

a called telephone device; and

a telephonic network interconnecting said calling location telephone device and said called telephone device, said telephonic network further comprising a switch, said switch controlled by a callback system, said callback system comprising a plurality of executable statements being performed on a programmable computer, said programmable computer further in communication with a caller location data cross-reference data repository said switch responsive to data in said caller location data cross-reference data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said programmable computer is configured to communicate over a wide area computer network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said first calling location further comprises an electronic triggering message sending device for sending an electronic triggering message to said programmable computer over said wide area computer network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said callback system is responsive to sender location contained within an electronic triggering message received by said programmable computer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

said sender location data is a data input to said callback system; and

said callback system provides an output responsive to said sender location, said output comprising a telephone number for said first calling location telephone device, said first calling location telephone device output obtained from said caller location data cross-reference data repository.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said caller location data cross-reference data repository comprises linked pairs of said sender location data and calling location telephone device telephone numbers.

11. A method for creating a customer account for a telephonic callback system, the method comprising the steps of:

a contacting step wherein a prospective customer establishes communication with a telephonic callback service provider; and

a table creation step wherein said telephonic callback service creates at least one sender address/caller phone number data record in a data repository accessible by a programmable computer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a qualification step executed prior to said table creation step wherein said prospective customer is qualified as a customer of said telephonic callback service provider.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a questionnaire answering step prior to said qualification step, wherein said prospective customer answers questions posed by said telephonic callback service provider.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising an election step prior to said table creation step, said election step comprising said prospective customer electing to become a customer of said telephonic callback service provider and communicating said election to said service provider.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising a qualification step executed subsequent to said table creation step wherein said prospective customer is qualified as a customer of said telephonic callback service provider.