On demand call re-termination

• US 20050031112A1
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, David, Bezner, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 6,934,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A system and method for re-terminating a call on demand. This allows a subscriber to cause a previously answered incoming call to be re-terminated to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line. A method for using the present invention involves the following sequence. First, a caller dials a telephone number of a subscriber and the call is answered by an answering member. Second, the answering member presses one or more keys on the keypad of a customer premises equipment before hanging up. Third, the call is re-terminated to the same telephone number. When the call re-terminates, there are a number of different options for the subscriber to pick up the re-terminated call. In one option, the call can be allowed to ring through to a voice mailbox associated with an intended member. In another option, the call be allowed to ring long enough to activate an answering machine. In still another option, the call can be picked up by a fax machine. In an implementation in which the re-terminated call has a distinctive ringing tone, the call can be answered by an intended member who is associated with the distinctive ringing tone.

Claims

1. A call re-termination system comprising:

a customer premises equipment of a subscriber having one or more members;

a telephone line associated with the subscriber in a telephone network in communication with a service switching point;

a trigger provisioned on the telephone line at the service switching point;

a service control point in communication with the service switching point; and

a service node in communication with the service control point and the service switching point,

wherein when a member of the subscriber presses one or more keys on the customer premises equipment during a call between the member and a caller, the service switching point launches a query to the service control point,

wherein the service control point returns a message to the service switching point in response to the query;

wherein the service switching point forwards the call to a service node according to instructions contained in the message; and

wherein the service node re-terminates the call to the subscriber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger is a customer dialing plan trigger.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the keys is a flash key.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the keys is a number key.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the call is re-terminated to the customer premises equipment, and wherein one of a device associated with the customer premises equipment and a second member of the subscriber responds to the re-terminated call.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the device is one of an answering machine and a fax machine.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the keys is associated with the second member.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the re-terminated call rings with a distinctive ringing tone.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the second member picks up the re-terminated call using a second customer premises equipment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the call is re-terminated to a voice mailbox of the subscriber.

11-25. -25. (Cancelled)

26. A method for re-terminating telephone calls in an advanced intelligent network comprising the steps of:

storing a subscriber list in a database accessible to a service control point, wherein the subscriber list comprises member information related to a subscriber;

terminating a call from a caller to a customer premises equipment of the subscriber that is associated with a telephone line;

detecting a sequence of key strokes from an answering member of the subscriber, wherein the sequence is detected by a trigger provisioned on the telephone line;

launching a query by a service switching point associated with the telephone line to the service control point, wherein at least part of the sequence is incorporated into the query;

consulting the database to review the member information;

transferring the call to a service node; and

re-terminating the call in accordance with the member information.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the call is re-terminated to the customer premises equipment.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the call is picked up by one of an answering machine, a fax machine, and a second member of the subscriber.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the sequence of keystrokes is associated with an intended member of the subscriber.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the call is re-terminated with a distinctive ringing tone associated with the intended member.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the call is picked up by the intended member.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the call is re-terminated to a voice mailbox associated with the intended member.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of instructing the answering member to hang up.