Call management service

• US 20050069104A1
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karam, Gerald M., Cheung, Eric, Hanson, Karrie J., Smith, Thomas M., Bond, Gregory W., Zave, Pamela
• Application Number:
  US10/949,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20050069104A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.190
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• 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 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1255 where the switching fabric and the switching logic are decomposed such as in Media Gateway Control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and a method for managing calls from a calling party to a called party. The method includes receiving, an incoming call designated to arrive at the called party'"'"'s telephone without ringing the called party'"'"'s telephone. The method also includes retrieving profile information associated with the called party, wherein the profile information includes quiet time service. Further included in the method are the steps of prompting the calling party to leave a message; and allowing the called party'"'"'s telephone to ring if the calling party does not wish to leave a message. The call management method of the present invention allows such a barge-through, irrespective of the identity of the calling party.

Claims

1. A method for managing calls from at least one calling party to at least one called party, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming call from the calling party designated to arrive at an end device of the called party;

retrieving profile information associated with the called party, wherein said profile information includes quiet time service;

prompting the calling party to leave a message wherein said quiet time service is active; and

allowing the called party'"'"'s end device to ring if said calling party does not wish to leave said message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

activating the quiet time service by the called party.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the call is received without ringing at said called party'"'"'s end device when said quiet time service is active.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile information includes a greeting selected by the called party.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile information includes a time schedule for said quiet time service.

6. The method of claim 1, further including editing said profile information based upon a request received from the called party.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said prompting includes playing the greeting to said calling party.

8. The method of claim 1, further including receiving touchtone sequences from the calling party;

and comparing said received touchtone sequences with a stored set of touchtone sequences, wherein said stored set of touchtone sequences includes a message touchtone sequence and a ring touchtone sequence.

9. The method of claim 8, further including presenting the calling party with a voice mail call flow when the touchtone sequence received is a message touchtone sequence.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing a voicemail message left by the calling party in response to said presented voicemail call flow.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

(a) receiving a request from the called party to retrieve the stored voicemail message; and

(b) forwarding the stored voicemail message to the called party.

12. A system for managing incoming calls from at least one calling party to at least one called party, the system comprising:

an internet protocol network connected to an end device of the called party;

at least one gateway for receiving an incoming call from a calling party designated to arrive at the called party'"'"'s end device;

at least one platform connected to the gateway for handling the incoming call received from said, wherein said handling includes;

retrieving profile information associated with the called party, wherein the profile information includes quiet time service;

prompting the calling party to leave a message when said quiet time service is active; and

allowing the called party'"'"'s end device to ring if said calling party does not wish to leave said message.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein

said quiet time service is activated by the called party.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the call is received without ringing at said called party'"'"'s end device when said quiet time service is active.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said platform further includes at least one database for storing the profile information.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said platform is connected to the internet protocol network for forwarding a message from the calling party to the called party'"'"'s end device and for receiving requests from the called party'"'"'s end device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said platform includes at least one server connected via a high speed local area network using Ethernet switches, routers or a combination thereof to provide access and networking to the internet protocol network.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the internet protocol network is connected to the called party'"'"'s end device via a broadband access network provided through a cable or digital subscriber line modem.