Call routing based on user availability

• US 20050163301A1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Uk
• Inventors: Didcock, Clifford Neil
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.10
• 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

There is disclosed a method of routing a call in a communication system, comprising: defining a set of availability modes for at least one user, each mode including at least one identifier identifying at least one originating telephone number; defining a routing rule for each of said modes; and routing a call for said at least one user in dependence upon the routing rule associated with an active availability mode of said user and the originating telephone number of said call.

Claims

1. A method of routing a call in a communication system, comprising:

a. defining a set of availability modes for at least one user, each mode including at least one identifier identifying at least one originating telephone number;

b. defining a routing rule for each of said modes; and

c. routing a call for said at least one user in dependence upon the routing rule associated with an active availability mode of said user and the originating telephone number of said call.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of routing the call is dependent upon the originating telephone number corresponding to the at least one identifier of the active availability mode.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein if the originating telephone number matches the at least one identifier of the active availability mode the call is routed to the user.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein if the originating telephone number does not match the at least one identifier of the active availability mode the call is routed to a voice mail box of the user.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the set of availability modes is hierarchical, the at least one identifier of each availability mode being included in a higher availability mode.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the set of availability modes are independent.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the active availability mode of the user comprises a plurality of availability modes.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein each availability mode has a plurality of sub-modes, each sub-mode including at least one identifier identifying at least one originating telephone number, wherein a routing rule is defined for each of said sub-modes.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the identifier identifies an international dialing code, or an area code.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the identifier identifies a set of telephone numbers.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein said availability modes are user defined.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein said availability modes are automatically defined.

13. A call routing device, comprising:

a. storage means for storing a set of availability modes for at least one user, each mode including at least one identifier identifying at least one originating telephone number;

b. storage means for storing a routing rule for each of said modes;

c. input means for receiving a call to said at least one user;

d. determining means for determining the originating telephone number of said received call and an active availability mode of said user; and

e. routing means for routing a call for said at least one user in dependence upon the routing rule associated with the active availability mode of said user and the originating telephone number of said call.

14. The call routing device of claim 13 further comprising enabling means for enabling the routing means responsive to the originating telephone number corresponding to the at least one identifier of the active availability mode.

15. The call routing device of claim 14 wherein the routing means further includes comparison means for comparing the originating telephone number to the at least one identifier of the active availability mode, wherein responsive to a match the call is routed to the user.

16. The call routing device of claim 14 wherein the routing means further includes comparison means for comparing the originating telephone number to the at least one identifier of the active availability mode, wherein if there is no match the call is routed to a voice mail box of the user.

17. The call routing device of claim 13 wherein the set of availability modes is hierarchical, the at least one identifier of each availability mode being included in a higher availability mode.

18. The call routing device of claim 13 wherein the set of availability modes are independent.

19. The call routing device of claim 18 wherein the active availability mode of the user comprises a plurality of availability modes.

20. The call routing device of claim 13 wherein each availability mode has a plurality of sub-modes, each sub-mode including at least one identifier identifying at least one originating telephone number, wherein a routing rule is defined for each of said sub-modes.

21. The call routing device of claim 13 wherein the identifier identifies either an international dialing code, or an area code, or a set of telephone numbers.

22. The call routing device of claim 13 wherein said availability modes are user defined or automatically defined.