Virtual multi-line telephone service

• US 20060177029A1
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Outsmart Ltd. (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Outsmart Ltd. (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gabbay, Avi, Goldman, Boaz, Aruch, Ronny, Salomon, Ofer, Dotan, Eran
• Application Number:
  US11/055,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20060177029A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72

Abstract

A method for providing a virtual multi-line (VML) telephone service includes associating first and second telephone numbers with a telephone, such that the first telephone number is subject to a first billing scheme and the second number is subject to a second billing scheme. A control code is transmitted from the telephone to a network switch, indicating a choice of one of the first and second telephone numbers. Upon receiving a request to connect a call from the telephone to a destination number, the call is connected using one of the first and second telephone numbers while applying one of the first and second billing schemes to the call in accordance with the choice indicated by the control code.

Claims

1. A method for providing a virtual multi-line (VML) telephone service, comprising:

associating first and second telephone numbers with a telephone, such that the first telephone number is subject to a first billing scheme and the second number is subject to a second billing scheme;

transmitting a control code from the telephone to a network switch, indicating a choice of one of the first and second telephone numbers;

receiving a request to connect a call from the telephone to a destination number; and

connecting the call using one of the first and second telephone numbers while applying one of the first and second billing schemes to the call in accordance with the choice indicated by the control code.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the control code comprises receiving a keystroke entry on the telephone, and transmitting the control code responsively to the keystroke entry.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the keystroke entry comprises at least one of a prefix and a suffix affixed to the destination number in the request.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the control code comprises receiving a voice input on the telephone indicative of the control code, and transmitting the control code responsively to the voice input.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first billing scheme is a post-paid plan and the second billing scheme is a pre-paid plan.

6. The method according to claim 1, and comprising receiving a further request to connect an incoming call from a second party to the first telephone number, and connecting the incoming call to the telephone via the second telephone number.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein connecting the incoming call comprises applying the first billing scheme to the incoming call.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein connecting the incoming call comprises providing an indication on the telephone that the incoming call was placed to the first telephone number while connecting the incoming call via the second telephone number.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein associating the first and second telephone numbers comprises providing a virtual multi-line function at a service control point (SCP) in communication with a network switch, and wherein receiving the request comprises referring the request from the network switch to the SCP.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein applying one of the first and second billing schemes comprises invoking a billing service using the SCP.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein connecting the call comprises transmitting a call request to the destination number, the request specifying, responsively to the control code, one of the first and second telephone numbers as a caller ID number.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first telephone number is a permanent number assigned to a subscriber telephone and the second telephone number is a temporary number assigned to a subscriber telephone for a predetermined, limited time period.

13. A method for providing a virtual multi-line (VML) telephone function on a subscriber telephone to which a first, permanent telephone number is assigned, the method comprising:

assigning a second, temporary telephone number to the subscriber telephone for a predetermined, limited time period;

during the limited time period, transferring calls placed to the temporary telephone number so that the calls are received on the subscriber telephone via the permanent telephone number; and

after the limited time period has expired, rejecting further calls that are placed to the temporary telephone number.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the temporary number is assigned by a third-party provider of a service for which the temporary number is to be used.

15. Apparatus for providing a virtual multi-line (VML) telephone service, comprising:

service execution logic, which is adapted to associate a first and a second telephone number with a telephone, such that the first telephone number is subject to a first billing scheme and the second number is subject to a second billing scheme; and

a network interface, which is coupled to receive, via a network switch, a message comprising a control code transmitted from the telephone indicating a choice of one of the first and second telephone numbers and service request indicative of a request to connect a call from the telephone to a destination number,

wherein the service execution logic is adapted, responsively to the control code and the service request, to instruct the switch to connect the call using one of the first and second telephone numbers while applying one of the first and second billing schemes to the call in accordance with the choice indicated by the control code.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control code is transmitted responsively to a keystroke entry on the telephone.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the keystroke entry comprises at least one of a prefix and a suffix affixed to the destination number in the request.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control code is transmitted responsively to a voice input from the telephone.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first billing scheme is a post-paid plan and the second billing scheme is a pre-paid plan.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the service execution logic is adapted to receive via a network switch a further request to connect an incoming call from a second party to the first telephone number, and to instruct the network switch to connect the incoming call to the telephone via the second telephone number.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the service execution logic is adapted to apply the first billing scheme to the incoming call.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the service execution logic is adapted to provide an indication on the telephone that the incoming call was placed to the first telephone number while connecting the incoming call via the second telephone number.

23. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the network interface is adapted to communicate with the network switch using Intelligent Network (IN) protocols.

24. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the service execution logic is adapted to instruct the network switch to transmit a call request to the destination number, the request specifying, responsively to the control code, one of the first and second telephone numbers as a caller ID number.

25. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first telephone number is a permanent number assigned to a subscriber telephone and the second telephone number is a temporary number assigned to a subscriber telephone for a predetermined, limited time period.