On Demand Call Re-Termination

• US 20070064907A1
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• 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 7,894,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/207.110
• 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

Disclosed are methods and systems for re-terminating telephone calls. A telephone call is established between a caller and a member of a subscriber. During the call, a sequence of key strokes is received from the member who uses customer premises equipment during the call. A subscriber list related to the subscriber is reviewed, based at least in part on the sequence of keys. The call is transferred to a component in the telephone network, and the call from the component is re-terminated.

Claims

1. A method for re-terminating a telephone call terminated to a subscriber phone number in a network, the method comprising the steps of:

storing member information related to the subscriber phone number in a database;

terminating a call to the subscriber phone number;

detecting a sequence of keys from customer premises equipment on a subscriber line associated with the subscriber phone number;

launching a query associated with the subscriber line, 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 network component; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is re-terminated to the subscriber phone number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the re-terminated call is picked up by one of an answering machine and a fax.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber phone number is associated with a group of members, and the member information relates to one of the members in the group.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the originally terminated call is picked up by a first member of the group, and the re-terminated call is picked up by a second member of the group.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the sequence of keys is associated with an intended member of the group.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the call is re-terminated with a distinctive ringing tone associated with the intended member.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the call is re-terminated to a voice mailbox associated with the intended member.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of instructing the first member to hang up.

10. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program for re-terminating a telephone call to a subscriber phone number in a network, the program comprising the steps of:

storing member information related to the subscriber phone number in a database;

terminating a call to the subscriber phone number;

detecting a sequence of keys from customer premises equipment on a subscriber line associated with the subscriber phone;

launching a query associated with the subscriber line, 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 network component; and

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

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the call is re-terminated to the subscriber phone number.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the re-terminated call is picked up by one of an answering machine and a fax.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the subscriber phone number is associated with a group of members, and the member information relates to one of the members in the group.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the sequence of keys is associated with an intended member of the subscriber.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the call is re-terminated with a distinctive ringing tone associated with one member of the subscriber.

16. A system for re-terminating a telephone call terminated to a subscriber phone number in a network comprising:

a database storing information related to each member of a group associated with the subscriber phone number;

a keystroke detector configured to detect, during an established call terminated to a subscriber line associated with the subscriber phone number, a key sequence from customer premises equipment on the subscriber line; and

a call processor configured to respond to the detected key stroke sequence by;

determining re-termination instructions based on member information in the database;

transferring the call to a network component; and

re-terminating the call in accordance with the retermination instructions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the call processor is further configured to determine re-termination instructions based on member information and on the detected key sequence.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the member information comprises an identifier code associated with each member of the group, the call processor is further configured to determine re-termination instructions by matching the detected key sequence with one of the identifier codes.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the member information comprises an identifier code associated with each member of the group, and the call processor is further configured to determine re-termination instructions by matching the detected key sequence with one of the identifier codes, and to re-terminate the call with a distinctive ringing tone associated with the matching identifier code.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the member information comprises an identifier code associated with each member of the group, and the call processor is further configured to determine re-termination instructions by matching the detected key sequence with one of the identifier codes, and to re-terminate the call to a voice mailbox associated with the matching identifier code.