Telephone call chaining

• US 20080043963A1
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kowtha, Sudha Kalyan, Kondapalli, Chakradhar, Hiscock, James Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,218,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

A telephone system connects a user to a plurality of telephone call participants in a sequence of calls referred to as a “call chain.” Features of each call in the chain, such as the telephone number(s) of the participant(s) to be called and the scheduled duration of the call, may be stored in a computer-readable record. A first telephone call is established between the user and the first participant in the call chain. The first telephone call may be terminated automatically by the system upon expiration of a predetermined maximum duration or when the first participant hangs up the telephone. Upon termination of the first telephone call, a second telephone call is established between the user and the second participant in the call chain. A third and subsequent telephone calls may be established between the user and the subsequent participants in the call chain in the same manner.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(A) identifying a sequence of phone call participants;

(B) identifying a first phone call between a user and a first one of the phone call participants in the sequence;

(C) identifying a first termination event associated with the first phone call;

(D) identifying a second one of the phone call participants, wherein the second one follows the first one in the sequence; and

(E) attempting to initiate a second phone call between the user and the second one of the phone call participants.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) identifying a third one of the phone call participants, wherein the third one follows the second one in the sequence; and

(G) attempting to initiate a third phone call between the user and the third one of the phone call participants.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (A) comprises identifying a record tangibly stored in a computer-readable medium, the record specifying the sequence of phone call participants.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (D) comprises identifying a telephone number of the second one of the phone call participants, and wherein (E) comprises dialing the identified telephone number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein (C) comprises:

terminating the first phone call in response to the detection of the predetermined termination event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (C) comprises detecting expiration of a predetermined time period associated with the first phone call.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein (C) comprises detecting a request from the first one of the phone call participants to hang up on the first phone call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein (C) comprises detecting a request from the second one of the phone call participants to initiate the second phone call.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein (E) comprises initiating a second phone call among the user, the first one of the phone call participants, and a second one of the phone call participants, and wherein the method further comprises:

(F) identifying a second termination event associated with the second phone call; and

(G) removing the first one of the phone call participants from the second phone call, whereby the user and the second one of the phone call participants remain in communication with each other on the second phone call.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second termination event comprises expiration of a predetermined time period associated with the second phone call.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises receiving an incoming phone call from the user and identifying the incoming phone call as the first phone call.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises:

(B)(1) receiving an incoming phone call from the user to a person who is not in the sequence of phone call participants; and

(B)(2) in response to receiving the incoming phone call, establishing the first phone call between the user and the first one of the phone call participants.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises placing an outgoing phone call from the first one of the phone call participants to the user, and identifying the outgoing phone call as the first phone call.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises:

(B)(1) placing an outgoing phone call to the user from a person who is not in the sequence of phone call participants; and

(B)(2) establishing the first phone call between the user and the first one of the phone call participants.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein (E) comprises:

(E)(1) determining whether the attempt to initiate the second phone call has failed;

(E)(2) if it is determined that the attempt to initiate the second phone call has failed;

(a) identifying a third one of the phone call participants, wherein the third one follows the second one in the sequence; and

(b) attempting to initiate a third phone call between the user and the third one of the phone call participants.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) receiving a request from a person who is not in the sequence of phone call participants to join the second phone call; and

(G) establishing a conference call among the user, the first participant, and the person in response to the request.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence includes the first participant followed by a third participant, the method further comprising:

(F) during the first phone call, modifying the sequence of phone call participants so that the second participant follows the first participant.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein (F) comprises:

(F)(1) receiving input from the first participant; and

(F)(2) modifying the sequence of phone call participants in response to the input.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first one of the phone call participants comprises a first group of at least two people, and wherein (B) comprises identifying a first phone call among the user and the first group of at least two people.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the second one of the phone call participants comprises a single person.

21. An apparatus comprising:

first phone call participant identification means for identifying a sequence of phone call participants;

first phone call identification means for identifying a first phone call between a user and a first one of the phone call participants in the sequence;

first termination event identification means for identifying a first termination event associated with the first phone call;

second phone call participant identification means for identifying a second one of the phone call participants, wherein the second one follows the first one in the sequence; and

first phone call initiation means for attempting to initiate a second phone call between the user and the second one of the phone call participants.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

third phone call participant identification means for identifying a third one of the phone call participants, wherein the third one follows the second one in the sequence; and

second phone call initiation means for attempting to initiate a third phone call between the user and the third one of the phone call participants.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first phone call participant identification means comprises means for identifying a record tangibly stored in a computer-readable medium, the record specifying the sequence of phone call participants.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second phone call identification means comprises means for identifying a telephone number of the second one of the phone call participants, and wherein the first phone call initiation means comprises means for dialing the identified telephone number.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first termination event identification means comprises means for terminating the first phone call in response to the detection of the predetermined termination event.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first termination event identification means comprises means for detecting expiration of a predetermined time period associated with the first phone call.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first termination event identification means comprises means for detecting a request from the first one of the phone call participants to hang up on the first phone call.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first termination event identification means comprises means for detecting a request from the second one of the phone call participants to initiate the second phone call.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sequence includes the first participant followed by a third participant, the apparatus further comprising:

means for modifying, during the first phone call, the sequence of phone call participants so that the second participant follows the first participant.

30. A method comprising:

(A) identifying a sequence of phone call participants;

(B) identifying a first phone call between a user and a first one of the phone call participants in the sequence;

(C) identifying a first termination event associated with the first phone call;

(D) identifying a first person who is not one of the phone call participants in the sequence; and

(E) attempting to initiate a second phone call between the user and the first person.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein (C) comprises detecting a request from the first person to initiate the second phone call.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein (C) comprises detecting a request from a second person, different from the user and the first person, to initiate the second phone call.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the second person is not one of the phone call participants in the sequence.

34. An apparatus comprising:

phone call participant identification means for identifying a sequence of phone call participants;

phone call identification means for identifying a first phone call between a user and a first one of the phone call participants in the sequence;

termination event identification means for identifying a first termination event associated with the first phone call;

person identification means for identifying a first person who is not one of the phone call participants in the sequence; and

phone call initiation means for attempting to initiate a second phone call between the user and the first person.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the termination event identification means comprises means for detecting a request from the first person to initiate the second phone call.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the termination event identification means comprises means for detecting a request from a second person, different from the user and the first person, to initiate the second phone call.

37. The apparatus of claim E, wherein the second person is not one of the phone call participants in the sequence.

38. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(A) identifying a sequence of phone call participants;

(B) identifying a first phone call between a user and a first phone call participant;

(C) in response to an event occurring during the first phone call, selecting a second phone call participant;

(D) identifying a first termination event associated with the first phone call;

(E) attempting to initiate a second phone call between the user and the second phone call participant.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein (A) comprises identifying a record tangibly stored in a computer-readable medium, the record specifying the first phone call participant.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the record specifies a sequence of phone call participants including the first phone call participant followed by a participant other than the second phone call participant.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein (C) comprises modifying the record to specify a sequence of phone call participants in which the first phone call participant is followed by the second phone call participant.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the event comprises receipt of input from the user.

43. An apparatus comprising:

phone call participant identification means for identifying a sequence of phone call participants;

phone call identification means for identifying a first phone call between a user and a first phone call participant;

phone call participant selection means for selecting, in response to an event occurring during the first phone call, a second phone call participant;

termination event identification means for identifying a first termination event associated with the first phone call; and

phone call initiation means for attempting to initiate a second phone call between the user and the second phone call participant.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the phone call participant identification means comprises means for identifying a record tangibly stored in a computer-readable medium, the record specifying the first phone call participant.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the record specifies a sequence of phone call participants including the first phone call participant followed by a participant other than the second phone call participant.