Forwarding one or more preferences during call forwarding

• US 20080043968A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Mukul, Kumar, Sanjeev, Patel, Labhesh, Khouri, Joseph F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42034 Calling party identification service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• 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
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a telephony system includes a memory that stores one or more call preferences of a user, and a central call routing entity that enables a user to set a call forwarding rule. In accordance with the call forwarding rule and in response to an incoming call to a first telephone device of the user, the call routing entity routing the incoming call to a second telephone device along with a message indicating that the one or more call preferences of the user are stored in the memory. The one or more call preferences are then fetched and applied at the second telephone device. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory that stores one or more call preferences of a user;

a call routing entity operable to receive a request from the user to forward calls for a first endpoint device associated with the user to a second endpoint device, to access one or more call preferences of the user, and communicate the one or more call preferences to the second endpoint device to effect the one or more call preferences at the second endpoint device on calls intended for the first endpoint device and forwarded to the second endpoint device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second endpoint device fetches the one or more call preferences from the memory and applies the one or more call preferences to the forwarded calls responsive to the request.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the call routing entity comprises an Internet Protocol private branch exchange (IP-PBX).

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the memory comprises a repository that stores call preferences of a plurality of users.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more call preferences include a certain alerting ring tone.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the request comprises a call control message call control message sent to the second endpoint device, the call control message including instructions on how to download the one or more call preferences.

7. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed is operable to:

receive an incoming call at a routing entity, the incoming call being directed to a first telephone device associated with a user; and

route the incoming call to a second telephone device along with a call control message which includes information that enables the second telephone device to apply one or more call alerting preferences of the user to the routed incoming call.

8. The logic of claim 7 wherein the routing entity is private branch exchange (PBX).

9. The logic of claim 7 wherein execution of the one or more media is further operable to:

fetch the one or more call alerting preferences from a central repository.

10. The logic of claim 7 wherein the one or more call alerting preferences specify one or more media files, the information including instructions regarding how to access media files.

11. The logic of claim 7 wherein the call control message comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to forward calls intended for a first endpoint associated with the user to a second endpoint;

accessing one or more call preferences of the user; and

communicating the one or more of the call preferences to the second endpoint to effect the one or more call preferences at the second endpoint on calls intended for the first endpoint and forwarded to the second endpoint according to the request.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the communicating step comprises automatically routing the calls to the second endpoint by a private branch exchange (PBX).

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the communicating step comprises embedding the one or more call preferences in a message header.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the accessing step comprises fetching the one or more call preferences from a central repository.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more call alerting preferences specify one or more media files, the information including instructions regarding how to access media files.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the message header comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message header.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more call preferences comprise call alerting preferences.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the SIP message header includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) with authentication information for downloading media files.

20. A system comprising:

a memory that stores one or more call preferences of a user;

means for receiving a request from the user to forward calls for a first endpoint device associated with the user to a second endpoint device, for accessing one or more call preferences of the user, and for communicating the one or more call preferences to the second endpoint device to effect the one or more call preferences at the second endpoint device on calls intended for the first endpoint device and forwarded to the second endpoint device.