Methods, systems, and computer program products for flexible call jumping

• US 20080056475A1
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadsoft M6, LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Genband Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Balagopal, Brannick, Gary, Delgadillo, Gerardo
• Granted Patent: US 7,738,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• 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

Methods, systems, and computer program products for flexible call jumping are disclosed. According to one method, an indication is received from a calling phone for initiating a call with a called phone. The call is established between the called and calling phone. During the call, an indication is received from the calling phone to jump the call to a user selected destination. In response to receiving the indication to jump the call, the call is jumped to the destination such that the call continues between the destination and the called phone.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a call jump from an outbound call, the method comprising:

(a) receiving an indication from a calling phone for initiating a call with a called phone;

(b) establish call between called and calling phone; and

(c) during the call, receiving an indication from the calling phone to jump the call to a user-selected destination, and, in response to receiving the indication to jump the call, jumping the call to the destination such that the call continues between the destination and the called phone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the calling phone comprises any one of a PSTN phone, a mobile phone, and an IP phone.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the called phone comprises any one of a PSTN phone, a mobile phone, and an IP phone.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the calling phone comprises a SIP phone and wherein receiving an indication from the calling phone for initiating a call with the called phone includes receiving a SIP message from the calling phone for initiating the call.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving an indication to jump the call includes receiving predetermined DTMF digits from the calling phone identifying the destination.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein jumping the call includes using SIP signaling to establish a media connection between an application server and the destination and to reinvite the calling phone to connect the call to the destination.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the calling phone comprises a remote phone provisioned to masquerade as another phone.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination comprises a destination provisioned by a user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination comprises a nonprovisioned destination selected on the fly by a user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the called phone comprises any one of a PSTN phone, a mobile phone, and an IP phone.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the calling phone comprises a SIP phone and wherein the line component is adapted to receive a SIP message from the calling phone for initiating the call.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the indication to jump the call to the destination includes predetermined DTMF digits received from the calling phone identifying the destination.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the jump manager is adapted to use SIP signaling to establish a media connection between the voice over IP application server and the destination and to reinvite the calling phone to connect the call to the destination.

10. A system for initiating a call jump from an outbound call, the system comprising:

(a) a line component for receiving an indication from a calling phone for initiating a call with a called phone and for receiving, during the call, an indication from the calling phone to jump the call to a destination;

(b) a gateway for establishing the call between the called and calling phone; and

(c) a jump manager for receiving the indication from the line component to jump the call and, in response, for jumping the call to the destination such that he call continues between the destination and the called phone.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the calling phone comprises any one of a PSTN phone, a mobile phone, and an IP phone.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the calling phone comprises a remote phone provisioned to masquerade as another phone.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the destination comprises a destination configured by the user.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the destination comprises a nonprovisioned destination selected on the fly by the user.

19. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) receiving an indication from a calling phone for initiating a call with a called phone;

(b) establish call between called and calling phone; and

(c) during the call, receiving an indication from the calling phone to jump the call to a user-selected destination, and, in response to receiving the indication to jump the call, jumping the call to the destination such that the call continues between the destination and the called phone.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the steps are implemented using a voice over IP application server.