METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CALL REVERSE

• US 20080101567A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mahajan, Manish, Baudino, Daniel A., Perdomo, Jorge L., Vincent, Michael T., Ahya, Deepak, Burgan, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.01
• 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 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8061 Selecting least cost route depending on origin or type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7471 Select route depending on origin or type of service, e.g. route TDMA voice calls differently than VoIP calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target

Abstract

A method (10) and system (200, 400, or 500) of call reverse can include initiating (12) a call by an originating party (204) to a terminating party (208), comparing (14) rate plans, and automatically reversing (26) the call if a rate plan for the terminating party is currently more economical than a rate plan for the originating party. The method can compare (22) rate plans at a server (206) having rate plan information for the parties. Alternatively, the method can send (16) rate plan information for the originating to the terminating party and compare rate plans at the terminating party. The method can pre-store (20) rate plan information for the originating party at a memory at the terminating party. The method can also use (24) Caller ID to detect a call from the originating party and compare pre-stored rate plan information for the originating party stored at the terminating party.

Claims

1. A method of call reverse, comprising the steps of:

initiating a call by an originating party to a terminating party;

comparing rate plans between the originating party and the terminating party, as either calling parties or called parties; and

automatically and transparently reversing the call if a rate plan for the terminating party is currently more economical than a rate plan for the originating party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of factoring time zones for the originating party and the terminating party and a current time in the step of comparing rate plans.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of comparing rate plans at a server having rate plan information for the originating party and the terminating party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of sending rate plan information for the originating party to the terminating party and comparing rate plans at the terminating party.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of pre-storing rate plan information for the originating party at a memory at the terminating party.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of using Caller ID to detect a call from the originating party and comparing pre-stored rate plan information for the originating party stored at the terminating party.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of determining a distance between the terminating party and an alternate phone line and automatically forwarding the phone call to an alternate phone line if the alternate phone line is within a predetermined distance of the terminating party and if the alternate phone line has a rate plan more economical than the rate plan for the terminating party.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of storing the rate plan of the originating party in a phonebook of the terminating party.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of comparing the rate plan of the originating party or the terminating party with an alternative plan, and automatically routing the call over an alternative network corresponding to the alternative plan if the alternative plan is more economical than the rate plans for the originating party or the terminating party and if the originating party or terminating party are set up to accept calls via the alternative network, wherein the alternative plan can be selected among voice over IP (VOIP) plan, a 10-10-xxx plan, or a calling card plan that uses a toll-free number prefix.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminating party automatically initiates a three-way call and the originating party drops an original call with the terminating party and the terminating party automatically becomes an originator of a new call back to the originating party.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

connecting the call from the originating party to the terminating party;

recognizing by the originating party an incoming call or callback from the terminating party; and

processing a seamless crossover to the incoming call or callback and terminating the call from the originating party to the terminating party.

12. A system for call reverse, comprising:

a originating device having a first rate plan;

a terminating device having a second rate plan; and

a processor operatively coupled to the mobile originating device or the terminating device, wherein the processor is programmed to;

compare rate plans between the first rate plan and the second rate plan; and

upon determining that the second rate plan is more economical than the first rate plan, seamlessly and automatically reverse a call originated by the originating device to the terminating device such that the terminating device becomes an new originating caller.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

connect the call from the originating party to the terminating party;

recognize by the originating party an incoming call or callback from the terminating party; and

process a seamless crossover to the incoming call or callback and terminating the call from the originating party to the terminating party.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to compare rate plans at a server having rate plan information for the originating party and the terminating party.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to send rate plan information for the originating party to the terminating party and compare rate plans stored in an electronic phonebook at the terminating party wherein the originating device is a mobile originating device and the terminating device is a mobile terminating device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the system further comprises a caller ID decoder and the processor is further programmed to use Caller ID to detect a call from the originating party and comparing pre-stored rate plan information for the originating party stored at the terminating party.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a distance between the terminating party and an alternate phone line and automatically forward the phone call to an alternate phone line if the alternate phone line is within a predetermined distance of the terminating party and if the alternate phone line has a rate plan more economical than the rate plan for the terminating party.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to compare the rate plan of the originating party or the terminating party with an alternative plan, and automatically route the call over an alternative network corresponding to the alternative plan if the alternative plan is more economical than the rate plans for the originating party or the terminating party and if the originating party or terminating party are set up to accept calls via the alternative network, wherein the alternative plan can be selected among voice over IP (VOIP) plan, a 10-10-xxx plan, or a calling card plan that uses a toll-free number prefix.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein a processor of the terminating party automatically initiates a three-way call and the originating party drops an original call with the terminating party and the terminating party automatically becomes an originator of a new call back to the originating party.

20. Wireless communication equipment having a system of call reverse, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is programmed to;

send or receive rate plan information;

compare rate plans between a first rate plan and a second rate plan, wherein a portable wireless communication unit has the first rate plan if serving as a mobile originating device and the portable wireless communication unit has the second rate plan if serving as a mobile terminating device; and

upon determining that the second rate plan is more economical than the first rate plan, enabling a seamless and automatic reverse call originated by the mobile originating device to the mobile terminating device such that the mobile terminating device becomes an new originating caller.