Method, Call Setup Device and Computer Product for Controlling and Setting Up Calls with Reduced Costs

• US 20080119195A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OptiCaller Software AB
• Original Assignee: Opticall AB
• Inventors: Steijer, Jorgen, Hansson, Mattias
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, call setup device (10) and computer program product for controlling telephone call setup for an associated user and having access to different communication networks. The call setup device (10) comprises a data receiving unit (52) receiving a first data message (DM1) from the user comprising callee identifying information and user identifying information, and a control unit (48) having access to call placing units (12, 14, 58), each connected to corresponding networks (24/32) and providing telephone call setup via these networks. The control unit analyses the callee and user identifying information, determines a preferred call setup scheme based on said analysis, orders a call placing unit to set up a first telephone call to a user terminal, orders a call placing unit to set up a second telephone call to a callee terminal, and orders an interconnection of the first and the second call.

Claims

1. Method of controlling the setting up telephone calls for a user associated with a call setup device, where the call setup device has access to at least one communication network via a corresponding call placing unit, comprising the steps—

of;

receiving, callee identifying information as well as user identifying information via at least one first data message sent by the user, (step 60), analysing the callee identifying information and user identifying information, (step 62), determining a preferred call setup scheme for setting up a call between the callee and the user based on said analysis, (step 63), ordering a call placing unit to set up a first telephone call to a terminal of the user, (step 74) according to the preferred call set up scheme, ordering a call placing unit to set up a second telephone call to a terminal of the callee according to the preferred call set up scheme, (step 76), and ordering the interconnection of the first and the second call, (step 78).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining a preferred call set up scheme comprises determining networks via which the connection is to be set up.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining a preferred call setup scheme is based on rules regarding network usage provided for said user.

4. Method according to any previous claim, wherein the preferred call set up scheme is a scheme having the lowest tariffs associated with the connection between the user terminal and the callee terminal.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the user identifying information comprises a user identifier.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the user identifying information comprises a user terminal identifier identifying a terminal of the user.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the callee identifying information comprises a callee terminal identifier identifying a terminal of the callee.

8. Method according any of claims 6 or 7, wherein the step of analysing comprises a ported number investigation of a terminal identifier for identifying the network of the identifier.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the callee identifying information comprises a callee identifier.

10. Method according to claim 5 or 9, further comprising the step of determining at least one terminal identifier to be used for call set up based on the user and/or callee identifier.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the call setup device is provided in a local network.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the local network comprises a database of terminal identifiers, where a network user can set which of a number of terminal identifiers to be reached on and the step of determining a terminal identifier to be used for call set up comprises selecting a terminal identifier set by a network user.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of setting up first and second telephone calls as well as interconnecting these calls are performed if the preferred call set up scheme indicates that the call is to be set up via the local network.

14. Method according claim 1, further comprising, if the preferred call set up scheme indicates that the call is to be set up directly between the terminal of the user and the callee, sending at least one second data message to the user comprising at least this information, (step 66).

15. Method according to claim 14, wherein the preferred call set up scheme indicates that the call is to be set up directly between the terminal of the user and the terminal of the callee when the user terminal identifier indicates the same network as the network determined for the callee, (step 64).

16. Method according to claim 1, wherein the terminal of the user is a cellular terminal, the step of receiving callee identifying information comprises

receiving a data message from the cellular terminal and the step of setting up the first telephone call comprises setting up a call to said cellular terminal.

17. Call set up device (10) for controlling the setting up of telephone calls for an associated user and having access to at least one communication network, comprising at least one data receiving unit (52) arranged to receive at least one first data message (DM1) from the user comprising callee identifying information as well as user identifying information, and a control unit (48) having access to at least one call placing unit (12, 14, 58), each connected to at least one corresponding network (24, 26, 28, 30, 32) and arranged to set up telephone calls via the corresponding network, said control unit being arranged to:

analyse the callee identifying information and user identifying information, determine a preferred call setup scheme for setting up a call between the callee and the user based on said analysis, order a call placing unit to set up a first telephone call to a terminal of the user according to the preferred call set up scheme, order a call placing unit to set up a second telephone call to a terminal of the callee according to the preferred call set up scheme, and order an interconnection of the first and the second call.

18. Computer program product (86) for controlling the setting up of telephone calls for a user associated with a call setup device having access to at least one communication network via a corresponding call placing unit, comprising:

computer program code, to make the call set up device execute, when said program code is loaded in the call set up device;

receive, callee identifying information as well as user identifying information via at least one first data message received from the user, analyse the callee identifying information and user identifying information, determine a preferred call setup scheme for setting up a call between the callee and the user based on said analysis, order a call placing unit to set up a first telephone call to a terminal of the user according to the preferred call set up scheme, order a call placing unit to set up a second telephone call to a terminal of the callee according to the preferred call set up scheme, and order interconnection of the first and the second call.