Contact Number Encapsulation System

• US 20080130859A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: One Number Corporation
• Original Assignee: One Number Corporation
• Inventors: Wittekind, Frederick, McLarty, Brandon D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,107,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42255 with the subscriber having a personal network-independent number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A contact number encapsulation system is disclosed that is operable to consolidate a plurality of contact numbers associated with a given user into a single contact number. The system includes a call processing application that uses information contained in a SIP message header to determine a list of contact numbers to call. The SIP message header contains a call destination indication that is used by the call processing application to retrieve the list of contact numbers. The list of contact numbers is user defined and may be updated or modified by an account holder at any given time. Once the list of contact numbers is obtained, a simultaneous call module is used to simultaneously call each number contained in the list. As such, the account holder only needs to provide the primary contact number to individuals desiring to reach him/her instead of various numbers that are associated with various locations the account holder may be located.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a call processing server in communication with a call router operatively connectable to a communication network, said call router forwarding a session invite originating from a calling terminal to said call processing server, said session invite including a message header having a call destination field;

a multiple contact lookup application associated with said call processing server configured to obtain a plurality of contact numbers associated with a primary contact number contained in said destination field;

a calling application associated with said call processing server configured to send said session invite to each of said plurality of contact numbers associated with said primary contact number; and

a call connection application associated with said call processing server configured to establish a communication session between said calling terminal and a call reception terminal associated with a respective one of said plurality of contact numbers if a user accepts said session invite sent to said call reception terminal.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an application configured to present a caller using said calling terminal with a first option to attempt to directly contact said user or a second option to leave a voice mail message for said user during said initial session.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voicemail application for allowing a caller using said calling terminal to record a voicemail message if said user does not accept said session invite.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a voicemail email application for automatically generating an email notification that is sent to a designated email account indicating receipt of said voicemail message.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web-enabled control panel accessible by said user configured to allow said user to add contact numbers to said plurality of contact numbers, delete contact numbers from said plurality of contact numbers, and temporarily deactivate contact numbers contained in said plurality of contact numbers.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a call answering application associated with said call processing server configured to establish an initial session between said calling terminal and said call processing server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication session comprises a VoIP communication session.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said session invite comprises a SIP message and said communication session comprises a VoIP communication session.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a call from a calling terminal designating a primary contact number with a call processing server;

retrieving a plurality of contact numbers correlated to said primary contact number;

establishing an initial session between said calling terminal and said call processing server;

attempting to establish a communication session with a plurality of call reception terminals associated with each contact number contained in said plurality of contact numbers;

establishing said communication session with a respective one of said call reception terminals if a recipient accepts said call using said respective one of said call reception terminals;

presenting said recipient with an option to answer said call or forward said call to voicemail; and

establishing a voice based communication session between said calling terminal and said call reception terminal if said recipient chooses to answer said call and forwarding said call to voicemail if said recipient chooses to forward said call to voicemail.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a sound that is played to an initiator of said call on said calling terminal during said initial communication session.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising prompting an initiator of said call for a greeting during said initial session and playing said greeting to said user prior to presenting said user with said option to answer said call or forward said call to voicemail.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a web-enabled control panel configured to display said plurality of contact numbers to said recipient, said web-enabled control panel being further configured to allow said recipient to edit contact numbers stored in said plurality of contact numbers, delete contact numbers stored in said plurality of contact numbers, and temporarily deactivate contact numbers stored in said plurality of contact numbers.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a web-enabled control panel configured to allow said recipient to control whether said call reception terminal displays a caller identification number associated with said first terminal or said primary contact number.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising recording a voicemail message if said user selects to forward said call to voicemail and generating an email message that automatically transmits said voice mail message to a designated email address of said recipient.

15. A system, comprising:

a web browser based control panel allowing a user to correlate a plurality of contact numbers to a primary contact number;

a database for storing said plurality of contact numbers linked to said primary contact number;

a call processing server operatively connectable to a communication network, said call processing server being configured to receive a session invite designating said primary contact number from a calling terminal;

a lookup application configured to query said database to retrieve said plurality of contact numbers as a function of said primary contact number in response to said session invite;

a calling application configured to forward said session invite to a plurality of call reception terminals assigned to said plurality of contact numbers; and

a session establishment application for establishing a session between said first terminal and a respective one of said plurality of second terminals if said user accepts said session invite on a respective second terminal.

16. The system of claim 15, said web browser based control panel being configured to allow said user to temporarily disable one or more of said plurality of contact numbers correlated to said primary contact number.

17. The system of claim 15, said web browser based control panel being configured to allow said user to activate and deactivate a call screening option.

18. The system of claim 15, said web browser based control panel being configured to allow said user to either display a caller identification number associated with said first terminal or said primary contact number.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user to activate and deactivate a do not disturb option.