METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A CALL REQUEST IN A NETWORK

• US 20080144797A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spear, Stephen L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism

Abstract

A method and system for managing a call request in a network (100) is disclosed. The network (100) includes a plurality of call servers. The method includes a call request being received (304) by a central server (120) from a call server of the plurality of call servers (114 and 116) corresponding to a request from a source terminal. The central server (120) manages the call request received from the call server. Further, the method includes determining (306) the status of the called party. Moreover, the method includes processing (308) the call request, based on the status determined for the called party.

Claims

1. A method for managing a call request in a network, the network comprising a plurality of call servers, the method comprising:

receiving by a central server, the call request from a call server of the plurality of call servers corresponding to a request of a source terminal, wherein the call request targets a called party, and wherein the central server manages the call request received from the call server;

determining a status of the called party; and

processing the call request based on the status determined for the called party.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the status of the called party comprises determining at least one of:

whether the called party is available to be involved in a communication associated with the call request,

which of at least one feature of the called party is applicable for processing the call request,

which of at least one destination terminal is capable of processing the call request, and which of at least one delivery means is capable of processing the call request.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein processing the call request comprises:

selecting for use a destination terminal associated with the called party from the at least one destination terminal to process the call request.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the destination terminal is selected based on at least one of features requested in the call request and preferences of the called party.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the preferences of the called party are based on at least one of a called party setting, a called party mode, a called party location, a dynamic policy and a predefined policy.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein processing the call request comprises:

selecting for use a delivery means from the at least one delivery means that can be used to process the call request.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the delivery means is at least one of a circuit-switched network, a packet-switched network, an internet protocol-based network, and a wireless network.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the delivery means is selected based on at least one of features requested in the call request and preferences of the called party.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the preferences of the called party are based on at least one of a called party setting, a called party mode, a called party location, a dynamic policy and a predefined policy.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein processing the call request comprises forwarding the call request to at least one of the called party and a call server associated with the called party, when the called party is available to be involved in a communication associated with the call request.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein processing the call request comprises informing at least one of the source terminal and the called party about the call request, when the called party is involved in a communication associated with a previous call request.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein processing the call request comprises forwarding the call request to a voice mail server when the called party is not available.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the call request comprises at least one of a request for a voice call, a call waiting, a call forwarding, a call filtering, a multi-party conferencing, a no-answer transfer, a voice mail, and a voice mail coordination.

14. A central server for managing a call request in a network, the call request being generated by a source terminal and targeting a called party, the central server comprising:

a receiving module, the receiving module adapted to receive the call request from a call server of a plurality of call servers;

a monitoring module, the monitoring module adapted to determine a status of the called party; and

a processing module, the processing module adapted to process the call request based on the status determined for the called party, wherein the processing module is communicatively coupled to at least one of the receiving module and the monitoring module.

15. The central server as recited in claim 14 further comprising a memory, wherein the memory is adapted to store a preference of the called party for selection of at least one destination terminal, wherein the preference of the called party are based on at least one of a called party settings, a called party mode, a called party location, a dynamic policy, and a predefined policy.

16. The central server as recited in claim 15, wherein the memory is further adapted to store a preference of the called party for selection of at least one delivery means, wherein the preference of the called party are based on at least one of the called party settings, the called party mode, the called party location, the dynamic policy, and the predefined policy.

17. The central server as recited in claim 14 further comprising a forwarding module, wherein the forwarding module is adapted to forward the call request to at least one of:

the called party and a call server associated with the called party when the called party is available to be involved in a communication associated with the call request, and

a voice mail server when the called party is not available.

18. The central server as recited in claim 14 further comprising a status module, wherein the status module is adapted to inform at least one of a calling party and the called party when the called party is involved in processing related to a previous call request.

19. The central server as recited in claim 14 further comprising a selecting module, wherein the selecting module is adapted to select for use a destination terminal associated with the called party from at least one destination terminal to process the call request.