SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING ENHANCED TELEPHONE SERVICES

• US 20080192904A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Frontier Communications Corporation (Frontier Communications Parent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Frontier Communications Corporation (Frontier Communications Parent, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vagelos, Ted
• Application Number:
  US11/690,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20080192904A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• 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 3/561 by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

A method comprises recognizing, at a switch, tones generated by an originating telephone line, the tones representing a common number associated with a called party and assigned to two telephone lines, identifying, at the switch, the two telephone lines assigned to the common number, causing a first telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring, causing a second telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring substantially simultaneously with but slightly behind the first telephone line, and awaiting the called party to answer one of the two telephone lines.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recognizing, at a switch, tones generated by an originating telephone line, the tones representing a common number associated with a called party and assigned to two telephone lines;

identifying, at the switch, the two telephone lines assigned to the common number;

causing a first telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring;

causing a second telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring substantially simultaneously with but slightly behind the first telephone line; and

awaiting the called party to answer one of the two telephone lines.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, at the switch, a third telephone line assigned to the common number; and

causing the third telephone line to ring substantially simultaneously with the second telephone line.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to the originating telephone line.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the message includes a conventional ringing tone, an audio message, a text message, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, at the switch, a third telephone line assigned to the common number;

recognizing that the third telephone line is the originating telephone line; and

causing the third telephone line not to ring.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting the originating telephone line to a voice mailbox.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying, at the switch, the two telephone lines assigned to the common number includes searching a database management system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising recognizing that the called party has answered one of the two telephone lines.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending a challenge to the answered telephone line; and

awaiting the called party to satisfy the challenge.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the challenge includes a password-based challenge.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the challenge includes multiple types of challenges, each of the two telephone lines being associated with one or more of the multiple types of challenges.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising establishing a telephone connection between the originating telephone line and the answered telephone line upon the called party'"'"'s satisfying the challenge.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising discontinuing causing the first and second telephone lines to ring.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising terminating the telephone connection upon the called party'"'"'s failing to satisfy the challenge.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, to the originating telephone line, an indication that one of the two telephone lines is engaged, that both of the two telephone lines are engaged, that the called party is unavailable, or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the indication includes an audio message, a text message, a busy signal, a call waiting alert, or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising discontinuing causing the first and second telephone lines to ring after a predetermined time period has elapsed.

18. A switching platform comprising:

a first circuit for recognising tones generated by an originating telephone line and representing a common number assigned to two telephone lines of a party;

a second circuit for identifying the two telephone lines assigned to the common number;

a third circuit for causing a first telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring;

a fourth circuit for causing a second telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring substantially simultaneously with but slightly behind the first telephone line; and

a fifth circuit for establishing a telephone connection between the originating telephone line and an answered telephone sine upon the party'"'"'s answering one of the two telephone lines.

19. The switching platform of claim 18, wherein the third circuit is adapted for discontinuing causing the first telephone line to ring and the fourth circuit is adapted for discontinuing causing the second telephone line to ring.

20. The switching platform of claim 18, further comprising a sixth circuit for sending a message to the originating telephone line.

21. The switching platform of claim 18, wherein the message includes a conventional ringing tone, an audio message, a text message, or any combination thereof.

22. The switching platform of claim 18, further comprising a sixth circuit for identifying a third telephone line assigned to the common number and a seventh circuit for causing the third telephone line to ring substantially simultaneously with the second telephone line.

23. The switching platform of claim 18, further comprising a sixth circuit for identifying a third telephone line assigned to the common number, a seventh circuit for recognizing that the third telephone line is the originating telephone line, and an eighth circuit for causing the third telephone line not to ring.

24. The switching platform of claim 18, further comprising a sixth circuit for connecting the originating telephone line to a voice mailbox.

25. The switching platform of claim 18, wherein the second circuit is adapted for searching a database management system.

26. The switching platform of claim 18, further comprising a sixth circuit for recognizing that the party has answered one of the two telephone lines.

27. The switching platform of claim 26, further comprising:

a seventh circuit for sending a challenge to the answered telephone line; and

an eighth circuit for awaiting the party to satisfy the challenge.

28. The switching platform of claim 27, wherein the fifth circuit is adapted for establishing a telephone connection between the originating telephone line and the answered telephone line upon the party'"'"'s satisfying the challenge.

29. The switching platform of claim 18, further comprising a sixth circuit for terminating the telephone connection upon the party'"'"'s failing to satisfy the challenge.

30. The switching platform of claim 18, further comprising a sixth circuit for sending, to the originating telephone line, an indication that one of the two telephone lines is engaged, that both of the two telephone lines are engaged, that the called party is unavailable, or any combination thereof.

31. The switching platform of claim 18, wherein the third circuit is adapted for discontinuing causing the first telephone line to ring after a predetermined time period has elapsed, and wherein the fourth circuit is adapted for discontinuing causing the second telephone line to ring after a predetermined time period has elapsed.

32. A system comprising:

means for recognizing, at a switch, tones generated by an originating telephone line, representing a common number associated with a called party and assigned to two telephone lines;

means for identifying, at the switch, the two telephone lines assigned to the common number;

means for causing a first telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring;

means for causing a second telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring substantially simultaneously with but slightly behind the first telephone line; and

means for awaiting the called party to answer one of the two telephone lines.