SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR CONNECTING TELEPHONE CALLS DIRECTLY ON THE BASIS OF A TEXT QUERY

• US 20090124240A1
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Per Lasse Hauglum
• Original Assignee: Per Lasse Hauglum
• Inventors: Hauglum, Per Lasse
• Application Number:
  US12/353,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20090124240A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• 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 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• 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: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and a method are provided for connecting telephone calls directly on the basis of a text query call from a user (1). A special operator center (3) establishes a database (5) that contains customer profiles. Customers who wish to receive telephone calls e.g., from public users (1), register such customer profiles in the operator center (3). Any customer profile will contain a telephone domain name (PHONENAME) and at least one destination telephone number. When a user sends a text message, the user must indicate a telephone domain name (PHONENAME) and an operator center code (2001). In the operator center (3) reached by means of the code (2001), the database (5) is searched, and a destination telephone number corresponding to the indicated domain name is used to establish a call to that destination, and then the user (1) is connected to the destination directly.

Claims

1. A method for establishing voice telephone calls in response to a first user sending, to a call center from a first user'"'"'s mobile telephone, an SMS message over a data channel, the method comprising:

establishing in the call center, a call center database, the call center database including a first customer profile database, the first customer profile database containing information that identifies a first customer and a first destination telephone number that corresponds to the first customer and that is to be called by the call center when the call center receives, over the data channel, the SMS message including a first customer-specified character string identifying the first customer;

sending, from the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone to the call center, the SMS message over the data channel, the SMS message including the first customer-specified character string;

upon the call center'"'"'s receipt of the first customer-specified character string included in the SMS message that is sent from the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone, placing from the call center, a first voice call over a first voice channel, the first voice call being placed from the call center to the first destination telephone number that corresponds to the first customer that is identified according to the first customer-specific character string;

upon the call center'"'"'s receipt of the first customer-specified character string included in the SMS message that is sent from the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone, placing from the call center, a second voice call over a second voice channel, the second voice call being placed from the call center to the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone, and subsequently establishing, between the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone and the first destination telephone number of the first customer, a voice call connection by connecting the first voice channel, upon which the first voice call is placed to the first destination telephone number, and the second voice channel, upon which the second voice call is placed to the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the call center is connected to a network by means of an Application Programming Interface, using a standardized set of commands to establish connections between the first user and the first destination telephone number in any sequence defined by service logic or control actions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the call center further operates to provide at least one of voice and messaging prompts.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the call center further operates to collect and forward, as needed, call charging information to billing centers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the call center collects data regarding the first user'"'"'s location from a local exchange, and from the collected data the call center orders a connection of a call to a nearest local telephone number from among destination telephone numbers in a customer profile identified by a telephone domain name included in the SMS message sent from the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call center collects data regarding the first user'"'"'s location from a local exchange, and in accordance with a pre-programmed decision algorithm the call center returns, to the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone, a message with at least two alternative choices regarding a destination connection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the message returned to the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone with choices is a text message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the message with choices is a voice message stating a called telephone name and dialing choices for alternative call destinations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the SMS message sent from the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone contains a pre-code (NAM) for the purpose of distinguishing the SMS message from other messages sent to the same call center regarding other services offered by the call center.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein when a certain customer profile contains a conference call instruction linked to a predetermined telephone such that the call center automatically connects a conference call between the first user and at least two other subscriptions who may not be customers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein when the voice call connection has been established by the call center between the first user'"'"'s mobile telephone and the first destination telephone number, the first user may send another SMS message to the call center containing another character string to invoke another destination telephone number from the call center database, and when another voice call connection has been established by the call center, the first voice call connection and the other voice call connection are linked to form a conference call.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a customer profile database in the call center database includes variable parameters that include location and time, so that a corresponding destination may vary with respect to such parameters.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a call center code can be selected by a mnemonic.

14. A digital telephone system for connecting voice channel calls initiated based on a text-based message sent over a data channel, local exchanges and a call center, the digital telephone system comprising:

a call center database including a first customer profile database for a first customer, the first customer profile database containing a customer-specified destination telephone number that corresponds to and that can be identified by a customer-defined character string;

means for fetching from the call center database, the destination telephone number upon receipt of the customer-defined character string, from a first user who is not the first customer, over an SMS data channel;

means for calling the first destination telephone number of the first customer on a first voice channel by placing a first voice call and for calling the first user on a second voice channel by placing a second voice call; and

means for subsequently establishing, between the first user and the first destination telephone number of the first customer, a voice call connection by connecting the first voice channel, upon which the first voice call is placed to the first destination telephone number, and the second voice channel, upon which the second voice call is place to the first user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the call center is connected to a network by means of an Application Programming Interface, using a standardized set of commands to establish connections between the first user and the first destination telephone number in any sequence defined by service logic or control actions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the call center further comprises means to provide at least one of voice and messaging prompts.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the call center further comprises means to collect and forward, as needed, call charging information to billing centers.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the call center further comprises (i) means for collecting data regarding the first user'"'"'s location from a local exchange, and from the collected data, and (ii) means to connect a call to a nearest local telephone number from among destination telephone numbers in a customer profile identified by a name identified in the text-based message sent from the first user.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the call center comprises means for collecting data regarding the first user'"'"'s location from a local exchange, and means for returning, in accordance with a pre-programmed decision algorithm, to the first user, a message with at least two alternative choices regarding destination connection.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for returning a message is a voice machine.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the call center contains a conference bridge for connecting conference calls between the first user and at least two other users who are not customers of the call center.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the first customer profile database in the call center database includes variable parameters including location and time.

23. A method of establishing a voice call between a calling party and a called party, the method comprising:

receiving at a call center, an SMS data message that is sent to the call center from the calling party over a data channel, the SMS data message including a first predetermined string of characters that identifies, to the call center, a first predetermined telephone number of the called party;

establishing a first voice call over a first voice channel, from the call center to the first predetermined telephone number;

establishing a second voice call from the call center to the calling party over a second voice channel; and

subsequently coupling the first voice channel and the second voice channel such that a voice connection is established between the first voice call and the second voice call so that the calling party and the called party can conduct a voice call over both the first voice channel and the second voice channel.