System and Method for Network Based Call Transfers

• US 20090268895A1
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Emerson, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,958,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/212.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• 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 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

A system and method for transferring calls between multiple devices. A call is communicated through a network device to a first phone utilizing a first communications service. The call is transferred from the first phone to a second phone. The call being transferred in response to a user selection associated with the second phone. The call is transferred from the second phone to a third phone. The second phone or the third phone utilizes a second communications service. The call being transferred in response to a user selection associated with the third phone.

Claims

1. A method for transferring calls between multiple devices, the method comprising:

communicating a call through a network device to a first phone utilizing a first communications service;

transferring the call from the first phone to a second phone, the call being transferred in response to a user selection associated with the second phone;

transferring the call from the second phone to a third phone, the second phone or the third phone utilizing a second communications service, the call being transferred in response to a user selection associated with the third phone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is any of a server, router, or switch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is a plain old telephone service call, voice over internet protocol call, or wireless call.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to configure one or more transfer commands associated with one or more phones, wherein the one or more transfer commands are the user selections implemented from the one or more phones enabled for communication by one or more communications service providers.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the prompting further comprises:

receiving a generic call transfer command from a user;

placing the call on hold while one of the one or more transfer commands is received from the user

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the one or more transfer commands are a alphanumeric command or a voice command.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the prompting presents a voice menu that audibly indicates the one or more transfer commands required to transfer the call to one or more phones.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the network device remains in a call path regardless of a destination of a call transfer for allowing the call transfer to be implemented a plurality of times.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the call path is reconfigured from the network device to one or more telephones for one or more call transfers.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to enter dialing information for another phone.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the dialing information is any of a phone number, Internet Protocol address, and username.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transferring the call from the third phone to the first phone, the second phone, or one or more other phones based on the user selection associated with a phone to which the call is transferred, wherein the first communications service and the second communications service represent distinct communications service providers.

Define;

user selection, call transfer options, portion, communications service, transfer commands

13. A network device for transferring calls between devices using one or more communications service providers, the network device comprising:

call transfer logic operable to store a plurality of user preferences for transferring calls and receive a user selection associated with a call transfer option for initiating a call transfer in response to presenting the user preferences to a user; and

a switch in communication with the call transfer logic, the switch operable to reconfigure a portion of a call path, from the switch to a first phone, from the switch to a second phone, the call path being reconfigured in response to the user selection, the user selection being further associated with the second phone.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the call transfer logic audibly communicates a voice menu to the user indicating the user preferences, wherein the user preferences specify the devices to which the call may be transferred to continue the call.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the call may be transferred between a plurality of phones enabled for communication by the one or more communications service provider based on the user selection associated with each of the plurality of phones.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the network device remains in the call path regardless of a destination of the call transfer for allowing the call transfer to be implemented a plurality of times based on the user selection of one of the plurality of phones.

17. A networking device for transferring calls between multiple devices comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are configured to communicate a call through to a first phone utilizing a first communications service, receive a general transfer command in response to a selection of a user, communicate call transfer options to the user the call transfer options being previously set by the user, and transfer the call from the first phone to one or more phones using a second communications service in response to a second selection of the user associated with the one or more phones.

18. The networking device according to claim 17, further comprising:

rerouting a second portion of the call path to the one or more phones from the network device, wherein the network device remains in the call path enabling a plurality of subsequent call transfers based on one or more selections by the user.

19. The networking device according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of subsequent call transfers are performed utilizing a plurality of communications service providers.

20. The networking device according to claim 17, wherein the set of instructions are configured to visually or audibly display call transfer options to the user.