DISTINCTIVE CALL WAITING BASED ON A REDIRECTING NUMBER

• US 20100091973A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearson, Larry B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• 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

Abstract

A method includes receiving a query message at a controller communicatively coupled to a destination device. The query message includes inbound call data associated with a call to the destination device. The method includes determining that the call to the destination device is from a redirecting number based on the inbound call data. The redirecting number is compared to an authorized set of numbers. When the authorized set of numbers includes the redirecting number, the controller formulates a response message to the query message. The response message includes a distinctive tone for use at the destination device that is identified based on the redirecting number. The response message is sent as a reply to the query message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a controller communicatively coupled to a destination device, a query message including inbound call data associated with a call to the destination device;

determining, based on the inbound call data, that the call to the destination device is from a redirecting number;

comparing, at the controller, the redirecting number to an authorized set of numbers;

when the authorized set of numbers includes the redirecting number, formulating a response message to the query message, wherein the response message identifies a distinctive tone of a plurality of distinctive tones to use at the destination device, the distinctive tone determined based at least on the redirecting number; and

sending the response message as a reply to the query message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a usage status of the destination device, wherein when the destination device is not in use, the distinctive tone includes a distinctive ring tone associated with the redirecting number.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distinctive ring tone includes a first distinctive ring tone when the redirecting number includes a wireless telephone number associated with a user of the destination device, and wherein the distinctive ring tone includes a second distinctive ring tone when the redirecting number includes a work telephone number associated with the user of the destination device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a usage status of the destination device, wherein when the destination device is in use, the distinctive tone includes a distinctive call waiting tone associated with the redirecting number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the distinctive call waiting tone includes a first distinctive call waiting tone when the redirecting number includes a wireless telephone number associated with a user of the destination device, and wherein the distinctive call waiting tone includes a second distinctive call waiting tone when the redirecting number includes a work telephone number associated with the user of the destination device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination device includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) telephone associated with a user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the redirecting number includes a wireless telephone number associated with a wireless telephone of the user, and wherein the wireless telephone number is included in the authorized set of numbers.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the PSTN telephone associated with the user includes a residential telephone of the user, wherein the redirecting number includes a work telephone number associated with a work telephone of the user, and wherein the work telephone number is included in the authorized set of numbers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination device includes a wireless telephone.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller is Signaling System 7 (SS7) compatible.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein when the redirecting number is not included in the authorized set of numbers, the response message formulated by the controller identifies a normal ring tone when the destination device is not in use and identifies a normal call waiting tone when the destination device is in use.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) type system using a soft switch.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in a PBX type system.

14. A system comprising:

a switching control point; and

a service switching point coupled to the switching control point;

wherein the service switching point is configured to send a request message to the switching control point, the request message including at least a redirecting number and a destination number;

wherein the switching control point is configured to send a response message to the service switching point in response to the request message, wherein the response message identifies a distinctive tone of a plurality of distinctive tones to use at a destination device associated with the destination number, the distinctive tone determined based on the redirecting number.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the service switching point is coupled to the destination device associated with the destination number.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the service switching point applies the distinctive tone to the destination device associated with the destination number.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the distinctive tone includes a distinctive ring tone associated with the redirecting number when the destination device is not in use.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the distinctive tone includes a distinctive call waiting tone associated with the redirecting number when the destination device is in use.

19. A system comprising:

a call facilitating module; and

a call logic module coupled to the call facilitating module;

wherein the call facilitating module is configured to send a request message to the call logic module, the request message including at least a redirecting number and a destination number;

wherein the call logic module is configured to send a response message to the call facilitating module; and

wherein when the destination device is not in use, the response message identifies a distinctive ring tone of a plurality of distinctive ring tones to apply to a destination device associated with the destination number, wherein the distinctive ring tone is determined based on the redirecting number.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein when the destination device associated with the destination number is in use, the response message identifies a distinctive call waiting tone to apply to the destination device associated with the destination number, wherein the distinctive call waiting tone is determined based on the redirecting number.