Contact Number Encapsulation System

• US 20120113872A1
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: One Number Corporation
• Original Assignee: One Number Corporation
• Inventors: McLarty, Brandon D., Wittekind, Frederick IV
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42255 with the subscriber having a personal network-independent number
• 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 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A contact number encapsulation system is disclosed that is operable to consolidate a plurality of contact numbers associated with a given user into a single contact number. The system includes a call processing application that uses information contained in a message header to determine a list of contact numbers to call. The message header contains a call destination indication that is used by the call processing application to retrieve the list of contact numbers. The list of contact numbers is user defined and may be updated or modified by an account holder at any given time. Once the list of contact numbers is obtained, a simultaneous call module is used to simultaneously call each number. The account holder only needs to provide the primary contact number to individuals desiring to reach them instead of various numbers that are associated with locations the account holder may be located.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a call processing server in communication with a call router operatively connectable to an Internet-based communication network, said call router forwarding a session invite originating from a calling terminal connected to a telecommunication network to said call processing server, said session invite including a message header having a call destination field, wherein said session invite is forwarded from said telecommunication network to said Internet-based communication network, wherein said session invite is then forwarded through said Internet-based communication network to said call router, wherein said call processing server receives said session invite from said call router via said Internet-based communication network;

a multiple contact lookup application associated with said call processing server configured to obtain a plurality of contact numbers associated with a primary contact number contained in said call destination field;

a calling application associated with said call processing server configured to simultaneously send a plurality of session invitations to each of said plurality of contact numbers associated with said primary contact number in response to said session invite, wherein said call processing server is configured to use said Internet-based communication network to simultaneously forward said session invitations to a plurality of call reception terminals associated with said plurality of contact numbers that are in communication with said telecommunication network;

a call connection application associated with said call processing server configured to establish a communication session between said calling terminal and a call reception terminal associated with a respective one of said plurality of contact numbers if a user accepts said session invite sent to said call reception terminal, wherein said call processing server utilizes said Internet based communication network to establish said communication session with said call reception terminal on said telecommunication network;

a web browser based control panel configured to allow said user to add, edit, and delete contact numbers contained in said plurality of contact numbers; and

a voicemail email application configured to automatically generate an email notification that is sent to a designated email account indicating receipt of a voicemail message, wherein said email notification includes said voicemail message.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an application configured to present a caller using said calling terminal with a first option to attempt to directly contact said user or a second option to leave a voice mail message for said user during an initial session between said calling terminal and said call processing server, wherein said initial session is established using said Internet-based communication network.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voicemail application for allowing a caller using said calling terminal to record a voicemail message if said user does not accept said session invite.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user to temporarily deactivate contact numbers contained in said plurality of contact numbers thereby designating each of said plurality of contact numbers as either an activated contact number or a deactivated contact number.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user to enter and edit said user designated email address.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user to activate and deactivate a call screening option by way of a selection item.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said web browser based control panel includes a caller identification option configured to allow said user to designate whether a caller'"'"'s number is displayed on said call reception terminals or said primary contact number is displayed on said call reception terminals.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user to activate and deactivate an availability status option that allows said user to not receive calls by way of a selection item.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication session comprises a VoIP communication session.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said session invite comprises a SIP message and said communication session comprises a VoIP communication session.

11. A system, comprising:

a web browser based control panel configured to allow a user to correlate a plurality of contact numbers to a primary contact number, wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user edit said plurality of contact numbers and delete respective contact numbers contained in said plurality of contact numbers, wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user to enter and edit a user designated email address associated with said user;

a database for storing said plurality of contact numbers linked to said primary contact number;

a call processing server operatively connectable to an Internet-based communication network, said call processing server being configured to receive a session invite from a calling terminal connected to a telecommunication network, wherein said session invites designates said primary contact number and is received from said calling terminal from said telecommunication network via said Internet-based communication network;

a lookup application configured to query said database to retrieve said plurality of contact numbers as a function of said primary contact number in response to said session invite;

a calling application configured to create a set of session invites to a plurality of call reception terminals assigned to said plurality of contact numbers, wherein said calling application uses said Internet-based communication network to simultaneously transmit each respective session invite in said set of session invites to said call reception terminals, wherein said call reception terminals are in communication with said telecommunication network and said telecommunication network receives said set of session invites from said Internet-based communication network;

a session establishment application for establishing a session between said calling terminal and a respective one of said plurality of call reception terminals if said user accepts said session invite on a respective call reception terminal, wherein said session establishment application uses said Internet-based communication network to establish said session between said calling terminal and said respective one of said plurality of second terminals; and

a voicemail email application configured to automatically generate an email notification that is sent to said user designated email account indicating receipt of a voicemail message, wherein said email notification includes said voicemail message.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user to either display a caller identification number associated with a calling terminal or said primary contact number via a first selection item.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user to temporarily disable one or more of said plurality of contact numbers correlated to said primary contact number via a selection item thereby designating each contact number as either an activated contact number or a deactivated contact number, wherein said calling application is configured to only create session invites for said activated contact numbers.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said web browser based control panel is configured to allow said user to activate and deactivate a call screening option via a selection item.

15. A system, comprising:

a call processing server in communication with a call router operatively connectable to an Internet-based communication network, said call router forwarding a session invite originating from a calling terminal to said call processing server using said Internet-based communication network, said session invite including a message header having a call destination field;

a multiple contact lookup application associated with said call processing server configured to obtain a plurality of contact numbers associated with a primary contact number contained in said call destination field;

a calling application associated with said call processing server configured to simultaneously send said session invite to each of said plurality of contact numbers associated with said primary contact number using said Internet-based communication network, wherein said plurality of contact numbers are associated with a plurality of call reception terminals that are operatively connected with one or more telecommunication networks, wherein said calling application uses said Internet-based communication network to transmit said session invites to said telecommunication network which in turn transmits said session invites to said plurality of contact numbers;

a call connection application associated with said call processing server configured to establish a communication session using said Internet-based communication network between said calling terminal and a call reception terminal associated with a respective one of said plurality of contact numbers if a user accepts said session invite sent to said call reception terminal; and

a voicemail email application configured to automatically generate an email notification that is sent to a designated email account indicating receipt of a voicemail message, wherein said notification includes said voicemail message.

16. The system of claim 15, a web enabled control panel accessible by said user using said Internet-based communication network configured to allow said user to add contact numbers to said plurality of contact numbers, delete contact numbers from said plurality of contact numbers, and temporarily deactivate contact numbers contained in said plurality of contact numbers thereby designating each said contact number as an activated contact number or a deactivated contact number.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said web enabled control panel is configured to allow said user to enable and disable a user availability option,

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said web-enabled control panel is configured to allow said user to enter said designated email address,

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said web-enabled control panel is configured to allow said user to enable and disable a call screening option.