SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HANDLING INCOMING COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTED TO A TELEPHONY DEVICE
First Claim
1. A method of handling an incoming telephony communication that is directed to a native identifier assigned to a telephony device by a first telephony service provider that provides the telephony device with its native telephony service, the method being performed by one or more processors of a second Internet protocol (IP) based telephony service provider, the method comprising:
- receiving an incoming telephony communication that was originally directed to the native identifier but which has been forwarded to a forwarding identifier; and
terminating the telephony communication based on at least one of predetermined termination instructions, and input that has been received from the telephony device.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for terminating telephony communications to a mobile telephony device via a data network make use of a forwarding termination service. The forwarding termination service causes a native mobile telephony service provider that provides service to the mobile telephony device to forward incoming telephony communications directed the native telephone number of the mobile telephony device to a forwarding access number. The forwarding termination service receives telephony communications directed to the forwarding access number, and then terminates the telephony communications to the mobile telephony device via any one of multiple different methods. The mobile telephony service provider can be instructed to implement and cancel call forwarding instructions by a forwarding agent that is separate from the forwarding termination service.
8 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of handling an incoming telephony communication that is directed to a native identifier assigned to a telephony device by a first telephony service provider that provides the telephony device with its native telephony service, the method being performed by one or more processors of a second Internet protocol (IP) based telephony service provider, the method comprising:
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receiving an incoming telephony communication that was originally directed to the native identifier but which has been forwarded to a forwarding identifier; and terminating the telephony communication based on at least one of predetermined termination instructions, and input that has been received from the telephony device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8)
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6. The method of 3, wherein the terminating step comprises terminating the telephony communication based on input received from the telephony device in response to the message, and wherein if the received input indicates that a user of the telephony device wishes to receive the incoming communication and place an existing telephony communication which is already being conducted by the user with the telephony device on hold, the terminating step comprises:
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placing the existing telephony communication on hold; and terminating the incoming communication to the telephony device.
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9. A system for handling an incoming telephony communication that is directed to a native identifier assigned to a telephony device by a first telephony service provider that provides the telephony device with its native telephony service, comprising:
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means for receiving an incoming telephony communication that was originally directed to the native identifier but which has been forwarded to a forwarding identifier; and means for terminating the telephony communication based on at least one of predetermined termination instructions, and input that has been received from the telephony device.
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- 10. A system for handling an incoming telephony communication that is directed to a native identifier assigned to a telephony device by a first telephony service provider that provides the telephony device with its native telephony service, comprising a forwarded call termination unit that receives an incoming telephony communication that was originally directed to the native identifier but which has been forwarded to a forwarding identifier, wherein a call termination unit of the forwarded call termination unit terminates the telephony communication based on at least one of predetermined termination instructions, and input that has been received from the telephony device.
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15. The system of 12, wherein the call termination unit terminates the telephony communication based on input received from the telephony device in response to the message, and wherein if the received input indicates that a user of the telephony device wishes to receive the incoming communication and place an existing telephony communication which is already being conducted by the user with the telephony device on hold, the call termination unit places the existing telephony communication on hold, and terminates the incoming communication to the telephony device.
Specification