Call forwarding arrangement

• US 4,893,336 A
• Filed: 12/17/1987
• Issued: 01/09/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.), Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wuthnow, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Application Number:
  US07/134,649
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/213, 379/373, 379/374, 379/375, 379/156, 379/157, 379/158, 379/159, 379/160, 379/164, 379/165, 379/166
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• 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: H04Q 11/0428 Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/911 Distinctive ringing

Abstract

An improved call forwarding arrangement where forwarded calls receive different terminating treatment from non-forwarded calls, for example providing a readily detectable, distinctive alerting signal for forwarded calls or completing only forwarded calls to a station and denying or forwarding other calls without requiring any customer involvement. The arrangement provides an improved call forwarding service for customers with advanced station display capabilities and, in addition, allows selective answering of only forwarded calls by customers that have conventional, analog station equipment. Both switch-based and station-based implements are disclosed.

Claims

1. A call processing method comprising

determining whether a call to a communication station is a forwarded call and

completing said call to said station only in response to a determination that said call is a forwarded call

wherein said station is connected to a switch and wherein said method is performed by said station.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising

in response to a determination that said call is a non-forwarded call, forwarding said call to another communication station.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising

in response to a determination that said call is a non-forwarded call, denying said call.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising

in response to said determination that said call is a forwarded call, effecting generation of an alerting signal distinctive from an alerting signal for a non-forwarded call.

5. A method of processing a call to a communication station comprising

determining whether said call is a forwarded call;

in response to a determination that said call is a forwarded call, performing at least one of the following steps (A) and (B);

(A) effecting generation of an altering signal distinctive from an alerting signal for a non-forwarded call, and (B) completing said call to said station; and

in response to a determination that said call is a non-forwarded call, performing one of the following steps (C) and (D);

(C) denying said call, and (D) forwarding said call to another communication station

wherein said first-mentioned station is connected to a switch and wherein said method is performed by said first-mentioned station.