Automated attendant for any combination of PBX, centrex, and single-line telephones

• US 5,402,472 A
• Filed: 04/23/1992
• Issued: 03/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Technology
• Original Assignee: Boston Technology
• Inventors: Sklarin, Christopher R., Jones, Scott A., MeLampy, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US07/872,242
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 379/213, 379/214, 379/212, 379/210, 379/89, 379/88, 379/67, 379/84, 379/218, 379/201, 379/69, 379/216, 379/265, 379/266
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

An automated attendant service supports any combination of single-line telephones, CENTREX telephones and one or more PBXs in a single logical configuration. Multiple access numbers can be used to call the automated service and calls forwarded from DID lines can also be handled. The appropriate transfer codes are determined for the switch connecting a caller to the automated attendant service. Subscribers to the automated attendant service may be connected via different types of switches using different call progress signals. Analysis of the call progress signals is performed using parameters specific to the switch used for each call to an extension. The types of transfers supported by the automated attendant service include screened calls in which the caller is prompted to give a name providing identification. The name given by the caller may be stored, together with the time of the call and the phone number of the caller, so that a subscriber may return calls even if the caller does not leave a message.

Claims

1. A method of automatically answering telephone calls for subscribers of an automated attendant service, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining an extension number from a caller using an audio menu to prompt input of the extension number;

(b) signaling a first physical switch connecting the caller to the automated attendant service to place the caller on hold;

(c) calling a telephone corresponding to the extension number input by the caller while the caller is on hold, said calling including the steps of;

(c1) accessing an extension specification matrix to identify a second physical switch connecting a second automated attendant service to a telephone corresponding to the extension number;

(c2) accessing a subscriber database to determine a transfer method for transfers to the extension number of a subscriber; and

(c3) calling a telephone number corresponding to the extension number via the second physical switch identified in step (cl) using the transfer method determined in step (c2);

(d) connecting the caller directly to the telephone corresponding to the extension number if said calling in step (c) reaches a called party and an indication is obtained to connect the caller and the called party; and

(e) performing a failed call procedure if said connecting in step (d) is not performed.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said accessing in step (c2) determines whether the subscriber has indicated that a time of a call to the extension number should be recorded and whether a caller telephone number should be stored when available for unanswered calls to the extension number.

3. A method as recited in claim 2,

wherein said accessing in step (c2) further determines whether the transfer method is a screened transfer,

wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

(f) prompting the caller to provide a caller announcement when the screened transfer is determined in step (c2);

(g) temporarily storing the caller announcement when step (f) is performed; and

(h) storing the caller announcement and the time if the extension number is not answered during said calling in step (c3) and the screened transfer is determined in step (c2), and

wherein said calling in step (c) further comprises the step of (c4) reproducing the caller announcement if the extension number is answered during said calling in step (c3) and the screened transfer is determined in step (c2).

4. A method of obtaining information on telephone calls not answered by a person, comprising the steps of:

(a) recording a request for callers to speak a name;

(b) automatically answering a first telephone call from a caller after a predetermined number of rings;

(c) reproducing the request stored in step (a) after step (b);

(d) receiving a response to the request reproduced in step (c);

(e) storing a time and, when available, a telephone number of the caller associated with the response received in step (d);

(f) placing the caller on hold;

(g) placing a second telephone call;

(h) reproducing the response stored in step (e) if the second telephone call placed in step (g) is answered while the caller is on hold; and

(i) storing, with the response and time stored in step (e), any message left by the caller.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

(j) subsequently receiving a request from a called party for information stored in step (e) if the second telephone call placed in step (g) was not answered; and

(k) reproducing the response and any message stored in steps (e) and (i) and providing the time and, when available, the telephone number of the caller, in response to the request received in step (j).

6. An apparatus for automatically answering telephone calls to a telephone of a subscriber of an automated attendant service, comprising:

caller interface means for obtaining an extension number from a caller using an audio menu to prompt input of the extension number;

signal means for signaling a first physical switch connecting the caller to the automated attendant service to place the caller on hold;

out-dialing means for calling the telephone corresponding to the extension number input by the caller while the caller is on hold; and

control means for controlling said signal means to connect the caller directly to the telephone corresponding to the extension number if said calling means obtains an answer from a called party and an indication is received to connect the caller and the called party, and otherwise controlling said caller interface means to perform a failed call procedure; and

storage means for storing an access number table including at least one access number used by the caller to reach the automated attendant service and a first switch identifier indicating a physical switch type, an extension specification matrix correlating extension numbers to the telephone numbers and at least one second switch identifier, and switch configuration data for each physical switch type accessed by the automated attendant service.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6,

wherein said caller interface means includes means for prompting the caller to speak a name providing identification, and

wherein said control means controls said storage means to store the name spoken by the caller, as part of the failed call procedure.