Post answer telephone call redirection or rerouting
First Claim
1. A system for completing telephone calls comprisingmeans including a switch having a processor for routing a first call originated from a calling party at a customer location to a redirecting party at a primary location, said primary location being determined as a joint function of (a) the telephone number dialed by said calling party and (b) the telephone number of said customer location,means in said processor for monitoring said first call, after it has been completed to said primary location, for a redirection signal indicative of a desire to forward said first call to an alternate location,means in said processor responsive to said redirection signal for routing a second call initiated in said processor from said switch to said alternate location, said alternate location being determined at least in part as a function of said telephone number of said customer location, andmeans for completing a call path between said calling party and said alternate location which excludes said primary location, by interconnecting said first and second calls.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Calls made to an 800 service subscriber are routed to the subscriber'"'"'s primary location via a telephone network switch operating in conjunction with a specially configured adjunct processor. The adjunct processor is arranged to monitor the call even after it is answered by an attendant or other subscriber personnel at the primary location. If the call is to be redirected from the primary location to an alternate location, the adjunct is signaled, typically by a DTMF sequence. The adjunct responds by putting the calling party on hold and by initiating a call to the alternate location on an outgoing trunk of the network switch, in such a way that it emulates or imitates both the routing (call treatment) and billing the characteristics of a call made from the original customer location. Redirection can then be completed in one of three ways: blind transfer, consultation, or conference. Billing for the call is arranged so that the subscriber of the 800 number originally dialed by the calling party at the customer location pays only for the portion of the call in which the primary location is actively involved in communications with the calling party. The subscriber providing the 800 number for the alternate location pays for the portion of the call in which the alternate location is involved, as though the call originated from the customer'"'"'s location and proceeded directly to the alternate location, without having been rerouted at the network switch. Thus, the subscriber is not charged for any period of time which is not "used" by that subscriber.
127 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for completing telephone calls comprising
means including a switch having a processor for routing a first call originated from a calling party at a customer location to a redirecting party at a primary location, said primary location being determined as a joint function of (a) the telephone number dialed by said calling party and (b) the telephone number of said customer location, means in said processor for monitoring said first call, after it has been completed to said primary location, for a redirection signal indicative of a desire to forward said first call to an alternate location, means in said processor responsive to said redirection signal for routing a second call initiated in said processor from said switch to said alternate location, said alternate location being determined at least in part as a function of said telephone number of said customer location, and means for completing a call path between said calling party and said alternate location which excludes said primary location, by interconnecting said first and second calls.
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8. A system for completing telephone calls comprising
means including a switch having a processor for routing a first call originated from a calling party to a redirecting party at a primary location, said primary location being determined as a joint function of (a) the telephone number dialed by said calling party and (b) the location of the telephone from which said calling party originated said first call, means in said processor for monitoring said first call, after it has been completed to said primary location, for a signal indicative of a desire to initiate at least one additional call from said processor to a target party at another location, means in said processor for signaling said switch to initiate said at least one additional call, wherein the routing of said at least one additional call is determined at least in part as a function of said location of said telephone from which said calling party originated said first call, and means for completing a call path between said calling party and said another location by bridging said first and said at least one additional calls in said processor.
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12. A call processing and billing method comprising
connecting a call from a first station to a second station, contemporaneously with said connecting, initiating a first billing record for said call, said first billing record including information indicative of the charge for a call made from said first station to said second station, redirecting said call by connecting said first station to a third station, contemporaneously with said connecting of said call to said third station, initiating a second billing record for said call, said second billing record including information indicative of the charge for a call made from said first station to said third station, terminating said first billing record when said second station is disconnected from the redirected call, and terminating said second billing record when (a) said redirected call is terminated or (b) said third station is disconnected from said call.
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17. A call billing method comprising
initiating a first billing record for a call contemporaneously with a connection of said call from a first station to a second station, initiating a second billing record for said call contemporaneously with a redirection of said call from said second station to a third station, wherein said second billing record is generated as though said call redirected by said second station to said third station originated from said first station.
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20. A call processing and billing method comprising
connecting a call from a first station to a second station via an originating switch contemporaneously with said connecting, initiating generation of a bill for said call in said originating switch, transferring said call from said second station to a third station via a network switch, contemporaneously with said transferring, initiating generation of a bill for said call in said network switch, after disconnection of said second station from said call, terminating generation of said bill in said originating switch, and after disconnection of said third station from said call, terminating generation of said bill in said network switch.
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21. A call processing and billing method comprising
connecting a call from a first station to a second station, contemporaneously with said connecting, initiating a first billing record for said call, transferring said call from said second station to a third station, for communication between said first station and said third station, contemporaneously with said transferring of said call from said second station to said third station, initiating a second billing record for said call, and terminating said first billing record upon disconnecting second station from said call.
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26. A method for completing telephone calls comprising the steps of
routing a call originated from a calling party at a customer location via a switch having a processor to a redirecting party at a primary location, said routing to said primary location being determined as a joint function of (a) the telephone number dialed by said calling party and (b) the telephone number of said customer location, monitoring said call in said processor after it has been completed to said primary location, for a redirection signal indicative of a desire to forward said call to an alternate location, routing a second call initiated in said processor from said switch to said alternate location, said routing to said alternate location being determined at least in part as a function of said telephone number of said customer location, and completing a call path between said calling party and said alternate location which excludes said primary location, by bridging said first and second calls.
Specification