Network based outbound call management

• US 5,463,685 A
• Filed: 11/09/1994
• Issued: 10/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T IPM Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gaechter, Barbara I., Tseng, I. Grace, Sahni, Paramdeep S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/336,715
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/92, 379/201, 379/207, 379/216, 379/219, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An outbound call management capability is provided for a public switched telephone network by a network based outbound call management (NOCM) complex, which can be accessed by all subscribers to the public switched network through one or more central offices in the network. A predetermined list of telephone numbers is stored in a data base in the NOCM complex for each subscriber who uses the NOCM services. The telephone numbers are automatically dialed at one or more predetermined scheduled times. When one of the dialed telephones is answered, the NOCM complex sets up a connection through the public switched telephone network between the called party and one or more attendants at one or more telephone numbers specified by a customer of the NOCM services. The NOCM services are made available to any subscriber of the public switched telephone network by provision of a special access code which permits a subscriber who is a customer of this service to dial the NOCM complex which will then interact with the customer by responding to voice or DTMF commands from the customer. The customer may program the list of telephone numbers to be called and program the telephone phone numbers to be used by the NOCM system to connect awaiting attendants with parties automatically called by the NOCM system. The NOCM system customer may set the time for the execution of his calling program by the NOCM system, and may interrupt or otherwise influence or change the execution of his program. All of this may be accomplished without a need to purchase expensive outbound call management premises equipment or to retain the services of a special provider of outbound call management services.

Claims

1. A method of providing outbound call management services in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

storing in the telecommunications network a calling program received from a subscriber of outbound call management services provided by the telecommunications network, a calling program comprising a first list of one or more telephone numbers to be automatically dialed by the telecommunications network and a second list of one or more telephone numbers to which successfully completed automatically dialed telephone calls are to be connected by the telecommunications network;

automatically making a first telephone call to one of the telephone numbers in the first list;

automatically making a second telephone call to one of the telephone numbers in the second list; and

merging the first and second telephone calls.

2. A method of providing outbound call management services in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

storing in the telecommunications network one or more calling programs received from a subscriber of outbound call management services in the telecommunications network comprising a first list of telephone numbers to be automatically dialed by the telecommunications network and a second list of telephone numbers to which successfully completed automatically dialed telephone calls are to be connected by the telecommunications network;

automatically making a first telephone call by dialing one or more of the telephone numbers in the first list at one or more times preselected by the subscriber;

automatically making a second telephone call to one of the telephone numbers in the second list in response to a successful completion of the first telephone call; and

merging the first and second telephone calls.

3. A method of providing outbound call management services in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephone call in the network from an outbound call management services subscriber to an outbound call management system in the network;

receiving an identification from the outbound call management services subscriber during the telephone call and validating that subscriber in light of the received identification;

connecting the subscriber during the telephone call to an outbound call management system in the network in response to validation of the subscriber;

receiving from the subscriber, after connection of the subscriber to the outbound call management system during the telephone call, one or more calling programs comprising scheduling information, a first list of one or more telephone numbers to be automatically dialed by the network, and a second list of one or more telephone numbers to which successfully completed automatically dialed telephone calls are to be connected by the network;

storing the one or more calling programs in a database in the network;

executing one or more of the calling programs by the network at a predetermined time in accordance with the scheduling information by automatically making a first telephone call to one of the telephone numbers in the first list, automatically making a second telephone call to one of the telephone numbers in the second list, and merging the first and second telephone calls.