Method for permitting subscribers to change call features in real time

• US 5,475,746 A
• Filed: 08/17/1994
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T IPM Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Eileen O., Shepard, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/291,316
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/204, 379/205, 379/207, 379/210, 379/211, 379/279, 379/95
• US Class Current: 379/201.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0033 customer-controlled

Abstract

A telephone subscriber to a long distance telecommunication system is permitted, in accordance with this invention, to enter changes in real time utilizing a conventional Touch-tone telephone to control the routing or handling of incoming calls. A real-time update network control point (RTU NCP) is accessed by subscribers and contains input steps which controls the entry of changes by the subscriber. Upon the completion of the entry by the subscriber of the desired changes in RTU NCP, the latter causes the changes to be transmitted to the subscriber'"'"'s NCP (SUB NCP) which controls the processing of incoming calls to a directory number associated with the subscriber based on subscriber data stored in the SUB NCP. The SUB NCP data corresponding to the subscriber is modified in accordance with the changes, so that incoming calls will be handled in accordance with the changed subscriber data.

Claims

1. In a telecommunication system that provides selectable call handling features, a method for permitting real time changes to be made by subscribers to the selectable call handling features, the method comprising the steps of:

routing a call from a first subscriber to a first database in said telecommunication system, the first subscriber using said call to change call handling features associated with the first subscriber which controls the way calls to the first subscriber are handled;

validating the authority of the first subscriber seeking to enter the call handling feature change;

upon the authority of said first subscriber being validated, accepting and storing data specifically entered by said first subscriber to cause a change to be made to a call handling feature in said first database;

determining if said stored data in the first database corresponds to a valid, changeable call handling feature based on validation information previously stored in the first database;

upon validation of said stored data, automatically transmitting said data from said first database in said telecommunication network that contains a call handling record corresponding to said first subscriber, said call handling record in the second database controlling the handling of the first subscriber'"'"'s calls;

modifying said call handling record in said second database based on said data to implement in real time said call handling feature change entered by said first subscriber, whereby subscribers can make changes in real time to call handling features.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said validating step comprises the steps of prompting the first subscriber to enter a password and authenticating the password entered by the first subscriber by comparing it to a password previously assigned to the first subscriber.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said prompting step comprises the steps of sending from said first database a prompt message to a speech system associated with the first subscriber and providing a voiced prompt request by the speech system to said first subscriber.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said accepting step comprises the step of analyzing said subscriber entered data to determine if a valid call handling feature would result if the data sent by the first subscriber is entered in said subscriber'"'"'s record.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said accepting step comprises the step of accepting said data indicating a call handling feature change only at said first database for a predetermined group of subscribers.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said accepting step comprises the step of accepting said data only at said first database for all subscribers requesting real time changes to their respective call handling features, said data being sent by a telephone operated by the subscriber.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of the subscribers calling a single telephone number to initiate a real time change to call handling features.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said telephone number is assigned so that calls to said single telephone number are routed to said first database.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said transmitting step comprises the step of transmitting said data from said first database to a second database automatically upon the termination of the entry of the data by said first subscriber at said first database.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of obtaining, in response to a call made by another party to said first subscriber, call handling information from the first subscriber'"'"'s record at said second database and activating said first subscriber'"'"'s modified record at said second database following said modifying step so that calls to said first subscriber will be subject to the modified call handling features.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of sending said data from the first database to a first mate database to protect against the loss of the data in the event of a failure of one of the first and first mate databases, said sending step comprising said data being automatically sent by the first database to said first mate database to protect against the loss of the data in the event of a failure of one of the first and first mate databases.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein said transmitting step comprises the step of identifying said second database from among a plurality of database that store call handling record for subscribers, transmitting said data from the said first database to an intelligent call processing device which contains the first subscriber'"'"'s telephone number, said identifying step identifying the second database on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number.

13. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of sending said data from the second database to a second mate database to protect against the loss of the data in the event of a failure of one of the second and second mate databases, said sending step comprising said data being automatically sent by the second database to a second mate database to protect against the loss of the data in the event of a failure of one of the second and second mate databases.

14. In a telecommunication system that provides programmable call routing features, a method for permitting real time changes to be made by subscribers to their respective call routing features, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing at a first database in said telecommunication system, data specifically entered by a first subscriber using a telephone to change a call routing feature that controls the handling of at least certain calls to the first subscriber;

determining if said first subscriber data stored in the first database corresponds to a valid, changeable call handling feature based on information stored in the first database;

if said determining step validates said stored data, automatically transmitting said stored data from said first database to a second database in said telecommunication system that contains a call routing record corresponding to said first subscriber, said call handling record in the second database controlling the handling of the first subscriber'"'"'s calls;

modifying said call routing record in real time based on said stored data to implement said feature change entered by said first subscriber, whereby subscribers can make changes in real time to call routing features.

15. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of validating the authority of said first subscriber seeking to make a call routing feature change to be able to enter said change.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein said validating step comprises the steps of prompting the first subscriber to enter a password and authenticating the password entered by the first subscriber by comparing it to a password previously assigned to the first subscriber.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein said prompting step comprises the steps of sending from said first database a prompt message to a speech system associated with the first subscriber and providing a voiced prompt request by the speech system to said first subscriber.

18. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of analyzing said subscriber entered data to determine if a valid call routing feature would result if the data sent by the first subscriber is entered in said subscriber'"'"'s record.

19. The method according to claim 14 wherein said receiving step comprises the step of accepting said data indicating a call routing feature change only at said first database for a predetermined group of subscribers.

20. The method according to claim 14 wherein said receiving step comprises the step of accepting said data only at said first database for all subscribers having the capability of requesting real time changes to their respective call routing features.

21. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of the subscribers calling a single telephone number to initiate a real time change to call routing features.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein said telephone number is assigned so that calls to said single telephone number are routed to said first database, and said telephone number is a long distance toll free number.

23. The method according to claim 14 wherein said transmitting step comprises the step of transmitting said data from said first database to a second database automatically upon the termination of the entry of the data by said first subscriber at said first database.

24. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of obtaining, in response to a call made by another party to said first subscriber, call routing information from the first subscriber'"'"'s record at said second database, and activating said first subscriber'"'"'s modified record at said second database following said modifying step so that calls to said first subscriber will be subject to the modified call routing features.

25. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of sending said data from the first database to a first mate database to protect against the loss of the data in the event of a failure of one of the first and first mate databases, said sending step comprising said data being automatically sent by the first database to said first mate database to protect against the loss of the data in the event of a failure of one of the first and first mate databases.

26. The method according to claim 14 wherein said transmitting step comprises the step of identifying said second database from among a plurality of databases that store call routing records for subscribers, said transmitting step comprises the step of transmitting said data from the first database to an intelligent call processing device which contains the first subscriber'"'"'s telephone number, said identifying step identifying the second database based on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number.

27. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of sending said data from the second database to a second mate database to protect against the loss of the data in the event of a failure of one of the second and second mate databases, said sending step comprising said data being automatically sent by the second database to a second mate database to protect against the loss of the data in the event of a failure of one of the second and second mate databases.