Telecommunications system for transferring a telephone call

• US 5,617,471 A
• Filed: 05/25/1995
• Issued: 04/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Wesley D., Gottlieb, Louis G., Engdahl, Roger P., Molani, Saleem R., Sedlock, Gregory W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Thomas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/451,074
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/207, 379/210, 379/212, 379/211, 379/112, 379/115, 379/127, 379/142, 379/202, 379/215, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/67, 379/88, 379/89
• US Class Current: 379/212.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/002 Details

Abstract

A telecommunications system provides a call transfer function while user-A is involved in two independent calls: one with user-B and one with user-C. The call transfer by user-A is initiated by sending a message to the long distance carrier switching office. In the switching office, both independent calls are identified as part of the transfer request. The switching office then requests the call transfer function by sending a message to the network control system for the validation of the transfer. After the network control system determines allowability of the transfer, the call between user-B and user-C is connected, while user-A and user-A'"'"'s customer premise equipment is disconnected from user-B and user-C.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system in a telephone network of a long distance carrier for providing a call transfer function, comprising:

a first, second and third telephone stations, wherein each of respective telephone calls between said first and second telephone stations, and between said second and third telephone stations is either an incoming call or an outgoing call with respect to said second telephone station;

a first switching office connected via a customer premise equipment to said second telephone station, said second telephone station requesting said first switching office to establish communication between said first and third telephone stations; and

a network control system, including a database and processing means, connected to said first switching office, said first switching office sending a request message to said network control system for inquiring whether said communication is allowed, said network control system providing a response message to said first switching office which establishes said communication, if allowed, between said first and third telephone stations and which disconnects said second telephone station from said first and third telephone stations, wherein said database has a table for providing information on allowability of said communication between said first and third telephone stations based on a type of telephone call.

2. The telecommunications system according to claim 1, further comprising a second switching office connected to one of said first and third telephone stations located outside an area served by said first switching office.

3. The telecommunications system according to claim 2, further comprising a third switching office connected to one of said first and third telephone stations located outside said area served by said first and second switching offices.

4. The telecommunications system according to claim 2, further comprising a voice response unit for interacting with said telephone calls automatically.

5. The telecommunications system according to claim 2, wherein said table further includes information for determining a billing party for each communication between said first and second telephone stations, said second and third telephone stations, and said first and third telephone stations.

6. The telecommunications system according to claim 2, wherein said network control system provides a separate billing record for each communication between said first and second telephone stations, said second and third telephone stations, and said first and third telephone stations.

7. The telecommunications system according to claim 2, wherein said database includes information for determining allowability of said communication between said first and third telephone stations based on at least one of the following:

a supplementary code, a time of the day, a day of the week, and a calling station'"'"'s ANI.

8. The telecommunications system according to claim 2, wherein said database includes information for determining whether said first, second and third telephone stations should be notified of a call transfer.

9. A method of providing a call transfer function in a telephone network of a long distance carrier, comprising the steps of:

setting up communication between a first telephone station and a second telephone station, and another communication between a second telephone station and a third telephone station, wherein each of respective telephone calls between said first and second telephone stations and between said second and third telephone stations is either an incoming call or an outgoing call with respect to said second telephone station;

requesting a switching office by said second telephone station to establish communication between said first and third telephone stations;

accessing a table in a network control system to determine allowability of said communication between said first and third telephone stations based on a type of telephone call; and

connecting said first telephone station with said third telephone station and disconnecting said second telephone station from said first and third telephone stations, if said communication is allowed between said first and third telephone stations.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of determining whether said first, second and third telephone stations should be notified of a call transfer.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of providing a voice response unit at said second telephone station for interacting with said telephone calls automatically.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of determining a billing party for each communication between said first and second telephone stations, said second and third telephone stations, and said first and third telephone stations based on information in said table.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of providing a separate billing record for each communication between said first and second telephone stations, said second and third telephone stations, and said first and third telephone stations.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of determining allowability of said communication between said first and third telephone stations based on at least one of the following:

a supplementary code, a time of the day, a day of the week, and a calling station'"'"'s ANI.