Method in a telephone system for reaching a subscriber under busy/no answer conditions and ring/no answer conditions

• US 5,627,875 A
• Filed: 08/01/1996
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Kapsales, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/691,300
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• Field of Search: 379/57, 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/201, 379/207, 379/211, 379/217, 379/58, 379/209, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/62, 379/63, 379/127, 379/142
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements

Abstract

A method for use in a telephone system, permitting a caller connected to a central platform to further attempt to reach a subscriber after the central platform initially attempted to establish a connection with the subscriber by dialing the subscriber'"'"'s number and the subscriber'"'"'s telephone was detected as being in either a Busy/No answer (BNA) condition or a Ring/No answer (RNA) condition at the subscriber'"'"'s telephone station. Upon detection of either a BNA or RNA condition, a determination is then made as to whether an option associated with the detected condition is available for the subscriber. If an option is available and is selected by the caller, the subscriber is paged and the initial attempt to establish a connection with the subscriber from the platform is terminated. The caller is then informed of the progress of the further attempt to reach the subscriber by prerecorded messages associated with the detected condition. The subscriber is then redialed by the central platform, saving the expense of a separate telephone call.

Claims

1. A method for use in a telephone system permitting a caller connected to a central platform to attempt to reach a subscriber under a Busy/No answer condition at the subscriber'"'"'s telephone station, said method comprising the steps of:

placing a call to said subscriber by dialing said subscriber'"'"'s telephone station from said central platform;

detecting at said central platform a Busy/No answer condition at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone station;

determining whether a Busy/No answer option is available for said subscriber;

if said Busy/No answer option is available, informing said caller of said Busy/No answer condition and providing to said caller the option of paging said subscriber;

if said caller elects said option, paging said subscriber by said central platform and providing a caller identification number to said subscriber;

terminating said call; and

redialing said subscriber'"'"'s telephone station from said central platform.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said informing step includes the step of giving the caller the option of continuing the attempt to reach the subscriber'"'"'s telephone station.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the call from the caller is terminated if the caller does not choose said option of continuing the attempt to reach the subscriber'"'"'s telephone station.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further including the step of playing a prerecorded message to the caller at the time said Busy/No answer condition is detected.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, further including the step of connecting the subscriber'"'"'s telephone station to the caller if the subscriber answers in response to redialing the subscriber'"'"'s telephone station.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, further including the step of providing an alternative sequence of communications to the caller if the subscriber does not answer in response to redialing the subscriber'"'"'s telephone station.

7. A method in accordance with claim 2, further including the step of allowing the subscriber to select the number of attempts that a caller will be allowed.

8. A method for use in a telephone system permitting a caller connected to a central platform to attempt to reach a subscriber under a Ring/No answer condition at the subscriber'"'"'s telephone station, said method comprising the steps of:

placing a call to said subscriber by dialing said subscriber'"'"'s telephone station from said central platform;

detecting at said central platform a Ring/No answer condition at said subscriber'"'"'s telephone station;

determining whether a Ring/No answer option is available for said subscriber;

if said Ring/No answer option is available, informing said caller of said Ring/No answer condition and providing to said caller the option of paging said subscriber;

if said caller elects said option, paging said subscriber by said central platform and providing a caller identification number to said subscriber;

terminating said call; and

redialing said subscriber'"'"'s telephone station from said central platform.