Method and system for a singular activation of a redirection service without general activation of the service

• US 5,740,237 A
• Filed: 09/14/1995
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xylon LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale, Koch, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/527,855
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/207, 379/212, 379/201, 379/210, 379/188, 379/196, 379/93
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

In an intelligent switched telephone network wherein a network communication redirection service is selectively activated with respect to all communications directed to a directory number to direct communications pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme, a method and system for a singular activation of the network communication redirection service with respect to a particular communication only. The singular activation of the service for a particular communication is useful in testing the network communication redirection service or redirection scheme. To singularly activate the service for a particular communication, a communication is placed to a selected directory number on a calling line having a predetermined calling line identification number. The communication is received in the network and has its identification information read for the calling line identification number. The calling line identification number is compared for a corresponding entry in a database of subscriber information. If a corresponding entry is found, then the network communication redirection service is singularly activated only for that communication and the communication is routed pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme. If no corresponding entry is found, then the communication is routed to the directory number.

Claims

1. In an intelligent switched telephone network including a switch and a service control point, said service control point being functionally connected to said switch and said service control point including a database of subscriber information, a method for a singular activation of a network communication redirection service for redirecting a communication directed to a directory number pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme, comprising the steps of:

A. setting up a network communication redirection service with respect to a directory number associated with a subscriber line such that,

1. said network communication redirection service has an active state or an inactive state,

2. when said network communication redirection service is in said active state, then communications directed to said directory number are redirected pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme,

3. when said network communication redirection service is in said inactive state, then said communications directed to said directory number are routed to said directory number,

4. also when said network communication redirection service is in said inactive state, providing a singular activation of said network communication redirection service in said inactive state in response to a request for said singular activation, said singular activation providing for the redirection of a communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme, and

5. a calling line identification number with respect to said directory number serves as an indicator of said request for said singular activation;

B. placing said network communication redirection service in said inactive state;

C. receiving, at said switch, said communication from a calling line having said calling line identification number and said communication being directed to said directory number having said network communication redirection service in said inactive state;

D. causing said switch to read identification information associated with said communication and to provide said identification information to said service control point, said identification information including said directory number and said calling line identification number;

E. causing said service control point

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

in response to failing to find said corresponding entry to said calling line identification number, causing said service control point to provide said switch with conventional routing instructions so as to route said communication to said directory number; and

causing said switch to respond to said conventional routing instructions by routing said communication to said directory number.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

in response to failing to find said bypass feature, causing said service control point to provide said switch with redirection routing instructions to route said communication pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme; and

causing said switch to respond to said redirection routing instructions by routing said communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

causing said service control point, in response to finding said password to be invalid, to provide said switch with redirection routing instructions to route said communication pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme; and

causing said switch to respond to said redirection routing instructions by routing said communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

in response to failing to find said corresponding entry to said calling line identification number, routing said communication to said directory number.

2. to read said directory number and said calling line identification number included in said identification information,to search for a matching entry to said directory number in said database of subscriber information,in response to finding said matching entry to said directory number, to search for a corresponding entry to said calling line identification number in said database,

4 in response to finding said corresponding entry to said calling line identification number, to implement said singular activation of said network communication redirection service by providing said switch with redirection routing instructions to route said communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme;

and

F. causing said switch to respond to said redirection routing instructions by routing said communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme.

4. In an intelligent switched telephone network including a switch and a service control point, said service control point being functionally connected to said switch and said service control point including a database of subscriber information, a method for using a bypass feature for directing a communication to a directory number when the singular activation of a network communication redirection service is unavailable, the method comprising the steps of:

A. causing said switch to read identification information associated with said communication and to provide said identification information to said service control point, said identification information including said directory number and a calling line identification number;

B. causing said service control point

5. to read said directory number and said calling line identification number included in said identification information,to search for a matching entry to said directory number in said database of subscriber information,in response to finding said matching entry to said directory number, to search for a corresponding entry to said calling line identification number in said database,in response to failing to find said corresponding entry to said calling line identification number, to fail to implement said singular activation of said network communication redirection service, and to check whether said network communication redirection service has been implemented,in response to finding that said network communication redirection service has been implemented,

a. to check said database of subscriber information for a bypass feature, said bypass feature indicating the availability of an option of bypassing said network communication redirection service and having said communication routed to said directory number, and

b. in response to finding said bypass feature, to provide said switch with password collection instructions;

C. causing said switch, in response to receiving said password collection instructions, to provide an opportunity for the entry of a password, said entry of said password indicating a desire to bypass said network communication redirection service for said communication;

D. receiving said password;

E. causing said switch, in response to receiving said password, to provide said password to said service control point;

F. causing said service control point, in response to receipt of said password, to check the validity of said password in said database of subscriber information;

G. causing said service control point, in response to finding said password to be valid, to provide said switch with conventional routing instructions to route said communication to said directory number; and

H. causing said switch to respond to said conventional routing instructions by routing said communication to said directory number.

8. In an intelligent switched telephone network, a method for a singular activation of a network communication redirection service for redirecting a communication directed to a directory number pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme without generally activating said network communication redirection service for other communications, comprising the steps of:

A. setting up a network communication redirection service with respect to a directory number associated with a subscriber line such that,

1. said network communication redirection service has an active state or an inactive state,

2. when said network communication redirection service is in said active state, then communications directed to said directory number are redirected pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme,

3. when said network communication redirection service is in said inactive state, then said communications directed to said directory number are routed to said directory number,

4. also when said network communications redirection service is in said inactive state, providing a singular activation of said network communication redirection service in said inactive state in response to a request for said singular activation, said singular activation providing for the redirection of a communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme, and

5. a calling line identification number with respect to said directory number serves as an indicator of said request for said singular activation;

B. placing said network communication redirection service in said inactive state;

C. receiving, at said switch, said communication from a calling line having said calling line identification number and said communication being directed to said directory number having said network communication redirection service in said inactive state;

D. reading said directory number and said calling line identification number in said identification information associated with said communication;

E. searching for a corresponding entry to said calling line identification number in a database of subscriber information maintained by said network, said corresponding entry indicating a request for said singular activation of said network communication redirection service; and

F. in response to finding said corresponding entry to said calling line identification number, implementing a singular activation of said network communication redirection service only for said communication by routing said communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said service control point is responsive to failing to find said corresponding entry to said calling line identification number, the lack of said corresponding entry indicating the lack of a request for said singular activation of said network redirection service, by providing said switch with conventional routing instructions to route said communication to said directory number;

and

wherein said switch is responsive to said conventional routing instructions by routing said communication to said directory number.

10. In an intelligent switched telephone network wherein a network communication redirection service is selectively activated with respect to all communications directed to a directory number to direct said communications pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme, a system for a singular activation of said network communication redirection service for a communication without generally activating said network communication redirection service for other communications, comprising:

A. a service control point functionally connected to a switch and having a database of subscriber information maintained by said network;

B. said database including information with respect to the set up of a network communication redirection service with respect to a directory number associated with a subscriber line,

1. said network communication redirection service having an active state or an inactive state,

2. when said network communication redirection service is in said active state, then communications directed to said directory number are redirected pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme,

3. when said network communication redirection service is in said inactive state, then said communications directed to said directory number are routed to said directory number,

4. said network communication redirection service providing for a singular activation of said network communication redirection service in said inactive state in response to a request for said singular activation, said singular activation providing for the redirection of a communication from said directory number and pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme,

5. said network communication redirection service including a calling line identification number with respect to said directory number to serve as an indicator of said request for said singular activation, and

11. said network communication redirection service being in said inactive state unless said network communication redirection service has been implemented into said active state;

C. said switch being operative to receive said communication in said intelligent switched telephone network from a calling line having said calling line identification number and said communication being directed to said directory number having said directory number having said network communication redirection service in said inactive state;

D. said switch being operative to read identification information associated with said communication and being responsive to said identification information to provide said identification information to a service control point, said identification information including said directory number and a calling line identification number;

E. said service control point being responsive to said identification information

1. to read said directory number and said calling line identification number included in said identification information,

2. to search for a matching entry to said directory number in said database of subscriber information,

3. in response to finding said matching entry to said directory number, to search for a corresponding entry to said calling line identification number in said database, said corresponding entry indicating a request for said singular activation of said network communication redirection service, and

4. in response to finding said corresponding entry to said calling line identification number, to implement said singular activation of said network communication redirection service for said communication by providing said switch with redirection routing instructions to route said communication pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme; and

12. said switch being responsive to said redirection routing instructions to route said communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme.

14. In an intelligent switched telephone network including a switch and a service control point, said service control point being functionally connected to said switch and said service control point including a database of subscriber information, a method for using a bypass feature for directing a communication to a directory number when the singular activation of a network communication redirection service is unavailable, comprising the steps of:

A. causing said switch to read identification information associated with said communication and to provide said identification information to said service control point, said identification information including said directory number and a calling line identification number;

B. causing said service control point

1. to read said directory number and said calling line identification number included in said identification information,

2. to search for a matching entry to said directory number in said database of subscriber information to determine whether the communication is to receive special services,

3. in response to finding said matching entry to said directory number, to search for a corresponding entry to said calling line identification number in said database,

4. in response to finding said corresponding entry to said calling line identification number, to implement said network communication redirection service by providing said switch with redirection routing instructions to route said communication pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme; and

C. causing said switch to respond to said redirection routing instructions by routing said communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme; and

D. causing said service control point, in response to failing to find said corresponding entry to said calling line identification number,

15. to check whether said network communication redirection service has been implemented, andin response to finding that said network communication redirection service has been implemented, to check said database of subscriber information for a bypass feature, said bypass feature indicating the availability of an option of bypassing said network communication redirection service and having said communication routed to said directory number.

16. A method for singular activation of a network communication redirection service, comprising the steps of:

A. provisioning a directory number with a network communication redirection service such that when said network communication redirection service is in an active state, then all communications directed to said directory number are redirected pursuant to a subscriber preselected redirection scheme, and that when said network communication redirection service is in an inactive state, then said all communications directed to said directory number are routed to said directory number unless a request for a singular activation of said network communication redirection service is indicated in association with a communication directed to said directory number;

B. placing said network communication redirection service in said inactive state;

C. receiving said request for said singular activation of said network communication redirection service in association with said communication directed to said directory number by receiving said communication directed to said directory number and said communication having a calling line identification number that has a corresponding entry in a database of subscriber information; and

D. in response to said request, providing said singular activation of said network communication redirection service with respect to said communication only by routing said communication pursuant to said subscriber preselected redirection scheme and without changing said network communication redirection service from said inactive state,

E. whereby a subscriber may check the operation of said network communication redirection service with said communication having said calling line identification number without generally activating said network communication redirection service for other communications.