personal mobile communication system

• US 5,761,277 A
• Filed: 05/05/1997
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weber, Roy Philip, Goldman, Shelley B., Foladare, Mark Jeffrey, Silverman, David Phillip, Murray, Nancy, Tsao, Yao-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Application Number:
  US08/851,315
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/208, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/214, 379/201, 379/202, 379/217, 379/157
• US Class Current: 379/221.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/022 Paging systems personal calling arrangements or devices G08B3/1008; selective calling networks H04W84/022
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4283 Call holding circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail 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: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• 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 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13173 Busy signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1328 Call transfer, e.g. in PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13374 Paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13513 : UPT - personal as opposed to terminal mobility, inc. number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/002 : Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 : Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

We have recognized that in the prior art, to insure that there is at least some communication between the calling and called parties, when the called party is unavailable to take a call, the calling party may be connected to an alternate destination, e.g., a voice messaging system, and the caller'"'"'s telephone call is considered completed. If the called party thereafter becomes available, the called party is not connected to the caller'"'"'s telephone call. However, in accordance with the principles of the invention, this problem is overcome by, in response to receipt of an indication that the called party is available for a caller'"'"'s telephone call after the caller'"'"'s telephone call has already been connected to an alternate destination, a) disconnecting the caller'"'"'s telephone call from the alternate destination and, instead, b) connecting it the called party, thus interrupting the connection between the caller and the alternate destination. Optionally, a tone or announcement may be supplied to the caller to indicate that the called party will now be connected "live" to the caller.

Claims

1. A method for use in completing a telephone call originated by a caller to the telephone number of a called party, comprising:

monitoring a telephone line of the called party until an off-hook indication is received;

determining if, since the last time a telephone associated with the telephone number went off-hook, there has been a call placed to the telephone that was not successfully completed and was instead routed to an alternate destination;

determining that the routed call is still connected to the alternate destination; and

disconnecting the routed call from the alternate destination and connecting it to the telephone line of the called party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication is an off-hook condition of the telephone of the called party.

3. Apparatus for use in completing a telephone call originated by a caller to the telephone number of a called party, comprising:

means for monitoring a telephone line of the called party until an off-hook indication is received;

means for determining if, since the last time the telephone went off-hook, there has been a call placed to a telephone associated with the telephone number that was not successfully completed and was instead routed to an alternate destination;

means for determining that the routed call is still connected to the alternate destination; and

means for disconnecting the routed call from the alternate destination and connecting it to the telephone line of the called party.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said indication is an off-hook condition of the telephone of the called party.

5. A method of completing a telephone call, comprising:

receiving an incoming call at a central office;

detecting one of a ring no-answer condition and a busy signal at a destination telephone;

connecting the incoming call to an alternate destination;

recording information in a database indicating that the incoming call was received but not successfully connected to the destination telephone;

detecting an off-hook condition of the destination telephone;

checking the database and determining that, since the last time the destination telephone went off-hook, there has been a call received that was not successfully connected to the destination telephone;

determining that the incoming call is still connected to the alternate destination; and

disconnecting the incoming call from the alternate destination and connecting the incoming call to the destination telephone.

6. The invention as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

recording in the database information indicating a time that the incoming call was routed to the alternate destination; and

determining whether the incoming call was received at a time such that it is possible that the caller is still connected to the alternate destination.

7. The invention as recited in claim 5, further comprising providing an indication notifying a calling party that the incoming call will now be connected to the destination telephone.