Advanced call waiting processing

• US 5,764,748 A
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George Rejtano, Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Yaker, Rhoda, Rosenthal, Eugene J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/722,688
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 379/188, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/201, 379/207, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/214, 379/215, 379/127, 379/246, 379/142, 379/243
• US Class Current: 379/215.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold

Abstract

An enhanced call waiting (ECW) feature is provided by a switch serving a called subscriber who, while still on a first telephone call, receives a subsequent telephone call. According to ECW, the switch provides service so that the called party may select from processing treatments for the second call which, in addition to the conventional processing of a) placing the first telephone call on hold and answering the second telephone call request, or b) simply declining the subsequent telephone call request, include treatments such as: 1) declining acceptance of the subsequent telephone call request but signaling the subsequent telephone call originator, via a message, to call again at a predetermined time or at the end of a specified period of time; 2) declining acceptance of the subsequent telephone call request and signaling the subsequent telephone call originator, via a message, that the called subscriber will return the call at a predetermined time or at the end of a specified period of time; 3) bridging the subsequent telephone call originator with the first telephone call to establish a conference; 4) directing, via a message, that the telephone call be transferred to another telephone number, e.g., a secretary or voice messaging system, that is specified as part of the message; or 5) disabling call waiting while the called subscriber remains on the first call, (i) for this particular caller, (ii) for all callers except those listed on a so-called "exception" list, or (iii) for all callers.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing enhanced call waiting service to a subscriber thereof who is on a first telephone call when a second telephone call arrives, comprising the steps of:

determining that said subscriber had previously signaled during the existence of said first telephone call that call waiting service was to be disabled during the continued existence of said first telephone call;

determining the type of disabling selected by said subscriber from a plurality of available types; and

treating said second telephone call in accordance with said type of disabling selected by said subscriber.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of types is disallowing of call waiting for all callers except those identified by an exception list.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said treating step comprises the steps of:

determining that said second telephone call is not listed in said list; and

inhibiting operation of any further call waiting processing for said second telephone call.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said treating step comprises the steps of:

determining that said second telephone call is not listed in said list; and

completing enhanced call waiting processing for said second telephone call.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of types is the disallowing of call waiting only for a predetermined list of one or more callers.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said callers listed in said list had previously called said subscriber during the existence of said first telephone call.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein said treating step comprises the steps of:

determining that said second telephone call is listed in said list; and

inhibiting operation of any further call waiting processing for said second telephone call.

8. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of types is the disallowing of call waiting for all callers without exception.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said step of treating comprises the step of inhibiting operation of any further call waiting processing for said second telephone call.

10. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said step of treating comprises the step of processing said second telephone call as if said subscriber was not a subscriber to call waiting service.

11. A method for use in providing enhanced call waiting service to a subscriber thereof who is on a first telephone call when a second telephone call arrives, wherein said subscriber had previously signaled during the existence of said first telephone call that call waiting service was to be disabled during the continued existence of said first telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the type of disabling selected by said subscriber; and

providing call waiting service for said second telephone call only when such service is not indicated to be unavailable for said second telephone call as a function of both the type of disabling selected by said subscriber and information available about said second telephone call.

12. Apparatus for processing telephone calls to a telephone for which enhanced call waiting has been provisioned, and for which an indication of call waiting disablement has been stored during a first telephone call for said first telephone call only, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a second telephone call destined to said telephone during continued existence of said first telephone call; and

means for providing of call waiting service for said second telephone call;

wherein said means for providing call waiting service provides such service only when such service is not indicated to be disabled for said second telephone call as a joint function of a type of disablement indicated and information available about said second telephone call.

13. Apparatus for processing telephone calls to a telephone for which enhanced call waiting has been provisioned, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining that said called telephone is on a first telephone call;

means for detecting a second telephone call destined to said telephone;

means for storing an indication of call waiting disablement for said first telephone call and a type thereof after said determining means determined that said called telephone is on said first telephone call; and

means, responsive to storage of an indication prior to detection of said second telephone call, for providing call waiting service for said second telephone call only when such service is not indicated to be disabled for said second telephone call as function of both the type of disabling indicated by said stored indication and information available about said second telephone call.

14. The invention as defined in claim 13 wherein said indication is stored in response to a message received from said called telephone during said first telephone call.

15. Apparatus for processing telephone calls to a called telephone for which an indication of call waiting disablement has been stored during a first telephone call from a first calling telephone for a duration of said first telephone call only, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a second telephone call destined to said called telephone during continued existence of said first telephone call;

means for supplying a signal indicating existence of said second telephone call to said called telephone over a voice communication channel to said called telephone substantially upon detection of said second telephone call; and

means for inhibiting operation of said means for supplying in response to said stored indication.

16. The invention as defined in claim 15 wherein said apparatus further includes means for disconnecting voice communication from said first calling telephone to said called telephone, said means for disconnecting being responsive to, and inhibited from operating by, said means for inhibiting.

17. The invention as defined in claim 15 wherein said signal provides information regarding an identity associated with a second telephone calling telephone from which said second telephone call is originated.

18. Apparatus for processing telephone calls to a called telephone for which enhanced call waiting has been provisioned, and for which an indication of call waiting disablement has been stored during a first telephone call from a first calling telephone for said first telephone call only, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a second telephone call destined to said called telephone during continued existence of said first telephone call;

means for disconnecting a communication path of said first telephone call between said called telephone and a first calling telephone; and

means for supplying an indication indicating existence of said second telephone call over said communication path;

wherein said means for providing an indication of the arrival of said second telephone call does so only when call waiting service is not indicated to be disabled for said second telephone call as a joint function of a type of disablement indicated and information available about said second telephone call.

19. The invention as defined in claim 18 further comprising means for receiving said information about said second telephone call.

20. The invention as defined in claim 19 further comprising means for translating said received information.

21. Apparatus for processing telephone calls to a called telephone for which an indication of call waiting disablement has been stored during a first telephone call from a first calling telephone for a duration of said first telephone call only, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a second telephone call destined to said called telephone during continued existence of said first telephone call;

means for supplying a signal suitable for visual display and indicating existence of said second telephone call to said called telephone to said called telephone substantially upon detection of said second telephone call; and

means for inhibiting operation of said means for supplying in response to said stored indication.

22. A method for use in providing enhanced call waiting service to a subscriber thereof who is on a first telephone call when a second telephone call arrives, comprising the steps of:

determining that said subscriber had previously signaled during the existence of said first telephone call that call waiting service was to be disabled during the continued existence of said first telephone call;

determining the type of disabling selected by said subscriber from a plurality of available types; and

treating said second telephone call in accordance with said type of disabling selected by said subscriber;

wherein one of said plurality of types is the disallowing of call waiting only for a predetermined list of one or more callers and at least one of said callers listed in said list became listed in said list when they previously called said subscriber during the existence of said first telephone call.