Telecommunications system and method for automatic call processing according foregoing inbound and outbound calls to arbitrary delegates

• US 5,774,531 A
• Filed: 08/21/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Technology Dept., Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Loomis, Pal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N.
• Application Number:
  US08/701,470
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/133, 379/265, 379/266, 379/92.02, 379/89, 379/95, 379/126, 379/198, 379/200, 379/201, 379/157, 379/161, 379/207, 395/200.33, 395/200.49, 395/200.56, 395/601, 395/800.14, 395/800.01, 707/7, 707/5, 707/3, 707/100
• US Class Current: 379/112.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13054 Expert system
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13331 Abbreviated dialling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/62 for connecting to private branch exchanges

Abstract

In a network of a telecommunications service provider, a system processes telephone calls according to foregoing inbound and outbound calls to arbitrary delegates. The system includes a database having a computer-readable file of user journals corresponding to telephone numbers of service subscribers. Each journal has lists of inbound and outbound telephone numbers associated with calls made to/from a particular telephone of the service subscriber. In addition, the user journal includes a list specifying telephone numbers of third-party subscribers who are authorized to perform various call processing operations on the inbound and outbound lists of the subscriber. The call processing operations representatively include browsing through the inbound and outbound lists of the subscriber and auto-dialing any number on the lists. Also provided is a method for processing telephone calls in accordance with the above system.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for processing telephone calls according to foregoing inbound and outbound calls to arbitrary delegates, comprising:

at least one switching office, located in a network of a telecommunications service provider, for establishing a voice path between a calling and a called party;

a plurality of telecommunications service subscribers, including said calling party, connected to said switching office, said plurality of telecommunications service subscribers desiring to obtain a voice communication among themselves;

a processor, located in said switching office, for carrying out a sequence of instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium;

a database connected to said processor, for providing a computer file which includes computer-readable information about a service subscriber in said plurality of telecommunications service subscribers, said computer-readable information being arranged as a user journal corresponding to said service subscriber, wherein said user journal includes a first list comprising at least one telephone number of a first set of service subscribers initiating a telephone call to said service subscriber, a second list comprising at least one telephone number of a second set of service subscribers receiving a telephone call from said service subscriber, and a third list comprising at least one telephone number of a third set of service subscribers who are authorized to access said first and second lists, wherein said processor, responsive to said sequence of instructions generated from commands input by a user, accesses said database to perform a call processing function using either said telephone number of said first set of service subscribers or said telephone number of said second set of service subscribers located in said first and second lists, respectively.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said database is local to said switching office.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said database is remotely located from said switching office.

4. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a second switching office located in said network such that said called party is connected to said second switching office, wherein said remotely located database includes said user journal corresponding to said called party.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said user journal further comprises information selected from the following:

billing information of said user, a date and a time recordation of a telephone call initiated by said service subscriber, a date and a time recordation of a telephone call placed to said service subscriber, a name and an address of said calling and called party, and a frequency of telephone use of said subscriber.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising Private Branch Exchange (PBX) equipment communicatively coupled to said switching office, wherein said plurality of telecommunications service subscribers are connected to said switching office via said PBX equipment.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said call processing function includes one of the following operations:

dialing a last called number from said subscriber'"'"'s telephone, dialing a last calling number to said subscriber'"'"'s telephone, dialing said last called number from another service subscriber'"'"'s telephone if an access privilege has been obtained, dialing said last calling number to said another service subscriber'"'"'s telephone if said access privilege has been obtained, browsing the history of outbound and inbound calls for said subscriber'"'"'s telephone and providing an instant auto-dial during said browsing, browsing the history of outbound and inbound calls for said another service subscriber'"'"'s telephone if said access privilege has been obtained and providing said instant auto-dial during said browsing, granting or revoking access rights to other subscribers in said network for the purpose of controlling said functions, providing an administration of tracking inbound or outbound calls, providing an administration of browsing current access privileges and maintaining those privileges, and providing an administration of clearing current inbound or outbound lists.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein a request for carrying out said call processing function is input via a telephone keypad used as an interface by said subscriber who presses appropriate keys on said keypad in response to a menu-driven program.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein a request for carrying out said call processing function is input via an audio response unit used as an interface by said subscriber who vocalizes the selection of said call processing function in response to a menu-driven program.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone number includes a wildcard character taking place of at least one digit designating a plurality of telephone numbers in said network.

11. A method of processing telephone calls according to foregoing inbound and outbound calls to arbitrary delegates in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

connecting to a switching office a plurality of telecommunications service subscribers desiring to obtain a voice communication among themselves to establish a voice path between a calling and a called party via said switching office located in said network of a telecommunications service provider, said switching office including a processor to carry out a sequence of instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium;

connecting a database to said processor;

creating a computer file in said database, said file including a computer-readable information about a service subscriber in said plurality of telecommunications service subscribers;

arranging said computer-readable information as a user journal corresponding to said service subscriber, wherein said user journal includes a first list comprising at least one telephone number of a first set of service subscribers initiating a telephone call to said service subscriber, a second list comprising at least one telephone number of a second set of service subscribers receiving a telephone call from said service subscriber, and a third list comprising at least one telephone number of a third set of service subscribers who are authorized to access said first and second lists;

generating said sequence of instructions from commands input by a user;

accessing said database in response to said generating; and

performing a call processing function using either said first set of service subscriber'"'"'s telephone number or said second set of service subscriber'"'"'s telephone number located in said first and second lists, respectively.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of locally placing said database with respect to said switching office.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of remotely locating said database with respect to said switching office.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of locating a second switching office in said network and connecting said called party to said second switching office, wherein said remotely located database includes said user journal for said called party.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of performing said call processing function includes one of the following operations:

dialing a last called number from said subscriber'"'"'s telephone, dialing a last calling number to said subscriber'"'"'s telephone, dialing said last called number from another service subscriber'"'"'s telephone if an access privilege has been obtained, dialing said last calling number to said another service subscriber'"'"'s telephone if said access privilege has been obtained, browsing the history of outbound and inbound calls for said subscriber'"'"'s telephone and providing an instant auto-dial during said browsing, browsing the history of outbound and inbound calls for said another service subscriber'"'"'s telephone if said access privilege has been obtained and providing said instant auto-dial during said browsing, granting or revoking access rights to other subscribers in said network for the purpose of controlling said functions, providing an administration of tracking inbound or outbound calls, providing an administration of browsing current access privileges and maintaining those privileges, and providing an administration of clearing current inbound or outbound lists.