Method of altering the destination telephone number of an incoming call

• US 5,825,862 A
• Filed: 11/30/1995
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Voit, Eric A., DePaul, Kenneth E., Sours, Larry W., Liptak, Lance S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US08/563,399
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/114, 379/142, 379/94, 379/95, 379/96, 379/98, 379/354, 379/220, 379/221, 379/93, 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/93.17, 379/207, 379/219, 379/230, 370/394, 370/396, 370/397, 348/7, 348/12, 348/14, 348/16
• US Class Current: 379/142.16
• 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 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• 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: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13202 Network termination [NT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1328 Call transfer, e.g. in PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An advanced intelligent network (AIN) comprises a services control point providing fully integrated service logic for both narrowband and broadband communications. When a terminating trigger of a switch on the phone number of the line serving a customer detects an incoming telephone call, the switch sends a query to the services control point with the calling number of the incoming call. The services control point issues a send data transaction with the retrieved calling party information to the customer'"'"'s set-top box. The calling party information is then displayed on the customer'"'"'s video display, and the customer sends an instruction for re-directing the call through the set-top box to the ISCP.

Claims

1. A method of processing an incoming narrowband call from a narrowband network to narrowband equipment of a customer receiving services through a broadband network, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying broadband information from said broadband network on broadband premises equipment of said customer connected to said broadband network;

detecting the incoming narrowband call on a call-by-call basis for the narrowband equipment of said customer, and a calling number corresponding to the incoming narrowband call, in a switch of the narrowband network;

sending a query containing the calling number to a services control point;

in response to the query containing the calling number, initiating a data transaction to send data associated with said incoming narrowband call from the services control point to the broadband network;

forwarding said data associated with said incoming narrowband call through an element of the broadband network to the broadband premises equipment of said customer; and

in response to said data associated with said incoming narrowband call, sending a message from the broadband premises equipment of said customer to the services control point indicating instructions for the routing of said incoming narrowband call in accordance with said message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of initiating a data transaction comprises sending a second query to the broadband network to determine whether said customer is receiving a video event.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of sending a query to the services control point comprises sending a query when the narrowband call is received in said switch.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said services control point performs said step of initiating a data transaction.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said services control point performs said step of initiating a data transaction by sending a second query to an addressable set-top box of said customer.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said services control point sends said data associated with said incoming narrowband call to said addressable set-top box when said set-top box responds to said second query by indicating that the customer is receiving a video event.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said addressable set-top box is responsive to said data associated with said incoming narrowband call to display a display message, receive selections made by the customer on a remote control of said addressable set-top box and send a control message to the services control point indicating instructions corresponding to the selections made by the customer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said data associated with said incoming narrowband call includes said calling number and said display message includes said calling number.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the services control point retrieves at least a portion of the data associated with said incoming narrowband call from a remote database and wherein, if the data associated with said incoming narrowband call includes the calling number, then the display message includes the calling number, and if the data associated with said incoming narrowband call does not include the calling number, then the display message does not include the calling number.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein said addressable set top box formats said data into a textual message and sends said textual message to the broadband premises equipment of said customer.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said addressable set-top box overlays said textual message on the broadband information from said broadband network displayed on said the broadband premises equipment of said customer.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said broadband network comprises a broadband video network, said broadband information comprises broadband video information and said addressable set-top box scrolls said textual message across the broadband video information from said broadband video network displayed on the broadband premises equipment of said customer.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein said services control point comprises an integrated services control point and wherein said method comprises the further step of sending a message from the services control point to the switch in the narrowband network after said set-top box responds to said second query from the services control point by indicating that it is turned on.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said data associated with said incoming telephone call is displayed before said narrowband call is connected.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of detecting the incoming narrowband call for the customer'"'"'s narrowband equipment comprises detecting a terminating trigger event which causes said switch to send a query to the service control point in response to the receipt of said telephone call.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the terminating trigger event is a terminating attempt trigger.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the switch detects a calling number of said incoming narrowband call using calling number information from signalling messages used to set up the incoming narrowband call.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the switch detects the calling number using automatic number identification.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data associated with said incoming narrowband call includes the calling number.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said services control point sends said calling number to said addressable set-top box when the customer is receiving a video event.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said addressable set-top box is responsive to said calling number to display a display message including said calling number, receive selections made by the customer on a remote control of said addressable set-top box and send a control message to the services control point indicating instructions corresponding to the selections made by the customer.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein said addressable set top box formats said calling number into a textual message and sends said textual message to the broadband premises equipment of said customer.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said addressable set-top box overlays said textual message on the broadband information from said broadband network displayed on said the broadband premises equipment of said customer.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein said broadband network comprises a broadband video network, said broadband information comprises broadband video information and said addressable set-top box scrolls said textual message across the broadband video information from said broadband video network displayed on the broadband premises equipment of said customer.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein said calling number is displayed before said narrowband call is connected.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein the switch detects a calling number of said incoming narrowband call using calling number information from signalling messages used to set up the incoming narrowband call.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the switch detects the calling number using automatic number identification.

28. An advanced intelligent network providing narrowband and broadband communications to a customer, said network comprising:

a narrowband network for narrowband communications having at least one signal switching office and a signaling system, said one signal switching office for routing narrowband calls and detecting a narrowband call to said customer and a calling number corresponding to the narrowband call on a call-by-call basis;

a broadband network, said customer having video equipment, including at least a video display, connected to said broadband network;

a services control point, operative to execute network service logic programs for routing narrowband communications in said narrowband network, at least one of said network service logic programs being responsive to a query from said at least one signal switching office containing the calling number corresponding to said narrowband call, for instructing the services control point to initiate a data transaction to send data to the broadband network, the data including calling party information; and

an addressable set-top box, connected to said video display for receiving broadband video information from said broadband network and said data including calling party information from said services control point, said set-top box displaying said data including the calling party information and a prompt, prompting the customer to enter a response, on said display device, and forwarding a message to said services control point indicative of said response, said services control point executing a service logic program for routing said incoming narrowband call in accordance with said message.

29. An advanced intelligent network as recited in claim 28, wherein said calling party information is stored in the network.

30. An advanced intelligent network as recited in claim 29, wherein said network further comprises a line identification database, said calling party information is stored in said line identification database and at least one of said network service logic programs contains instructions instructing the services control point to directly query said line identification database to obtain said calling party information based on the calling number and initiating the data transaction when the line identification database responds to the query with the calling party information.

31. An advanced intelligent network as recited in claim 28, wherein said services control point contains default service logic to be executed in the absence of a message from said set-top box.

32. An advanced intelligent network as recited in claim 31, wherein said interface point comprises a level 1 gateway.

33. An advanced intelligent network as recited in claim 31, wherein said network further comprises an interface point for interfacing said addressable set-top box and said services control point.

34. An advanced intelligent network as recited in claim 33, wherein said interface point comprises software resident in said addressable set-top box.

35. An advanced intelligent network as recited in claim 31, wherein said addressable set top box formats said calling party information into a textual message and wherein said prompt comprises a menu of options for rerouting of said narrowband call.

36. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 35, wherein said menu of options contains an option for forwarding said narrowband call to a pre-stored telephone number.

37. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 35, wherein said menu of options contains options for blocking said narrowband call and for completing said narrowband call.

38. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 35, wherein said customer enters a response using a remote control of said set-top box.

39. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 33, wherein said services control point sends a message from the services control point to the switch in the narrowband network after said set top box forwards said message to the services control point indicating that the customer has entered a response.

40. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 39, wherein said calling party information and said prompt are displayed before said narrowband call is connected.

41. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 28, wherein said one signal switching office detects a trigger event on the narrowband call.

42. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 41, wherein the trigger event comprises a terminating attempt trigger.

43. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 28, wherein said network further comprises a line identification database connected to said services control point.

44. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 43, wherein said calling party information includes information from said line identification database.

45. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 43, wherein said calling party information includes said calling number corresponding to the narrowband call.

46. An advanced intelligent network according to claim 28, wherein said video display comprises a television screen.