Method and apparatus for non-offensive termination of an outbound call and for detection of an answer of an outbound call by an answering machine

• US 5,828,731 A
• Filed: 11/22/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inventions, Inc.
• Inventors: Quinn, Chester P., Szlam, Aleksander
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Application Number:
  US08/754,151
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/92, 379/196, 379/197, 379/133, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/88.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2027 Live party detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are disclosed which provide for non-offensive termination of an outbound call which has been answered when an agent is not available to handle said outbound call. An outbound call is placed (10) and a determination is made (11) as to whether the call has been answered. If the call has been answered then a determination is made (12) as to whether the call was answered by a person or an answering machine. If the call was answered by a person then a determination is made as to whether an agent is available to handle said outbound call. If an agent is available then the agent is connected (13) to the outbound call. If an agent is not available then a termination message is played (15). If the call was answered by an answering machine then, depending upon a user-selected option (16), a termination message will be played (15) or an interactive session will be started (17). Also disclosed are a method and an apparatus for detecting an answering machine. The duration of a noise level signal is measured, the duration of a sound level signal is measured, and if the noise level signal is followed by a sound level signal, or if the sound level signal duration exceeds a predetermined duration, then the call is deemed to have been answered by an answering machine.

Claims

1. A method for processing outbound calls, comprising the steps of:

placing an outbound call to a called party;

determining whether said outbound call has been answered;

if said outbound call has been answered then determining whether said outbound call was answered by a machine;

if said outbound call was answered by a machine then playing, for said outbound call, a message which intentionally conceals from a party hearing said message at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of the following;

that said called partly will activate call blocking, that said called party will activate last call callback, or that said called party will monitor a calling number identification display to determine the telephone number of the calling party; and

then terminating said outbound call;

if said outbound call was not answered by a machine then determining whether an agent is available to handle said outbound call;

if an agent is not available to handle said outbound call then playing, for said outbound call, a message which conceals at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call from a party hearing said message played in response to an agent not being available, and then terminating said outbound call.

2. A method for processing outbound calls, comprising the steps of:

placing an outbound call to a called party;

determining whether said outbound call has been answered;

if said outbound call has been answered then determining whether said outbound call was answered by a machine;

if said outbound call was answered by a machine then playing, for said outbound call, a message which intentionally conceals from a party hearing said message at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of the following;

that said called party will activate call blocking, that said called party will activate last call callback, or that said called party will monitor a calling number identification display to determine the telephone number of the calling party; and

terminating said outbound call;

said step of playing said message comprising selecting, for said message, a language out of a plurality of languages which conceal from said called party at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call.

3. A method for processing outbound calls, comprising the steps of:

placing an outbound call to a called party;

determining whether said outbound call has been answered;

if said outbound call has been answered then determining whether said outbound call was answered by a machine;

if said outbound call was answered by a machine then playing, for said outbound call, a message which intentionally conceals from a party hearing said message at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of the following;

that said called party will activate call blocking, that said called party will activate last call callback, or that said called party will monitor a calling number identification display to determine the telephone number of the calling party; and

terminating said outbound call;

said step of playing said message comprising selecting, for said message, a gender for a voice which conceals from said called party at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call.

4. A method for processing outbound calls, comprising the steps of:

placing an outbound call to a called party;

determining whether said outbound call has been answered;

if said outbound call has been answered then determining whether said outbound call was answered by a machine;

if said outbound call was answered by a machine then playing, for said outbound call, a message which intentionally conceals from a party hearing said message at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of the following;

that said called party will activate call blocking, that said called party will activate last call callback, or that said called party will monitor a calling number identification display to determine the telephone number of the calling party; and

terminating said outbound call;

said step of playing said message comprising selecting, for said message, a child'"'"'s voice out of a plurality of voices which conceal from said called party at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call.

5. A method for processing outbound calls, comprising the steps of:

placing an outbound call to a called party;

determining whether said outbound call has been answered;

if said outbound call has been answered then determining whether said outbound call was answered by a machine;

if said outbound call was answered by a machine then playing, for said outbound call, a message which intentionally conceals from a party hearing said message at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of the following;

that said called party will activate call blocking, that said called party will activate last call callback, or that said called party will monitor a calling number identification display to determine the telephone number of the calling party; and

terminating said outbound call;

said step of playing said message comprising selecting, for said message, a message text out of a plurality of messages texts which conceal from said called party at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call.

6. An apparatus for processing outbound calls, comprising:

first means for initiating an outbound call to a called party by dialing a telephone number on a telephone trunk;

second means for playing a message, for said outbound call, which intentionally conceals from said called party at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of the following;

that said called party will activate call blocking, that said called party will activate last call callback, or that said called party will monitor a calling number identification display to determine the telephone number of the calling party, said second means having a plurality of combinations of voice, gender, and message text which conceal from said called party at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call; and

third means for providing said telephone number to said first means, for determining whether said outbound call has been answered by a machine, for causing said second means to play said message for said outbound call if said outbound call was answered by a machine, and for terminating said outbound call after said message has been played, said third means instructing said second means which of said combinations is to be used as said message to be played for said outbound call.

7. An apparatus for processing outbound calls, comprising:

first means for initiating an outbound call to a called party by dialing a telephone number on a telephone trunk;

second means for playing a message, for said outbound call, which intentionally conceals from said called party at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of the following;

that said called party will activate call blocking, that said called party will activate last call callback, or that said called party will monitor a calling number identification display to determine the telephone number of the calling party, said second means playing said message by converting message signals into a form suitable for transmission over said telephone trunk; and

third means for providing said telephone number to said first means, for determining whether said outbound call has been answered by a machine, for causing said second means to play said message for said outbound call if said outbound call was answered by a machine, and for terminating said outbound call after said message has been played, said third means containing a plurality of combinations of voice, gender, and message text which conceal from said called party at least one of the reason for said outbound call or the source of said outbound call, and said third means selects which of said combinations is to be used, and sends the selected combination as said message signals to said second means.

8. A method for detecting an answer of an outbound call on a telephone trunk by machine, comprising the steps of:

comparing the level of a signal on said telephone trunk with a threshold level;

measuring the period that said level of said signal is above said threshold level;

comparing said period to a predetermined duration, said predetermined duration being longer than the duration of a normal live answer; and

declaring said outbound call to have been answered by machine if said period exceeds said predetermined duration.

9. A method for detecting an answer of an outbound call on a telephone trunk by machine, comprising the steps of:

comparing the level of a signal on said telephone trunk with a first threshold;

measuring the period that said level is above said first threshold;

comparing the level of said signal on said telephone trunk with a second threshold;

measuring the period that said level is above said second threshold; and

if said period that said signal is above said first threshold exceeds a first duration, and said period that said signal is above said second threshold exceeds a second duration, said second duration being longer than the duration of a normal live answer, then declaring said outbound call to have been answered by a machine.