Method for providing caller directive announcements in a personal communication system

• US 5,862,209 A
• Filed: 02/21/1995
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kapsales, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US08/391,803
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/68, 379/84, 379/88, 379/89, 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/213, 379/214, 379/56.1, 379/70, 379/71, 379/93.24, 379/100.08, 379/207, 379/217
• US Class Current: 379/214.01
• 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 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

In a personal communication service (PCS) environment, a plurality of messages are stored which are used to provide caller directive announcements. The caller directive announcements are associated with tag messages previously stored by a subscriber, and are sufficiently detailed to tell a caller, for example, that a subscriber is in a hotel and, thus, should be asked for by name.

Claims

1. A method for use in a telephone system to provide a plurality of caller directive announcements of which at least one is used to advise a caller on a rapid manner of reaching a chosen subscriber, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an interexchange carrier switching center an incoming call from a caller,

applying the incoming call to a switch means located in the interexchange carrier switching center,

transferring selective information concerning said incoming call to an application adjunct system in the interexchange carrier switching center,

storing a plurality of caller directive announcements in an application adjunct system data base,

associating said plurality of caller directive announcements with predetermined location indicators previously stored in said application adjunct system data base by said subscriber, said location indicators identifying locations at which said subscriber may be reached in a rapid manner,

accessing said predetermined location indicators in said application adjunct system data base in response to information provided by said caller to retrieve selected ones of said caller directive announcements associated with said predetermined location indicators,

announcing to said caller from said interexchange carrier switching center at least one of said plurality of caller directive announcements, and

establishing a communications link between said caller and said subscriber after the announcement of said caller directive announcement.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein there is further included the step of giving said caller an option to choose an alternative communication sequence should said subscriber not be reached in response to said caller acting in response to said caller directive announcement.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein there is further included the step of terminating a calling sequence if said subscriber is not reached by said caller.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said caller directive announcement includes a plurality of concatenated prerecorded announcements.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said information provided by said caller includes an ANI designation.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said information provided by said caller includes a PIN designation.

7. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein said alternative communication sequence includes paging said subscriber.

8. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein said alternative communication sequence includes granting said caller access to said subscriber'"'"'s voice mail.

9. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein said alternative communication sequence includes granting said caller access to a subscriber'"'"'s E mail.