Enhanced call waiting

• US 6,026,156 A
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Telecommunications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aspect Telecommunications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blanchard, John T., Fuller, Robert M., Epler, Frederick A., Kranzler, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/175,151
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.21, 379/127, 379/142, 379/93.26, 379/188, 379/189, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/199, 379/200, 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/214, 379/215, 379/212, 379/202 , 379/203, 379/204, 379/205, 379/206, 379/246, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/93.35
• US Class Current: 379/215.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• 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: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0457 Connection protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1315 Call waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13173 Busy signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 : Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1326 : Consultation call, broker's call, call hold, toggling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13274 : Call rejection, call barring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 : Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/54525 : Features introduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/54566 : Intelligent peripherals, adjunct processors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/54591 : Supervision, e.g. fault localisation, traffic measurements, avoiding errors, failure recovery, monitoring, statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/62 : for connecting to private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for providing telecommunication services to a user. When the user is engaged in a first telephone call via a telephone switch with a first party and a second party attempts to place a second telephone call to the user via the switch, the method and apparatus advise the second caller that the user is engaged in a telephone conversation and allow the second caller to determine whether to interrupt the user or choose another alternative. The user can then decide whether to accept the call from the second caller, putting the first caller on hold, or to refuse the second call. Alternative embodiments are disclosed where the user is advised of the identity of the second caller (or wherein the user has previously authorized certain callers to interrupt a current call with a new call), and then the user can decide whether to accept the call from the second party (placing the first party on hold) or to deny the second party (in which case the second party is transferred to a message center).

Claims

1. A method of providing telecommunication services to a user when the user is engaged in a first telephone call with a first party over a voice channel while a second party attempts to place a second telephone call to the user, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) after the second party places the second telephone call, receiving information relating to the second party; and

(b) transmitting an audible signal indicative of the received information to the user via said voice channel while the user remains engaged with the first telephone call so that the user receives at least the audible signal indicative of the received information while the first party continues to receive signals sent to the first party by the user, but without transmitting the audible signal indicative of the received information to the first party over said voice channel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user continues to receive audio sent to the user by the first party while also receiving the audible signal indicative of the received information.

3. The method of claim 2 further including:

(c) detecting whether or not the user inputs a command to connect to the second telephone call, and in response to the detection of said command, coupling the second telephone call from the second party with the user.

4. The method of claim 3 further wherein when a third party attempts to place a third telephone call to the user when said user is actively engaged with a previous party including either said first party or said second party, then:

(a) after the third party places the third telephone call, receiving information relating to the third party; and

(b) transmitting an audible signal indicative of the received information to the user via said voice channel while the user remains engaged with the previous party so that the user receives at least the audible signal indicative of the received information while the previous party continues to receive signals sent to the previous party by the user, but without transmitting the audible signal indicative of the received information to the previous party over said voice channel,

(c) detecting whether or not the user inputs a command to connect to the third telephone call, and in response to the detection of said command, coupling the third telephone call from the third party with the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second party is prompted to provide information which then is transmitted to the user as said received information.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the information is an audible signal provided by the second party.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is selectively performed based upon previously stored selection criteria.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said call processor is programmed to allow the user to continue to receive audio emissions of the first party while also receiving the audio signal indicative of the received information relating to the second party.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said call processor is further programmed to instruct said switch to couple said second telephone call to a voice mail facility if said command to connect to the second party is not received within a period of time.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the call processor is programmed to prompt the second party to identify himself or herself and to transmit any response provided by the second party to the user as said received identification information.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the response provided by the second party is an audible response and wherein said call processor is programmed to transmit the audible response to the user as said audio signal indicative of the received information relating to the second party.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said caller processor is programmed to advise the user that there is a call waiting only if the received information relating to the second party meets certain previously stored selection criteria.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said call processor is further programmed to receive the information relating to the second party in a first format and transmit it in a different format.

8. An apparatus for providing communication services to a user, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a switch for connecting an audio path between the user and a first party to establish a first telephone call; and

(b) a programmed call processor coupled to said switch and, responsive to a second party attempting to place a second telephone call to the user while the user is connected in said first telephone call, said call processor being programmed to;

(i) receive information relating to the second party;

(ii) transmit an audio signal indicative of the received information relating to the second party to the user via the audio path of the first telephone call, without directly transmitting the audio signal indicative of the received information relating to the second party to the first party and without muting the first party from the audio path to the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said call processor is further programmed to:

(iii) detect whether or not the user inputs a command to connect to the second party; and

(iv) instruct said switch to place the second party in telephone communication with the user upon receiving said command to connect to the second party from the user.