Communication system and method using two-way paging to provide call control

• US 6,032,023 A
• Filed: 12/29/1998
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, Roy Philip, Foladare, Mark Jeffrey, Goldman, Shelley Betty, Silverman, David Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US09/222,416
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 455/31.3, 455/417, 455/414, 455/412, 455/461, 455/445, 455/31.2, 455/31.1, 455/403, 455/413, 455/415, 455/459, 455/458, 455/426, 340/825.44, 340/311.1
• US Class Current: 340/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers

Abstract

A system and method of using two-way paging to establish communications with a mobile party having a Personal Telephone Number. The mobile party is equipped with a two-way pager which the party may use to provide call control. The pager is periodically queried by a network and/or paging service to determine whether or not the pager is reachable. If the pager becomes unreachable, and thereafter a call is placed to the party'"'"'s Personal Telephone Number, the network routes the call to a default station. If the pager is reachable, any one of a number of alternative call routing procedures may be invoked including: registration type routing, call-by-call routing, revertive calling, call examination routing, and subsequent routing. In one possible embodiment, a Customer Routing Point is used to store the pager status along with other call routing information, and a Network Control Point is used to carry out the appropriate routing procedure. Other possible embodiments include: using an adjunct to perform the functions of the Customer Routing Point and Network Control Point; and combining an adjunct with a Customer Routing Point and Network Control Point.

Claims

1. A method for routing a call that is initiated from a first communication device and is directed to a subscriber'"'"'s personal telephone number, the subscriber being equipped with a two-way pager, comprising:

a) determining whether the two-way pager is reachable;

b) when the two-way pager is unreachable, routing the call to a default station;

wherein said determining is performed without sending a page to the two-way pager in response to the call; and

c) when the two-way pager is reachable, coupling the call to a voice response unit, using said voice response unit to collect one or more entered digits, automatically screening the call based on said entered digits to determine whether the call should be routed to a second communication device associated with said call control parameters or routed to an alternative treatment, and routing the call in response to the result of said screening.

2. A system for routing a call that is initiated from a first communication device and is directed to a subscriber, the subscriber being equipped with a two-way pager, said system comprising:

a) means for (i) determining prior to accessing the subscriber whether the two-way pager is reachable, and (ii) routing the call to a default station when the two-way pager is determined to be unreachable;

b) means for receiving one or more call control parameters when the two-way pager is determined to be reachable, said parameters originating from the two-way pager and being associated with a second communication device; and

c) means for using said call control parameters to process the call for completion at said second communication device when the two-way pager is reachable.

3. A system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a means for receiving one or more subsequent call control parameters, said subsequent parameters originating from said two-way pager and being received after said call control parameters were used in said using step to route the call to said second communication device; and

a means for using said subsequent parameters to reroute the call to a third communication device.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein when said two-way pager is reachable the method further comprises:

means for retrieving a pager code for the subscriber; and

means for initiating a page to the subscriber.

5. A system for routing a call that is initiated from a first communication device and is directed to a subscriber'"'"'s personal telephone number comprising:

a paging service adapted to determine whether a two-way pager is reachable prior to accessing the subscriber;

the two-way pager configured to route the call to a default station when the subscriber is unreachable, wherein the two-way pager does not receive a page in response to the call; and

a network capable of receiving one or more call control parameters, said call control parameters originating from the two-way pager and being associated with a second communication device, and the network adapted to using said call control parameters to route the call to said second communication device associated with said parameters when the two-way pager is reachable.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the network is configured to request from the pager service whether the two-way pager is reachable.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein the two-way pager is equipped with an automatic off switch, which when activated causes the two-way pager to become unreachable.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein the two-way pager is equipped with an automatic off switch, which when activated causes the two-way pager to become unreachable.

9. A system for routing a call that is initiated from a first communication device and is directed to a subscriber, the subscriber being equipped with a two-way pager, said system comprising:

a) means for (i) determining prior to accessing the subscriber whether the two-way pager is reachable, and (ii) routing the call to a default station when the two-way pager is determined to be unreachable;

b) when the two-way pager is determined to be reachable, means for receiving a revertive call indicator, said revertive call indicator being originated from the two-way pager by the subscriber;

means for holding said call in response to receiving said revertive call indicator until a return call is initiated from a second communication device; and

means for bridging the call to said second communication device in response to said return call.

10. A system for routing a call that is initiated from a first communication device and is directed to a subscriber, the subscriber being equipped with a two-way pager, said system comprising:

a) means for (i) determining prior to accessing the subscriber whether the two-way pager is reachable, and (ii) routing the call to a default station when the two-way pager is determined to be unreachable;

b) when the two-way pager is determined to be reachable, means for determining an identification number for the first communication device;

means for automatically screening the call based on said identification number to determine whether the call should be processed for completion to the subscriber; and

means for routing the call in response to the result of said screening.

11. A system for routing a call that is initiated from a first communication device and is directed to a subscriber, the subscriber being equipped with a two-way pager, said system comprising:

a) means for (i) determining prior to accessing the subscriber whether the two-way pager is reachable, and (ii) routing the call to a default station when the two-way pager is determined to be unreachable;

b) when the two-way pager is reachable, means for receiving and storing one or more call control parameters at a database prior to the initiation of the call, said call control parameters originating from the two-way pager and being associated with said default station;

means for retrieving said call control parameters from said database; and

means for using said call control parameters to route the call to said default station.