Method and apparatus for providing network-based customized call treatment

• US 6,055,305 A
• Filed: 12/16/1997
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Norman, Eric S., Norman, Peter M., Wycherley, Bruce D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US08/991,154
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.05, 379/88.06, 379/88.19, 379/198, 379/199, 379/196, 379/243, 379/245, 379/201, 379/210, 379/211
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• 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 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing customized treatment for incoming calls from a calling party to a called party. A database is queried with a calling party identifier and a called party identifier of the calling party to obtain a call treatment parameter. When the call treatment parameter indicates the call requires treatment before being connected, treating the call without connecting the call to the called party, based on the call treatment parameter.

Claims

1. A method for providing customized treatment to incoming calls from a calling party to a called party, comprising:

(a) querying a database with a first calling party identifier and a first called party identifier to obtain a call treatment parameter and a variable treatment parameter, the variable treatment parameter including an occurrence restriction; and

(b) treating the call, when the call treatment parameter and the variable treatment parameter indicates the call requires treatment, without connecting the call to the called party, based on the call treatment parameter and the variable treatment parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the database associates a plurality of calling party identifiers including the first calling party identifier with the first called party identifier based on a portion of the first calling party identifier provided by the called party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the database associates a plurality of identifiers for the called party including the first called party identifier with the first call treatment parameter and the first variable treatment parameter, the first call treatment parameter and the first variable treatment parameter being provided by the called party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable treatment parameter includes a time restriction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(c) querying the database with the calling party identifier and the called party identifier to obtain a message identifier;

wherein said treating step (b) includes announcing to the calling party, without connecting the call to the called party, a customized message associated with the message identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the customized message announced in said treating step (b) is in a selected language, the selected language being selected based on the calling party identifier and the variable treatment parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said treating step (b) includes terminating the call, without connecting the call to the called party, based on the call treatment parameter and the variable treatment parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said treating step (b) includes transferring the call to a destination identifier without connecting the call to the called party, based on the call treatment parameter and the variable treatment parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said treating step (b) includes offering an additional communication service to the calling party based on the call treatment parameter, the variable treatment parameter and the calling party identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the additional communication service offered to the calling party in said treating step (b) is an operator that can perform language translation, the language translation being based on the calling party identifier and the variable treatment parameter.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the additional communication service offered to the calling party in said treating step (b) is a messaging service for the calling party to record a second message for the called party.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling party identifier is the automatic number identification (ANI).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling party identifier is the mobile identification number (MIN).

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(c) receiving from the called party the call treatment parameter, the variable treatment parameter and the message associated with the calling party identifier and the called party identifier.

15. An apparatus for providing customized treatment to incoming calls from a calling party to a called party, within a communications network, comprising:

a call processing speech module coupled to the communications network; and

a treatment database coupled to the communications network, a plurality of correlated call treatment parameters and a plurality of variable treatment parameters being stored in said treatment database, each call treatment parameter and each variable treatment parameter being correlated with a calling party identifier and a called party identifier, the variable treatment parameter including an occurrence meter;

said treatment database receiving a database query with a first calling party identifier and a first called party identifier to obtain a first call treatment parameter from the plurality of call treatment parameters and a first variable treatment parameter from the plurality of variable treatment parameters,

said call processing speech module, when the first call treatment parameter and the first variable treatment parameter indicates the call requires treatment before being connected, treating the call without connecting the call to the called party.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the database associates a plurality of calling party identifiers including the first calling party identifier with the first called party identifier based on a portion of the first calling party identifier provided by the called party.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the database associates a plurality of identifiers for the called party including the first called party identifier with the first call treatment parameter and the first variable treatment parameter, the first call treatment parameter and the first variable treatment parameter being provided by the called party.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a message database coupled to the communication network, a plurality of messages being stored in said message database, each message being associated with a message identifier;

said treatment database storing the plurality of message identifiers, each message identifier being correlated with a calling party identifier and a called party identifier;

said treatment database receiving a database query with the first calling party identifier, the first variable treatment parameter and the first called party identifier to obtain a first message identifier.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said call processing speech module announces to the calling party, without connecting the call to the called party, the message associated with the first message identifier.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said call processing speech module terminates the call without the call being connected to the called party, based on the first call treatment parameter and the first variable treatment parameter.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said call processing speech module transfers the call to a destination corresponding to a destination identifier without the call being connected to the called party, based on the first call treatment parameter and the first variable treatment parameter.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said call processing speech module offers an additional communication service to the calling party based on the first call treatment parameter, the first variable treatment parameter and the calling party identifier.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the treatment offered to the calling party is an operator that can perform language translation, the language translation being based on the calling party identifier.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the message is in a selected language, the selected language being selected based on the calling party identifier.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the calling party identifier is the automatic number identification (ANI).

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the calling party identifier is the mobile identification number (MIN).

27. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a provisioning system connected to the communication network, said provisioning system receiving from the called party the first call treatment parameter, the first variable treatment parameter and the message associated with the first calling party identifier and the first called party identifier, said provisioning system providing the first call treatment parameter and the first variable treatment parameter to said treatment database, said provisioning system providing the message to said message database.

28. An apparatus for providing customized treatment to incoming calls from a calling party to a called party, within a communications network, comprising:

means for receiving a database query with a calling party identifier and a called party identifier to obtain a call treatment parameter and a variable treatment parameter, the variable treatment parameter including an occurrence restriction,

means for treating the call without connecting the call to the called party, when the call treatment parameter indicates the call requires treatment before being connected, based on the call treatment parameter and the variable treatment parameter.