Method and apparatus for providing calling party control
First Claim
1. An apparatus for establishing a contact between a calling party and a called party over a communications network, the apparatus comprising:
- an interactive system for collecting, in response to the calling party initiating the contact, information input directly from the calling party which is associated with the called party, the collected information being independent of any information originating from the interactive system and including information regarding at least a plurality of communications devices and a plurality of contact numbers, each tone of the plurality of contact numbers corresponding to at least one communications device of the plurality of communications devices; and
a communications channel for establishing the contact between the calling party and the called party by extending a call through the communications network as a function of the information collected from the calling party.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for calling party definition and control of the contact information and sequencing used to reach a particular called party. A method and apparatus are provided wherein the calling party specifies a set of communications devices along with their respective contact numbers for use in contacting a particular called party. Thereafter, attempts are made to locate the called party in accordance with the set of communications devices and respective contact numbers as designated by the calling party. Advantageously, a significant amount of increased control is provided to the calling party in defining and controlling the sequence in which attempts are made to reach a particular called party.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for establishing a contact between a calling party and a called party over a communications network, the apparatus comprising:
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an interactive system for collecting, in response to the calling party initiating the contact, information input directly from the calling party which is associated with the called party, the collected information being independent of any information originating from the interactive system and including information regarding at least a plurality of communications devices and a plurality of contact numbers, each tone of the plurality of contact numbers corresponding to at least one communications device of the plurality of communications devices; and a communications channel for establishing the contact between the calling party and the called party by extending a call through the communications network as a function of the information collected from the calling party. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16)
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10. An apparatus which routes a plurality of calls through a communications network, the apparatus providing the calling party with the ability to contact the called party using a plurality of communications devices and a plurality of contact numbers, the apparatus comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a request from the calling party for contacting the called party as a function of contact information input directly by the calling party; an interactive system for transmitting, in response to the received request, a series of queries to the calling party, at least one query requesting from the calling party a designation of the contact information for use in contacting the called party, the contact information being independent of any information originating from the interactive system and including information regarding the plurality of communications devices and the plurality of contact numbers, each one of the plurality of contact numbers corresponding to a respective one communications device of the plurality of communications devices, and receiving the designation of the information from the calling party; and a communication channel across which a first call is extended through the communications network as a function of the designated contact information received from the calling party. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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17. Communications equipment used for routing calls, the communications equipment comprising:
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means for receiving, directly from a particular calling party of a plurality of calling parties, a designation of contact information, the contact information being independent of any information originating from the communications equipment and including information regarding a plurality of communications devices and a plurality of contact numbers for use in contacting a particular called party of a plurality of called parties, each one of the plurality of contact numbers corresponding to at least one communications device of the plurality of communications devices; means for storing, in a particular one of a plurality of calling party sequence control records, the designation of the plurality of communications devices and the plurality of contact numbers received from the particular calling party; means for retrieving, in response to input received from the particular calling party, the particular one calling party sequence control record of the plurality of sequence control records; and means for extending a call through a communications network, in turn, to particular ones of the communications devices of the plurality of communications devices at their respective contact numbers as contained in the retrieved calling party sequence control record, until the call is completed between the calling party and the called party. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for establishing a contact between a calling party and a called party over a communications network, the apparatus comprising;
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a database for storing a plurality of calling party sequence control records, each one of the calling party sequence control records being defined by the calling party and containing a designation of contact information, the contact information being independent of any information originating from the database and including information regarding a plurality of communications devices and a plurality of contact numbers for use in establishing the contact with the called party, each one of the plurality of contact numbers corresponding to at least one communications device of the plurality of communications devices; an interactive system for retrieving, in response to input received from the calling party, a first one and a second one of the plurality of calling party sequence control records; and a communications channel for extending a plurality of calls through the communications network by alternating between particular ones of the communications devices of the plurality of communications devices at their respective contact numbers as contained in the first calling party sequence control and the second calling party sequence control record. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification