Apparatus, method and system for providing information to a called party in multiple leg telecommunication sessions

• US 6,115,461 A
• Filed: 06/15/1998
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Baiyor, Robert J., Strom, Thomas Dale, Smith, Harold Robert Jr., Earl, Deborah Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US09/097,527
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/202, 379/211, 379/215, 379/428, 379/352, 379/144, 379/233, 379/201, 379/204, 370/260
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method are provided for providing information to a called party of multiple leg telecommunication sessions, such as in a flexible alerting service. The preferred system includes a home location register coupled to a mobile switching center. The home location register has, stored in a memory, a plurality of secondary directory numbers associated with a primary directory number, such as an ANSI compatible pilot directory number. The mobile switching center has an interface for receiving an incoming call leg designating the primary directory number and for differentially processing and routing each outgoing call leg associated with each secondary directory number, of the plurality of secondary directory numbers, the mobile switching center further providing in each outgoing call leg, of a plurality of outgoing call legs, first called party information distinguishing each outgoing call leg as a multiple leg telecommunication session. In the preferred embodiment, a waiting signal is provided to called parties, such as a steady, audible tone.

Claims

1. A method of providing information to a called party in multiple leg telecommunication sessions, the method comprising:

(a) receiving an incoming call leg designating a primary directory number;

(b) determining a plurality of secondary directory numbers associated with the primary directory number;

(c) differentially processing and routing each outgoing call leg associated with each secondary directory number, of the plurality of secondary directory numbers, and providing in each outgoing call leg, of a plurality of outgoing call legs, first called party information distinguishing each outgoing call leg as a multiple leg telecommunication session; and

(d) maintaining the first called party information, on an answered outgoing call leg, for a period of time at least as long as a connection time lag period.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first called party information is a waiting signal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the waiting signal is a steady, audible tone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first called party information is a primary directory number.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first called party information is a calling party identification having a distinctive identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first called party information is a language request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first called party information is an indicator of an amount of outgoing call legs in the plurality of outgoing calls.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) subsequent to an answering of an outgoing call leg, providing a second called party information to all non-answering outgoing call legs of the plurality of outgoing call legs.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second called party information is an indication of the answering of the outgoing call leg.

10. A system for providing information to a called party in multiple leg telecommunication sessions, the system comprising:

a database, the database having stored in a memory a plurality of secondary directory numbers associated with a primary directory number; and

a switching center coupled to the database, the switching center further having an interface for receiving an incoming call leg designating the primary directory number and for differentially processing and routing each outgoing call leg associated with each secondary directory number, of the plurality of secondary directory numbers, the switching center further providing in each outgoing call leg, of a plurality of outgoing call legs, first called party information distinguishing each outgoing call leg as a multiple leg telecommunication session, the switching center further maintaining the first called party information, on an answered outgoing call leg, for a period of time at least as long as a connection time lag period.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first called party information is a waiting signal.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the waiting signal is a steady, audible tone.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the first called party information is a primary directory number.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the first called party information is a calling party identification having a distinctive identifier.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the first called party information is a language request.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the first called party information is an indicator of an amount of outgoing call legs in the plurality of outgoing calls.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the switching center, subsequent to an answering of an outgoing call leg, further provides a second called party information to all non-answering outgoing call legs of the plurality of outgoing call legs.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second called party information is an indication of the answering of the outgoing call leg.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the database is a home location register.

20. The system of claim 10 wherein the switching center is a mobile switching center.

21. An apparatus for providing information to a called party in multiple leg telecommunication sessions, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface for reception of an incoming call leg designating a primary directory number and for transmission of an outgoing call leg;

a memory having a plurality of secondary directory numbers associated with the primary directory number; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the network interface, wherein the processor, when operative, includes program instructions to differentially process and route each outgoing call leg associated with each secondary directory number, of the plurality of secondary directory numbers, and to provide in each outgoing call leg, of a plurality of outgoing call legs, first called party information distinguishing each outgoing call leg as a multiple leg telecommunication session, the processor including further program instructions to maintain the first called party information, on an answered outgoing call leg, for a period of time at least as long as a connection time lag period.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first called party information is a waiting signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the waiting signal is a steady, audible tone.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first called party information is a primary directory number.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first called party information is a calling party identification having a distinctive identifier.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first called party information is a language request.

27. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first called party information is an indicator of an amount of outgoing call legs in the plurality of outgoing calls.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor has further instructions to, subsequent to an answering of an outgoing call leg, provide a second called party information to all non-answering outgoing call legs of the plurality of outgoing call legs.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the second called party information is an indication of the answering of the outgoing call leg.

30. A system for providing information to a called party in outgoing call legs of a flexible alerting service, the system comprising:

a home location register, the home location register having stored in a memory a plurality of secondary directory numbers associated with a pilot directory number; and

a mobile switching center coupled to the home location register, the mobile switching center further having an interface for receiving an incoming call leg designating the pilot directory number and for differentially processing and routing each outgoing call leg associated with each secondary directory number, of the plurality of secondary directory numbers, the mobile switching center further providing in each outgoing call leg, of a plurality of outgoing call legs, first called party information distinguishing each outgoing call leg as a multiple leg telecommunication session, the mobile switching center further maintaining the first called party information, on an answered outgoing call leg, for a period of time at least as long as a connection time lag period.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the first called party information is a waiting signal.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the waiting signal is a steady, audible tone.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein the first called party information is a primary directory number.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein the first called party information is a calling party identification having a distinctive identifier.

35. The system of claim 30 wherein the first called party information is a language request.

36. The system of claim 30 wherein the first called party information is an indicator of an amount of outgoing call legs in the plurality of outgoing calls.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein the switching center, subsequent to an answering of an outgoing call leg, further provides a second called party information to all non-answering outgoing call legs of the plurality of outgoing call legs.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the second called party information is an indication of the answering of the outgoing call leg.