Calling party invoked held call monitoring

• US 6,118,861 A
• Filed: 08/14/1997
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: McLaren, Duncan R. H., McConnell, Fred J., Gutzmann, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tieu, Benny Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/916,979
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/207, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/209, 379/215, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/219, 379/88.11, 379/88.16, 379/88.18, 379/88.22
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

There is described a held party notification monitoring feature which is activated or invoked by a calling party when placed on hold. The monitoring feature is invoked to monitor a communication link established between a first party and a second party wherein the first party has placed the second party on hold. In response to the second party being placed on hold by the first party, a request is generated at the second party to monitor the communication link for a signal indicative of the termination of the hold.

Responding to the receipt of the generated request to monitor the communication link for the termination of the hold, a message is generated to the first party indicative that a held call monitoring feature has been activated and awaits the first party to generate the signal indicative of the termination of the hold. In response to the signal being generated by the first party, the second party is alerted of the termination of the hold.

Claims

1. A method of invoking the monitoring of a communication link established between a first party and a second party terminal, wherein said first party has placed the second party terminal on hold, comprising:

generating a request at said second party terminal to monitor said communication link for a signal indicative of the termination of said hold, said generating being subsequent to said second party terminal being placed on hold by said first party terminal;

forwarding said request to an adjunct device located between said second party terminal and a public telephone network;

subsequent to the receipt of said generated request to monitor said communication link for the termination of said hold, generating a repeating message to repeatedly communicate said repeating message to said first party indicative that a held call monitoring feature has been activated and awaits said first party to generate said signal indicative of the termination of said hold; and

,

terminating said repeating message and alerting said second party of the termination of said hold, said terminating said repeating message and said alerting being responsive to said signal being generated by said first party.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said repeating message comprises a visual message which includes instructions to said first party terminal to generate a signal to said second party terminal indicative of the termination of said hold.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein said adjunct device comprises a PBX.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein said adjunct device comprises a key telephone system.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said visual message comprises an Analog Display Subscriber Interface (ADSI) message.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein said signal comprises an ADSI message.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein in response to receiving said ADSI message at said adjunct device, generating an alerting signal at said adjunct device which is forwarded to said second party terminal.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein said alerting signal comprises a distinctive ringing signal.

9. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein said signal comprises a DTMF tone.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein in response to receiving said DTMF tone at said adjunct device, generating an alerting tone at said adjunct device which is forwarded to said second party terminal.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein said alerting signal comprises a distinctive ringing signal.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said repeating message comprises an audio message.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein said adjunct device, further comprises a message playback unit.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein said signal comprises a DTMF tone, which when received at said adjunct device generates an alerting signal to said second party terminal.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein said alerting signal comprises a distinctive ringing signal.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjunct device is colocated with said second party terminal.

17. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein said public telephone network comprises a mobile switching office and said second party terminal generates said service request from a wireless terminal.

18. An apparatus for invoking the monitoring of a communication link established between a first party and a second party, wherein said first party has placed the second party on hold, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for generating a request at said second party to monitor said communication link for a signal indicative of the termination of said hold, in response to said second party being placed on hold by said first party;

wherein said means for generating a request is an adjunct device disposed between a terminal being used by said second party and a public telephone network;

(b) means for generating a repeating message to repeatedly communicate said repeating message to said first party indicative that a held call monitoring feature has been activated and awaits said first party to generate said signal indicative of the termination of said hold in response to the receipt of said generated request to monitor said communication link for the termination of said hold; and

(c) means for alerting said second party of the termination of said hold in response to said signal being generated by said first party.

19. A system for monitoring a communication link established over the public switched telephone network (PSTN) between a first party terminal and a second party terminal, wherein the first party terminal has placed the second party terminal on hold, said system comprising:

an adjunct device coupled between said second party terminal and said PSTN;

wherein said adjunct device includes;

a link monitor configured to monitor said link for an indication that said first party terminal has terminated said hold;

a recording device configured to store a message indicating that the second party terminal has initiated a held call monitoring feature and to repeatedly communicate said message to said first party terminal until said first party terminal terminates said hold; and

,

a signaling device configured to signal to said second party terminal that said first party terminal has terminated said hold.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein said signaling device is configured to provide an audio signal.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein said audio signal is a ring signal and said signaling device is configured to provide said ring signal to said second party terminal.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein said ring signal includes a distinctive ring signal.

23. A system according to claim 19, wherein said signaling device is configured to provide a visual notification.

24. A system according to claim 22, wherein said signaling device is configured to provide said visual notification to said second party terminal.