Method and apparatus for selective call forwarding
First Claim
1. A call forwarding method comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving a request from a subscriber for a selective call forwarding service to be provided for a telephone number associated with the subscriber;
(b) establishing a subscriber call forwarding service record including the subscriber telephone number;
(c) registering a first out going trigger number and a first call forwarding number associated with the first outgoing trigger number in the subscriber call forwarding service record;
(d) determining when a communications device associated with the subscriber telephone number is engaged in communication with the first outgoing trigger number;
(e) detecting an incoming call directed to the communication device associated with the subscriber telephone number and automatically forwarding the incoming call to the first call forwarding number if the determination in step (d) is positive;
(f) determining when the communication device associated with the subscriber telephone number is currently engaged in communication with a telephone number other than the first outgoing trigger number; and
(g) handling the incoming call in a manner other than forwarding the incoming call to the first call forwarding number if the determination in step (f) is positive.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a selective automatic call forwarding method and system. In response to a request from a subscriber for the selective call forwarding service, a selective call forwarding service record is created for the subscriber which includes the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number, a "trigger" telephone number, and a call forwarding number associated with the trigger number. An example of the trigger number might be the subscriber'"'"'s Internet access telephone number. An example of the call forwarding number might be the subscriber'"'"'s mobile telephone number. A determination is made, e.g., a flag is set in the subscriber record, whenever the subscriber is engaged in a communication initiated to the trigger number. Thereafter, incoming calls directed to the subscriber are automatically forwarded to the call forwarding number. However, if the subscriber is currently engaged in a communication with a telephone number other than the trigger number registered in the subscriber'"'"'s call forwarding service record, incoming calls are handled in a manner other than forwarding the incoming call to the call forwarding number. Such other procedures might include, for example, generation of a busy signal, execution of a call waiting service, or execution of a call completion service.
222 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A call forwarding method comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a request from a subscriber for a selective call forwarding service to be provided for a telephone number associated with the subscriber; (b) establishing a subscriber call forwarding service record including the subscriber telephone number; (c) registering a first out going trigger number and a first call forwarding number associated with the first outgoing trigger number in the subscriber call forwarding service record; (d) determining when a communications device associated with the subscriber telephone number is engaged in communication with the first outgoing trigger number; (e) detecting an incoming call directed to the communication device associated with the subscriber telephone number and automatically forwarding the incoming call to the first call forwarding number if the determination in step (d) is positive; (f) determining when the communication device associated with the subscriber telephone number is currently engaged in communication with a telephone number other than the first outgoing trigger number; and (g) handling the incoming call in a manner other than forwarding the incoming call to the first call forwarding number if the determination in step (f) is positive. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An information forwarding method comprising the steps of:
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detecting when a subscriber activates a selective information forwarding service for a first communications network address corresponding to the subscriber; receiving incoming information directed to the first communications network address; automatically redirecting the incoming information to a second communications network address when a subscriber communications device associated with the first communications network address is currently involved in a communication with another communications device having a third address associated with the first and second addresses; and if the subscriber communications device is currently involved in communication with a communications device having an address other than the third address, performing a function other than automatically redirecting the incoming information to the second address. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A communications system, comprising:
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a subscriber having a communications line associated with a subscriber number connectable to a communication device; a calling party initiating a call to the subscriber communications line using the subscriber number; and a communications network having a plurality of nodes connected to plural communications lines for establishing call connections, the communications network including a switching node connected to the subscriber communications line having call routing circuitry and a computer controlling the call routing circuitry, wherein the computer includes a processor, a program memory, and a data memory and performs the following tasks in accordance with one or more programs stored in the program memory; determining if an incoming call is directed to the subscriber number; if an incoming call is directed to the subscriber number, accessing a data record stored in the data memory corresponding to the subscriber number that includes a first outgoing trigger telephone number and a corresponding first forwarding telephone number; detecting if the subscriber communications device connected to the subscriber communications line is engaged in a communication involving the first outgoing trigger telephone number; selectively re-routing the incoming call using the call routing circuitry to the corresponding forwarding number if the subscriber communications line is engaged in a communication involving the first outgoing trigger telephone number; and if the subscriber communications device is not engaged in a communication involving the first outgoing trigger telephone number, taking an action other than routing the incoming call to the corresponding forwarding number. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A communications system, comprising:
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a subscriber having a communications device connectable to a communications line associated with a subscriber number; a calling party initiating a call to the subscriber communications line using the subscriber number; and an intelligent communications network having a plurality of nodes connected to plural communications lines for establishing call connections, the intelligent communications network including a node connected to the subscriber communications line having a service switching function detecting one or more trigger conditions and coupled to a service control function, wherein when the service switching function detects that an incoming call is directed to the subscriber number, the service switching function requests call handling instructions from the service control function, and the service control function instructs the service switching function to route the incoming call to a call forwarding number established by the subscriber only if the subscriber communications line is engaged in a communication with an outgoing trigger telephone number associated with the call forwarding number, and wherein the service control function further instructs the service switching function to take an action other than routing the incoming call to the corresponding forwarding number if the subscriber communications line is not engaged in a communication with the outgoing trigger telephone number. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method comprising:
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detecting incoming information including a subscriber telephone number associated with a first subscriber telephone line; determining that a personal computer is coupled to the Internet via the subscriber telephone line via an Internet access telephone number; redirecting the incoming information to a processing node; translating the subscriber telephone number into an Internet protocol (IP) address; passing IP packets corresponding to the incoming information from the processing node to the personal computer using the translated IP address; and if the subscriber telephone line is not coupled to the Internet via the Internet access telephone number and is currently engaged in a communication involving another telephone number, redirecting the incoming information towards another communication line associated with the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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Specification