Efficient communication through networks
DCFirst Claim
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1. A method of use of a communication network, comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving a calling party access number and a called party access number at a control location;
(b) determininng which service providers service connections between said calling party access number and said called party access number;
(c) comparing said service providers based on criteria;
(d) selecting appropriate ones of said service providers that satisfy said criteria as a result of the step of comparing;
(e) instructing said selected service providers to provide service between said connections for establishing contact between said calling party access number and said called party access number;
(f) receiving a status signal at said control location indicating if said called party access number is available for taking an incoming communication;
(g) if said status signal indicates an available status, initiating a first communication from said control location to said called party access number and a second communication from said control location to said calling party access number;
(h) bridging said first and second communications.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and device that interrogates the availability of a called party before placing a communication from the calling party to the called party. A callback may be initiated so that both communications are completed simultaneously. The routing of communication may take place through any one of a number of different networks and at another time of the day, even if the caller does not otherwise have access to those networks.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of use of a communication network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a calling party access number and a called party access number at a control location;
(b) determininng which service providers service connections between said calling party access number and said called party access number;
(c) comparing said service providers based on criteria;
(d) selecting appropriate ones of said service providers that satisfy said criteria as a result of the step of comparing;
(e) instructing said selected service providers to provide service between said connections for establishing contact between said calling party access number and said called party access number;
(f) receiving a status signal at said control location indicating if said called party access number is available for taking an incoming communication;
(g) if said status signal indicates an available status, initiating a first communication from said control location to said called party access number and a second communication from said control location to said calling party access number;
(h) bridging said first and second communications. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of use of a communication network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a calling party access number and a called party access number at a control location;
(b) receiving a status signal at said control location indicating if said called party access number is available for taking an incoming communication;
(c) determining an expected time to communicate with the called party access number upon initiating a first communication thereto and determining the expected time to communicate with the calling party access number upon initiating a second communication thereto;
(d) if said status signal indicates an available status, initiating one of a first communication from said control location to said called party access number and a second communication from said control location to said calling party access number to whichever of the first and second communication has the larger of said expected time before communication;
(e) waiting for a time period to elapse that lasts at most as long as an amount of time equal to a difference in time between communication with the calling party access number and the called party access number; and
(f) thereafter placing whichever of the other of the first and second calls has the shorter of said expected time before communication;
(g) bridging said first and second communications. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for use in a communication network, comprising an intercept that selects one route from among a plurality of different available routes in accordance with criteria pertaining to the routes, each of the routes passing through a control location and between a calling party access number and a called party access number, the intercept selecting the one route in a manner transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number, the intercept further passing information with the control location in a manner transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number, the intercept evaluating the information passed from the control location in a manner transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number to ascertain whether to bridge calls through the selected one route between the calling party access number and the called party access number and, if so, instructing that calls between the calling party access number and the called party access number be bridged through the selected one route;
- wherein said intercept determines which service providers service connections between said calling party access number and said called party access number and compares said service providers based on criteria to select appropriate ones of said service providers that satisfy said criteria and to instruct said appropriate ones of selected service providers to provide instructions to effect said connections for establishing communication between said calling party access number and said called party access number.
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8. A method of use of a communication network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a calling party access number and a called party access number, (b) in response to step (a), checking a status on each of a plurality of communication access locations each associated with said called party access number to determine which is accessible to reach said called party access number;
wherein said communication access locations are each in connection with a different form of communication networks(c) based on the result of step (b), identifying the communication access location that was determined as being accessible steps (a) to (c) being carried out in a manner that is transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number;
(d) checking for authorization to allow communications through at least the identified access location;
(e) routing, in response to said authorization being present, said communications through at least said identified access location; and
(f) converting said communications through at least said identified access location from one form into another, said communication networks being incompatible with each other in an absence of said conversion.
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9. A method of use of a communication network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a calling party access number and a called party access number, (b) in response to step (a), checking a status on each of a plurality of communication access locations each associated with said called party access number to determine which is accessible to reach said called party access number;
(c) based on the result of step (b), identifying the communication access location that was determined as being accessible and making an indication that communication may become established with the called party access number, steps (a) to (c) being carried out in a manner that is transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number;
(d) commencing transmission of communications through a route to the identified one of said communication access locations based on the indication;
(e) ascertaining a quality of the transmission over the route as said communications traverse said route; and
(f) before completing the transmission commenced in step (d), changing the route over which the communications are transmitted in response to step (e) upon ascertaining that said quality degraded below a level of acceptability.
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10. An apparatus for use in a communication network, comprising:
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a receiver of a called party access number;
a checking device responsive to the receiver to check a status on each of a plurality of communication access locations each associated with said called party access number to determine which is suitable for reaching said called party access number;
an identifying device responsive to the checking device to identify the communication access location that was determined as being accessible and making an indication that communication may become established;
a commencing device responsive to said identifying device identifying said communication access location accessible for commencing transmission of communications over a route to said identified communication access location;
a quality checking device that ascertains a quality of the transmission over the route as said communications traverse said route; and
a route changer that changes the route over which the communications are transmitted in response to said quality checking device finding said quality degraded below a level of acceptability.
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11. An apparatus for use in a communication network, comprising:
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a receiver of a called party access number;
a checking device responsive to the receiver to check a status on each of a plurality of communication access locations each associated with said called party access number to determine which is suitable for reaching said called party access number, wherein said communication access locations are each in connection with a different form of communication network;
an identifying device responsive to the checking device to identify the communication access location that was determined as being accessible and making an indication that communication may become established;
an authorizer checking for authorization to allow communications through at least one of said access locations;
a router responsive to said authorization being present to route said communications through at least an authorized one of said access locations; and
a converter responsive to said indication for making a conversion of said communications through at least said authorized one of said communication access locations from one form into another, said communication networks being incompatible with each other in an absence of said conversion. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of use of a communication network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting one route with an intercept from among a plurality of different available routes in accordance with criteria pertaining to the routes, each of the routes passing through a control location and between a calling party access number and a called party access number, the step of selecting being carried out in a manner transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number, the step of selecting comprising the step of;
(1) determining which service providers service connections between said calling party access number and said called party access number;
(2) comparing said service providers based on criteria; and
(3) selecting appropriate ones of said service providers that satisfy said criteria as a result of the step of comparing;
(b) passing information between the intercept and the control location in a manner transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number;
(c) evaluating said information in a manner transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number so as to determine whether to bridge calls between the calling party access number and the called party access number through the selected route;
(d) in response to step (c) determining that the calls between the calling party access number and the called party access number are to be bridged through the selected route and instructing that the calls between the calling party access number and the called party access number be bridged through the selected one route, the step of instructing comprising the step of instructing said selected service providers to provide service between said connections for establishing contact between said calling party access number and said called party access number.
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15. A method of use of a communication network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting one route with an intercept from among a plurality of different available routes in accordance with criteria pertaining to the routes, each of the routes passing through a control location and between a calling party access number and a called party access number, the step of selecting being carried out in a manner transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number;
(b) passing information between the intercept and the control location in a manner transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number;
(c) evaluating said information in a manner transparent to users of the calling party access number and the called party access number so as to determine whether to bridge calls between the calling party access number and the called party access number through the selected route;
(d) in response to step (c) determining that the calls between the calling party access number and the called party access number are to be bridged through the selected route, instructing that the calls between the calling party access number and the called party access number be bridged through the selected one route;
(e) determining an expected time to communicate with the called party access number upon placing a first call thereto and determining the expected time to communicate with the calling party access number upon placing a second call thereto;
(f) in response to completion of the step of determining, initially placing whichever of the first and second calls has the longer of said expected time before communication;
(g) waiting for a time period to elapse that lasts at most as long as said difference in time between communication with the calling party access number and the called party access number; and
(h) thereafter placing whichever of the other of the first and second calls has the shorter of said expected time before communication.
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16. A method of use of a communication network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a calling party access number and a called party access number at a control location;
(b) determining which service providers service connections between said calling party access number and said called party access number;
(c) comparing said service providers based on criteria;
(d) selecting an appropriate service provider that satisfies said criteria as a result of the step of comparing;
(e) receiving a status signal at said control location indicating if said called party access number is available for taking an incoming communication;
(f) if said status signal indicates an available status, initiating a first communication from said control location to said called party access number and a second communication from said control location to said calling party access number at least one of the first or second communications being carried by the selected service provider; and
(g) connecting said first and second communications.
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Specification