Telecommunications custom calling services using voice mail

• US 6,243,374 B1
• Filed: 03/13/1997
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Patrick E., Farris, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHI HO A
• Application Number:
  US08/816,908
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/396, 370/401, 370/353, 370/380, 370/392, 370/259, 370/356, 370/377, 370/410, 370/522, 370/351, 379/88.26, 379/88.27, 379/93.24, 379/100.08, 379/207, 379/230, 379/229, 379/201
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42297 with number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A telephone network provided with an Internet connection and a call routing and control data base connected to the Internet is further provided with multiple geographically separated voice messaging systems connected to the Internet. Calls through the telephone network may be directed to such voice messaging systems or may be forwarded to such systems. Messages may be deposited in mailboxes in such voice messaging systems and then retrieved from telephone stations located sufficiently near the voice messaging systems as to entail no long distance or time toll charges. Return call service may be provided in a manner to avoid long distance or time telephone tolls through use of the Internet connected data base which routes calls which would incur a toll charge through the Internet.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising in combination:

a) first and second switched telecommunications networks having trunked together switching systems connected by local links to subscriber stations and having a switching control data network for effecting selective connection of said subscriber stations through said switching systems;

b) said first and second switched telecommunications networks each having a central voice messaging system, said messaging systems each having storage for digitized voice messages;

c) a routing database connected to the Internet and having stored therein routing information for effecting selective connection of calls placed to called subscriber stations pursuant to preselected options of said called subscriber stations;

d) at least one of said switching systems having control parameters set therein, wherein the initiation of a signal for connection between a caller at one of said subscriber stations to one of said called subscriber stations causes data signaling between at least one of said switched telecommunications networks and said routing database through the Internet, resulting in retrieval of routing instructions corresponding to a stored preselected option from said routing database and in connection between said caller and one of said central voice messaging systems pursuant to said routing instructions, whereby said caller stores a message in said one central voice messaging system for subsequent delivery to said called subscriber station.

2. A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said central voice messaging systems are connectable to said first or second switched telecommunications networks through the Internet.

3. A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said message is delivered to said called subscriber station from a second of said central messaging systems other than said one central messaging system.

4. A communications system according to claim 3, wherein said message is transferred from said one central messaging system to said second central messaging system.

5. A communications system according to claim 4, wherein said message is transferred from said one central messaging system to said second central messaging system through the Internet.

6. A communications system according to claim 1, wherein the Internet is respectively connected to said first and second switched telecommunications networks through first and second interfaces.

7. A communications system comprising in combination:

a) first and second switched telecommunications networks having trunked together switching systems connected by local links to subscriber stations and having a switching control data network for effecting selective connection of said subscriber stations through said switching systems;

b) a routing database connected to the Internet and having stored therein routing information for effecting selective connection of calls placed to called subscriber stations pursuant to preselected options of said called subscriber stations;

c) first and second voice messaging systems connected to the Internet at different geographical locations, said voice messaging systems each having storage for digitized voice messages;

d) at least one of said switching systems having control parameters set therein, wherein the initiation of a signal for connection between a caller at one of said subscriber stations to one of said called subscriber stations causes data signaling between at least one of said switched telecommunications networks and said routing database through the Internet, resulting in retrieval of routing instructions corresponding to a stored preselected option from said routing database and in connection between said caller and one of said voice messaging systems pursuant to said routing instructions, whereby said caller stores a message in said one voice messaging system for subsequent delivery to said called subscriber station.

8. A communications system according to claim 7 wherein said message is delivered to said called subscriber station from a second of said messaging systems other than the one messaging system.

9. A communications system according to claim 8, wherein said message is transferred from said one messaging system to said second messaging system through the Internet.

10. A communications system according to claim 7 wherein the Internet is respectively connected to said first and second switched telecommunications networks through first and second interfaces.

11. A communications system according to claim 10 wherein said interfaces include routers.

12. A method of voice communication through a first switched telecommunications network having trunked together switching systems connected to subscriber stations by local links, and a link through the Internet, comprising the steps of:

a) storing in a database connected to the Internet routing data for processing calls between said subscriber stations and for distinguishing between subscriber calls which entail a distance or time toll charge and calls which do not entail such a charge;

b) initiating a call from a caller at a first of said subscriber stations to a second of said subscriber stations;

c) suspending said call prior to establishing a voice connection through said first switched telecommunications network and determining via the Internet from said database whether a distance or time toll charge would be entailed in the completion of said call;

d) establishing a voice connection and completing said call through said switched telecommunications network in the event that it is determined in step c) that a distance or time toll charge would not be entailed; and

e) completing said call through an Internet link to avoid a distance charge in the event that it is determined in step c) that a distance or time toll charge would be entailed.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein step e) comprises:

connecting said call to a voice messaging system connected to the Internet, and

providing said caller an option to store a message for a party at said second subscriber station.

14. A method of voice communication through a communication path comprising (i) a first switched telecommunications network having trunked together switching systems connected to subscriber stations by local links, (ii) an Internet link, and (iii) a second switched telecommunications network having trunked together switching systems connected to subscriber stations by local links, the method comprising the steps of:

a) linking to the Internet a plurality of voice messaging systems at geographically spaced sites;

b) storing in a database storage connected to the Internet data for processing calls between said subscriber stations connected to said switching systems in said first and second switched telecommunications networks, said database storage including information relating to the geographic locations of said voice messaging systems;

c) upon failure to obtain a completed connection between a calling subscriber station and a called subscriber station, determining from said stored information the identity of (i) the voice messaging system in said plurality of voice messaging systems which is nearest to said calling subscriber station, and (ii) the voice messaging system in said plurality of voice messaging systems which is nearest to said called subscriber station;

e) storing in said voice messaging system nearest to said calling station a message from said calling subscriber station;

f) transmitting said message through the Internet from said voice messaging system nearest to said calling subscriber station to said voice messaging system nearest to said called subscriber station and storing said message therein; and

g) transmitting said message from said voice messaging system nearest to said called subscriber station to said called subscriber station.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein said message is transmitted from said voice messaging system nearest to said called subscriber station to said called subscriber station in response to a signal from said called subscriber station.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein said message is transmitted from said voice messaging system nearest to said called subscriber station to said called station by ringing said called subscriber station.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein said transmitting step further comprises inquiring if a party at the called station desires automatic dialing of said calling station.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said database storage comprises routing data for processing calls between said subscriber stations and for distinguishing between subscriber calls which entail a distance or time toll charge and calls which do not entail such a charge and further comprising, in response to a positive response to said inquiry, the steps of:

determining whether a call from said called subscriber station to said calling subscriber station would entail a distance or time toll charge;

establishing a voice connection and completing said call through said switched telecommunications networks in the event that it is determined that a distance or time toll charge would not be entailed.

19. A method of voice communication through (i) a first switched telecommunications network having trunked together switching systems connected to subscriber stations by local links, (ii) an Internet link, and (iii) a second switched telecommunications network having trunked together switching systems connected to subscriber stations by local links, said Internet link providing communication access between each of said telecommunications networks and a voice messaging system remote from said telecommunications networks, said method comprising the steps of:

storing in a database storage connected to the Internet data for processing calls between said subscriber stations connected to said switching systems in said first and second switched telecommunications networks;

in response to dialing at a calling station in said first switched telecommunications network a telephone number for a call to a station in said second switched telecommunications network, determining if the call can be completed;

upon failure to obtain a connection between the calling and called stations in said determining step, identifying from information stored in said database storage the address said voice messaging system;

storing in said voice messaging system a message from said calling station; and

transmitting said message from said voice messaging system to said called station.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said transmitting step further comprises inquiring if a party at the called station desires automatic dialing of said calling station.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said database storage contains data for distinguishing between subscriber calls which entail a distance or time toll charge and calls which do not entail such a charge, and, in response to a positive answer in said inquiring step, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a return call from said called station to said calling station would entail a distance or time toll charge;

establishing a voice connection and completing said call through said switched telecommunications networks in the event that it is determined that a distance or time toll charge would not be entailed; and

completing said call through a combination of said switched telecommunications networks and the Internet in the event that a distance or time toll charge would be entailed.

22. A method according to claim 19, wherein said message is transmitted from said voice messaging system to said called station in response to a signal from said called station.