Method and system for providing enhanced call waiting with verification and name change service

• US 6,278,771 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crockett, Susanne Marie, McBlain, Thomas Joseph, Hardzinski, Mary Louise, Bossemeyer, Jr., Robert Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US09/303,157
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/93.03, 379/93.23, 379/93.35, 379/215, 704/246, 704/247, 704/248, 704/249, 704/250
• US Class Current: 379/88.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for verifying call waiting information in a communication system is particularly well suited for correcting mispronunciation of caller identification information provided for a call waiting call. A current pronunciation of the call waiting information is provided to the calling party who is prompted to change the current pronunciation. The system receives a new pronunciation of the call waiting information and stores information about the new pronunciation for subsequent retrieval.

Claims

1. A method for verifying audible caller name information in a communication system, the method comprising:

(a) providing a current pronunciation of the audible caller name information for verification;

(b) prompting to change the current pronunciation if the current pronunciation is not verified;

(c) receiving a new pronunciation of the audible caller name information; and

(d) storing information about the new pronunciation for subsequent retrieval as the current pronunciation of the audible caller name information, including

(d1) determining exceptions to the current pronunciation based on the new pronunciation; and

(d2) storing the exceptions in an exception file.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d2) comprises steps of:

storing the exceptions file at one or more accessible locations of the communication system.

3. A method for processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining information associated with the calling communication station when the called communication station is busy, including

obtaining the identity of a caller at the calling communication station,

when the identity of the caller satisfies a predetermined criterion, using an exception file to produce an audible representation of the identity of the caller,

otherwise, using the information associated with the calling communication station to produce the audible representation of the identity of the caller;

transmitting an audible call waiting indicator to the called communication station; and

transmitting the audible representation of the identity of the caller to the called communication station.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of comparing the identity of the caller with an exception list, and wherein the predetermined criterion comprises a match between the identity of the caller and a number of the caller in the exception list.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

converting a text representation of a name of the caller to an audible representation of the name of the caller.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of obtaining information associated with the calling communication station comprises the step of obtaining the identity of a caller at the calling communication station and the telephone number associated with the calling communication station.

7. The system for processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication, the system comprising:

operational equipment including;

(a) a circuit configured to obtain information associated with the calling communication station when the called communication station is busy, the circuit including;

(a1) a circuit which obtains the identity of the caller at the calling communication station,

(a2) a circuit which produces an audible representation of the identity of the caller,

(a21) using an exception file defining an alternative audible representation of the identity of the caller, when the identity of the caller satisfies a predetermined criterion, and

(a22) using the information associated with the calling communication station otherwise;

(b) a circuit configured to transmit an audible call waiting indicator to the called communication station; and

a switch including a circuit configured to transmit the audible representation of the identity of the caller to the called communication station.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the operational equipment comprises a service node.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the operational equipment comprises an intelligent peripheral.

10. A computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station, the computer readable program code comprising:

first code for obtaining information associated with the calling communication station when the called communication station is busy, including

code for obtaining the identity of a caller at the calling communication station,

when the identity of the caller satisfies a predetermined criterion, using an exception file to produce an audible representation of the identity of the caller,

otherwise, using the information associated with the calling communication station to produce the audible representation of the identity of a caller;

second code for transmitting an audible call waiting indicator to the called communication station; and

third code for transmitting the audible representation of the identity of the caller to the called communication station.