Call reestablishment system

• US 6,292,551 B1
• Filed: 02/04/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Wilson, Timothy M., Entman, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US09/018,293
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/229, 379/230, 379/221, 379/279, 379/291, 379/292, 379/293, 455/434, 455/455
• US Class Current: 379/221.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0457 Connection protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13138 Least cost routing, LCR
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13201 Change-over of service during connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1327 Release and resetting of connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13348 Channel/line reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 : Signaling in general, in-band signalling

Abstract

The call reestablishment system functions to provide the user with the ability to replace an existing communication connection with another equivalent communication connection in an automated manner that does not disrupt the existing call and to also provide the user with the ability to create a replacement communication connection using a different common carrier as the billing source. The call reestablishment system is activated when a party on an existing communication connection generates feature activation control signals indicative of the desire to access the call reestablishment system. The serving communication system, in response to receipt of the feature activation control signals, enables the requesting party to input data indicative of the nature of the call reestablishment that is required. The call reestablishment system is responsive to this data for creating a replacement communication connection for the existing communication connection and, once the facilities are in place to enable the calling and called parties to communicate, the call reestablishment system automatically transfers the calling and called parties from the original communication connection to this newly established communication connection in a manner that is transparent to the parties and without loss of any communications.

Claims

1. A call reestablishment system for automatically replacing an existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect a telephone station set of a calling party with a telephone station set of a called party with a replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party, comprising:

means for receiving control signals from said telephone station set of a call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties;

means, responsive to said control signals, for selecting replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party; and

means for automatically and simultaneously switching, without interruption of communication between said calling and called parties, both said telephone station set of said calling party and said telephone station set of said called party from said existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party to said replacement communication facilities.

2. The call reestablishment system of claim 1, when implemented in a telephone switching system that serves to interconnect a plurality of station sets with a lesser plurality of communication facilities, said means for receiving comprises:

control signal receiving means for receiving feature control signals generated by said station set used by said call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties exclusive of said communication connection.

3. The call reestablishment system of claim 2 wherein said means for receiving further comprises:

means for translating said control signals into a request for said replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party; and

means for generating data indicative of an identity of said calling and said called parties.

4. The call reestablishment system of claim 3 wherein said means for receiving further comprises:

means for identifying a type of communication facility used in said existing communication connection.

5. The call reestablishment system of claim 4 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means, responsive to said generated data and said identified type of communication facility, for locating at least one communication facility that is substantially equivalent to said identified type of communication facility; and

means for reserving one of said at least one communication facility.

6. The call reestablishment system of claim 1 wherein said means for automatically and simultaneously switching comprises:

means, located at a first end of said selected replacement communication facilities, capable of transferring said telephone station set of said calling party from said existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect a telephone station set of said calling party with a telephone station set of said called party to said selected replacement communication facilities;

means, located at a second end of said selected replacement communication facilities, capable of transferring said telephone station set of said called party from said existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect a telephone station set of said calling party with a telephone station set of said called party to said selected replacement communication facilities; and

means for simultaneously activating both said means capable of transferring said telephone station set of said calling party and said means capable of transferring said telephone station set of said called party to switch both said telephone station set of said calling and said telephone station set of said called parties from said existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party to said replacement communication facilities.

7. The call reestablishment system of claim 1, when implemented in a telephone switching system that serves to interconnect a plurality of station sets with a lesser plurality of communication facilities, said means for receiving comprises:

means, responsive to control signals generated by said station set used by said call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties, for interrupting said communication connection; and

control signal receiving means for receiving feature control signals generated by said station set used by said call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties.

8. The call reestablishment system of claim 7 wherein said means for receiving further comprises:

means for translating said control signals into a request for said replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party; and

means for generating data indicative of an identity of said calling and said called parties.

9. The call reestablishment system of claim 8 wherein said means for receiving further comprises:

means for identifying a type of communication facility used in said existing communication connection.

10. The call reestablishment system of claim 9 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means, responsive to said generated data and said identified type of communication facility, for locating at least one communication facility that is substantially equivalent to said identified type of communication facility; and

means for reserving one of said at least one communication facility.

11. A method of automatically replacing an existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect a telephone station set of a calling party with a telephone station set of a called party with a replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party, comprising the steps of:

receiving control signals from a call reestablishment initiating one of said telephone station sets of said calling and called parties;

selecting, in response to said control signals, replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party; and

automatically and simultaneously switching, without interruption of communication between said calling and called parties, both said telephone station set of said calling and said telephone station set of said called parties from said existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party to said replacement communication facilities.

12. The method of claim 11, when implemented in a telephone switching system that serves to interconnect a plurality of station sets with a lesser plurality of communication facilities, said step of receiving comprises:

receiving feature control signals generated by said station set used by said call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties exclusive of said communication connection.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

translating said control signals into a request for said replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party; and

generating data indicative of an identity of said calling and said called parties.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

identifying a type of communication facility used in said existing communication connection.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

locating, in response to said generated data and said identified type of communication facility, at least one communication facility that is substantially equivalent to said identified type of communication facility; and

reserving one of said at least one communication facility.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of automatically and simultaneously switching comprises:

selecting apparatus, located at a first end of said selected replacement communication facilities, capable of transferring said telephone station set of said calling party from said existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect a telephone station set of said calling party with a telephone station set of said called party to said selected replacement communication facilities;

selecting apparatus, located at a second end of said selected replacement communication facilities, capable of transferring said telephone station set of said called party from said existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect a telephone station set of said calling party with a telephone station set of said called party to said selected replacement communication facilities; and

simultaneously activating both said selected apparatus capable of transferring said telephone station set of said calling party and said selected apparatus capable of transferring said telephone station set of said called party to switch both said telephone station set of said calling and said telephone station set of said called parties from said existing communication connection comprising communication facilities that interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party to said replacement communication facilities.

17. The method of claim 11, when implemented in a telephone switching system that serves to interconnect a plurality of station sets with a lesser plurality of communication facilities, said step for receiving comprises:

interrupting, in response to control signals generated by said station set used by said call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties, said communication connection; and

receiving feature control signals generated by said station set used by said call reestablishment initiating-one of said calling and called parties.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

translating said control signals into a request for said replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party; and

generating data indicative of an identity of said calling and said called parties.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of receiving further comprises:

identifying a type of communication facility used in said existing communication connection.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

locating, in response to said generated data and said identified type of communication facility, at least one communication facility that is substantially equivalent to said identified type of communication facility; and

reserving one of said at least one communication facility.

21. A call reestablishment system, operable in at least of one of a first telecommunications switching system that serves a telephone station set of a calling party and a second telecommunications switching system that serves a telephone station set of a called party, which said first and second telecommunications switching systems are interconnected by a plurality of communication facilities, for automatically replacing an existing communication connection comprising a one of said communication facilities that interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party with a replacement one of said communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party, comprising:

means for receiving control signals from a telephone station set of a call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties;

means, responsive to said control signals, for selecting said replacement one of said communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party;

means for activating both said first and second telecommunications switching systems to simultaneously switch both said telephone station set of said calling and said telephone station set of said called parties from said existing communication connection to said replacement communication facilities.

22. The call reestablishment system of claim 21, wherein said first and second telecommunications switching systems serve to interconnect a plurality of telephone station sets with a lesser plurality of communication facilities, said means for receiving comprises:

control signal receiving means for receiving feature control signals generated by a one of said plurality of telephone station sets used by said call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties exclusive of said communication connection.

23. The call reestablishment system of claim 22 wherein said means for receiving further comprises:

means for translating said control signals into a request for said replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party; and

means for generating data indicative of an identity of said telephone station set of said calling and said called parties.

24. The call reestablishment system of claim 23 wherein said means for receiving further comprises:

means for identifying a type of communication facility used in said existing communication connection.

25. The call reestablishment system of claim 24 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means, responsive to said generated data and said identified type of communication facility, for locating at least one communication facility that is substantially equivalent to said identified type of communication facility; and

means for reserving one of said at least one communication facility.

26. The call reestablishment system of claim 21 wherein said means for simultaneously switching comprises:

means, located at a first end of said selected replacement communication facilities, capable of transferring said telephone station set of said calling party from said existing communication connection to said selected replacement communication facilities;

means, located at a second end of said selected replacement communication facilities, capable of transferring said telephone station set of said called party from said existing communication connection to said selected replacement communication facilities; and

means for simultaneously activating both said means capable of transferring said telephone station set of said calling party and said means capable of transferring said telephone station set of said called party to switch both said telephone station set of said calling and said telephone station set of said called parties from said existing communication connection to said replacement communication facilities.

27. The call reestablishment system of claim 21, wherein said first and second telecommunications switching systems serve to interconnect a plurality of telephone station sets with a lesser plurality of communication facilities, said means for receiving comprises:

means, responsive to control signals generated by a one of said plurality of telephone station sets used by said call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties, for interrupting said communication connection; and

control signal receiving means for receiving feature control signals generated by said one of said plurality of telephone station sets used by said call reestablishment initiating one of said calling and called parties.

28. The call reestablishment system of claim 27 wherein said means for receiving further comprises:

means for translating said control signals into a request for said replacement communication facilities to interconnect said telephone station set of said calling party with said telephone station set of said called party; and

means for generating data indicative of an identity of said telephone station set of said calling and said called parties.

29. The call reestablishment system of claim 28 wherein said means for receiving further comprises:

means for identifying a type of communication facility used in said existing communication connection.

30. The call reestablishment system of claim 29 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means, responsive to said generated data and said identified type of communication facility, for locating at least one communication facility that is substantially equivalent to said identified type of communication facility; and

means for reserving one of said at least one communication facility.