Method and system to connect an unanswered forwarded communication directly to a voice mail service

• US 6,301,349 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/090,438
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.26, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/207, 379/242
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

Methods and systems in a telecommunications system having a call forwarding service to connect an unanswered forwarded communication directly to a voice mail service of the called party. Upon notice that a communication for a subscriber has gone unanswered at a forwarded location, a call is placed to a code followed by voice mail information. As the call is routed, the code is recognized and the voice mail information is parsed into call instructions including a voice mail directory number as the redirected number. The call is further routed based on the call instructions until a recognition of the designated directory number in the call instructions results in call termination instructions. These instructions direct the serving switch to connect the call to the redirected number which is the voice mail service directory number. Once the call is connected to the voice mail service, the call is transferred to the unanswered forwarded communication so that the caller may leave a message in the voice mail service for the subscriber.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system, a method to connect an unanswered forwarded communication directly to a voice mail service (VMS) applied to a designated directory number without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number, comprising:

placing a call by dialing a code followed by voice mail information so that the call is routed with the voice mail information through the telecommunications system;

in routing the call through the telecommunications system, making a recognition of the code;

in response to the recognition, parsing the voice mail information into call instructions so that the call is further routed with the call instructions and so that the call is further routed based on the call instructions through the telecommunications system;

in further routing the call through the telecommunications system, pausing in processing of the call to obtain call termination instructions based on the call instructions;

receiving the call termination instructions, the call termination instructions directing the call to be terminated to the VMS applied to the designated directory number;

in response to receipt of the call termination instructions, terminating the call to the VMS applied to the designated directory number; and

after the call is terminated to the VMS, bridging the unanswered forwarded communication to the call,

whereby the further routing of the call through the telecommunications system on the basis of the call instructions until the call termination instructions are received allows the call to be terminated to the VMS rather than to the designated directory number so that the unanswered forwarded communication is directly connected to the VMS without first being connected to the designated directory number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the call instructions comprise a called party number and a redirected number;

and

wherein parsing the voice information comprises, in response to the recognition, parsing the voice mail information into the call instructions by including the designated directory number as the called party number and by including the VMS directory number as the redirected number so that the communication is further routed with the call instructions and based on the designated directory number through the telecommunications system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the call termination instructions comprise directions that the call be terminated to the redirected number, the redirected number being the VMS directory number;

and

wherein terminating the call comprises, in response to receipt of the call termination instructions, terminating the call to the VMS by terminating the call to the VMS directory number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the call termination instructions comprise a directive that the redirected number be changed to the designated directory number;

and

wherein terminating the call comprises terminating the call to the VMS by terminating the call to the VMS directory number and changing the redirected number to the designated directory number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice mail information comprises the designated directory number, and a voice mail service (VMS) directory number of the VMS applied to the designated directory number;

and

wherein placing the call comprises placing the call by dialing the code followed by the designated directory number and the VMS directory number so that the call is routed through the telecommunications system on the basis of the code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call instructions comprise the designated directory number of the subscriber;

and

wherein parsing in the processing of the call comprises, in further routing the call through the telecommunications system, recognizing the designated directory number and pausing in the processing of the call on the basis of the designated directory number to obtain the call termination instructions based on the call instructions.

7. In a telecommunications system, a method to connect an unanswered forwarded communication directly to a voice mail service (VMS) applied to a designated directory number without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number, comprising:

placing a call so that the call is routed with the designated directory number and a voice mail service (VMS) directory number through the telecommunications system;

in routing the call through the telecommunications system, recognizing the designated directory number and pausing in processing of the call based on the designated directory number in order to obtain call termination instructions;

receiving the call termination instructions, the call termination instructions directing the call to be terminated to the VMS directory number;

in response to receipt of the call termination instructions, terminating the call to the VMS directory number; and

after the call is terminated to the VMS directory number, bridging the unanswered forwarded communication to the call,

whereby the routing of the call through the telecommunications system until the call termination instructions are received allows the call to be terminated to the VMS directory number rather than to the designated directory number so that the unanswered forwarded communication may be directly connected to the VMS without first being connected to the designated directory number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the designated directory number corresponds to a called party number, and wherein the VMS directory number corresponds to a redirected number;

wherein the call termination instructions comprise directives that the call be terminated to the redirected number and a directive that the redirected number be changed to the designated directory number; and

wherein terminating the call comprises, in response to receipt of the call termination instructions, terminating the call to the VMS directory number as the redirected number and changing the redirected number to the designated directory number.

9. In a telecommunications system having a call forwarding service applied to calls for a subscriber, a system to enable connection of an unanswered forwarded communication directly to a voice mail service (VMS) applied to a designated directory number of the subscriber without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number, comprising:

an intelligent peripheral operative to;

make a first recognition that a communication has gone unanswered, the communication being for the subscriber and to which the call forwarding service has been applied so that the communication has been forwarded to a forwarded location where the communication has gone unanswered;

make a second recognition that the communication is to be connected to the VMS applied to the designated directory number of the subscriber;

on the basis of the first recognition and the second recognition, place a call by dialing a code followed by voice mail information so that the call is routed through the telecommunications system and terminated to the VMS applied to the designated directory number of the subscriber; and

after the call has been terminated to the VMS, bridge the communication to the call,

whereby the intelligent peripheral enables, through the use of the call dialed to the code and further routed through the telecommunications system, the communication to be directly connected to the VMS without first being connected to the designated directory number.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the voice mail information comprises the designated directory number of the subscriber, and a voice mail service (VMS) directory number of the VMS applied to the designated directory number;

and

wherein the intelligent peripheral is operative to place the call by dialing the code followed by the designated directory number of the subscriber and the VMS directory number so that the call is routed through the telecommunications system on the basis of the code, then later on the basis of the designated directory number and terminated to the VMS directory number.

11. In a telecommunications system having a call forwarding service applied to calls for a subscriber, a system to enable connection of an unanswered forwarded communication directly to a voice mail service (VMS) applied to a designated directory number of the subscriber without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number, comprising:

a service control point operative to;

receive a first query relating to a call, the call having been placed by dialing a code followed by voice mail information, and the query having been generated on the basis of the code;

recognize the code;

in response to recognizing the code, parse the voice mail information into call instructions;

provide the call instructions in a first response corresponding to the first query so that the call is further routed with and based on the call instructions through the telecommunications system;

receive a second query relating to the call, the second query including an identification of a network element as a billing party number associated with the call; and

in response to the identification, provide call termination instructions in a second response corresponding to the second query so that the call is terminated to a voice mail service applied to a designated directory number of the subscriber without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the voice mail information comprises the designated directory number of the subscriber, and a voice mail service (VMS) directory number of the VMS applied to the designated directory number, and

wherein the call instructions comprise a called party number and a redirected number; and

wherein the service control point is operative, in response to the recognition of the code, to parse the voice mail information into the call instructions by including the designated directory number as the called party number and by including the VMS directory number as the redirected number so that the communication is further routed with the call instructions and based on the designated directory number through the telecommunications system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the call termination instructions comprise directions that the call be terminated to the redirected number, the redirected number being the VMS directory number so that the call is terminated to the VMS directory number without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the call termination instructions comprise directions that the call be terminated to the redirected number and a directive that the redirected number be changed to the designated directory number so that the call is terminated to the VMS directory number without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number and the redirected number is changed to the designated directory number.

15. A method to connect an unanswered forwarded communication to a voice mail service (VMS) applied to a designated directory number, comprising:

routing a call including the designated directory number and a VMS directory number;

parsing the designated directory number as a called party number and the VMS directory number as a redirected number;

receiving a directive that the call be terminated to the redirected number, and that the redirected number then be changed to the designated directory number;

with the redirected number being the VMS directory number, terminating the call to the VMS directory number and then changing the redirected number to the designated directory number; and

after the call is terminated to the VMS, bridging the unanswered forwarded communication to the call.

16. A method to connect an unanswered forwarded communication to a voice mail service (VMS) applied to a designated directory number, comprising:

placing a call so that the call is routed to include a designated directory number and a VMS number, wherein the designated directory number corresponds to a called party number, and wherein the VMS directory number corresponds to a redirected number;

receiving call termination instructions based on the designated directory number, wherein the call termination instructions comprise a directive that the call be terminated to the redirected number and a directive that the redirected number be changed to the designated directory number;

in response to receipt of the call termination instructions, terminating the call to the VMS directory number as the redirected number and changing the redirected number to the designated directory number; and

after the call is terminated to the VMS directory number, bridging the unanswered forwarded communication to the call.

17. A system to enable connection of an unanswered forwarded communication directly to a voice mail service (VMS) applied to a designated directory number without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number, the system comprising:

a service control point operative to;

receive the designated directory number and a VMS directory number in connection with a call;

parse the designated directory number as a called party number and the VMS directory number as a redirected number into call instructions;

provide the call instructions so that the call is routed with and based on the call instructions;

receive an identification of a network element as a billing party number associated with the call; and

in response to the identification, direct that the call be terminated to the redirected number and that the redirected number be changed to the designated directory number, so that the call is terminated to the VMS directory number as the redirected number without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number and the redirected number is changed to the designated directory number.

18. In a telecommunications system having a call forwarding service, a system to enable connection of an unanswered forwarded communication to a voice mail service (VMS) applied to a designated directory number, comprising:

an intelligent peripheral operative to;

recognize that a communication that has been forwarded has gone unanswered;

recognize that the communication is to be connected to the VMS;

place a call by dialing a code followed by voice mail information including the designated directory number and a VMS directory number, so that the call is routed through the telecommunications system based on the code, and so that, in response to the call being dialed to the code, the voice mail information is parsed with the dated directory number as a called party number and the VMS directory number as a redirected number, and so that the call is terminated to the VMS directory number as the redirected number, and with the redirected number thereafter being changed to the designated directory number; and

after the call has been terminated to the VMS directory number, bridge the communication to the call.

19. A method to connect an unanswered forwarded communication to a voice mail service (VMS) serving a directory number from which the unanswered forwarded communication was forwarded without connecting the communication to the directory number, comprising:

detecting the unanswered forwarded communication;

making a call and including voice mail information with the call so that the call is routed to the VMS serving the directory number, the voice mail information being parsed with the directory number as a called party number and a VMS directory number as a redirected number, and so that the call is terminated to the VMS directory number as the redirected number, and with the redirected number, thereafter being changed to the directory number; and

bridging the call with the unanswered forwarded communication.