Online call routing apparatus and method

• US 6,366,661 B1
• Filed: 10/25/1999
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International, Inc.
• Inventors: Ikeako, Okechukwu U., Devillier, Douglas André
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/427,376
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/401, 379/127, 379/142, 379/196, 379/197, 379/201, 379/207, 379/215, 379/127.01, 379/142.01, 379/142.08, 379/142.17, 379/201.01, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/214.01, 379/215.01, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/900
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4281 when the called subscriber is connected to a data network using his telephone line, e.g. dial-up connection, Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A telephone routing system which provides notification to subscribers that an incoming telephone call has been received. In particular, the system is directed toward subscribers who employ their telephone line in order to establish a connection over the Internet. In the situation where an incoming call is received during an Internet session, the routing system provides notification to the subscriber that the call has been received. In particular, when the incoming call is received, an interactive screen display may appear on the subscriber'"'"'s computer through use of the subscriber'"'"'s PC software. The subscriber may be provided a selection of options on how the call should be routed. Once the instructions are received from the subscriber, the system routes the call accordingly.

Claims

1. A method of routing telephone calls over an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) telephony network comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming call at a service control point (SCP) in a public switched telephone network for a subscriber;

establishing a connection over a data network with a communications server specially configured to monitor whether the subscriber is employing an incoming telephone line associated with the SCP to establish a data connection with the data network;

determining if the subscriber is employing the incoming telephone line with a data network connection;

if the subscriber has a current data network connection, presenting an interactive screen display information the subscriber of the incoming telephone call;

receiving from the subscriber instructions with regards to the routing of the incoming telephone call; and

routing said incoming telephone call to a predetermined destination based on input received by the subscriber in response to presentation of the screen message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein if the subscriber accepts the incoming call, routing the incoming call to at least one of:

the subscriber'"'"'s line when the Internet connection is terminated, to a data network gateway to establish an IP telephony connection with the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein if the subscriber rejects the incoming call, routing the incoming call to a predetermined destination wherein the predetermined destination includes at least one of:

voice mail, call forwarding, an audio message.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of playing an audio message to the caller while the notification message is presented to the subscriber.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein, upon initiation by the subscriber, the routing information is delivered to the subscriber over a connection other then the incoming telephone line.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of periodically querying the subscriber to determine if the subscriber has an active data network connection, and updating the online status accordingly.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of including caller identification in the interactive screen display.

8. A system for routing telephone calls in an advanced intelligent network (AIN) telephony network, comprising:

a local switch in the telephone network associated with the subscriber which receives incoming calls for the subscriber, provides for routing connections from the subscriber to a designated destination;

a service control point in connection with the local switch which provides a connection from the telephone network to a data network, wherein the queries received for the incoming telephone calls from the local switch may be transmitted to a designated location on the data network and responses may be received from the data network which includes routing instructions for the incoming call which may be provided to the switch for routing the incoming call to a selected destination; and

a network server in communication with the service control point over the data network, wherein the network server is configured with;

a status module which may be accessed by the SCP to retrieve updated information as to the subscriber'"'"'s online status, a messaging module configured to transmit data signals to the subscriber wherein the data signals are employed to populate an interactive display graphics which are presentable to the subscriber and is further configured to receive the routing instruction entered through the interactive display which in turn are transmitted to said SCP.

9. The system of claim 8 further including a LIDB from which identification information may be accessed for the incoming call and included with the queries.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein in the interactive display graphic includes information with regards to receipt of the incoming call and at least one choice which a subscriber may choose for routing the incoming call.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the telephony network includes at least one routing destination other than the incoming line for the incoming call.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the routing destination comprises at least one of:

voice mail, call forwarding, and audio message.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the telephony network includes a gateway which through which the incoming call may be routed to establish an IP telephony connection with the subscriber.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the data network is the Internet.