Telephoning method comprising novel subscriber service

• US 6,393,117 B1
• Filed: 10/02/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anders Trell Trust
• Original Assignee: Anders Trell Trust
• Inventors: Trell, Anders Edvard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US09/155,674
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/204, 379/210, 379/211, 379/179, 379/207, 379/373, 379/67
• US Class Current: 379/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A telephoning method, intended to facilitate possibility to offer subscribers of a telephone network/telecommunication system a novel service for preferably incoming calls/communication. According to the invention, a subscriber can, preferably by means of dial-up and/or input, preferably via an existing keypad at the telephone instrument/terminal of the subscriber, of a predetermined booking number/code be given possibility to state a desired time period for a temporary telephone number/address, the subscriber after completed ordering operation preferably receiving a verbal message related to allocated temporary telephone number/address, which during the time period facilitates preferably incoming calls/communication, preferably without influencing the possibility of incoming and outgoing calls/communication with use of the normal telephone number/address of the subscriber. As time period, the subscriber preferably states starting date and terminating date, and possibility to state time interval within each twenty-four hour period can also be offered.

Claims

1. A telephoning method comprising the steps of:

offering at least one subscriber of a plurality of subscribers of a telephone network/telecommunication system a service for incoming calls/communication;

connecting by said at least one subscriber, by means of dial-up and/or input through an existing keypad at a telephone instrument/terminal of the at least one subscriber, to the telephone network/telecommunication system for starting the ordering operation;

inputting by said at least one subscriber a predetermined booking number/code and/or in writing/verbally;

inputting by said at least one subscriber a desired time period, and said desired time period having a starting date and an ending date for a required connectable temporary telephone number/address;

providing to said at least one subscriber upon completed ordering operation a verbal/alphanumerical message related to allocated temporary telephone number/address, which during the time period facilitates incoming calls/communication, without influencing the possibility of incoming and outgoing calls/communication with use of the normal telephone number/address of the subscriber.

2. The telephoning method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

stating by said at least one subscriber, apart from start and ending date, a time interval within a twenty-four hour period; and

switching only incoming calls through to the temporary telephone number during said time interval.

3. The telephoning method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

providing a verbal message for indicating that connecting operations intended for the temporary telephone number during time periods outside predetermined time interval for the telephone number cannot be reached at present; and

stating the time period during which connection to the subscriber is permitted.

4. The telephoning method according to claim 1, wherein said step of inputting of data related to desired use of the temporary telephone number is made on basis of received verbal messages;

and

checking is performed on validity of inputted information, and that unaccepted inputted information results in a repeated request for information, followed by repeated input and checking.

5. The telephoning method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

obtaining for said at least one subscriber after input of desired use for the temporary telephone number information relating to allocated temporary telephone number as a verbal message and/or as a written confirmation by mail.

6. The telephoning method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving for said at least one subscriber after accepted input of data relating to desired features for the use of the temporary telephone number information relating to at least a multi-digit cancellation code; and

facilitating after connection to a predetermined telephone number, and in conjunction with allocated temporary telephone number, cancellation of the temporary telephone number service prior to the end of a previously stated time period.

7. The telephoning method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing ring signals indicating calls through allocated temporary telephone number have ring characteristics different from ring signals indicating a call through the ordinary telephone number of the subscriber.

8. The telephoning method according to claim 1, wherein said utilized temporary telephone numbers comprises of available vacant telephone numbers within the call area of the subscriber or a number series dedicated for the purpose;

and

allocating the temporary telephone numbers from such a bank of numbers according to the principle “

first out-last in”

whereby the time period before reusing a telephone number is maximized.

9. The telephoning method according to claim 1, wherein said utilized temporary telephone numbers facilitate use of additional services programmable by the subscriber, consisting of follow-me diversion, call forwarding on no reply, three-party conference calls, “

call waiting” and

similar.

10. The telephoning method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

allocating for “

Internet” and

similar applications the temporary telephone number/address according to certain status criteria and giving a higher degree of priority than the conventional telephone number/address.

11. The telephoning method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

allocating temporary/occasional “

020”

-status; and

maintaining the already existing subscriber number/address.

12. The telephoning method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

requesting temporary number/address by caller category than mere temporal criterias.