Caller-controller barge-in telephone service

• US 6,418,216 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith Helen, Harrison, Colin George, Dunn, James M., Willner, Barry Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/093,686
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/204, 379/205, 379/207, 379/208, 379/243, 379/244, 379/48, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/88.25, 379/88.26, 379/201.01, 379/204.01, 379/205.01, 379/207.01, 379/208.01, 379/215.01, 379/218.02
• US Class Current: 379/208.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A caller-controlled barge-in telephone service, managed by telephone systems, intercepts telephone calls directed to instantly busy telephone lines predesignated as objects of this service, and: 1) verifies that the called line is a respectively predesignated object of this service and that the caller is entitled to invoke the service relative to that line; and 2) forms a bridging connection between the caller and parties to a telephone call instantly busying the called line. Verification that a caller is entitled to the service can be implemented by playing a voice announcement requesting the caller to speak or key in an authorization code. If the caller fails to respond or returns an invalid code, the caller is either disconnected or transferred to a voice mail service. Disconnection of the caller may be preceded by a voice announcement (e.g. a spoken “goodbye”). If the called site has call waiting service, that service is applied for a predetermined time to allow the party currently using the called line to voluntarily respond to the associated call waiting signals. If the call waiting signals are not acted upon within the predetermined time, functions associated with barge-in are invoked to forcibly join an authorized caller to the busy connection at the called line. Use of the invention in various network environments is described, including use in the PSTN, in public data networks such as the Internet, and in private data networks. Limited use by a guest of an authorized subscriber is also described.

Claims

1. A system for providing automated barge-in connection service relative to lines served by a switch component of a voice communication network, said automated barge-in service comprising conditionally connecting a caller to a voice communication line subject to said service, while said subject line is instantly in use, said system comprising:

means enabling said switch component to offer a caller to said subject line that is instantly in use options for selectively invoking one of a plurality of services relative to the respective line;

said plurality of services including application of call waiting tones to said subject line, transfer of said caller to voice mail, and barge-in service connecting said caller to said subject line if said caller can establish authorization to have such connection made;

a first element communicating with said switch component for identifying lines served by said switch component that are subject to said barge-in connection service and for associating each subject line with at least one authorized user of said barge-in connection service in relation to the respective subject line;

a second element for conditionally acting in cooperation with the first element to cause a barge-in connection to be established between a caller and one of said subject lines, while the respective subject line is instantly in use;

said barge-in connection being established automatically, and without prior authorization from a party currently using said respective subject line, when at least one predetermined condition is satisfied by said caller;

said barge-in connection enabling said caller to instantly speak to a party currently using said respective subject line; and

wherein said at least one condition to be satisfied by said caller comprises having said system interact with said caller to solicit an indication from said caller to said system of a code uniquely authorizing application of said barge-in connection to said respective subject line, and of a further indication enabling said caller to select between receiving said barge-in service and being transferred to said voice mail service.

2. A service providing system in accordance with claim 1 wherein a party authorized to use said barge-in connection service relative to a line subject to said service is permitted to extend a limited guest authorization to another party, said limited guest authorization allowing the other party to use said barge-in connection service for a limited time specifiable by said authorized party.

3. A service providing system in accordance with claim 2 wherein a said code establishing the limited authorization of the guest party to receive said barge-in service is transferrable to said guest party through said voice mail service.

4. A service providing system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said switch component is capable of inter-acting with a caller to a said line instantly in use, when said caller is authorized to receive said barge-in service, to offer said caller a combination of sequential services, said combination of services including application of a predetermined number of call waiting tones to said instantly busy line, and, in the event that there is no response to said call waiting tones, following application of the last of said predetermined number of call waiting tones with an immediate creation of a bridging connection between said caller and said line instantly in use.

5. A service providing system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said voice communication network extends through a public data communication network separate from the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and said switch component is located at a switching node of said public data communication network at which data representing voice signal transmissions is routed through said data communication network.

6. A service providing system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said automated barge-in service is initiated by said caller through a call to a special address in said voice communication network, said special address being associated directly with delivery of said barge-in service and only indirectly with application of said service to said subject line instantly in use, and wherein:

apparatus accessed when said special network address is called operates to initiate operations of said first and second elements by means of which said elements ascertain;

a) the identity of a said respective subject line to which said caller seeks to connect; and

b) said caller'"'"'s authorization to use automated barge-in service relative to said respective subject line; and

wherein, upon verification that said caller is authorized to use said automated-barge in service, said elements and said apparatus cooperate to initiate communication with said switch component resulting in execution of one of the following functions;

b1) application of ringing tones to said respective subject line if the respective line is currently not in use, and otherwise, if the specified line is currently in use,

b2) establishment of a 3-way connection between said caller, the respective subject line and a third party having a 2-way connection to said respective subject line immediately prior to formation of said 3-way connection.

7. A service providing system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said switch component is part of a private telephone network and said respective subject line is a telephone extension within said private network.

8. A method of providing barge-in connection services to users of a voic communication network comprising:

receiving calls directed to specified end-user nodes of said network from points of call origination remote from respective nodes;

determining, at time of reception of a call to a said specified end-user node, if;

a) the respective end-user node is instantly busy; and

b) if the caller is authorized to receive barge-in connection se the respective end-user node; and

offering the caller plural options when said end user node is instantly busy;

said options including enabling the caller to transfer to a voice-mail service and to have a bridging connection established between the caller and the respective end user nodes provided that said caller is authorized to receive said barge-in connection service relative to said respective end user node;

wherein said bridging connection is formed as part of a conference connection between the caller, the respective end user node, and any parties currently connected to said end user node.

9. A method of providing barge-in connection services in accordance with claim 8 wherein said voice communication network, including said specified end-user nodes, is contained within a public data communication network separate from the public switched telephone network (PSTN);

and wherein said step of determining if the caller is authorized to receive barge-in connection service relative to a said respective end user node to which said call is directed includes;

operating voice call-management facilities within said public data communication network to;

a) transmit a predetermined data message to said originating party, b) receive a response to said message; and

c) determine from said response, and from information contained in a database maintained in said public data communication network, if said originating party is authorized to receive barge-in connection service relative to said respective end-user node.

10. A method of providing barge-in connection services in accordance with claim 8 wherein at least a part of said voice communication network is contained within a private telephone network having a telephone extension representing a specific one of said end-user nodes;

and wherein said step of determining authorization of a caller to said telephone extension to receive said barge-in service includes;

operating telephone call management facilities within said private telephone network to ascertain if the respective call to said telephone extension meets any one of plural conditions including;

a) the point of origin of the respective call is a special telephone line entitled per se to said barge-in connection; and

b) a party originating said respective call to said telephone extension is authorized specifically to receive said barge-in connection service; and

if any of said ascertained conditions is satisfied, establishing said barge-in connection between said originating party and said telephone extension.