Integrated telecommunications services for mobile and landline telephony service subscriber

• US 6,496,578 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Gentry, William D., Bhatia, Sanjay G., Chen, Hwei-Ling
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/237,750
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 379/211.01, 379/212.01, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.03, 379/210.02, 379/207.15, 379/219, 379/220.01, 455/432, 455/433, 455/439, 455/445, 455/461, 455/465, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus are provided to deliver integrated call screen list based telephony services for a subscriber having both landline and mobile wireless telephone terminals. Call screen list based services are selectively provided to a landline or mobile wireless telephone terminal for which an incoming call is being received. These services can be coordinated and integrated between the landline and mobile wireless telephone terminals in various telephony topologies. For example, services can be integrated when the landline and mobile wireless telephone terminals are operably connected to separate mobile and landline telecommunications switching infrastructures or to a common integrated landline and wireless telecommunications switch. One or more call screen lists may be used to define integrated call screen list based services for landline and wireless telephone terminals.

Claims

1. A method for selectively integrating call screen list based services for a subscriber having both mobile and landline telephony service, comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephone call intended for a first telephone terminal of the subscriber selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal;

analyzing each call screen list associated with the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber, irrespective of the telephone terminal of the subscriber for which the telephone call received was intended; and

providing telephony services to the first telephone terminal based upon the analysis of said each call screen list associated with the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining, prior to said providing step, whether said first telephone terminal of the subscriber is subscribed to receive call screen list based services.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said analyzing step further comprises the step of determining the call screen list based services to be provided to said first telephone terminal of the subscriber.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of logically associating each call screen list associated with said mobile telephone terminal and said landline telephone terminal of the subscriber, irrespective of the telephone terminal for which the telephone call received was intended, prior to said providing step.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of logically twinning each call screen list associated with said mobile telephone terminal and said landline telephone terminal of the subscriber, irrespective of the telephone terminal for which the telephone call received was intended, prior to said providing step.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first telephone terminal of the subscriber is associated with a first identification number, wherein a second telephone terminal of the subscriber not intended to receive the telephone call is also selected from the group consisting of a landline telephone terminal and a mobile telephone terminal, wherein said second telephone terminal is associated with a second identification number, and wherein the method further comprises the step of remapping said first identification number to said second identification number to link each call screen list associated with the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a second telephone terminal not intended to receive the telephone call is also selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal, and wherein said analyzing step further comprises the step of determining whether said first telephone terminal of the subscriber receiving a telephone call is twinned logically with said second telephone terminal of the subscriber.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a second telephone terminal of the subscriber not intended to receive the telephone call is also selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal, and wherein said analyzing step further comprises the step of determining whether call screen list based services can be provided to said first telephone terminal according to the call screen list based services to which said second telephone terminal is subscribed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a second telephone terminal of the subscriber not intended to receive the telephone call is also selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal, wherein said second terminal receives telephony services from a telephony service device, and wherein said providing step comprises the steps of:

messaging with said telephony service device to determine whether call screen list based services are to be provided for said first telephone terminal according to the call screen list based services to which said second telephone terminal is subscribed; and

processing the telephone call received by said first telephone terminal according to input data selected from the group consisting of a call screen list associated with said first telephone terminal, a call screen list associated with said second telephone terminal, and at least one call screen list associated with both said first and said second telephone terminals.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises the step of processing the telephone call received for said first telephone terminal according to the resulting call screen list based services to be provided to said first telephone terminal as determined in said analyzing step.

11. A system for selectively integrating call screen list based services for a subscriber having both mobile and landline telephony service, comprising:

a first telecommunications switch for receiving a telephone call intended for a first telephone terminal of a subscriber selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal;

a memory device for storing each call screen list associated with telephony services provided to the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber; and

a telephony service device, operably connected to said first telecommunications switch and said memory device, for analyzing each call screen list and providing telephony services to said first telephone terminal according to the analysis of said each call screen list associated with the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said first telecommunications switch and said telephony service device are disposed within a single integrated telecommunications switch for receiving calls and providing telephony services to both mobile and landline telephone terminals.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said memory device stores a single integrated call screen list associated with both mobile and landline telephone terminals of a subscriber, and wherein call screen list based services are provided to said first telephone terminal intended to receive the telephone call according to the analysis of said single integrated call screen list.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said memory device is disposed within at least one of said first telecommunications switch and said telephony service device.

15. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a server device disposed external to said first telecommunications switch and said telephony service device, wherein said memory device is disposed within said server device and operably connected through a communications link to at least one of said first telecommunications switch and said telephony service device.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein a second telephone terminal not intended to receive the telephone call is also selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal, wherein said telephony service device comprises a second telecommunications switch for providing telephony services to said second telephone terminal, said second telecommunications switch further adapted to receive a request from said first telephone terminal to provide call screen list based services thereto.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said first telecommunications switch stores a first call screen list for said first telephone terminal receiving the telephone call, wherein said second telecommunications switch stores a second call screen list for said second telephone terminal not intended to receive the telephone call, and wherein messages are transferred between said first and said second telecommunications switches regarding said first and said second call screen lists prior to providing telephony services to said first telephone terminal.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein said first telecommunications switch stores a first call screen list for said first telephone terminal receiving a telephone call, wherein said second telecommunications switch stores a second call screen list for said second telephone terminal not intended to receive the telephone call, and wherein said first and said second call screen lists are logically twinned together to determine the call screen list based services to be provided to said first telephone terminal.

19. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a roaming mode telecommunications switch operably connected to said first telecommunications switch, for servicing a mobile telephone terminal of the subscriber operating outside a local home service area, wherein said first telecommunications switch comprises a home mode telecommunications switch for servicing a mobile telephone terminal of the subscriber operating within the local home service area, and wherein said home mode and said remote mode telecommunications switches cooperate to provide integrated call screen list based telephony services to the mobile telephone terminal of the subscriber receiving a telephone call irrespective of whether the mobile telephone terminal is operating within or outside the local home service area.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein call screen list based services defined by a call screen list stored by said memory device comprise at least one service selected from the group consisting of call screen acceptance, call screen rejection, call screen selective call forwarding, call screen selective voicemail forwarding, home/roam call screen services, and conditional call screening services.

21. The system according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said first telecommunications switch and said telephony service device further comprises a subscriber user interface for configuring said each call screen list associated with the mobile and landline telephone terminals of a subscriber and the call screen list based services defined by said each call screen list.

22. An apparatus for selectively providing integrated call screen list based telephony services for a subscriber having both mobile and landline telephony service, comprising:

a first interface for receiving requests to provide call screen list based telephony services to a first telephone terminal of a subscriber receiving a telephone call, said first telephone terminal selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal; and

a memory device, operably connected to said first interface, for storing each call screen list associated with telephony services provided to the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber; and

a computer processor, operably connected to said memory device, for accessing and analyzing each call screen list stored within said memory device;

wherein call screen list based telephony services are provided to said first telephone terminal according to analysis of said each call screen list, irrespective of the telephone terminal of the subscriber for which the telephone call received was intended.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a second telephone terminal of the subscriber not intended to receive the telephone call is also selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal, and further comprising a second interface for providing telephony services to said second telephone terminal.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said memory device stores each call screen list comprising a single call screen list associated with call screen list based services provided to both mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said memory device stores each call screen list comprising at least two call screen lists associated respectively with call screen list based services provided to mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said first interface transmits messages regarding call screen list based services defined by said each call screen list, prior to providing call screen list based telephony services to said first telephone terminal receiving a telephone call.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein a second telephone terminal of the subscriber not intended to receive the telephone call is also selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal, wherein at least one call screen list defines call screen list based services provided to said first telephone terminal and at least one call screen list defines call screen list based services provided to said second telephone terminal, and wherein call screen lists corresponding to said first and said second telephone terminals are associated logically prior to providing call screen list based services to said first telephone terminal.

28. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein call screen list based services defined by a call screen list stored by said memory device comprise at least one service from the group consisting of call screen acceptance, call screen rejection, call screen selective call forwarding, call screen selective voicemail forwarding, home/roam call screen services, and conditional call screening services.

29. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said memory device is operably connected by a connection selected from the group consisting of a local bus connection and a remote connection through a communications link.

30. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a subscriber user interface for configuring said each call screen list associated with the mobile and landline telephone terminals of a subscriber and the call screen list based services defined by said each call screen list.

31. An apparatus for selectively requesting integrated call screen list based telephony services for a subscriber having both mobile and landline telephony service subscribers, comprising:

a first interface for receiving a telephone call intended for a first telephone terminal of a subscriber selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal;

a second interface for sending requests for call screen list based telephony services to be provided for said first telephone terminal intended to receive the telephone call;

a memory device operably connected to said first interface and said second interface, for storing each call screen list associated with telephony services provided to the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber; and

a computer processor, operably connected to said memory device, for accessing and analyzing each call screen list stored within said memory device;

wherein call screen list based telephony services are provided to said first telephone terminal according to analysis of said each call screen list, irrespective of the telephone terminal of the subscriber for which the telephone call received was intended.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein call screen list based services defined by a call screen list stored by said memory device comprise at least one service from the group consisting of call screen acceptance, call screen rejection, call screen selective call forwarding, call screen selective voicemail forwarding, home/roam call screen services, and conditional call screening services.

33. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said memory device is operably connected by a connection selected from the group consisting of a local bus connection and a remote connection through a communications link.

34. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said computer processor further provides a subscriber user interface for configuring said each call screen list associated with the mobile and landline telephone terminals of a subscriber and the call screen list based services defined by said each call screen list.

35. An apparatus for selectively providing integrated call screen list based services to a subscriber having both mobile and landline telephony service subscribers, comprising:

means for receiving requests to provide call screen list based telephony services to a first telephone terminal of the subscriber receiving a telephone call, said first telephone terminal selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal;

means for storing each call screen list associated with telephony services provided to the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber, said means for storing operably connected to said means for receiving requests;

means for analyzing each call screen list to determine the call screen list based services provided to said first telephone terminal receiving the telephone call, said means for analyzing operably connected to said means for storing; and

means for providing call screen list based services to said first telephone terminal according to the analysis of said each call screen list, irrespective of the telephone terminal of the subscriber for which the telephone call received was intended, said means for providing operably connected to said means for analyzing.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein a second telephone terminal of the subscriber not intended to receive the telephone call is also selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal, further comprising means for providing telephony services to said second telephone terminal, operably connected to said means for storing.

37. The apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising means for sending requests to provide call screen list based telephony services for said first telephone terminal, operably connected to said means for receiving.

38. An apparatus for selectively requesting integrated call screen list based services for a subscriber having both mobile and landline telephony services, comprising:

means for receiving a telephone call intended for a first telephone terminal of the subscriber, said first telephone terminal selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone terminal and a landline telephone terminal;

means for requesting call screen list based telephony services for said first telephone terminal receiving the telephone call; and

means for storing each call screen list associated with telephony services provided to the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber, said means for storing operably connected to said means for receiving and said means for requesting;

means for analyzing said each call screen list associated with the mobile and landline telephone terminals of the subscriber; and

means for providing call screen list based services to said first telephone terminal receiving the telephone call, according to the analysis of said each call screen list, irrespective of the telephone terminal of the subscriber for which the received telephone call was intended.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38, further comprising means for receiving requests for call screen list based services to be provided to said first telephone terminal, operably connected to said means for requesting.