Method and system for providing enhanced call waiting and caller identification

• US 6,498,841 B2
• Filed: 03/09/1999
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bull, Rex Norman, Maciejewski, James Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Application Number:
  US09/265,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/201, 379/197, 379/199, 379/127, 379/67.1, 379/215, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.04, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/215.01, 379/142.01, 379/142.08, 379/142.14
• US Class Current: 379/142.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 : Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 : Signaling in general, in-band signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

An efficient and effective method and system for providing to a customer an audible call notification of a current call and a subsequently received call waiting call. The present embodiments notify the customer that a current call is waiting in an effective manner that reduces confusion. Confusion is reduced by the combination of audible call waiting indicators and audible caller identification information associated with the calling telephone station. Additionally, both the indicator and the representation of the information can be provided automatically without significant delay. The indication is provided even when standard caller identification information is not available by prompting the caller to provide spoken caller identification information. The spoken caller identification information is provided to the called party along with call disposition options, such as options to accept or reject the call, route the call to voice mail or send a sales refusal message.

Claims

1. A method for processing a call in a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving the call from a calling party at a calling communication station for a called party at a called communication station;

routing the call to a Signal Switching Point (SSP);

at the SSP, generating a terminating attempt query including a calling party identifier and a calling parting restriction indicator;

communicating the terminating attempt query to a Service Control Point (SCP);

at the SCP if standard caller identification can be provided for the call, including

determining

if standard caller identification for the call is available,

if standard caller identification for the call is complete, and

if a presentation restriction indicator for the call is set to “

presentation restricted;

”

if standard caller identification can not be provided for the call, prompting the caller to provide spoken caller identification information;

storing the spoken caller identification information;

determining if the called communication station is off hook; and

if the called communication station is off hook, providing audible call waiting information including the stored spoken caller identification information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein prompting the caller to provide audible caller identification information comprises:

at the SCP, generating call control information;

conveying the call control information to the SSP in response to the terminating attempt query; and

at the SSP, in response to the call control information, activating a service node/intelligent peripheral (SN/IP) to generate a prompt to the calling communication station.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein providing the audible call waiting information comprises:

at the SSP, retrieving from the SN/IP the recorded spoken caller identification information; and

transmitting the recorded spoken caller identification information to the called communication station.