Method and system for providing a continuous tone source using a service node

• US 6,597,780 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xylon LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lapierre, Stephen R., Knoerle, Joseph M., Zhang, Zeeman Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US09/461,737
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 455/422, 379/211.01
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold

Abstract

A system and method for providing an on-hold call with a selectable continuous tone source using a service node, comprising a service switching point of a central office connected to a service logic program provisioned on a service node. Using the capabilities of the service node, the service logic program plays a continuous tone through a permanent trunk line connecting the service node to the service switching point. When the service switching point puts a call on hold, the service switching point connects the call through the permanent trunk line to the service logic program that is playing the continuous tone. As a result, the caller hears the continuous tone while the service switching point has the call on hold. In addition, the present invention provides a dual tone multifrequency administrative interface on the service logic program of the service node, which enables a customer to dial the interface, enter a passcode for access, and then choose between a variety of tone types such as a dial tone, a busy signal, a normal ring tone, a reorder signal (fast busy signal), a continuous busy signal, and a continuous ring tone.

Claims

1. A method for providing an on-hold call with a continuous tone comprising the steps of:

(a) playing the continuous tone using a service logic program provisioned on a service node; and

(b) placing the on-hold call in communication with the service logic program using a service switching point,

wherein the on-hold call is connected to at least one of a calling party and a called party, and the at least one of the calling party and the called party hears the continuous tone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the continuous tone is selected from the group consisting essentially of a dial tone, a busy signal, a normal ring tone, a fast busy signal, a continuous busy signal, and a continuous ring.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service logic program comprises a tone!send(tone=parameter) command.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the parameter is the continuous tone and wherein the continuous tone is a tone desired by a customer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a customer changes the parameter by calling dual tone multifrequency interface in communication with the service logic program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service logic program is in communication with the service switching point of the on-hold call through a connection selected from the group consisting essentially of a trunk line, a basic rate interface integrated services digital network line, and a multiple line hunt group line.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(c) taking the on-hold call off hold;

(d) disconnecting the on-hold call from the service logic program and the service node; and

(e) routing the on-hold call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service switching point communicates with the service logic program through a music-on-hold trunk in communication with a main distribution frame cross connection in communication with a foreign exchange trunk in communication with a switched permanent connection.

9. A system for providing a call put on hold with a continuous tone comprising:

(a) a service switching point; and

(b) a service logic program provisioned on a service node, wherein the service logic program is in communication with the service switching point, and wherein the service logic program is provisioned with a continuous tone program that plays the continuous tone, such that at least one of a called party and a calling party hears a continuous tone while the call is on hold.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the service switching point is in communication with the service logic program through a connection selected from the group consisting essentially of a trunk line, a basic rate interface integrated services digital network line, and a multiple line hunt group.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the service switching point comprises:

(i) a music-on-hold trunk; and

(ii) a foreign exchange trunk in communication with the music-on-hold trunk through a main distribution frame cross connection, wherein the foreign exchange trunk is in communication with the service logic program through a switched permanent connection.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the service logic program has an interface through which a subscriber can change the continuous tone.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the continuous tone is selected from the group consisting essentially of a dial tone, a busy signal, a normal ring tone, a fast busy signal, a continuous busy signal, and a continuous ring.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the service node is provisioned with a call routing service logic program that processes the call according to a particular advanced intelligent network service and issues instructions to the service switching point implementing the particular advanced intelligent network service.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the particular advanced intelligent network service is selected from the group consisting essentially of a flexible call forwarding service, a simultaneous ring service, and a star code feature service.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a call routing service logic program provisioned on the service node, wherein the call routing service logic program is connected to the service switching point and is in communication with the called party and the calling party through the service switching point.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the call routing service logic program processes the call according to a particular advanced intelligent network service and issues instructions to the service switching point implementing the particular advanced intelligent network service.

18. A method for providing a continuous tone for a service-node-based advanced intelligent network service comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an incoming call from a calling party to a called party at a service switching point;

(b) forwarding the incoming call to a call routing service logic program on service node;

(c) implementing the call routing service logic program;

(d) placing an outgoing call from the service node to the called party;

(e) transferring the incoming call and the outgoing call to the service switching point and placing the incoming call and the outgoing call on hold;

(f) placing the incoming call and the outgoing call in communication with a service logic program on the service node, wherein the service logic program is playing a continuous tone;

(g) when the transfer is complete, taking the incoming call and the outgoing call off hold, and disconnecting the incoming call and the outgoing call from the service logic program; and

(h) terminating the incoming call to the outgoing call at the service switching point.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the service logic program plays the continuous tone by following a tone!send(tone=parameter) command, wherein the parameter is the continuous tone.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the transfer lasts a duration that can cause a period of silence on the incoming call and the outgoing call when a standard audible ring source from a central office is applied to the incoming call and the outgoing call.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of implementing the call routing service logic program comprises executing a service selected from the group consisting essentially of a flexible call forwarding service, a simultaneous ring service, or a star code feature service.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein step (f) comprises the steps of:

(i) connecting the incoming call and the outgoing call to a music-on-hold trunk;

(ii) signaling from the music-on-hold trunk to a foreign exchange trunk through a main distribution frame cross connection; and

(iii) placing a call from the foreign exchange trunk to the service logic program through a permanent switched connection.

23. A service node comprising:

(a) a service logic program;

(b) a first line connecting a service switching point to the service node, the first line passing calls between the service switching point and the service node; and

(c) a second line connecting the service switching point to the service node, the second line delivering a continuous tone from the service logic program to the service switching point.

24. The service node of claim 23, wherein the first line is a basic rate interface connection.

25. The service node of claim 23, wherein the second line is a permanent trunk line.

26. The service node of claim 25, wherein the permanent trunk line is a basic rate interface integrated service digital network connection.

27. A service switching point for providing an on-hold call with a continuous tone comprising:

(a) a music-on-hold trunk in communication with at least one of a called party and a calling party; and

(b) a foreign exchange trunk in communication with the music-on-hold trunk through a main distribution frame cross connection,

wherein the foreign exchange trunk connects to a source of the continuous tone and transmits the continuous tone to the music-on-hold trunk and to the at least one of the called party and the calling party.

28. The service switching point of claim 27, wherein the source of the continuous tone is a service logic program of a service node, and the foreign exchange trunk is in communication with a service logic program through a switched permanent connection.

29. The service switching point of claim 28, wherein the foreign exchange trunk is provisioned with a permanent incoming seizure.