Systems and methods for intelligent third-party redirection of an incoming call via a display-based communication center

• US 6,668,049 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Holt, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/020,938
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 379/88.11, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

Systems and methods allowing a third-party to redirect a telephone call according to an intended call recipient'"'"'s preferences are disclosed. Calls received at a switch for a subscriber are suspended while a query is sent via AIN or other data networks to a communications center device associated with the called party number. If the call is intended for another user of the subscriber'"'"'s telephone, a third party, the actual recipient of the call notification may redirect the call to the intended user without directly interfacing with the calling party. The user may select one or more options provided to route the call according to predefined profile information provided by the intended call recipient.

Claims

1. A method of redirecting a telephone call to an intended recipient according to an instruction received from a recipient of a call notification related to the telephone call, said method comprising:

receiving the telephone call at a switch;

suspending the telephone call at the switch;

sending a first query message from the switch to a server configured to receive the first query message, wherein the first query message comprises at least a calling party information and a called party information;

looking up a network address associated with a communications center according to the called party information;

looking up an intended recipient information in a database according to the called party information and the calling party information, the database storing information regarding a plurality of potential call recipients associated with a given called party telephone number;

sending a notification message from the server to the communications center, said notification message including at least the calling party information and the intended recipient information;

receiving a response from the communications center to the server, said response including a call processing instruction initiated by one of the plurality of potential call recipients;

sending a response to the first query message from the server to the switch, said response based at least in part on the call processing instructions; and

completing the telephone call according to the response from the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a service switching point and the server comprises a service control point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch is configured to provide voice calls over a packet-switched data network and the server comprises an application server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling party information includes a calling party number and the called party information includes a called party number, and wherein the step of sending a first query message from the switch to a server comprises:

sending the first query message to a service control point;

querying a calling name database for a name associated with the called party number; and

sending a second query message from the service control point to an application server, wherein the second query message includes the calling party information, the name, and the called party information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of looking up a network address comprises looking up the called party number in a database to determine an IP address associated with the called party number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling party information includes an IP address associated with a calling party and the called party information includes an IP address associated with a called party.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of looking up a network address comprises looking up the IP address associated with the called party in a database to determine a second IP address associated with the IP address associated with the called party, said second IP address being the IP address associated with the communications center.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing in a subscriber profile at least one record correlating a calling party number with a particular user;

checking the subscriber profile to identify a record corresponding to the calling party information; and

including at least a portion of the identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing in a recipient profile at least one record correlating the particular user with a default reach number;

checking the recipient profile to identify a second record corresponding to the particular user; and

including at least a portion of the second identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing in a persona profile at least one record correlating the particular user with a plurality of reach numbers, said plurality of reach numbers categorized according to a plurality of roles defined by the particular user;

checking the persona profile to identify a third record corresponding to the particular user; and

including at least a portion of the third identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing in a persona profile at least one record correlating the particular user with a plurality of reach numbers, said plurality of reach numbers categorized according to a plurality of roles defined by the particular user;

checking the persona profile to identify a second record corresponding to the particular user; and

including at least a portion of the second identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving on the server a registration information from a communications device, wherein said registration information comprises an identity and a current reach number associated with a user;

storing the registration information in a record in a presence profile;

checking the presence profile to identify a second record corresponding to the particular user; and

including at least a portion of the second identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an alert message on the communications center to notify any users of the communications center that a telephone call has been received on the switch, wherein said alert message includes at least a portion of the calling party information and at least a portion of the intended recipient information.

14. A system redirecting a telephone call to an intended recipient according to an instruction received from a recipient of a call notification related to the telephone call, said system comprising:

a switch including a trigger on a subscriber line;

a service control point, in communication with the switch; and

an application server in communication with the service control point, said application server including a database comprising records correlating a subscriber directory number with a network address for a communications center, the database further comprising information regarding a plurality of potential call recipients associated with the subscriber directory number;

wherein when the telephone call is received at the switch the trigger is encountered on the subscriber line, and in response to the trigger the switch suspends the call and sends a first query to the service control point, wherein said first query includes a calling party number and a called party number, and wherein in response to the first query, the service control point retrieves a caller'"'"'s name from a calling name database according to the calling party number, and wherein in response to the first query the service control point sends a second query to the application server, said second query including the calling party number, the called party number and the caller'"'"'s name, and wherein in response to the second query the application server retrieves a network address associated with a communications center according to the called party number, and wherein the application server sends a notification message to the communications center, and wherein the application server receives call processing instructions from the communications center initiated by one of the plurality of potential call recipients, and wherein in response to the call processing instructions, the application server sends a response message to the service control point, said response message based at least in part on the call processing instructions; and

wherein in response to the response message the service control point directs the switch to complete the call according to the call processing instructions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the application server comprises a subscriber profile correlating a plurality of telephone directory numbers with a plurality of potential call recipients, and wherein the notification message further includes an identity of the intended recipient based at least in part on the calling party number.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the application server further comprises a recipient profile correlating the potential call recipients with a default reach number, and wherein the notification message further includes the default reach number based at least in part on the identity of the intended call recipient.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the application server further comprises a presona profile correlating a potential call recipient with a plurality of reach numbers and associated categories, and wherein:

the notification message further includes the plurality of reach numbers and categories based at least in part on the identity of the intended call recipient.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the application server further comprises a presence profile correlating a potential call recipient with a current reach numbers, and wherein the notification message further includes the current reach number based at least in part on the identity of the intended call recipient.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the application server further comprises a presona profile correlating a potential call recipient with a plurality of reach numbers and associated categories, and wherein the notification message further includes the plurality of reach numbers and categories based at least in part on the identity of the intended call recipient.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the application server further comprises a presence profile correlating a potential call recipient with a current reach numbers, and wherein the notification message further includes the current reach number based at least in part on the identity of the intended call recipient.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the application server further comprises a presona profile correlating a potential call recipient with a plurality of reach numbers and associated categories, and wherein the notification message further includes the plurality of reach numbers and categories based at least in part on the identity of the intended call recipient.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the application server further comprises a presence profile correlating a potential call recipient with a current reach numbers, and wherein the notification message further includes the current reach number based at least in part on the identity of the intended call recipient.

23. A system redirecting a telephone call to an intended recipient according to an instruction received from a recipient of a call notification related to the telephone call, said system comprising:

means for receiving the telephone call at a switch;

means for suspending the telephone call at the switch;

means for sending a first query message from the switch to a server configured to receive the first query message, wherein the first query message comprises at least a calling party information and a called party information;

means for looking up a network address associated with a communications center according to the called party information;

means for looking up an intended recipient information in a database according to the called party information and the calling party information, the database storing information regarding a plurality of potential call recipients associated with a given called party telephone number;

means for sending a notification message from the server to the communications center, said notification message including at least the calling party information and the intended recipient information;

means for receiving a response from the communications center to the server, said response including a call processing instruction initiated by one of the plurality of potential call recipients;

means for sending a response to the first query message from the server to the switch, said response based at least in part on the call processing instructions; and

means for completing the telephone call according to the response from the server.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the switch comprises a service switching point and the server comprises a service control point.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the switch is configured to provide voice calls over a packet-switched data network and the server comprises an application server.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the calling party information includes a calling party number and the called party information includes a called party number, and wherein the means for sending a first query message from the switch to a server comprises:

means for sending the first;

query message to a service control point;

means for querying a calling name database for a name associated with the called party number; and

means for sending a second query message from the service control point to an application server, wherein the second query message includes the calling party information, the name, and the called party information.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for looking up a network address comprises means for looking up the called party number in a database to determine an IP address associated with the called party number.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the calling party information includes an IP address associated with a calling party and the called party information includes an IP address associated with a called party.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the means for looking up a network address comprises means for looking up the IP address associated with the called party in a database to determine a second IP address associated with the IP address associated with the called party, said second IP address being the IP address associated with the communications center.

30. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for storing in a subscriber profile at least one record correlating a calling party number with a particular user;

means for checking the subscriber profile to identify a record corresponding to the calling party information; and

means for including at least a portion of the identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

means for storing in a recipient profile at least one record correlating the particular user with a default reach number;

means for checking the recipient profile to identify a second record corresponding to the particular user; and

means for including at least a portion of the second identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for storing in a persona profile at least one record correlating the particular user with a plurality of reach numbers, said plurality of reach numbers categorized according to a plurality of roles defined by the particular user;

means for checking the persona profile to identify a third record corresponding to the particular user; and

means for including at least a portion of the third identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

33. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

means for storing in a persona profile at least one record correlating the particular user with a plurality of reach numbers, said plurality of reach numbers categorized according to a plurality of roles defined by the particular user;

means for checking the persona profile to identify a second record corresponding to the particular user; and

means for including at least a portion of the second identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

34. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

means for receiving on the server a registration information from a communications device, wherein said registration information comprises an identity and a current reach number associated with a user;

means for storing the registration information in a record in a presence profile;

checking the presence profile to identify a second record corresponding to the particular user; and

means for including at least a portion of the second identified record in the notification message sent from the server to the communications center.

35. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for providing an alert message on the communications center to notify any users of the communications center that a telephone call has been received on the switch, wherein said alert message includes at least a portion of the calling party information and at least a portion of the intended recipient information.