Simultaneous telephone ring apparatus and method

• US 6,697,478 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2000
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Parallel Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Parallel Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Cheshire, James R., Meldrum, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/665,839
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.04, 379/211.02, 379/207.02, 379/207.16, 379/201.01, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/229, 379/230
• US Class Current: 379/211.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for a simultaneous ring system. The system is configured to be coupled to the end-user line of the telephone network. In response to receiving an incoming call on the user-line, the simultaneous ring system simultaneously ring target phone numbers associated with the telephone number and transfers the telephone call to the telephone network if a connection to one of the target phone numbers is made. These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed descriptions and studying the various figures of the drawings.

Claims

1. A method in a simultaneous-ring system for providing simultaneous-ring telecommunication services, the simultaneous-ring system being connected to a telecommunications network via a system telephone line, the method comprising:

receiving through the system telephone line at the simultaneous-ring system a telephone call from the telecommunications network, the received telephone call being directed to a first telephone number;

upon receiving the telephone call at the simultaneous-ring system, retrieving at the simultaneous-ring system a plurality of target telephone numbers that are associated with the first telephone number;

placing by the simultaneous-ring system a telephone call to each target telephone number through the system telephone line to the telecommunications network; and

when the simultaneous-ring system is notified by the telecommunications network that a placed telephone call has been answered, submitting a request by the simultaneous-ring system to the telecommunications network to transfer the received telephone call and the answered telephone call so that a connection between the received telephone call and the answered telephone call is established that does not include the system telephone line whereby the simultaneous-ring system is not part of the connection between the received telephone call and the answered telephone call.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein transferring of the received telephone call transfers the received telephone call to the telecommunications network using a Signaling System 7 (SS-7) signaling technique.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the SS-7 signaling technique is a Two B-channel transfer (TBCT).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the placing of a telephone call to each target telephone number rings each target telephone number substantially simultaneously.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of target telephone numbers includes a default target telephone number, and

wherein the method further comprises transferring the received telephone call to the default target telephone number when a connection is not made with any of the other target telephone numbers that are associated with the first telephone number.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the default target telephone number is based on a time of day the telephone call was received from the telecommunications network.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the default target telephone number is based on a day of the week the telephone call was received from the telecommunications network.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the placing of a telephone call to each target telephone number further comprises initiating a call to each respective target telephone number at substantially a same time.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the placing of a telephone call to each target telephone number further comprises initiating each respective call at a selected time based on a set-up time associated with each respective target telephone number so that each telecommunications device associated with the target telephone numbers rings at substantially the same time.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the placing of a telephone call to each target telephone number further comprises initiating at least one call to a target telephone number after a ringing signal is detected for a call to a selected target telephone number so that each telecommunications device associated with the target telephone numbers rings at substantially the same time.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the telecommunications device associated with the selected target telephone number is a cellular telephone device.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising terminating all placed telephone calls except the placed telephone call that is answered.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the system telephone line is one of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Primary Rate Interface (PRI);

an ISDN PRI European Standard; and

an ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI).

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether the first telephone number is associated with a valid subscriber before placing a telephone call to each target telephone number.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forwarding caller ID information associated with the received telephone call to the target telephone number of the answered telephone call.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the plurality of target telephone numbers retrieves the plurality of target telephone numbers from a database.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the database contains a subscriber record having account information relating to a subscriber associated with the first telephone number and a target record containing target telephone number information associated with the first telephone number.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the account information relating to the subscriber includes at least one of account status information relating to the subscriber;

credit status information relating to the subscriber; and

personal information relating to the subscriber.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the target record includes at least one the plurality of target telephone numbers;

a default target telephone number;

a time of data default telephone target number; and

a day of week default target telephone number.

20. A simultaneous-ring apparatus for connecting to a telecommunications network via a telephone line, the apparatus comprising:

an incoming call manager receiving an incoming telephone call from the telecommunications network via the telephone line, the received telephone call being directed to a first telephone number; and

an outgoing call manager generating a plurality of simultaneous outgoing telephone calls via the telephone line, each outgoing telephone call being directed to one of a plurality of target telephone numbers that are associated with the first telephone number, each target telephone number having an associated telecommunications device, the outgoing call manager transferring the received incoming telephone call to the telecommunications network when a connection is made to a telecommunication device associated with one of the plurality of target telephone numbers so that a connection between the incoming telephone call and the connected-to telecommunication device is established that does not include the telephone line whereby the simultaneous-ring apparatus is not Dart of the established connection.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein outgoing call manager transfers the received telephone call to the telecommunications network using a Signaling System 7 (SS-7) signaling technique.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the SS-7 signaling technique is a Two B-channel transfer (TBCT).

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein each outgoing telephone call generated by the outgoing call manager rings substantially simultaneously.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein the plurality of target telephone numbers includes a default target telephone number, and

wherein the outgoing call manager transfers the received incoming telephone call to the default target telephone number when a connection is not made with any of the other target telephone numbers associated with the first telephone number.

25. The apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a call manager determining whether the first telephone number is associated with a valid subscriber, and retrieving the plurality of target telephone numbers from a database when the first telephone number is determined to be associated with a valid subscriber.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the database contains a subscriber record having account information relating to a subscriber associated with the first telephone number and a target record containing target telephone number information associated with the first telephone number.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the account information relating to the subscriber includes at least one of account status information relating to the subscriber;

credit status information relating to the subscriber; and

personal information relating to the subscriber.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the target record includes at least one of the plurality of target telephone numbers;

a default target telephone number;

a time of day default telephone target number; and

a day of week default target telephone number.

29. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the default target telephone number is based on a time of day the incoming telephone call is received.

30. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the default target telephone number is based on a day of the week the incoming telephone call is received.

31. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the outgoing call manager generates a ringing signal for the received telephone call.

32. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the outgoing call manager terminates all outgoing telephone calls except the outgoing telephone call in which the connection is made to the telecommunication device.

33. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the outgoing call manager initiates each of the plurality of outgoing telephone calls at substantially the same time.

34. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the outgoing call manager initiates each respective outgoing telephone call at a selected time based on a set-up time associated with each respective target telephone number so that each telecommunications device associated with a target telephone number rings at substantially the same time.

35. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the outgoing call manager initiates at least one call to a target telephone number after a ringing signal is detected for a call to a selected target telephone number so that each telecommunications device associated with the target telephone number rings at substantially the same time.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein the telecommunications device associated with the selected target telephone number is a cellular telephone device.

37. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the telephone line is one of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Primary Rate Interface (PRI);

an ISDN PRI European Standard; and

an ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI).

38. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the outgoing call manager forwards caller ID information associated with the received incoming telephone call to the target telephone number with which the connection is made.

39. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving at a multiple-ring system via a telephone line a telephone call from a telecommunications network, the received telephone call being directed to a first telephone number;

retrieving by the multiple-ring system a plurality of target telephone numbers that are associated with the first telephone number in response to the received telephone call, each target telephone number having an associated telecommunications device;

calling by the multiple-ring system each target telephone number via the telephone line; and

transferring by the multiple-ring system the received telephone call to the telecommunications network when a connection is made to a telecommunications device associated with one of the plurality of target telephone numbers so that a connection between the received telephone call and the connected-to telecommunications device is established that does not include the telephone line whereby the multiple-ring system is not Dart of the established connection.

40. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the step of transferring the received telephone call transfers the received telephone call using a Signaling System 7 (SS-7) signaling technique.

41. The computer-readable medium according to claim 40, wherein the SS-7 signaling technique is a Two B-channel transfer (TBCT).

42. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the step of calling each target telephone number rings each target telephone number substantially simultaneously.

43. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the plurality of target telephone numbers includes a default target telephone number, and including transferring the received telephone call to the default target telephone number when a connection is not made with any of the other target telephone numbers that are associated with the first telephone number.

44. The computer-readable medium according to claim 43, wherein the default target telephone number is based on a time of day the telephone call was received from the telecommunications network.

45. The computer-readable medium according to claim 43, wherein the default target telephone number is based on a day of the week the telephone call was received from the telecommunications network.

46. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the step of calling each target telephone number further comprises a step of initiating a call to each respective target telephone number at substantially the same time.

47. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the step of calling each target telephone number further comprises a step of initiating each respective call at a selected time based on a set-up time associated with each respective target telephone number so that each telecommunications device associated with the target telephone numbers rings at substantially the same time.

48. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the step of calling each target telephone number further comprises a step of initiating at least one call to a target telephone number after a ringing signal is detected for a call to a selected target telephone number so that each telecommunications device associated with the target telephone numbers rings at substantially the same time.

49. The computer-readable medium according to claim 48, wherein the telecommunications device associated with the selected target telephone number is a cellular telephone device.

50. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the telephone line is one of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Primary Rate Interface (PRI);

an ISDN PRI European Standard; and

an ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI).

51. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, further comprising a step of determining whether the first telephone number is associated with a valid subscriber before the step of calling each target telephone number.

52. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, further comprising a step of forwarding caller ID information associated with the received telephone call to the target telephone number with which the connection is made.

53. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the step of retrieving the plurality of target telephone numbers retrieves the plurality of target telephone numbers from a database.

54. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the database contains a subscriber record having account information relating to a subscriber associated with the first telephone number and a target record containing target telephone number information associated with the first telephone number.

55. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the account information relating to the subscriber includes at least one of account status information relating to the subscriber;

credit status information relating to the subscriber; and

personal information relating to the subscriber.

56. The computer-readable medium according to claim 54, wherein the target record includes at least one of the plurality of target telephone numbers;

a default target telephone number;

a time of day default telephone target number; and

a day of week default telephone number.