Method and apparatus for calendar based call control

• US 6,731,732 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Walters, Glen R., Lozinski, Zygmunt A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/946,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20030043986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 345/963, 370/259, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.03, 379/207.03, 379/900, 379/207.15, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/246, 717/114
• US Class Current: 379/201.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• 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: H04M 7/0021 Details of Application Programming Interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus for an extensible markup language (XML) calendar-telephony interface. The method can include the steps of defining an markup language element having a user defined tag that represents a calendar entry. The markup language element can have attributes which can represent call control instructions or information. The attributes can also be formatted using a markup language format that utilizes user defined tags. The elements and/or attributes can be formatted using XML format. The call control instruction can be provided to a telephony application upon initiation of a call or by request. A calendar application program can be used for maintaining calendar entries which can be stored in a database and made accessible to the telephony call control application. Utilizing call rejection as an illustration, a called party can have an XML formatted calendar entry stored which indicates that no calls are to be received from callers during a specified period except calls from a caller having a particular DN. If a call is initiated by a caller having that particular DN during the specified time period, the telephony application can determine that the call should be allowed. Accordingly, a network signaling device can be instructed to route the call to the dialed DN. If the calling DN was different from the particular DN stored in the XML calendar database, the call would not be completed.

Claims

1. A method for providing calendar based call control, comprising:

defining a markup language element having a user defined tag representing a calendar entry having call control information; and

representing data fields in the calendar entry as attributes within said markup language element, said attributes having user defined tags, said attributes representing a call control instruction.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing said call control instruction to a telephony application in response to initiation of a call.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the said calendar entry is stored in a database, said database comprising a calendar application program for maintaining said database.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said database is accessible by a telephony call control application.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said markup language element is an XML formatted element.

6. A method for providing calendar based call control, comprising:

acquiring a called telephone number and a calling telephone number from a telephone network device for an associated telephone call;

determining an identity of a party affiliated with said called telephone number;

extracting call control information from a markup language element having a user defined tag, said element representing a calendar entry associated with said identified party; and

controlling a call based on said extracted call control information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said extracting step further comprises:

parsing said calendar entry to determine a particular call control data in said entries;

comparing said determined call control data with said calling telephone number; and

instructing said telephone network device to route said call to said called number in response to a match resulting from said comparison.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising, instructing said telephone network device to cancel said call to said called number in response to no match resulting from said comparison.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising, providing an aural notification pertaining to a call status.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said call control data is a call rejection instruction.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said telephone network device is a signaling device.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein said telephone network device is a switch.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein said party is a person.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein said party is a business.

15. A method for providing calendar based call control, comprising:

acquiring a called telephone number for a telephone call originating from a calling telephone;

providing said acquired telephone number to a telephony application, said telephony application acquiring call control data from a calendar;

receiving call control data from said telephony application;

routing said telephone call originating from said calling telephone based on said received call control data wherein said call control data is formatted as XML data.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said call control data is a call rejection data.

17. A method for providing calendar based call control, comprising:

formatting data fields of a calendar entry in an XML format, said data fields containing call control data; and

communicating said XML formatted call control data to a telephony interface based on a call request, said telephony interface causing said XML formatted data to control handling of a telephony call feature.

18. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

defining an markup language element having a user defined tag representing a calendar entry having call control information, said defining step for providing calendar based call control; and

representing data fields in the calendar entry as attributes within said markup language, said attributes having user defined tags, said attributes representing a call control instruction.

19. The machine readable storage according to claim 18, further comprising providing said call control instruction to a telephony application in response to initiation of a call.

20. The machine readable storage according to claim 19, wherein the said calendar entry is stored in a database, said database comprising a calendar application program for maintaining said database.

21. The machine readable storage according to claim 20, wherein said database is accessible by a telephony call control application.

22. The machine readable storage according to claim 18, wherein said markup language element is an XML formatted element.

23. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

acquiring a called telephone number and a calling telephone number from a telephone network device for an associated telephone call, said acquiring step for providing calendar based call control;

determining an identity of a party affiliated with said called telephone number;

extracting call control information from a markup language element having a user defined tag, said element representing a calendar entry associated with said identified party; and

controlling a call based on said extracted call control information.

24. The machine readable storage according to claim 23, wherein said extracting step further comprises:

parsing said calendar entry to determine a particular call control data in said entries;

comparing said determined call control data with said calling telephone number; and

instructing said telephone network device to route said call to said called number in response to a match resulting from said comparison.

25. The machine readable storage according to claim 24, further comprising, instructing said telephone network device to cancel said call to said called number in response to no match resulting from said comparison.

26. The machine readable storage according to claim 25, further comprising, providing an aural notification pertaining to a call status.

27. The machine readable storage according to claim 26, wherein said call control data is a call rejection instruction.

28. The machine readable storage according to claim 24, wherein said telephone network device is a signaling device.

29. The machine readable storage according to claim 24, wherein said telephone network device is a switch.

30. The machine readable storage according to claim 23, wherein said party is a person.

31. The machine readable storage according to claim 23, wherein said party is a business.

32. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

acquiring a called telephone number for a telephone call originating from a calling telephone, said acquiring step for providing an calendar based call control;

providing said acquired telephone number to a telephony application, said telephony application acquiring call control data from a calendar;

receiving call control data from said telephony application;

routing said telephone call originating from said calling telephone based on said received call control data wherein said call control data is formatted as XML data.

33. The machine readable storage according to claim 32, wherein said call control data is a call rejection data.

34. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

formatting data fields of a calendar entry in an XML format, said data fields containing call control data, said formatting step for providing calendar based call control; and

communicating said XML formatted call control data to a telephony interface based on a call request, said telephony interface causing said XML formatted data to control handling of a telephony call feature.