System and method for caller-selectable call routing from a single telephone number

• US 6,771,761 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1999
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: LaPierre, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US09/473,674
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.09, 379/207.02, 379/207.11, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/199
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for routing a call to an alternate destination associated with a subscriber of a universal number service, based upon the selection of the calling party. For example, the subscriber may combine access to multiple residential and business telephone numbers via a single universal number. In response to a caller dialing the universal number, the controlling service control point determines whether the subscriber associated with the dialed number has signed up for the universal number service. Upon that determination, the service control point instructs the calling party to select one of the alternate destinations associated with the subscriber. For example, the list of alternate destinations may comprise pagers, cellular telephones, facsimile machines, secondary business or residential telephones, modems, and the like. In response to receiving the calling party'"'"'s input, the service control point obtains the routing information associated with the chosen destination and instructs the controlling service switching point to route the call to the selected destination.

Claims

1. A method for routing a call directed to a universal number to alternate destination associated with a subscriber of the universal number, comprising:

receiving the call directed to the universal number from a calling party;

determining whether the universal number matches a valid subscription number to determine whether call routing options should be provided to the calling party;

in response to finding a match, providing a list of at least one alternate destination to the calling party;

receiving input from the calling party, wherein the input selects one of the alternate destinations; and

routing the call to the selected alternate destination so that the call is routed based on the calling party'"'"'s selection;

wherein the method further comprises allowing the subscriber to add at least one temporary alternate destination to the list of at least one alternate destination such that the call is routed to the temporary alternate destination by selecting the temporary alternate destination that is not originally set to the list of at least one alternate destination;

associating a personal identification number (“

PIN”

) with said at least one alternate destination and providing said at least one alternate destination to said calling party upon said calling party supplying said PIN;

associating a temporary PIN with said temporary alternate destination and providing said temporary alternate destination to said calling party upon said calling party supplying said temporary PIN.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the call directed to the universal number comprises a public feature code and a directory number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the call directed to the universal number comprises an 800 directory number and wherein the universal number is received from the calling party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of at least one alternate destination includes a number associated with an automated termination device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the automated termination device is an electronic mail device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the automated termination device is a facsimile machine.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising obtaining a statement from the calling party before routing the call to the selected alternate destination.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the automated termination device is a pager.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a page-to number for the calling party before routing the call to the selected alternate destination.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the page-to number is received directly from the calling party.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the page-to number is the number the calling party is calling from.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein routing the call to the destination uses internet connectivity to transmit a statement, the calling party'"'"'s name, and the calling party'"'"'s page-to number.

13. A method for using a universal number to connect to an alternate destination associated with a subscriber of the universal number, comprising:

dialing a universal number to obtain call routing options for a calling party;

entering a personal identification number (“

PIN”

) associated with the calling party, the PIN being associated with a predetermined list of at least one alternate destination provided by the subscriber, and calling parties entering the same PIN being provided with the same predetermined list of at least one alternate destination;

entering a temporary personal identification number (“

PIN”

) associated with the calling party, the temporary PIN being associated with a predetermined list of at least one temporary alternate destination provided by the subscriber, and calling parties entering the same temporary PIN being provided with the same predetermined list of at least one temporary alternate destination;

receiving a message comprising the list of at least one alternate destination or the list of at least one temporary alternate destination; and

selecting one alternate destination or one temporary alternate destination from the list of at least one alternate destination or the list of at least one temporary alternate destination, so that the calling party is connected to an alternate number that corresponds to the alternate destination or a temporary alternate number that corresponds to the temporary alternate destination.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the universal number comprises a public feature code and a directory number.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the list of at least one alternate destination includes a number associated with an automated termination device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a message requesting additional information from the calling party; and

providing the requested information so that the information is provided to an automated termination device at the selected alternate destination.

17. A system for routing a call dialed to a universal number to an alternate destination associated with a subscriber of the universal number comprising:

a service switching point (“

SSP”

) for receiving the call from the calling party and, in response to receiving the call, querying a service control point (“

SCP”

) for call routing instructions;

receiving from the SCP a list of alternate destinations provided by the subscriber and playing the list of alternate destinations to the calling party;

receiving an input from the calling party to select one alternate destination from the list of alternate destinations and

transmitting the input to the SCP; and

in response to receiving call routing instructions from the SCP, routing the call to the selected alternate destination;

the SCP for maintaining a database and, in response to receiving the query from the SSP, checking the database to determine whether the universal number matches the valid subscription number to determine whether call routing options should be provided to the calling party, if the universal number matches the valid subscription number, then accessing the database to obtain the list of alternate destinations corresponding to the universal number and providing the list of alternate destinations to the SSP; and

in response to receiving the calling party'"'"'s input, formulating a response message that includes the call routing instructions; and

the database maintained by SCP for storing the universal number, the list of alternate destinations associated with the universal number, and the routing information corresponding to each alternate destination;

wherein the SCP further stores a temporary alternate destination as one of the alternate destinations in the database, in response to a request of the subscriber such that the call is routed to the temporary alternate destination by selecting the temporary alternate destination that is not originally set as the alternate destinations;

wherein the SCP further stores a temporary PIN associated with the temporary alternate destination, the SCP routing a caller to the temporary alternate destination upon receiving the temporary PIN.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the universal number comprises a public feature code and a directory number.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the list of at least one alternate destination includes a number associated with an automated termination device.