Multimedia call routing in an IP network

• US 6,798,768 B1
• Filed: 02/23/2000
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Spenik, John Wesley, Hewell, James Franklin, Gallick, Robert Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US09/511,258
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/261, 370/262, 370/352, 370/354, 370/356, 370/389, 370/401, 370/402, 370/404, 370/395.52, 709/203, 709/217, 709/220, 709/223, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A feature server, e.g., a stored program controller, processes calls to a subscriber'"'"'s main directory number in a packet network by submitting a subscriber-administered questionnaire to callers. The information in the questionnaire, when completed by the calling party, can be used to automatically route the call or to reposition the call in the incoming call queue. Alternatively, the completed, or even partially completed questionnaire may be displayed in a “pop up” window to a subscriber'"'"'s operator who can then use the information to assist the caller or, without-need of answering the call, to reposition the call within the queue or to divert the call to another directory number. In addition, information previously provided in a questionnaire completed by a caller is stored so that when the caller calls again, the stored information may be employed to more efficiently process the call.

Claims

1. A feature server programmed for processing voice over Internet Protocol telephone calls to a subscriber'"'"'s directory number in a packet network, said programmed feature server performing the steps of:

storing a subscriber administrable questionnaire for eliciting information from callers as to the disposition of calls made to said subscriber'"'"'s directory number;

responding to a limited bandwidth call control message from a caller containing the caller'"'"'s IP address by forwarding to said caller a copy of said questionnaire;

inserting into said questionnaire an indication of the time at which said questionnaire was submitted to said caller;

receiving said questionnaire filled-in by said caller;

processing said call made to said subscriber'"'"'s directory number in accordance with the information contained in said filled-in questionnaire; and

further communicating with said caller using a mixture of limited bandwidth and maximum bandwidth messages.

2. The feature server according to claim 1, wherein said call control message consists of any of the following messages:

admission request, admissions confirm, call setup, call proceeding, call alerting and connect.

3. The feature server according to claim 2, wherein said questionnaire is conveyed by an hypertext protocol http message.

4. The feature server programmed according to claim 3, wherein said questionnaire includes an option allowing the caller to request a call back at a later time.

5. The feature server programmed according to claim 3, wherein said questionnaire includes an option allowing said questionnaire to be received from said caller by email without reconnection of said caller to said feature server.

6. The feature server according to claim 1, wherein said indication stored in said questionnaire is hidden from said caller.

7. The feature server according to claim 1, further programmed to enter a call into a queue when said questionnaire is forwarded to said caller and to advance said call in said queue when said time indication exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The feature server according to claim 7, further programmed to determine from said indication how long unanswered calls have remained in queue.

9. The feature server programmed according to claim 7, wherein said feature server is further programmed to assign a priority to calls in said queue and to alter the assigned priority in accordance with commands form said operator'"'"'s terminal.

10. The feature server programmed according to claim 7, wherein a return call is advanced within the current call queue to a value equal to its position in a previous call queue.

11. A feature server programmed for processing voice over Internet Protocol telephone calls to a subscriber'"'"'s directory number in a packet network, said programmed feature server performing the steps of:

storing a subscriber administrable questionnaire for eliciting information from callers as to the disposition of calls made to said subscriber'"'"'s directory number;

responding to a limited bandwidth call control message from a caller containing the caller'"'"'s IP address by forwarding to said caller a copy of said questionnaire and inserting into said questionnaire an indication of the time at which said questionnaire was submitted to said caller, said call control message consisting of any of the following messages;

admission request, admissions confirm, call setup, call proceeding, call alerting and connect;

receiving said questionnaire filled-in by said caller;

processing said call made to said subscriber'"'"'s directory number in accordance with the information contained in said filled-in questionnaire;

further communicating with said caller using a mixture of limited bandwidth and maximum bandwidth messages;

according a priority to an individual call within the call queue that is frozen such that no subsequent call may reduce said individual call'"'"'s position in the queue;

advancing said call in said queue when said time indication exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

altering the assigned priority in accordance with commands form an operator'"'"'s terminal.

12. The feature server programmed according to claim 11, wherein calls in said queue may be accorded relative priorities according to a calling-party-defined urgent call status.

13. The feature server programmed according to claim 12, wherein said call queue permits calls from return callers to be accorded a queue position which takes into account the call'"'"'s queue position during a previous call.

14. The feature server programmed according to claim 12, wherein said questionnaire includes an option allowing the caller to work offline while said call remains in said queue.

15. A feature server programmed for processing voice over Internet Protocol telephone calls to a subscriber'"'"'s directory number in a packet network, said programmed feature server performing the steps of:

storing a subscriber administrable questionnaire for eliciting information from callers as to the disposition of calls made to said subscriber'"'"'s directory number, wherein said questionnaire includes an option allowing the caller to request a call back at a later time;

responding to a limited bandwidth call control message from a caller containing the caller'"'"'s IP address by forwarding to said caller a copy of said questionnaire;

receiving said questionnaire filled-in by said caller, wherein information pertaining to said caller is stored until said call back;

processing said call made to said subscriber'"'"'s directory number in accordance with the information contained in said filled-in questionnaire; and

further communicating with said caller using a mixture of limited bandwidth and maximum bandwidth messages.

16. The feature server programmed according to claim 15, wherein said call remains in the call queue at a lower priority following receipt of said call back request.