Call notification service for use with call waiting

• US 6,798,868 B1
• Filed: 11/02/1998
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Montgomery, Robert H., Pershan, Barry P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US09/184,008
• Time in Patent Office: 2,157 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.25, 379/215, 379/88, 379/111, 379/114.21, 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.08, 379/212.01, 379/88.19, 379/142.06, 379/215.01, 379/88.22, 379/88.21, 379/221.09, 340/431, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/88.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy

Abstract

Using intelligent network processing, call notification allows a subscriber to determine the name and telephone number of one or more numbers of recent parties to call the subscriber. An incoming call to the subscriber'"'"'s number activates a terminating attempt type trigger in the central office serving the subscriber. The trigger causes communication between that office and a service control point (SCP). Under instructions from the SCP, the central office indicates a disposition event regarding the call, e.g., whether the line was busy or there was no answer. If the subscriber'"'"'s line is busy or does not answer, the SCP records at least the telephone number of the caller and the time and date of the call. Later, the subscriber dials a feature code, and the SCP instructs the central office to route the call to an intelligent peripheral (IP). The SCP polls a line identification database (LIDB) to obtain name information associated with the caller'"'"'s number and supplies the number, name, date and time to the IP. The IP plays an announcement of the call information and offers the subscriber the option to place a call back to the number of the original caller and/or to initiate a call to voice mail.

Claims

1. A call notification method, comprising:

detecting a call to a subscriber'"'"'s number at a communication network office providing service over a link for the subscriber;

sending a message reporting the call, from the office to a control point via an interoffice signaling network;

sending a predetermined event instruction from the control point to the office via the interoffice signaling network;

processing the call to the subscriber'"'"'s link;

if a condition of the call during the processing to the subscriber'"'"'s link corresponds to the predetermined event, sending notice to the control point via the interoffice signaling network;

recording information relating to the detected call in a control point of the telephone network; and

in response to a call from the subscriber link, providing an audible announcement of an identification derived from the recorded information over the subscriber'"'"'s link.

2. A call notification method as in claim 1, wherein the recorded information comprises a caller'"'"'s telephone number, and the audible announcement comprises an announcement of the telephone number.

3. A call notification method as in claim 2, wherein the audible announcement further comprises an announcement of a name associated with the caller'"'"'s telephone number.

4. A call notification method as in claim 1, wherein the predetermined event comprises a busy status of the subscriber'"'"'s link during the processing to the subscriber'"'"'s link.

5. A call notification method as in claim 4, wherein the processing to the subscriber'"'"'s link comprises signaling over the subscriber'"'"'s link that a call is waiting.

6. A call notification method as in claim 1, wherein the predetermined event comprises failure to answer the detected call within a set period of time when processed to the subscriber'"'"'s link.

7. A call notification method as in claim 1, wherein:

the communication network comprises a public switched telephone network,

the office comprises one telephone switching office of the public switched telephone network,

the interoffice signaling network comprises a common channel interoffice signaling network, and

the control point comprises a service control point.

8. A call notification method as in claim 7, wherein the step of providing an audible announcement comprises:

establishing a call connection from the subscriber'"'"'s link through the public switched telephone network to an announcement platform;

providing the identification derived from the recorded information to the announcement platform; and

sending the audible announcement from the announcement platform over the established call connection.

9. A call notification method as in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a call-back request from the subscriber'"'"'s link responsive to the audible announcement of the identification; and

in response to the receipt of the call-back request, automatically initiating a call through the communication network from the subscriber'"'"'s link to a link associated with the recorded information.

10. A call notification method as in claim 9, wherein the step of receiving a call-back request comprises recognizing a spoken request.

11. A call notification method as in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for connection to a messaging system from the subscriber'"'"'s link after the audible announcement of the identification; and

in response to the receipt of the request, automatically initiating a call through the communication network from the subscriber'"'"'s link to the messaging system.

12. A call notification method as in claim 11, wherein the step of receiving a request comprises recognizing a spoken request.

13. A call notification method as in claim 11, wherein the messaging system comprises a voice mail system.

27. A notification method as in claim 1, wherein the recorded information comprises a date stamp.

28. A notification method as in claim 1, wherein the recorded information comprises a time stamp.

35. A notification method as in claim 1, wherein the recording step is in response to the sending notice step.

14. A method of providing waiting call notification, comprising:

detecting a call to a subscriber'"'"'s number at an office of a telephone network, the office providing service over a telephone link for the subscriber;

if the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link is busy, recording information relating to the detected call in a control point of the telephone network;

sending a call waiting signal over the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link;

in response to a later request from the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link, establishing a call connection of the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link to a message platform; and

transmitting a message including an identification derived from the recorded information to a requesting party through the call connection and the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein the step of recording information comprises:

sending the information over a signaling link to a service control point of the telephone network; and

recording the information in the service control point.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein the step of transmitting a message comprises:

deriving the identification from the recorded information and transmitting the derived identification over a data link to the message platform; and

converting the identification to a format presentable to the requesting party and sending the converted identification through the call connection and the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein the converted identification comprises an audible announcement of the identification.

18. A method as in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a call-back request via the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link and the established call connection; and

in response to the call-back request, initiating a call from the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link to a telephone link associated with the recorded information.

19. A method as in claim 18, wherein the step of receiving a call-back request comprises recognizing a spoken request from the party received via the established call connection.

20. A method as in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a voice-mail request via the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link and the established call connection; and

in response to the voice-mail request, initiating a call from the subscriber'"'"'s telephone link to a voice messaging system providing voice mail service for the subscriber.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein the step of receiving a voice-mail request comprises recognizing a spoken request from the party received via the established call connection.

29. A method as in claim 14, wherein the recorded information comprises a caller'"'"'s telephone number.

30. A method as in claim 29, wherein the recorded information comprises a name associated with the caller'"'"'s telephone number.

31. A method as in claim 14, wherein the recorded information comprises a date stamp.

32. A method as in claim 14, wherein the recorded information comprises a time stamp.

22. An intelligent telecommunication network, comprising:

a plurality of central offices interconnected by trunk circuits, for processing calls originated over a plurality of communication links served through the central offices;

an interoffice signaling network interconnecting the central offices for communication of call related signaling messages;

a service control point, remote from the central offices and connected for signaling communication with the central offices via the interoffice signaling network, said service control point containing a database of call processing records for controlling at least some services provided through the central offices;

a message platform having a communication link connected to one of the central offices, for receiving subscriber inputs and presenting information to a subscriber, the message platform receiving information from the service control point, wherein;

when one central office detects a call to a subscriber'"'"'s number, the one central office reports the detected call via the interoffice signaling network to the service control point;

the service control point sends a predetermined event instruction to the one central office via the interoffice signaling network;

during subsequent processing of the detected call, if a condition with respect to the subscriber'"'"'s link corresponds to the predetermined event, the one central office sends notice to the service control point via the interoffice '"'"'signaling network;

in response to the notice, the service control point records information relating to the detected call in association with a call processing record of the subscriber; and

in response to a later request from the subscriber'"'"'s link, the service control point provides the recorded information to the message platform, and the message platform provides a message containing an identification derived from the recorded information over the subscriber'"'"'s link.

23. An intelligent telecommunication network as in claim 22, wherein the message platform comprises an a voice response unit.

24. An intelligent telecommunication network as in claim 23, wherein the voice response unit comprises an intelligent peripheral, and the intelligent telecommunication network further comprises a data network coupled to the intelligent peripheral and the service control point for transporting the recorded information from the service control point to the intelligent peripheral.

25. An intelligent telecommunication network as in claim 22, further comprising an identification database storing customer records for translating telephone numbers into associated name information, wherein the identification derived from the recorded information comprises a name obtained from the identification database.

33. An intelligent communications network as in claim 22, wherein the recorded information comprises a date stamp.

34. An intelligent communications network as in claim 22, wherein the recorded information comprises a time stamp.

26. A general purpose telecommunication network, comprising:

means for detecting a call to a subscriber'"'"'s number;

means for processing the detected call with respect to a communication link for the subscriber;

means for recording identification information relating to the detected call in a control point of the telephone network, if during the processing of the detected call a predetermined status is detected; and

means, responsive to a later request from the subscriber'"'"'s link, for presenting an identification derived from the recorded information over the subscriber'"'"'s link.

36. A general purpose telecommunication network as in claim 26, wherein the means for recording identification information is in response to a notice sent via an interoffice signaling network.