Sequential calling system with prioritization of the last dialed telephone number

• US 6,807,268 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2001
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Wierzbitzki, Dirk, Krömer, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/787,159
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/201.01, 379/207.02, 379/207.04, 379/207.05, 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/445
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• 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 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

A waiting time optimization for a caller of a called party having a number of telephone numbers is obtained by a device and a method for establishing a telecommunication connection from a caller to a called party via at least one telecommunication network, in which the called party can possibly be reached on a number of telephone numbers stored in the telecommunication network. A telecommunication connection between the caller and the called party is set up in each case successively attempted on the stored telephone numbers by dialing in each case one of the stored telephone numbers of the called party until a telecommunication connection to the called party has been successfully set up. When a telecommunication connection has been successfully set up, the telephone number of the called party on which this successful setting-up took place is stored in the telecommunication network. In the case of a successive calling of stored telephone numbers of a called party, the stored telephone number of this called party on which a telecommunication connection has last been set up successfully is called as the first or second telephone number.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a telecommunication connection from a caller to a called party via at least one telecommunication network, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of telephone numbers at which the called party can possibly be reached in the telecommunication network and storing a universal telephone number in the telecommunication network for a telecommunication subscriber;

successively attempting to set up a telecommunication connection to the called party by dialing in each case one of the stored telephone numbers of the called party until a telecommunication connection to the called party has been successfully set up, said step of successively attempting being performed when the universal number is dialed by a caller and including first dialing a mobile number of the called party and subsequently dialing a second telephone number as the telephone number which was stored as the last successful telephone number of the called party;

storing, when a telecommunication connection has been successfully set up, the telephone number of the called party on which the successful setting-up took place in the telecommunication network; and

effecting a connection from the caller to the called party.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the connection effecting step includes effecting the connection from the caller to the called party via a plurality of telecommunication networks.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunication networks between the called party and the caller include a landline network, a telecommunication network and mobile radio network.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, including starting a clock with the dialing of one of the stored telephone numbers and considering the telecommunication connection to this telephone number to be unsuccessful and dialing a next telephone number when the clock elapses a specified time.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, including handling switching to the telephone numbers of the called party which are to be successively dialed with a unit separate from the switching centers of a telecommunication network.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, including defining only a switched-through voice connection to the called party as a successful telecommunication connection.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, including only considering a telecommunication connection to one of the telephone numbers of the called party as a successful telecommunication connection if a person with a voice answers as the called party.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the call on a telephone number is only considered to be successful if the called party inputs one of a predetermined acoustic and a predetermined key input at his terminal.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, including storing at least one stored universal telephone number as one of the stored telephone numbers of the called party.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the universal telephone number is the mobile number of the called party.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, including storing the telephone numbers so that the stored telephone numbers are changeable.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the storing step includes storing, together with the stored telephone numbers of a called party, at least one of time of day and day of the week at which the numbers are to be called during successive calling and the numbers are not called outside these times of day and days of the week during successive calling.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, including, when a telephone number of a called party is stored on which a telecommunication connection has last been set up successfully, calling the called party first on this telephone number if another order of the successive calling is stored together with the stored telephone numbers.

14. A device for establishing a telecommunication connection from a caller to a called party via a telecommunication network, the device comprising:

a memory storing for a plurality of telephone numbers in each case of a called party who can be reached on at least one of the stored telephone numbers when called and a universal telephone number in the telecommunication network for the called party;

a memory storing for the telephone number of the called party on which a telecommunication connection has last been set up successfully to the called party called by the caller; and

a telephone number dialing device operative so that in case of a call to the universal number of the called party the dialing device in each case successively attempts to set up a telecommunication connection to the called party on the stored telephone numbers by dialing in each case one of the stored telephone numbers of the called party until a telecommunication connection to the called party has been successfully set up, wherein the successive attempts include first dialing a mobile number of the called party and subsequently dialing a second telephone number as the telephone number which was stored as the last successful telephone number of the called party, in the case of a successful setting-up of a telecommunication connection the dialing device stores the telephone number of the called party on which this successful setting-up took place in the telecommunication network.

15. A device as defined in claim 14, wherein the telephone number dialing device is arranged in a switching center of a telecommunication network, and further comprising signaling channels, via which successive telephone numbers to be dialed are transmitted, connected between the telephone number dialing device and the memory.

16. A device as defined in claim 14, wherein the telephone number dialing device is a device of a telecommunication network which is separate from the switching centers of the telecommunications network.

17. A device as defined in claim 14, and further comprising a clock operatively provided so as to be started in the telecommunication network with a call of one of the stored telephone numbers of the called party, whereby elapsing of a specified time by the clock triggers dialing of the next telephone number by the telephone number dialing device.

18. A method for establishing a telecommunication connection from a caller to a called party using at least one telecommunication network, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of telephone numbers at which a called party can be reached in a telecommunication network and storing one of the plurality of telephone numbers as a universal telephone number in the telecommunication network for telecommunication subscriber;

successively attempting to set up a telecommunication connection to the called party when the universal number is dialed by a caller by first dialing the universal number comprising the one of the plurality of telephone numbers of the called party and checking, if the called party is unavailable at the one of the plurality of telephone numbers, for the last successful number at which the called party was reached and subsequently dialing the last successful number;

storing, when a telecommunication connection has been successfully set up, the telephone number of the called party on which the successful setting-up took place in the telecommunication network; and

effecting a connection from the caller to the called party.