Telephony system

• US 6,839,424 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2000
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Netcall Plc
• Original Assignee: Netcall Plc
• Inventors: Burnett, John Geoffrey Robert Wildman
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US09/679,410
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/265.11, 379/265.13, 379/266.07, 705/14
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• 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

A telephony method and system deals with telephone calls related to advertisements, such as classified advertisements. When a caller responds to an advertisement, he inputs a reference to the advertisement. The advertiser or an agent is extracted from a database, and called. The advertiser is given the option of accepting the call, refusing the call or indicating that the advertiser wishes to receive no further calls. If the advertiser accepts the call, the advertiser is connected to the caller.

Claims

1. A method of handling calls relating to classified advertisements, comprising the steps of

accepting an incoming call from a caller regarding a classified advertisement;

calling a contact corresponding to the classified advertisement;

presenting the contact with an option to receive no more calls regarding the classified advertisement;

receiving an acceptance input from the contact indicating whether the contact is to receive no more calls on the classified advertisement, is to receive further calls but not the incoming call, or is to take the incoming call; and

acting on the incoming call in dependence upon the received acceptance input, including only connecting the caller to the contact when the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to take the incoming call, and preventing future calls to the contact regarding the classified advertisement when the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to take no more calls regarding the classified advertisement.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the classified advertisements are identified by references, and details of the classified advertisements are stored in a database, the method further comprising the steps of

receiving input from the caller in the form of a reference to the classified advertisement;

extracting from a database details of the classified advertisement corresponding to the reference, including details of the corresponding contact; and

testing the extracted details to determine whether the contact is to take calls, and if not informing the caller, but otherwise connecting the caller to the contact.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the method further includes the step of updating the database, if the

received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to receive no further calls on the classified advertisement, to indicate that the contact is to receive no further calls on the classified advertisement.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of identifying the number dialled by the caller.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the steps of

determining the telephone number of the caller;

storing the telephone number of the caller;

disconnecting the caller; and

dialling the caller to connect the caller to the contact if the received acceptance input indicates that the contact wishes to take the call.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein caller line identity is used to determine the caller'"'"'s telephone number.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein a telephone system accepts the incoming telephone call and sends a message to a call-back system which carries out the steps of calling the contact, receiving acceptance input, and updating the database and/or connecting the caller to the contact.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the message sent by the telephone system to the call-back system includes the reference number and the caller'"'"'s telephone number.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein a dialed number identification system is used to determine the dialled number.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein if the contact is to receive no further calls a message is sent to the caller to inform him.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein if the contact is not to receive the present call a message is sent to the caller to inform him.

12. A method of connecting callers to reply contacts for advertisements, comprising

accepting an incoming call from a caller;

determining the telephone number of the caller;

receiving input from the caller in the form of a reference to a classified advertisement;

extracting from a database details of a contact for the classified advertisement corresponding to the reference;

testing the extracted details to determine whether the contact wishes to take calls, and if not informing the caller, but otherwise

calling the contact;

presenting the contact with an option to receive no more calls regarding the classified advertisement;

receiving acceptance input from the contact to indicate whether the contact is to receive no more calls on the advertisement, is to receive further calls but not the incoming call, or is to take the incoming call; and

acting on the incoming call in dependence upon the received acceptance input, including connecting the caller to the contact if the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to take the call, and preventing future calls to the contact regarding the classified advertisement when the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to take no more calls regarding the classified advertisement.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the incoming message is an email.

14. A computer program product for causing a telephone system to carry out the steps of

accepting an incoming telephone call from a caller to a dialled number;

identifying the dialled number;

receiving input from the caller in the form of a reference to a classified advertisement;

extracting from a database details of the advertisement corresponding to the reference including details of a contact corresponding to the classified advertisement;

testing the extracted details to determine whether the contact is to take calls, and if not informing the caller, but otherwise

calling the contact;

presenting the contact with an option to receive no more calls regarding the classified advertisement;

receiving an acceptance input from the contact to indicate whether the contact is to receive no more calls on the advertisement, is to receive further calls but not the incoming telephone call, or is to take the incoming telephone call; and

acting on the incoming telephone call in dependence upon the received acceptance input, including preventing future calls to the contact regarding the classified advertisement when the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to take no more calls regarding the classified advertisement.

15. A telephony system for connecting callers to contacts for reply to corresponding advertisements, the telephony system comprising

a telephone connection for accepting an incoming telephone call from a caller to a dialled number;

a dialled number identification system for identifying the dialled number;

an out-dialler for dialling telephone numbers;

a database of classified advertisements, storing for each classified advertisement at least a corresponding reference and a corresponding contact telephone number for an advertiser;

and code for causing the telephone system to;

receive input from the caller in the form of a reference to a classified advertisement;

extract the details of the advertisement corresponding to the reference in the database;

test the extracted details to determine whether the advertiser is to take calls, and if not informing the caller, but otherwise

dialling the contact telephone number on the outdialler;

presenting the advertiser with an option to receive no more calls regarding the classified advertisement;

receiving acceptance input from the advertiser to indicate whether the contact is to receive no more calls on the classified advertisement, is to receive further calls but not the present incoming telephone call, or is to take the incoming telephone call; and

acting on the incoming telephone call in dependence upon the received acceptance input, including connecting the caller to the contact if the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to take the incoming telephone call, and preventing future calls to the contact regarding the classified advertisement when the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to take no more calls regarding the classified advertisement.

16. A telephony system according to claim 15 further comprising a caller line identity system for determining the telephone number of the caller.

17. A telephony system according to claim 15 further comprising a network connection for allowing the database to be updated.

18. A telephony system according to claim 15 wherein

the telephone connection and the dialled number identification system are arranged together in a callhandling component;

and

the out-dialler is arranged in a call-back handler, for

dialling the contact telephone number on the outdialler,

receiving an acceptance input from the advertiser to indicate whether the contact is to receive no more calls on the advertisement, is to receive further calls but not the present call, or is to take the call,

if the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to receive no further calls on the advertisement, updating the database to indicate this fact, and

if the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to take the call, connecting the caller to the contact.

19. A telephone system according to claim 18 wherein the call-handling component is connected to the call-back handler by a computer network.

20. A telephone system according to claim 18 wherein connecting the caller to the contact comprises:

determining the telephone number of the caller;

storing the telephone number of the caller;

disconnecting the caller; and

dialling the caller to connect the caller to the contact if the received acceptance input indicates that the contact wishes to take the call.

21. A method of handling calls relating to advertisements, comprising the steps of

accepting an incoming call from a caller regarding a classified advertisement;

determining the telephone number of the caller;

storing the telephone number of the caller;

disconnecting the caller;

calling a contact corresponding to the classified advertisement;

presenting the contact with an option to receive no more calls regarding the classified advertisement;

receiving an acceptance input from the contact indicating whether the contact is to receive no more calls on the classified advertisement, is to receive further calls but not the present call, or is to take the call;

dialling the caller to connect the caller to the contact if the received acceptance input indicates that the contact wishes to take the call; and

preventing future calls to the contact regarding the classified advertisement when the received acceptance input indicates that the contact is to take no more calls regarding the classified advertisement.