System and method for establishing automatic multipoint network connections in a communications environment

• US 6,914,964 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard C. Levine
• Original Assignee: Richard C. Levine
• Inventors: Levine, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US10/405,337
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 379/52, 379/93.15, 379/93.14, 379/100.13, 379/93.01, 379/93.17
• US Class Current: 379/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method for establishing a communication session is provided that includes receiving a query at a database that includes a selected one or both of a phone number associated with a first end user and a phone number that was input by the first end user to establish a communication session with a second end user. A situation associated with the communication session may be identified based on a plurality of functional purpose (FP) codes stored in the database and associated with a selected one or more of the first and second end users. A telecommunications relay service (TRS) or gateway switch routing number, a network routing number for a third point, and an initial address message (IAM) may be communicated. A communication assistant or translator element may be invoked, in response to the IAM, such that the communication session is facilitated between the first and second end users.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a communication session, comprising:

receiving a query at a database, the query including a selected one or both of a phone number associated with a first end user and a phone number that was input by the first end user to establish a communication session with a second end user, the first end user reflecting a first point in the communication session and the second end user reflecting a second point in the communication session;

identifying a situation associated with the communication session based on a plurality of functional purpose (FP) codes stored in the database and associated with a selected one or more of the first and second end users, wherein a telecommunications relay service (TRS) routing number and a network routing number for a third point may be communicated to the end user; and

communicating an initial address message (IAM), wherein a link associated with the communication session may be initiated in response to the IAM, and wherein if a successful connection is made to the link a communication assistant element may be invoked such that the communication session is facilitated between the first and second end users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

referencing a table in order to identify one or more of the FP codes, the FP codes being stored in the table and accessed by the database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a TRS switch element for the communication session directly using the IAM.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the FP codes identify a configuration associated with the first and second end users, the end users using a selected one of voice and teletype elements to facilitate the communication session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication assistant element designates a language choice for the end users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication assistant element is configured such that deaf communications are converted into voice information for a selected one of the end users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein eavesdropping on the communication session is executed based on a manipulation of one or more of the FP codes in order to achieve control of the communication assistant element.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a surveillance point is provided to divert the communication session through the surveillance point in order to eavesdrop on the communication session.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an ancillary database operable to be coordinated with the database for exchanging information associated with the communication session.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a secondary table that is accessible by the database, the secondary table providing data that may be used to assign a cost value associated with one or more of a plurality of TRS centers, wherein the cost value may be used in order to determine an optimal TRS center from the plurality of TRS centers to be used in the communication session.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a conference bridge to establish the communication session among the end users, the conference bridge operable to exchange a selected one or more of text, video, and voice data between the end users.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting an optimal conference connection based on a selected one of a profile associated with a selected one of the end users and an FP code associated with a selected one of the end users.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

adding additional end users to the communication session with one or more conference bridges that may be implemented incrementally into the communication session.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

invoking additional communication assistant elements in order to facilitate the communication session, wherein the communication session prompts a compound interpretation of information that may be accommodated by the additional communication assistant elements.

15. A method for establishing a communication session, comprising:

receiving a query at a database for initiating a communication session associated with a first and a second end user;

identifying a situation associated with the communication session based on a plurality of functional purpose (FP) codes associated with a selected one or more of the first and second end users; and

returning a routing number to the first end user, wherein an initial address message (IAM) may be communicated in order to activate a terminal for a configuration corresponding to the communication session such that the communication session is facilitated, and wherein the terminal comprises interfacing elements for the second end user to communicate with the first end user, the configuration being based on an internet protocol address.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing an ancillary database operable to be coordinated with the database to exchange information associated with the communication session.

17. An apparatus for establishing a communication session, comprising:

a database operable to receive a query that includes a selected one or both of a phone number associated with a first end user and a phone number that was input by the first end user to establish a communication session with a second end user, the first end user reflecting a first point in the communication session and the second end user reflecting a second point in the communication session, the database identifying a situation associated with the communication session based on a plurality of functional purpose (FP) codes stored in the database and associated with a selected one or more of the first and second end users, wherein a telecommunications relay service (TRS) routing number and a network routing number for a third point may be communicated to the end user, the database being further operable to communicate an initial address message (IAM), a link associated with the communication session may be initiated in response to the IAM, and wherein if a successful connection is made to the link a communication assistant element may be invoked such that the communication session is facilitated between the first and second end users.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the database is further operable to reference a table in order to identify one or more of the FP codes, the FP codes being stored in the table and accessed by the database.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the database is further operable to initiate a TRS switch element for the communication session directly using the IAM.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein one or more of the FP codes identify a configuration associated with the first and second end users, the end users using a selected one of voice and teletype elements to facilitate the communication session.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein eavesdropping on the communication session is executed based on a manipulation of one or more of the FP codes in order to achieve control of the communication assistant element.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a surveillance point operable to divert the communication session through the surveillance point in order to eavesdrop on the communication session.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

an ancillary database operable to be coordinated with the database to exchange information associated with the communication session.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a secondary table accessible by the database and operable to provide data that may be used to assign a cost value associated with one or more of a plurality of TRS centers, wherein the cost value may be used in order to determine an optimal TRS center from the plurality of TRS centers to be used in the communication session.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a conference bridge operable to establish the communication session among the end users, the conference bridge being further operable to exchange a selected one or more of text, video, and voice data between the end users.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein an optimal conference connection may be selected based on a selected one of a profile associated with a selected one of the end users and an FP code associated with a selected one of the end users.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein additional end users may be added to the communication session with one or more conference bridges that may be implemented incrementally into the communication session.

28. A system for establishing a communication session, comprising:

means for receiving a query, the query including a selected one or both of a phone number associated with a first end user and a phone number that was input by the first end user to establish a communication session with a second end user, the first end user reflecting a first point in the communication session and the second end user reflecting a second point in the communication session;

means for identifying a situation associated with the communication session based on a plurality of functional purpose (FP) codes associated with a selected one or more of the first and second end users, wherein a telecommunications relay service (TRS) routing number and a network routing number for a third point may be communicated to the end user; and

means for communicating an initial address message (IAM), wherein a link associated with the communication session may be initiated in response to the IAM, and wherein if a successful connection is made to the link a communication assistant element may be invoked such that the communication session is facilitated between the first and second end users.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for eavesdropping on the communication session based on a manipulation of one or more of the FP codes in order to achieve control of the communication assistant element.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing data that may be used to assign a cost value associated with one or more of a plurality of TRS centers, wherein the cost value may be used in order to determine an optimal TRS center from the plurality of TRS centers to be used in the communication session.

31. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for providing a conference communication session among the end users, the conference communication session being operable to exchange a selected one or more of text, video, and voice data between the end users.

32. The system of claim 28, further comprising;

means for incrementally adding additional end users to the communication session.

33. Software for establishing a communication session, the software being embodied in a computer readable medium and including code, that when executed, is operable to:

receive a query, the query including a selected one or both of a phone number associated with a first end user and a phone number that was input by the first end user to establish a communication session with a second end user, the first end user reflecting a first point in the communication session and the second end user reflecting a second point in the communication session;

identify a situation associated with the communication session based on a plurality of functional purpose (FP) codes associated with a selected one or more of the first and second end users, wherein a telecommunications relay service (TRS) routing number and a network routing number for a third point may be communicated to the end user; and

communicate an initial address message (IAM), wherein a link associated with the communication session may be initiated in response to the IAM, and wherein if a successful connection is made to the link a communication assistant element may be invoked such that the communication session is facilitated between the first and second end users.

34. The medium of claim 33, wherein the code is further operable to:

reference a table in order to identify one or more of the FP codes.

35. The medium of claim 33, wherein the code is further operable to:

eavesdrop on the communication session based on a manipulation of one or more of the FP codes in order to achieve control of the communication assistant element.

36. The medium of claim 33, wherein the code is further operable to:

divert the communication session through a surveillance point in order to eavesdrop on the communication session.

37. The medium of claim 33, wherein the code is further operable to:

provide a conference communication session among the end users, the conference communication session being operable to exchange a selected one or more of text, video, and voice data between the end users.

38. The medium of claim 33, wherein the code is further operable to:

select an optimal conference connection based on a selected one of a profile associated with a selected one of the end users and an FP code associated with a selected one of the end users.

39. The medium of claim 33, wherein the code is further operable to:

incrementally add additional end users to the communication session.

40. The medium of claim 33, wherein the code is further operable to:

invoke additional communication assistant elements in order to facilitate the communication session, wherein the communication session prompts a compound interpretation of information that may be accommodated by the additional communication assistant elements.

41. A method for establishing a communication session, comprising;

accessing a database that is operable to store a plurality of functional purpose (FP) codes associated with a selected one or more end users;

determining, from a selected one or more of the FP codes, that an originating end user that is seeking to establish a communication session has one or more incompatible properties with a destination end user;

identifying an intermediate switching element that comprises one or more translator elements for facilitating the communication session, and

establishing a connection from a first location associated with the originating end user to a second location associated with a destination end user.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein one or more of the translator elements is a human translator operable to translate one or more human languages between the originating end user and the destination end user.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein one or more of the translator elements is operable to transcode digital information from a source format into a destination format.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein one or more of the translator elements is a software human-language translator system operable to facilitate the communication session between the originating end user and the destination end user.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the intermediate switching element is a telecommunications relay center (TRS) switch operable to provide translation services for one or more of the end users that are communication impaired persons.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein to initiate the communication session one or more of the end users utilize a selected one of a group of elements consisting of:

a telephone;

a mobile station;

a computer terminal; and

a data terminal that may be used by a selected one or more of the users that is communication impaired.

47. An apparatus for establishing a communication session, comprising:

a gateway switch operable to couple a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and an Internet element, the gateway switch being coupled to a database operable to receive a query for initiating a communication session associated with a first and a second end user, wherein the database is operable to identify a situation associated with the communication session based on a plurality of functional purpose (FP) codes associated with a selected one or more of the first and second end users, a routing number being returned to the first end user and an initial address message (IAM) being communicated in order to activate a terminal for a configuration corresponding to the communication session such that the communication session is facilitated.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, further comprising:

an ancillary database operable to be coordinated with the database to exchange information associated with the communication session.

49. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the terminal comprises interfacing elements for the second end user to communicate with the first end user.

50. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the configuration is based on an internet protocol address associated with a selected one of the first and second end users.