Adaptive call routing for multiple telephony terminals

• US 6,978,003 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US10/443,369
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 37920101-20104, 379/201.12, 379/207.02, 379/207.16, 37921101-21104, 379/201.1, 379/207.12
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• 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

Abstract

The present invention allows incoming calls intended for any one of a number of telephony terminals associated with a user to be routed to a telephony terminal most likely to be answered by the user. A service node is provided to monitor a user'"'"'s interaction with her multiple telephony terminals, and route incoming calls based on such interaction. As a user changes from using one telephony terminal to another, the service node can detect these changes and cooperate with various switching systems and multiple networks supporting the user'"'"'s multiple telephony terminals and have incoming calls intended for any of the telephony terminals routed to what is deemed the most appropriate telephony terminal. The determination of the most appropriate telephony terminal and routing of incoming calls to one or more of the other telephony terminals of the user may be based on criteria capable of being monitored by the service node.

Claims

1. A method for routing calls to a most appropriate telephony terminal of a user comprising:

a) receiving use indicia indicative of user interaction with at least one of a plurality of telephony terminals, each of which is associated with the user;

b) receiving incoming call indicia indicative of an incoming call intended for one of the plurality of telephony terminals;

c) determining the most appropriate telephony terminal of the plurality of telephony terminals based on the use indicia;

d) effecting routing of the incoming call to the most appropriate telephony terminal; and

e) receiving second indicia identifying one of the plurality of telephony terminals that will never be determined the most appropriate telephony terminal,

wherein incoming calls are routed to the most appropriate telephony terminal of the plurality of telephony terminals associated with the user based on the user interaction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the most appropriate telephony terminal is one of the plurality of telephony terminals with which the user interaction is most recent.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interaction is using one of the plurality of telephony terminals.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interaction is initiating a call.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interaction is receiving a call.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interaction is the user selecting the most appropriate telephony terminal from the plurality of telephony terminals.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the most appropriate telephony terminal changes as the user interaction changes from one of the plurality of telephony terminals to another, and subsequent incoming calls are routed to different ones of the plurality of telephony terminals as each becomes the most appropriate telephony terminal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein when the incoming call is routed to the most appropriate telephony terminal and the incoming call is not answered via the most appropriate telephony terminal, further comprising effecting routing the incoming call to another one of the plurality of telephony terminals.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein when the incoming call is routed to the most appropriate telephony terminal and the incoming call is not answered via the most appropriate telephony terminal, further comprising effecting sequential routing of the incoming call to another one of the plurality of telephony terminals for a select number of the plurality of telephony terminals.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the incoming call is routed back to the one of the plurality of telephony terminals.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein when the incoming call is routed to the most appropriate telephony terminal and the incoming call is not answered via the most appropriate telephony terminal, further comprising effecting sequential routing of the incoming call to another one of the plurality of telephony terminals for a select number of the plurality of telephony terminals, and then routing the incoming call to a voicemail system when the incoming call is not answered.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising effecting simultaneous routing of the incoming call to at least two of the plurality of telephony terminals such that the first of the two of the plurality of telephony terminals to answer is used to terminate the incoming call.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the use indicia is received from telephony switching systems and wherein routing is effected by instructing the telephony switching systems to route the incoming call to the most appropriate telephony terminal.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of telephony switching systems support different ones of the plurality of telephony terminals.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein two of the plurality of telephony switching systems are selected from the group consisting of a packet switching system, a packet public branch exchange, a public switched telephone system, a public branch exchange, and a wireless telephony system.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of telephony terminals is a wireline telephone and one of the plurality of telephony terminals is selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone and a packet telephone.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of telephony terminals is a wireless telephone and one of the plurality of telephony terminals is selected from the group consisting of a wireline telephone and a packet telephone.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of telephony terminals is a packet telephone and one of the plurality of telephony terminals is selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone and a wireline telephone.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the most appropriate telephony terminal is further based on a caller who initiates the incoming call.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the most appropriate telephony terminal is further based on one of the plurality of telephony terminals to which the incoming call was originally intended.

21. A service node for routing calls to a most appropriate telephony terminal of a user comprising:

a) at least one communication interface, and

b) a control system associated with the at least one communication interface and adapted to;

i) receive use indicia indicative of user interaction with at least one of a plurality of telephony terminals, each of which is associated with the user;

ii) receive incoming call indicia indicative of an incoming call intended for one of the plurality of telephony terminals;

iii) determine the most appropriate telephony terminal of the plurality of telephony terminals based on the use indicia;

iv) effect routing of the incoming call to the most appropriate telephony terminal; and

v) receive second indicia identifying one of the plurality of telephony terminals that will never be determined the most appropriate telephony terminal,

wherein incoming calls are routed to the most appropriate telephony terminal of the plurality of telephony terminals associated with the user based on the user interaction.

22. The service node of claim 21 wherein the most appropriate telephony terminal is one of the plurality of telephony terminals with which the user interaction is most recent.

23. The service node of claim 21 wherein the user interaction is using one of the plurality of telephony terminals.

24. The service node of claim 21 wherein the user interaction is initiating a call.

25. The service node of claim 21 wherein the user interaction is receiving a call.

26. The service node of claim 21 wherein the user interaction is the user selecting the most appropriate telephony terminal from the plurality of telephony terminals.

27. The service node of claim 21 wherein the most appropriate telephony terminal changes as the user interaction changes from one of the plurality of telephony terminals to another, and subsequent incoming calls are routed to different ones of the plurality of telephony terminals as each becomes the most appropriate telephony terminal.

28. The service node of claim 21 wherein when the incoming call is routed to the most appropriate telephony terminal and the incoming call is not answered via the most appropriate telephony terminal, the control system is further adapted to effect routing the incoming call to another one of the plurality of telephony terminals.

29. The service node of claim 21 wherein when the incoming call is routed to the most appropriate telephony terminal and the incoming call is not answered via the most appropriate telephony terminal, the control system is further adapted to effect sequential routing of the incoming call to another one of the plurality of telephony terminals for a select number of the plurality of telephony terminals.

30. The service node of claim 29 wherein the incoming call is routed back to the one of the plurality of telephony terminals.

31. The service node of claim 21 wherein when the incoming call is routed to the most appropriate telephony terminal and the incoming call is not answered via the most appropriate telephony terminal, the control system is further adapted to effect sequential routing of the incoming call to another one of the plurality of telephony terminals for a select number of the plurality of telephony terminals and then routing the incoming call to a voicemail system when the incoming call is not answered.

32. The service node of claim 21 wherein the control system is further adapted to effect simultaneous routing of the incoming call to at least two of the plurality of telephony terminals such that the first of the two of the plurality of telephony terminals to answer is used to terminate the incoming call.

33. The service node of claim 21 wherein the use indicia is received from telephony switching systems and wherein to effect routing the control system is further adapted to instruct the telephony switching systems to route the incoming call to the most appropriate telephony terminal.

34. The service node of claim 21 wherein a plurality of telephony switching systems support different ones of the plurality of telephony terminals.

35. The service node of claim 34 wherein two of the plurality of telephony switching systems are selected from the group consisting of a packet switching system, a packet public branch exchange, a public switched telephone system, a public branch exchange, and a wireless telephony system.

36. The service node of claim 21 wherein one of the plurality of telephony terminals is a wireline telephone and one of the plurality of telephony terminals is selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone and a packet telephone.

37. The service node of claim 21 wherein one of the plurality of telephony terminals is a wireless telephone and one of the plurality of telephony terminals is selected from the group consisting of a wireline telephone and a packet telephone.

38. The service node of claim 21 wherein one of the plurality of telephony terminals is a packet telephone and one of the plurality of telephony terminals is selected from the group consisting of a wireless telephone and a wireline telephone.

39. The service node of claim 21 wherein determining the most appropriate telephony terminal is further based on a caller who initiates the incoming call.

40. The service node of claim 21 wherein determining the most appropriate telephony terminal is further based on one of the plurality of telephony terminals to which the incoming call was originally intended.