Key to correlate a call with call-handling information

• US 7,003,088 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Cope, Warren B., Ramaswami, Rangarajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, Ming
• Application Number:
  US10/192,942
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 37926501-26514, 379/233, 379/216.01, 37922108-22109, 37926601-2661
• US Class Current: 379/221.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• 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

Abstract

A communication system processes a set-up message for a call to transfer a query message to a network call processor that processes the query message to transfer an inquiry message to a remote call processor. The remote call processor processes the inquiry message to select a key and transfers the key to the network call processor. The remote call processor transfers the key and call-handling information for the call to a destination system. The network call processor transfers the key to the communication system. The communication system transfers the key and the call to the destination system. The destination system associates the call with the call-handling information based on the key.

Claims

1. A telecommunication network comprising:

a communication system configured to process a set-up message for a call to transfer a query message; and

a network call processor configured to process the query message to transfer an inquiry message to a remote call processor, to receive a first response message including a route code selected by the remote call processor and including a key selected by the remote call processor responsive to the inquiry message, wherein the route code and the key are separate from one another, to process the route code to identify route information, and to transfer a second response message including the route information and the key; and

wherein the communication system is configured to process the route information to identify a route and to transfer the key and call communications to a destination system over the route, wherein the destination system is configured to associate the call with call-handling information based on the key.

2. The telecommunication network of claim 1 wherein the remote call processor is configured to transfer the key and the call-handling information to the destination system.

3. The telecommunication system of claim 2 wherein:

the communication system is configured to collect caller-entered data for the call and transfer the caller-entered data to the network call processor;

the network call processor is configured to transfer the caller-entered data to the remote call processor in the inquiry message; and

the remote call processor is configured to include the caller-entered data in the call-handling information.

4. The telecommunication system of claim 2 wherein the network call processor comprises a service control point and the remote call processor comprises a remote processor at a call center operation.

5. The telecommunication network of claim 2 wherein the

route information identifies a table and a table entry;

and

the communication system is configured to enter the table with the table entry to identity the route.

6. The telecommunication system of claim 5 wherein the route comprises a switch and trunk and the communication system is configured to transfer the key and the call communications from the switch over the trunk to the destination system.

7. The telecommunication system of claim 5 wherein the network call processor is configured to overwrite a portion of the table entry with the key in the second response message.

8. A method of operating a telecommunication network, the method comprising:

processing a set-up message for a call in a communication system and transferring a query message from the communication system to a network call processor in response to processing the set-up message;

processing the query message in the network call processor and transferring an inquiry message from the network call processor to a remote call processor in response to processing the query message;

receiving a first response message in the network call processor from the remote call processor wherein the first response message includes a route code selected by the remote call processor and includes a key selected by the remote call processor in response to the inquiry message, wherein the route code and the key are separate from one another;

processing the route code in the network call processor to identify route information and transferring a second response message including the route information and the key from the network call processor to the communication system in response to processing the first response message; and

processing the route information in the communication system to identify a route and transferring the key and call communications from the communication system to a destination system over the route in response to processing the second response message, wherein the destination system associates the call with call-handling information based on the key.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the remote call processor transfers the key and the call-handling information to the destination system.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising collecting caller entered data for the call and transferring the caller-entered data to the remote call processor wherein the remote call processor includes the caller-entered data in the call-handling information.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the network call processor comprises a service control point and the remote call processor comprises a remote processor at a call center operation.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the

route information identifies a table and a table entry, and wherein identifying the route comprises

entering the table with the table entry to identify the route.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the route comprises a switch and trunk and wherein transferring the key and the call communications from the communication system to the destination system comprises transferring the key and the call communications from the switch over the trunk to the destination system.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising overwriting a portion of the table entry with the key.