Flexible call alerting

• US 7,042,989 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Scruggs, Jeffrey Lee, Mueller, Stephen M., Mosley, Gail D., Lawson, Debra K.
• Primary Examiner(s): GAUTHIER, GERALD
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAUTHIER, GERALD
• Application Number:
  US10/320,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20040114733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/38, 379/40, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/210.01, 379/200.01, 379/209.01, 709/26, 709/218
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A subscriber implements and access telecommunications services, using a graphical user interface (GUI) via the Internet, and an interactive voice response (IVR) system via the public switched telecommunications network (PSTN). The subscriber can schedule, create, and edit call alert messages to be sent by a flexible call alert service to multiple recipients at a subscriber described time.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a flexible call alert service comprising:

receiving, from a message sending subscriber, a message, information of a plurality of recipients of the message who are each different from the message sending subscriber, and a time when the message is to be delivered to the plurality of recipients over a telephone system, the message, information and time each being received via a web client and via a service node having voice recognition functionality, both the web client and the service node interfacing with a personal call manager that allows a subscriber to customize and execute a plurality of telecommunications services including the flexible call alert service;

determining that the time input by the message sending subscriber has been reached;

initiating delivery of the message to the plurality of recipients, using a plurality of addresses for at least one of the recipients, when the time has been determined to have been reached, delivery of the message to the recipients including a special ring indicating the flexible call alert message is being received; and

stopping the delivery of the message to the recipients having the plurality of addresses after the at least one recipient has received the message repeating the initiating at a default repeat time, default repeat time interval, subscriber set repeat time, or subscriber set repeat time interval when the subscriber does not receive the message; and

terminating the repeating at a subscriber set terminating time, previously set terminating time, or a set number of repeats when the subscriber has received the message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

repeating the initiating at a default repeat time, default repeat time interval, subscriber set repeat time, or subscriber set repeat time interval when the subscriber does not receive the message; and

terminating the repeating at a subscriber set terminating time, previously set terminating time, or a set number of repeats.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining a dual tone multi-frequency input or voice input over a telephone for the receiving.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving the plurality of addresses for the recipient from an ENUM enabled directory.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the initiating further comprises sequencing the plurality of addresses for the recipient.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the initiating further comprises broadcasting simultaneously to the plurality of addresses for the recipient.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

logging event information of the initiating; and

storing the event information for use in billing and presentment.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

billing the subscriber for using flexible call alert in response to the message, information, and time being received from the subscriber.

9. A computer readable medium with instructions to implement a flexible call alert service comprising:

receiving, from a message sending subscriber, a message, information of a plurality of recipients of the message who are each different from the message sending subscriber, and a time when the message is to be delivered to the plurality of recipients over a telephone system, the message, information and time each being received via a web client and via a service node having voice recognition functionality, both the web client and the service node interfacing with a personal call manager that allows a subscriber to customize and execute a plurality of telecommunications services including the flexible call alert service;

determining that the time input by the message sending subscriber has been reached;

initiating delivery of the message to the plurality of recipients, using a plurality of addresses for at least one of the recipients, when the time has been determined to have been reached, delivery of the message to the recipients including a special ring indicating the flexible call alert message is being received; and

stopping the delivery of the message to the recipients having the plurality of addresses after the at least one recipient has received the message has received the message repeating the initiating at a default repeat time, default repeat time interval, subscriber set repeat time, or subscriber set repeat time interval when the subscriber does not receive the message; and

terminating the repeating at a subscriber set terminating time, previously set terminating time, or a set number of repeats when the subscriber has received the message.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising:

retrieving the plurality of addresses for the recipient from an ENUM enabled directory.

11. A flexible call alert system for implementing a flexible call alert service comprising:

a recording database; and

an intelligent peripheral that receives suscribers information and a message from a web client, the subscribers information including a time when a message sender wants the message to be sent wherein each of the subscribers is different from the sender, sends the subscriber information and the message to the recording database, retrieves at least part of the subscribers information and the message from the recording database when the time has been reached, sequentially sends the message using a plurality of addresses of the subscribers information, the sending the message comprising delivering the message to a telephone of the subscribers and causing a special ring indicating the flexible call alert message is being received, and stops sending using the plurality of addresses when at least one of the subscribers receives the message, the intelligent peripheral interfacing with a personal call manager that allows a subscriber to customize and execute a plurality of telecommunications services including the flexible call alert service repeating the sending at a default repeat time, default repeat time interval, subscriber set repeat time, or subscriber set repeat time interval when the subscriber does not receive the message; and

terminating the repeating at a subscriber set terminating time, previously set terminating time, or a set number of repeats when the subscriber has received the message.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a directory that sends the plurality of addresses for the recipient to the intelligent peripheral.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

an SCP that receives from the intelligent peripheral transaction information and stores the transaction information.