Methods and apparatus for enabling/disabling calling forwarding service

• US 7,050,558 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Network Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Pershan, Barry Paul, Biedronski, Phil, West, Joseph Mitchell, McKeehan, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US09/609,020
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.09
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• 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

Methods and apparatus for implementing call forwarding services using AIN techniques and next event list messages are described. Methods of notifying a subscriber of a call forwarded using AIN techniques are also described. In accordance with one feature of the present invention, a subscriber is allowed to set the number of rings which are allowed to occur prior to a call being forwarded. The number of rings, e.g., the ring count, is stored as part of a customer'"'"'s call processing record (CPR) which is used by a service control point (SCP) to implement the call forwarding service. The ring count information may be updated via the Internet or via a dial-up telephone connection. Call forwarding customers are provided with a distinctive ring, e.g., a ring shorter than an ordinary telephone ring, to notify them when a call is being forwarded. Distinctive rings may be used to distinguish between different forwarding services. For example a different ring may be used for forwarding to voice mail than for selective call forwarding or follow-me call forwarding. The distinctive ring may be implemented by using an SCP to instruct a telephone switch to provide any one of a plurality of different rings which are supported by the telephone switch or by simply causing the subscribers phone to ring for different periods of time which are shorter than a normal ring.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a call forwarding service comprising:

operating a peripheral device coupled to a telephone switch to receive a call to a telephone number corresponding to said peripheral device from a caller using a first telephone to make said call, said peripheral device being used to provide said call forwarding service;

determining, using automatic number identification information, a first telephone number corresponding to the first telephone from which said call was made;

determining, from the first telephone number and stored information, if the first telephone corresponds to a telephone for which said call forwarding service is supported;

if it is determined that said first telephone number corresponds to a telephone for which said call forwarding service is supported, and a first signal has been received from the first telephone, performing additional processing including;

determining if said first signal is a call forwarding control signal used to activate said call forwarding service, and if it is determined that said first signal is a call forwarding control signal used to activate said call forwarding service, also;

i.) determining if a call processing record, associated with said first telephone number, accessible to a service control point coupled to said peripheral device by said telephone switch, includes a previously stored call forwarding telephone number to which forward calls are to be sent; and

ii) if it is determined that a previously stored telephone number to which forward calls are to be sent is available, updating said call processing record associated with said first telephone to indicate that call forwarding is active and enabling the forwarding of calls directed to the first telephone to a second telephone using said previously stored call forwarding telephone number; and

if it is determined that said first telephone number corresponds to a first telephone for which said call forwarding service is not supported by said peripheral device, requiring entry of a personal identification number and a second telephone number corresponding to a second telephone for which a call forwarding service is supported by said peripheral device prior to implementing a call forwarding control operation enabling or disabling call forwarding with respect to calls directed to said second telephone.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when it is determined that said call forwarding service is not supported for the first telephone, prompting the caller for a telephone number corresponding to a service to be updated.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining if said first signal is a call forwarding control signal used to activate said call forwarding service includes:

examining the first signal to determine if said first signal is a control signal used to activate said call forwarding service or to disable said call forwarding service.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of enabling the forwarding of calls directed to the first telephone further includes:

operating the service control point to send an update message to a telephone switch to which the first telephone is coupled to set a terminating attempt trigger on a telephone line corresponding to the first telephone.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, when it is determined that said first telephone number corresponds to a telephone for which said call forwarding service is supported and said first signal is determined to be a control signal used to disable call forwarding:

operating the service control point to send an update message to the telephone switch to which the first telephone is coupled to deactivate a terminating attempt trigger on the telephone line corresponding to the first telephone.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

updating the call processing record corresponding to the first telephone to indicate that said call forwarding service is not active.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein disabling the forwarding of calls further includes:

operating the service control point to send an update message to a telephone switch to which the first telephone is coupled to deactivate a terminating attempt trigger previously set on the telephone line corresponding to the first telephone.

8. A method of controlling a call forwarding service comprising:

operating a peripheral device coupled to a telephone switch to receive a call to a telephone number corresponding to said peripheral device from a caller using a first telephone to make said call, said peripheral device being used to provide said call forwarding service;

determining, using automatic number identification information, a first telephone number corresponding to the first telephone from which said call was made;

accessing, using the first telephone number, service information accessible to a service control point coupled to said peripheral device by said telephone switch said service information being a call processing record associated with said first telephone number;

determining, from the accessed information, if the first telephone corresponds to a telephone for which said call forwarding service is being provided;

if it is determined that said call forwarding service is being provided and is being used to forward calls directed to the first telephone, disabling said call forwarding service in response to a first signal received from said first telephone when said first signal is a control signal used to disable said call forwarding service; and

if it is determined that said call forwarding service is not being provided to said first telephone, prior to implementing a call forwarding service control command, requiring entry of a personal identification number and a second telephone number, the second telephone number corresponding to a second telephone for which a call forwarding service is provided, said call forwarding service being controllable from said second telephone and also from said first telephone.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the disabling call forwarding service step includes:

operating said service control point to transmit a message instructing a telephone switch to disable a terminating attempt trigger set on a telephone line to which the first telephone is coupled.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of disabling call forwarding service includes:

updating a call processing record including said service information to indicate that said call forwarding service is not active.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of operating the service control point to transmit a message to disable a terminating attempt trigger set on a telephone line to which the first telephone is coupled.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of disabling a terminating attempt trigger set on a telephone line to which the first telephone is coupled.

13. A communication system, comprising:

a first telephone;

a telephone switch coupled to said telephone;

a peripheral device coupled to said telephone switch;

a service control point coupled to said telephone switch and to said peripheral device by way of said telephone switch;

said peripheral device including means for receiving a first telephone call made from said first telephone to a telephone number corresponding to said peripheral device and routed to said peripheral device by said telephone switch and means for receiving from the telephone a first control signal;

said peripheral device further including means for communicating telephone number information indicating a first telephone number corresponding to the first telephone from which said first telephone call was made and control signal information to said service control point by way of said telephone switch;

said service control point including;

i) means for accessing a call processing record corresponding to the first telephone number as a function of information communicated from said peripheral device;

ii) means for determining if the accessed call processing record includes a call forwarding telephone number to be used when forwarding calls directed to said telephone; and

iii) means for activating a call forwarding service, said call forwarding service forwarding calls directed to said first telephone as a function of said call forwarding telephone number when it is determined that the accessed call processing record includes said telephone number and said control signal is a call forwarding activation signal; and

iv) means for checking that the caller has entered a personal identification number and telephone number corresponding to a telephone to which a call forwarding service is provided when it is determined that said first telephone number corresponds to a telephone for which a call forwarding service is not provided.

14. A call forwarding control method, the method comprising:

operating a peripheral device coupled to a telephone switch to receive a call made from a first telephone by dialing a telephone number corresponding to the peripheral device, a first telephone number being associated with said first telephone;

operating the peripheral device to receive a signal from the first telephone;

determining from automatic number identification information if the first telephone number corresponds to a telephone which is being provided with a call forwarding service;

if it is determined that the first telephone number corresponds to a telephone which is not being provided with a call forwarding service, requiring entry of a personal identification number and telephone number corresponding to a telephone which is provided a call forwarding service prior to implementing a call forwarding control command received from the first telephone; and

if it is determined from said automatic number identification information that that the first telephone number corresponds to a telephone which is being provided with a call forwarding service, allowing a call forwarding control command to be implemented without requiring entry of a personal identification number by performing the steps;

i) determining if the signal is a call forwarding control command; and

ii) if the received signal is determined to be a call forwarding control command, using automatic number identification information corresponding to said call to identify a call processing record corresponding to a first telephone number corresponding to said first telephone from which said call was made, said call processing record being accessible to a service control point coupled to said peripheral device by said telephone switch and modifying the content of said call processing record in accordance with the received call forwarding control command.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein said call processing record includes a stored call forwarding number;

and wherein said modifying the content of said call processing record includes performing changing the status of a call forwarding indicator stored in said call processing record.