Monitoring a call forwarded to a network-based voice mail system
First Claim
1. A central office switch for monitoring a call forwarded to a network-based voice mail system (VMS), comprising:
- means for receiving a call directed to a called party;
if the call is not answered, means for forwarding the call to the VMS;
after the call is forwarded to the VMS, means for determining if the call was forwarded prior to being forwarded to the VMS;
if the call was not forwarded prior to being forwarded to the VMS, means for receiving a call monitoring provisioned signal from the VMS, wherein the call monitoring provisioned signal indicates that call monitoring is allowed;
in response to receiving the call monitoring provisioned signal, means for sending an activate call monitoring data message and a call monitoring alert signal to customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with the called party to alert the called party that call monitoring is available; and
if the call was forwarded prior to being forwarded to the VMS, means for denying call monitoring.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, system and method for monitoring calls that have been forwarded to a network-based voice mail system (VMS). The VMS receives the forwarded call and sends a start of greeting signal at the beginning and an end of greeting signal at the completion of the voice message greeting to the central office switch. The switch sends an activate call monitoring data message and a call monitoring alert signal to the customer premises equipment (CPE). If the CPE is adapted for call monitoring and includes a speaker assembly, then the speaker assembly is engaged in response to the activate call monitoring data message, thereby allowing hands-free call monitoring. If the CPE does not include a speaker assembly, then the called party may activate call monitoring by lifting the handset in response to detecting a call monitoring alert from the CPE. While monitoring the call, the called party may intercept the call to speak with the calling party.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A central office switch for monitoring a call forwarded to a network-based voice mail system (VMS), comprising:
-
means for receiving a call directed to a called party; if the call is not answered, means for forwarding the call to the VMS; after the call is forwarded to the VMS, means for determining if the call was forwarded prior to being forwarded to the VMS; if the call was not forwarded prior to being forwarded to the VMS, means for receiving a call monitoring provisioned signal from the VMS, wherein the call monitoring provisioned signal indicates that call monitoring is allowed; in response to receiving the call monitoring provisioned signal, means for sending an activate call monitoring data message and a call monitoring alert signal to customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with the called party to alert the called party that call monitoring is available; and if the call was forwarded prior to being forwarded to the VMS, means for denying call monitoring. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network based voice mail system comprising:
-
receiving a call from a calling party directed to a telephone number associated with a called party; if the call is not answered, then forwarding the call to the voice mail system; after forwarding the call to the voice mail system, determining whether the call was forwarded prior to being forwarded to the voice mail system; if the call was not forwarded prior to being forwarded to the voice mail system, then sending a call monitoring alert signal and an activate call monitoring message to customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with the called party to alert the called party that call monitoring is available; and if the call was forwarded prior to being forwarded to the voice mail system, then denying call monitoring. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network based voice mail system (VMS) comprising:
-
receiving a call from a calling party directed to a called party; if the call is not answered, then forwarding the call to the VMS; after forwarding the call to the VMS, receiving a call monitoring provisioned signal from the VMS indicating that call monitoring is allowed; and in response to receiving the call monitoring provisioned signal from the VMS;
sending a call monitoring alert signal and an activate call monitoring data message to customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with the called party, wherein the call monitoring alert signal and the activate call monitoring data message alert the called party that call monitoring is available;connecting the VMS to the CPE associated with the called party to allow call monitoring; after connecting the VMS to the CPE associated with the called party to allow call monitoring, receiving an indication to intercept the call, wherein the indication to intercept the call indicates whether the VMS should be disconnected once the call is intercepted; and in response to receiving the indication to intercept the call; connecting the calling party and the CPE associated with the called party, and maintaining a connection with the VMS or disconnecting the VMS based on the indication to intercept the call. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network based voice mail system (VMS) comprising:
-
receiving a call at a voice mailbox of the VMS associated with a called party number, wherein the call is forwarded from a central office switch to the voice mailbox of the VMS; playing a voice message greeting associated with the called party number; when the voice message greeting begins playing, sending a start of greeting signal from the VMS to the central office switch so that call monitoring is allowed if the central office switch is provisioned to begin call monitoring upon receipt of the start of greeting signal; and sending an end of greeting signal upon completion of the voice message greeting from the VMS to the central office switch so that call monitoring is allowed if the central office switch is provisioned to begin call monitoring upon receipt of the end of greeting signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network based voice mail system comprising:
-
receiving a call directed to a called party at customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with the called party; if the call is not answered, then receiving a call monitoring alert signal from a central office switch (CO) at the CPE; in response to receiving the call monitoring alert signal, providing an alert to a called party that call monitoring is available; receiving an activate call monitoring data message from the CO at the CPE; and in response to receiving the activate call monitoring data message, providing call monitoring to the called party, wherein the CPE automatically goes off-hook and engages a speaker assembly to provide call monitoring to the called party. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network based voice mail system (VMS) comprising:
-
receiving a call from a calling party directed to a called party; if the call is not answered, then forwarding the call to the VMS to allow the calling party to leave a voice mail message; after forwarding the call to the VMS, receiving a call monitoring provisioned signal from the VMS indicating that call monitoring is allowed; and in response to receiving the call monitoring provisioned signal from the VMS, sending an alert signal to customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with the called party, wherein the alert signal alerts the called party that call monitoring is available; connecting the VMS to the CPE associated with the called party to allow call monitoring; after connecting the VMS to the CPE associated with the called party to allow call monitoring, receiving an indication to intercept the call by connecting the calling party and the CPE associated with the called party and disconnecting the VMS; prior to disconnecting the VMS, receiving a voice mail code, wherein the voice mail code indicates whether the voice mail message left by the calling party should be saved or erased; connecting the calling party and the CPE associated with the called party; and saving or erasing the voice mail message left by the calling party based on the received voice mail code.
-
Specification