System and method for connecting pending and preset telephone calls to facilitate transitioning to a phone call

• US 7,106,851 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Raymor, Brian K., Bilezikjian, Mark A., Begole, James M. A., Mordecai, Nicole Y., Tang, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Briney, III, Walter F
• Application Number:
  US10/349,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20040141599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 379/355.01, 379/216.01, 379/93.24, 455/460, 455/461, 455/417
• US Class Current: 379/355.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0015 First party call control architectures

Abstract

A system and method for connecting pending and preset telephone calls to facilitate transitioning to a phone call. Embodiments of the present invention include a method for anticipating and connecting a telephone call comprising identifying a trigger action associated with an anticipated outgoing telephone call, retrieving a phone number associated with said trigger action, and automatically setting a programmable speed dial button wherein by selecting the speed dial button, said phone number associated with said trigger action is dialed. Embodiments of the present invention also include a system for anticipating and connecting outgoing telephone calls comprising a computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus, a database coupled to said bus, a call engine coupled to said bus wherein said call engine identifies trigger actions associated with outgoing telephone calls and retrieves phone numbers associated with said trigger actions, and a telephone coupled to said computer system wherein said telephone is coupled to a telephone network.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating a connection of an outgoing telephone call comprising:

a computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a database coupled to the bus;

a call engine coupled to the bus wherein the call engine automatically identifies a trigger action associated with a telephone call and, in response to automatically identifying the trigger action, automatically retrieves a phone number associated with the trigger action; and

a telephone coupled to the computer system, wherein the computer system functions independently of the telephone, the telephone comprising a speed dial button wherein the computer system automatically programs the speed dial button with the phone number in response to the trigger action, the telephone being capable of automatically dialing the phone number over a telephone network by utilizing the speed dial button.

2. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the computer system is coupled to the Internet.

3. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the computer system is coupled wirelessly to the telephone network.

4. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the call engine retrieves the phone number from a remote server.

5. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the trigger action is receiving an electronic message.

6. The system as described in claim 5 wherein the electronic message is an electronic mail message and wherein the electronic mail message is received by a user interacting with the computer system.

7. The system as described in claim 6 wherein the phone number is accessed from a header portion of the electronic mail message.

8. The system as described in claim 5 wherein the electronic message is an instant electronic message, the instant electronic message sent by a sender, the phone number corresponding to the sender.

9. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the trigger action is requesting a URL.

10. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the trigger action is selecting text.

11. The system as described in claim 10 wherein selecting text comprises selecting text from a document wherein the text is associated with a telephone number.

12. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the phone number is accessed from a remote server.

13. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the trigger action is identified by the call engine in response to the call engine examining a call history and associated actions and, based thereon, anticipating an outgoing call from the call history.

14. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the programmable speed dial button connects multiple parties for a conference call.

15. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the trigger action is a query into an electronic phone book database application and wherein the phone number is associated with a located record of the electronic phone book database.

16. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the trigger action is identifying a date and time associated with a scheduled meeting as recorded in an electronic calendar application database and wherein the phone number is associated with a member of the scheduled meeting.

17. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the trigger action is a user arriving at a predetermined location and wherein the phone number is associated with a telephone located at the predetermined location.

18. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the outgoing telephone call comprises a video element.

19. The system as described in claim 1 wherein a voiceover IP protocol is used to connect the outgoing telephone call.

20. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the telephone device dials the phone number in response to an activation of the speed dial button.

21. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the speed dial button is a soft button displayed on a graphical user interface.

22. A method for using a computer system to facilitate a communication over a telephone line, the communication initiated by a telephone device, the telephone device comprising a speed dial button and coupled to the computer system, wherein the computer system functions independently of the telephone device, the method comprising:

automatically identifying a trigger event, wherein automatically identifying the trigger event is executed by the computer system;

automatically determining a telephone number associated with the trigger event, in response to identifying the trigger event, wherein determining the telephone number associated with the trigger event is executed by the computer system; and

automatically programming the speed dial button with the telephone number, in response to the trigger event, to facilitate the communication, wherein programming the speed dial button is executed by the computer system and wherein the telephone device is capable of automatically dialing the phone number over a telephone network by utilizing the speed dial button.

23. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the trigger event is a user receiving an electronic mail message and wherein the telephone number is associated with a sender of the electronic mail message and wherein the telephone communication is between the user and the sender.

24. A method as described in claim 23 wherein the phone number is accessed from a header portion of the electronic mail message.

25. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the trigger event is a user receiving an instant electronic message and wherein the telephone number is a telephone number associated with a sender of the instant electronic message and wherein the telephone communication is between the user and the sender.

26. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the trigger event is a user locating a record in an electronic database corresponding to a particular person and wherein the telephone number is a telephone number associated with the particular person and wherein the telephone communication is between the user and the particular person.

27. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the trigger event is the occurrence of a date and time corresponding to a scheduled meeting as recorded in an electronic calendar database and wherein the telephone number is a telephone number associated with a person involved in the meeting and wherein the telephone communication is between the user and the person.

28. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the trigger event is a user accessing a web page over the Internet and wherein the telephone number is a telephone number associated with the web page.

29. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the telephone communication is a preset telephone call wherein multiple parties are connected.

30. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the speed dial button is a mechanical button integrated on the telephone device.

31. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the speed dial button is a graphical user interface element of a display screen of the computer system.

32. A method as described in claim 22 wherein automatically determining the telephone number associated with the trigger event further comprises accessing a remote database with information obtained from the trigger event to obtain the telephone number.

33. A method as described in claim 22 wherein automatically determining the telephone number associated with the trigger event further comprises accessing information from the trigger event to obtain the telephone number.

34. A method as described in claim 22 wherein the trigger event is a user reaching a predetermined location and wherein the telephone number facilitates a transfer of a telephone communication from one telephone device to another telephone device located at the predetermined location.

35. The method as described in claim 22 wherein the phone number is accessed from a remote server.

36. The method as described in claim 22 wherein the trigger event is identified by a call engine in response to the call engine examining a call history and associated actions and based thereon anticipating an outgoing call from the call history.

37. The method as described in claim 22 wherein the trigger event is requesting a URL.

38. The method as described in claim 22 wherein the trigger action is selecting text from a document wherein the text is associated with a telephone number.

39. The method as described in claim 22 wherein the programmable speed dial button connects multiple parties for a conference call.

40. The method of claim 22 wherein the telephone call comprises a video element.