Call scheduling on a telephone network using a telephony interface

• US 7,127,053 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2000
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Laljiani, Ghulam Abbas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/703,312
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 379/210.01, 379/201.03, 379/202.01, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/207.03, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/221.11, 379/221.12, 379/266.07
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48

Abstract

A system and method to allow telephone subscribers to schedule calls for future placement on a telephone network using a telephone interface. In an illustrative implementation, a telephone subscriber part of an AIN telephone network is offered a call scheduling service whereby the subscriber may schedule future placed calls according to various parameters (e.g. telephone number(s) to call, the time of the scheduled call, and the frequency of the call, i.e. every day, month, week, or year) by inputting parameters using a telephone interface of a telephone station that is connected to the AIN telephone network. In operation, a participating user would connect to the service switch point (SSP) of the AIN telephone network using his/her telephone station. The SSP communicates this request to a service control point (SCP) having an administrative application and a call scheduling application. The SCP verifies that the requesting party is a subscriber to the call scheduling service and cooperates with a service node (SN) to prompt the participating user to input information indicative of the desired scheduled calls. The call schedule information is stored in a SCP cooperating database. When the scheduled time for a scheduled call arrives, the SCP cooperates with the SN to notify the participating user (e.g. by calling the subscriber'"'"'s listed telephone) that the time for the scheduled call has arrived. If prompted by the participating user, the SCP proceeds to cooperate with the SN to place the scheduled call.

Claims

1. A system to schedule placement of outgoing calls comprising:

a service switching point (SSP) that is adapted to communicate with a first telephone station associated with a scheduling party that is scheduling the outgoing calls, and to communicate with at least one other telephone station associated with at least one scheduled party to receive the outgoing calls from the first telephone station, wherein said first telephone station is adapted to receive call schedule information on a telephone interface and to communicate said call schedule information to said service switching point (SSP);

a service node (SN) that is adapted to communicate with the service switching point (SSP), wherein said service node (SN) is further adapted to place the outgoing call to at least one other telephone station from the first telephone station in accordance with said call schedule information; and

a service control point (SCP) adapted to communicate with said service switching point (SSP), and comprising;

an administrative computing application, a call scheduling application, and a call information database, said service control point (SCP) configured to identify said service node (SN) as adapted to place the outgoing call to the other telephone station from the first telephone station in accordance with said call schedule information, wherein said service control point (SCP) and said service node (SN) are configured to place a confirmation call to an alternate telephone station specified by said scheduling party.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said service switching point (SSP), upon receipt of a request from said first telephone station to schedule a call, is adapted to send a request to said service control point (SCP) to execute said administrative computing application and said call scheduling application, wherein said administrative computing application is adapted to determine if said first telephone station is allowed to schedule calls, and wherein said call scheduling application, upon confirmation that said first telephone station is allowed to schedule calls, is adapted to cooperate with said service switching point (SSP) SSP to accept, store and manage call scheduling data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said service switching point (SSP), upon receipt of a request from said service control point (SCP), is adapted to communicate a request from said service control point (SCP) to identify service nodes (SN) that may be used to communicate with said first telephone station, wherein said service switching point (SSP) is further adapted to cooperate with said identified service nodes (SN) to prompt said first telephone station to cause input of call schedule information indicative of desired scheduled calls.

4. The system recited in of claim 3, wherein said prompts comprise information representative of:

a request to enter the time of the said scheduled call, a request to enter the frequency of the said scheduled call, and a request to enter the telephone number of the said scheduled call, and a request to enter the telephone number of said confirmation call.

5. The system recited in of claim 2, wherein said call schedule application of said service control point (SCP) is adapted to create a record for each scheduled call and to store said record in said call information database.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein said request from said first telephone station includes information identifying at least the subscriber to the call scheduling service.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said service switching point (SSP) is adapted to launch a trigger application in response to the request from said first telephone station, and wherein said trigger application is adapted to generate the request to the said service control point (SCP).

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the request to the service control point (SCP) from the service switching point (SSP) comprises information identifying a telephone station associated with said scheduling party to call at the time of a scheduled call.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein said service control point (SCP), in response to the request from the said service switching point (SSP), is configured to search a database for information identifying service nodes (SN) that are adapted to place calls to said scheduling party and to said scheduled party.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein said call schedule application of said service control point (SCP) is adapted to monitor the time for scheduled calls, wherein said call schedule application, upon reaching the time for a scheduled call, is adapted to communicate to said service switching point (SSP) information representative of said scheduled call, the information comprising identified service nodes (SN) that may be used to complete the scheduled call and a request to place a confirmation call to the scheduling party, and wherein said service switching point (SSP) is adapted to communicate with least one of said service nodes (SN) a request to place said confirmation call.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said service node (SN), in response to the request from the service switching point (SSP), is adapted to place said confirmation call to the other telephone station indicative of said scheduling party.

12. The system recited in claim 11, wherein said service control point (SCP) is adapted to, upon receiving confirmation for said scheduled call, instruct said service switch point (SSP) to place said scheduled call to said scheduled party using said identified service node (SN).

13. The system recited in claim 11, wherein said call schedule application of said service control point (SCP) is adapted to, upon not receiving confirmation for said scheduled call, delete the created record for the scheduled call.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection between said service switching point (SSP) and said at least one other telephone station comprises a second service switching point (SSP).

28. The system of claim 11, wherein said service node (SN) is adapted to place said confirmation call to said alternate telephone station substantially contemporaneously with said confirmation call to said first telephone station.

29. The system of claim 11, wherein said service node (SN) is adapted to place said confirmation call to said alternate telephone station before placing said confirmation call to said first telephone station.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said service node (SN) is adapted to place said confirmation call to said first telephone station if there is no answer at said alternate telephone station.

15. In an advanced intelligent network (AIN) comprising a service switching point (SSP) connected to a first telephone station from which outgoing calls are to be placed, a plurality of service nodes (SN) each having interactive data systems, a service control point (SCP) containing a database, and at least one telephone station, a method of call scheduling from a first telephone station to schedule the outgoing calls to at least one other telephone station to which the outgoing calls are to be placed, comprising at least the following:

(a) at the service switching point (SSP), accepting call schedule information from said first telephone station, wherein said call schedule information contains data representing a time for the scheduled outgoing call, a date for the scheduled outgoing call, a telephone number for the scheduled outgoing call, a telephone number for the confirmation call as specified by a scheduling party, and outgoing calls scheduled from said first telephone station, wherein said service switching point (SSP) is adapted to communicate said call schedule information to said service control point (SCP);

(b) processing said call schedule information by said service control point (SCP) to ascertain the parameters for the scheduled outgoing call,

(c) storing said call schedule information by said service control point (SCP) in a cooperating SCP service control point (SCP) call schedule information database;

(d) monitoring said stored call schedule information by said service control point (SCP) to determine if a scheduled outgoing call is to be placed; and

(e) upon the scheduled time for a said scheduled call, placing said confirmation call to the designated telephone number as specified by the scheduling party by said service control point (SCP), wherein said service control point (SCP) is adapted to communicate with said service switching point (SSP) to place said confirmation call to the designated telephone number as specified by the scheduling party, wherein said service switching point (SSP) is adapted to communicate a request to said service control point (SCP) to identify cooperating service nodes (SN) to assist in placing said confirmation call, and wherein said service switching point (SSP) is adapted to cooperate with said identified service nodes (SN) to place said confirmation call; and

(f) upon the acknowledgment of said confirmation call by the scheduling party, placing said scheduled call by said service control point (SCP), wherein said service control point (SCP) is adapted to communicate with said service switching point (SSP) to place the call according to said stored call schedule information, wherein said service control switching point (SSP) is adapted to communicate a request to said service control point (SCP) to identify cooperating service nodes (SN) to assist in placing the scheduled call, and wherein said service control switching point (SSP) is adapted to cooperate with said identified service nodes (SN) to place the scheduled call.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said confirmation call comprises at least one of:

a DTMF code and an electronic message.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising, in response to receiving call schedule information from said first telephone station, launching a trigger at the service switching point (SSP), said trigger acting to notify said service control point (SCP) that a call is to be scheduled.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying to said service switching point (SSP) a plurality of cooperating service nodes (SN) for use when processing scheduled calls.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein identifying to the service switching point (SSP) the plurality of cooperating service nodes (SN), comprises transmitting the directory numbers corresponding to the plurality of service nodes (SN) by said service control point (SCP).

20. A method of completing outgoing telephone calls comprising at least the following:

(a) receiving from a first party information indicative of an outgoing call to be scheduled, said information comprising a first telephone number associated with a telephone station to be called, a time to call said telephone station, and a second telephone number to which a confirmation call should be placed, wherein the second telephone number is specified by the first party;

(b) storing the received information;

(c) waiting until said time arrives;

(d) placing said confirmation call to said first party using the second telephone number as specified by the first party;

(e) transmitting, to said first party over said confirmation call, an inquiry as to whether said first party should be connected to said telephone station;

(f) receiving a response from said first party indicating that said first party should be connected to said telephone station; and

(g) connecting said first party to said telephone station.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said information is received from a telephone interface of a telephone station.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said information further indicates a date.

23. A system of connecting a scheduled outgoing telephone call using an automated telephone network, the system comprising:

a telephone station for receiving call scheduling information as input by the scheduling party, wherein the call scheduling information includes at least data representing a telephone station to which a confirmation call related to the outgoing telephone call is to be placed;

a service control point (SCP) in communication with said telephone station, said service control point (SCP) for storing said call schedule information, and wherein said SCP and a service node (SN) are adapted to place the confirmation call to the telephone station, wherein the telephone station to which the confirmation call is to be placed is identified by said scheduling party;

a service switching point (SSP) adapted to communicate with said service control point (SCP), with said telephone station associated with said scheduling party, and with a telephone station associated with the party to be called, wherein said service switching point (SSP) is adapted to place the outgoing telephone call from said scheduling party to said party to be called in response to a request from said service control point (SCP).

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said service control point (SCP) and said service node (SN) are adapted to place said confirmation call before said scheduled telephone call becomes due.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said service control point (SCP) and said service node (SN) are adapted to place said confirmation call at a substantially same time as said scheduled telephone call becomes due.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said service control point (SCP) and said service node (SN) are adapted to place said confirmation call after said scheduled telephone call becomes due.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said service switching point (SSP) is adapted to connect said scheduling party with said party to be called, after said scheduling party acknowledges said confirmation call.

31. A method for scheduling an outgoing telephone call, the method comprising

determining at a service switching point (SSP) whether an outgoing call has been scheduled;

receiving call scheduling information from a telephone interface to the SSP;

if an outgoing call has not been scheduled, waiting for data representing a scheduled outgoing call;

receiving a call schedule service identifier (CSSI) by the SSP, once an outgoing call has been scheduled;

transferring the CSSI from the SSP to a service control point (SCP) service package application (SPA);

verifying that the submitted scheduled outgoing call is being submitted by a telephone interface authorized to schedule calls;

accepting information by the SSP from telephone interface indicative of outgoing calls to be scheduled, wherein the call schedule information includes at least one of;

a time and date of the scheduled call, at least one number to be called at the time and date, and a confirmation number to call prior to placing the scheduled call, wherein the confirmation number is specified by a scheduling party.