Enhanced call feature service

• US 7,164,762 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanson, Karrie J., Karam, Gerald M., Cheung, Eric, Goguen, Healfdene H., Purdy, Kermit Hal
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US10/951,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20050074111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 379/212.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party-service or three-way-call computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4217 Managing service interactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• 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 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/129 Details of providing call progress tones or announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for managing calls for a subscriber, including accessing a calling plan while the subscriber is in an existing active call with at least one other party. The call is placed or received by the subscriber at a first device. At least one service feature of the calling plan is invoked during the active call. This service feature includes an add callers feature for adding at least one additional party to the existing active call between the subscriber and the other party. The service feature additionally includes a transfer devices feature for transferring the existing active call to at least one additional device of the subscriber and hanging up on the first device by the subscriber to confirm the transfer of the call to the additional device.

Claims

1. A method for managing calls for a subscriber comprising:

accessing a calling plan while the subscriber is in an existing active call with at least one other party, wherein said call is placed or received by the subscriber at a first device;

invoking at least one service feature of the calling plan from an interactive voice response (IVR) dialog during the active call, wherein said feature includes;

an add callers feature for adding at least one additional party to the existing active call between the subscriber and the other party; and

a transfer devices feature for transferring the existing active call to at least one additional device of the subscriber and hanging up on the first device by the subscriber to confirm the transfer of the call to the additional device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said add callers feature further comprises:

alerting a device of the additional party to be included in the existing active call.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said add callers feature further comprises:

connecting the subscriber to the additional party to form a new call leg.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said add callers feature further comprises:

dropping the new call leg by the subscriber.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said new call leg is dropped when the additional party does not answer.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said new call leg is dropped when the additional party is busy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said additional parties in the add callers feature is a predetermined number.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said transfer devices feature further comprises:

alerting the additional device of the existing call.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said transfer devices feature further comprises:

connecting the subscriber to the additional device to form a new call leg.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said transfer device feature further comprises:

dropping the new call leg by the subscriber at the first device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said new call leg is dropped when the additional device does not answer.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said new call leg is dropped when the additional device is busy.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said additional devices of the subscriber are predetermined by the subscriber.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said additional device of the subscriber is provided by the subscriber upon the invoking of the transfer device feature.

15. A method for managing calls for a subscriber comprising:

accessing a calling plan while the subscriber is in an existing active call with at least one other party, wherein said call is placed or received by the subscriber at a first device and said subscriber belongs to a first service provider; and

invoking at least one service feature of the calling plan from an interactive voice response (IVR) dialog during the active call using at least one of key press commands and voice commands, wherein said service feature includes;

an add callers feature for adding at least one additional party to the existing active call between the subscriber and the other party, said additional party belongs to a second service provider.

16. A method for managing calls for a subscriber comprising:

accessing a calling plan while the subscriber is in an existing active call with at least one other party, wherein said call is placed or received by the subscriber at a first device and said first device of the subscriber belongs to a first service provider; and

invoking at least one service feature of the calling plan from an interactive voice response (IVR) dialog during the active call using at least one of key press commands and voice commands, wherein said service feature includes;

a transfer devices feature for transferring the existing active call to at least one additional device of the subscriber and hanging up on the first device by the subscriber to confirm the transfer of the call to the additional device, said additional device of the subscriber belongs to a second service provider.

17. A system for managing calls for a subscriber comprising:

an internet protocol network connected to a first device of the subscriber wherein a call is placed or received by the subscriber at said first device;

at least one gateway connected to at least one other party; and

at least one platform including said gateway and an application server with an interactive voice response (IVR) dialog feature, said platform connected to said internet protocol network for accessing a calling plan with at least one service feature via said IVR dialog feature, while the subscriber is in an existing active call with said at least one other party, wherein said service feature includes;

an add callers feature for adding at least one additional party to the existing active call between the subscriber and the other party; and

a transfer devices feature for transferring the existing active call to a at least one additional device of the subscriber and hanging up on the first device by the subscriber to confirm the transfer of the call to the additional device.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the gateway is connected to a device of the additional party to alert said device of the existing active call and further connecting the subscriber to the additional party to form a new call leg.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the internet protocol network is connected to said additional device of the subscriber to alert said additional device of the existing active call and further connecting the subscriber to the additional device to form a new call leg.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein said platform includes a database for storing the calling plan with said service feature.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein said platform includes at least one server connected via a high speed local network using Ethernet switches, routes, a combination thereof to provide access and networking to the internet protocol network.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein said internet protocol network is connected to the first and the additional devices of the subscriber via a broadband access network provided through a cable or digital subscriber line modem.

23. A system for managing calls for a subscriber comprising:

an internet protocol network connected to a first device of the subscriber wherein a call is placed or received by the subscriber at said first device and said subscriber belongs to a first service provider;

at least one gateway connected to at least one other party;

at least one platform including said gateway and an application server with an interactive voice response (IVR) dialog feature, said platform connected to said internet protocol network for accessing a calling plan with at least one service feature via said IVR dialog feature, while the subscriber is in an existing active call with said at least one other party;

wherein said service feature includes;

an add callers feature for adding at least one additional party to the existing active call between the subscriber and the other party, said additional party belonging to a second service provider.

24. A system for managing calls for a subscriber comprising:

an internet protocol network connected to a first device of the subscriber wherein a call is placed or received by the subscriber at said first device and said first device belongs to a first service provider;

at least one gateway connected to at least one other party;

at least one platform including said gateway and an application server with an interactive voice response (IVR) dialog feature, said platform connected to said internet protocol network for accessing a calling plan with at least one service feature via said IVR dialog feature, while the subscriber is in an existing active call with said at least one other party wherein said service feature includes;

a transfer devices feature for transferring the existing active call to at least one additional device of the subscriber and hanging up on the first device by the subscriber to confirm the transfer of the call to the additional device, said additional device of the subscriber belonging to a second service provider.