System and method for routing a call to a called party's landline or wireless communication unit

• US 7,181,201 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Heinmiller, Wayne Robert, McCarthy, Terrence J., Bartels, Todd August, Roberts, Richard N., Ford, Kara Elisia, Donoso, Carlos H, Moore, Leslie Bernard, Brand, Rodney T
• Primary Examiner(s): FERGUSON, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US10/758,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20040213213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/413, 455/417, 455/418, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455/412.2, 455/436, 455/445, 455/461, 455/563, 455/569, 4554141-4144, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/403, 455/500, 455/517, 379/88.22, 379/201.1, 379/201, 379/207, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/88.15, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/550.1, 379/210.01, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/212.01
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method and system are provided for routing a call to a called party'"'"'s landline or wireless communication unit based on the availability of the wireless communication unit. A call placed to a called party'"'"'s landline communication unit is routed to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit if the wireless communication unit is determined available, otherwise, the call is routed to the called party'"'"'s landline communication unit. Unlike past attempts to facilitate communication with a called party having wireless and landline communication units, these preferred embodiments operate automatically (without called party intervention) before a call is terminated at the landline communication unit and are responsive to the availability of the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit. Further, there preferred embodiments do not rely on complex, pre-determined hunting sequences or expensive adjunct customer premises equipment.

Claims

1. A method for routing a call to a called party'"'"'s landline or wireless communication unit, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically determining an availability of a called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit;

then

(b) automatically routing a call to a called party'"'"'s landline communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined unavailable in step (a); and

(c) automatically routing the call to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined available in step (a).

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of automatically routing the call to the called party'"'"'s landline communication unit in response to a calling party using the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the step of automatically determining an availability of a called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit in response to receiving, from a calling party, a destination number associated with the called party'"'"'s landline communication unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the step of automatically determining an availability of a called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit in response to receiving, from a calling party, a destination number associated with the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the step of automatically determining an availability of a called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit in response to receiving, from a calling party, a destination number independent of a number associated with either the called party'"'"'s wireless or landline communication unit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the step of

(a1) sending a location request to a home location register;

and

(a2) analyzing a response to the location request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the step of automatically routing a call to a called party'"'"'s landline communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined inactive, and wherein step (c) comprises the step of automatically routing the call to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined active.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the step of automatically routing a call to a called party'"'"'s landline communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined busy, and wherein step (c) comprises the step of automatically routing the call to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined not busy.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit with an indication that a call is automatically being routed to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit with a distinctive ring in response to automatically routing the call to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of playing a message to a calling party before the call is automatically routed.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using an interactive voice response system to disable performance of steps (a)–

(c).

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using a voice-mail system to receive messages from the landline communication unit and the wireless communication unit.

14. A system for routing a call to a called party'"'"'s landline or wireless communication unit, said system comprising:

first means for automatically determining an availability of a called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit;

second means for automatically routing a call to a called party'"'"'s landline communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined unavailable; and

third means for automatically routing the call to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined available.

15. A system for routing a call to a landline or wireless communication unit, said system comprising:

a service control point operative to automatically determine an availability of said wireless communication unit in response to a query; and

a signal switching point coupled with the service control point, the signal switching point being operative to send said query to the service control point, automatically route a call to said landline communication unit in response to said wireless communication unit being determined unavailable, and automatically route a call to said wireless communication unit in response to said wireless communication unit being determined available.

16. The invention of claim 15 further comprising a database, coupled with the service control point, comprising availability information of said wireless communication unit.

17. The invention of claim 16, wherein the database comprises a home location register.

18. The invention of claim 15, wherein the signal switching point is operative to automatically route a call to said landline communication unit in response to said wireless communication unit being determined inactive and operative to automatically route a call to said wireless communication unit in response to said wireless communication unit being determined active.

19. The invention of claim 15, wherein the signal switching point is operative to automatically route a call to said landline communication unit in response to said wireless communication unit being determined busy and operative to automatically route a call to said wireless communication unit in response to said wireless communication unit being determined not busy.

20. The invention of claim 15, wherein the signal switching point is operative to send said query to the service control point in response to receiving a destination number of said landline communication unit.

21. The invention of claim 15, wherein the signal switching point is further operative to provide said wireless communication unit with an indication that a call is automatically being routed to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit.

22. The invention of claim 15, wherein the signal switching point is further operative to play a message to a calling party while awaiting a response from the service control point.

23. The invention of claim 15 further comprising a voice-mail system coupled with the signal switching point and operative to receive messages from said landline communication unit and said wireless communication unit.

24. The invention of claim 15 further comprising an interactive voice response system coupled with the signal switching point and operative to deactivate a transmission of said query to the service control point.

25. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for routing a call to a called party'"'"'s landline or wireless communication unit, the computer readable program code comprising:

first computer readable program code for automatically determining an availability of a called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit;

second computer readable program code for automatically routing a call to a called party'"'"'s landline communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined unavailable; and

third computer readable program code for automatically routing the call to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit in response to the called party'"'"'s wireless communication unit being determined available.