System and method for implementing and accessing call forwarding services

• US 7,242,754 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brand, Rodney T, Wilczynski, Paul, Crockett, Susanne Marie, Gibson, Elizabeth Goldwyn, Culli, Laura Kay, Hardzinski, Mary Louise, Machacek, Michael Albert, McBlain, Thomas Joseph, Adams, Thomas Lee, Moss, John Wesley, Bi, Xiaolian Yang, Mueller, Stephen Mark, Blumenschein, Gordon Lynn, Pelletier, Karen Jeanne, Book, Nancy Ann, Sabinson, Richard Everett
• Primary Examiner(s): Al-Aubaidi, Rasha S.
• Application Number:
  US10/435,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20040005045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.18, 379/211.02, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/201.12, 379/201.02
• US Class Current: 379/201.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2471 Configurable and interactive telephone terminals with subscriber controlled features modifications, e.g. with ADSI capability [Analog Display Services Interface] systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers H04M3/42; administration or customization of services H04M3/42136; by downloading data to substation equipment H04M3/42178
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42034 Calling party identification service
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• 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 3/48 : Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 : Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• 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

Abstract

A system and method include implementing and accessing a subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications services, using a graphical user interface (GUI) via the Internet, and an interactive voice response (IVR) system via the public switched telecommunications network (PSTN). The system and method enable a subscriber to review, schedule and modify call forwarding information stored and implemented by a service control point (SCP) through a common server from any dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) telephone and IVR system via the PSTN or any GUI and Web client via the Internet. The subscriber is able to build and edit call forwarding data, such as a scheduler and priority and rejection screening lists, by the GUI via the Internet for subsequent implementation.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a telephony service associated with a user, in which a processor in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) processes calls involving a directory number of the user in accordance with the service and call service data customized by the user for the service, the method comprising:

receiving the customized call service data at a provisioning server from a web server in the Internet, the provisioning server being configured to interface a call processor with the web server and an interactive voice response (IVR) platform in the PSTN, the web server receiving the customized call service data from a web client in response to a web page, provided by the web server, having a predetermined format corresponding to the service;

storing the customized call service data in a database accessible to the processor; and

receiving an instruction at the provisioning server to activate the service, in accordance with the customized call service data, via one of the web server and the IVR platform.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the customized call service data comprises a plurality of data sets created at the web client, the method further comprising:

receiving an instruction at the provisioning server to activate one of the plurality of data sets, associated with the activated service, via one of the web server and the IVR platform.

3. The method according to claim 2, in which the service comprises a call forwarding service.

4. The method according to claim 3, in which the plurality of data sets comprise a plurality of forward-to numbers, the method further comprising:

forwarding a call to a directory number of the user, to the activated forward-to number.

5. The method according to claim 3, in which the plurality of data sets comprise a plurality of schedules, each of the plurality of schedules comprising at least one time period during which a call forwarding functionality is active, the method further comprising:

forwarding a call to a directory number of the user, to a forward-to number in accordance with the activated schedule.

6. The method according to claim 5, in which each of the plurality of schedules has a corresponding forward-to number.

7. The method according to claim 3, in which the plurality of data sets comprise a plurality of screening lists, each of the plurality of screening lists comprising at least one directory number, the method further comprising:

forwarding calls to a directory number of the user, from the at least one directory number of the activated screening list, to a first forward-to number; and

forwarding calls made to the directory number of the user, from a directory number other than the at least one directory number, to a second forward-to number.

8. A method for implementing a call forwarding service of a user, the call forwarding service including customized call service data associated with a directory number of the user, the method comprising:

receiving the customized call service data through a provisioning server that interfaces a call processor with a web server in the Internet and an interactive voice response (IVR) platform in the PSTN, the web server having received the customized call service data as input to at least one call service data web page provided by the web server to a web client through the Internet;

storing the customized call service data in a database accessible to a processor in a public switched telephone network;

receiving an instruction to activate the call forwarding service, in accordance with the customized call service data, via one of the web server and the IVR platform;

determining whether a web client, associated with the user'"'"'s directory number, is on-line in the Internet when a call is made to the user'"'"'s directory number;

initiating a notice of the call, displayed at the web client, when the web client is determined to be on-line;

receiving on-line call processing instructions from the web client;

processing the call according to the on-line call processing instructions; and

processing the call according to the customized call service data when the web client is not determined to be on-line.

9. The method for implementing the call forwarding service according to claim 8 in which the on-line instructions comprise at least one of accepting the call, processing the call in accordance with the call service data, and forwarding the call to a specified forward-to number.

10. The method for implementing the call forwarding service according to claim 9, in which the customized call service data comprises at least one of a schedule, a priority screening list and a rejection screening list.

11. A system for implementing a call service, associated with a user, in a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the system comprising:

a provisioning server configured to interface with a web server in the Internet, an interactive voice response (IVR) platform in the PSTN and a call processor that processes calls in the PSTN in accordance with the call service and call service data associated with the user, the web server providing at least one web page associated with the call service to a web client, enabling the user to customize the call service data via the at least one web page; and

wherein the provisioning server is further configured to provide the customized call service data to the call processor and to enable the call service to be activated via the at least one web page and via the IVR platform.

12. The system according to claim 11, in which the web client comprises a graphical user interface.

13. The system according to claim 11, in which the call service comprises a call forwarding service.

14. The system according to claim 13, in which the customized call service data comprises a schedule for activating and deactivating the call forwarding service, the call processor providing instructions to route a call to a directory number of the user, to a predetermined forwarding number based on the schedule.

15. The system according to claim 14, in which the schedule further comprises a forwarding number in association with each activating period of the schedule.

16. The system according to claim 13, in which the customized call service data comprises a priority list having at least one priority telephone number.

17. The system according to claim 16, in which the customized call service data further comprises at least one priority forwarding number corresponding to the at least one priority telephone number, the processor providing instructions to route a call placed from the at least one priority telephone number to a directory number of the user, to the corresponding at least one priority forwarding number.

18. A system for implementing a call forwarding service of a user when the user is on-line, the call forwarding service corresponding to a directory number of the user, the system comprising:

a provisioning server that interfaces a processor, which processes calls in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) in accordance with the call forwarding service and associated call service data created by the user through a web server in the Internet in response to at least one predetermined data field associated with the call service data provided by the web server to a web client of the user, with the web server and an interactive voice response (IVR) platform in the PSTN, enabling the user to control the call forwarding service in accordance with the call service data through the web server and through the IVR platform;

wherein, when an on-line status of the web client is detected, an on-line indication is transmitted to the processor through the provisioning server, in response, the processor sends information about calls to the user'"'"'s directory number, to the web client through the web server, receives on-line instructions from the web client, and processes the call in accordance with the on-line instructions and the call service data.

19. The system according to claim 18, in which the processor processes the calls to the user'"'"'s directory number in accordance with the call service data when no on-line status is detected.

20. The system according to claim 18, in which the on-line instructions comprise at least one of accepting the call, processing the call in accordance with the call service data, and forwarding the call to a specified forward-to number.

21. The system according to claim 20, in which the call service data comprises a schedule for activating and deactivating the call forwarding service, the processor providing instructions to route a call to a directory number of the user to a predetermined forward-to number based on the schedule.

22. The system according to claim 20, in which the call service data comprises a priority list having at least one priority telephone number, the processor providing instructions to route a call placed from the at least one priority telephone number to a directory number of the user, to a priority forward-to number.