Apparatus and method for easily restoring a connection to a telephone

• US 7,437,141 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mason, Andrew, Staemmer, Zeno
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US11/010,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20060128388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 455415-416, 455/414.1, 455/403, 455405-406, 455/445, 455/422.1, 455/423, 4554261-4262, 455461-462, 4555441- 55, 455/567, 379/88.01, 37921101-21103, 379/114.29, 379/15.02, 379/120, 370/260, 370400-403, 370/338, 370/352, 709204-205
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/424 Arrangements for automatic redialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27

Abstract

A method, system, and article of manufacture for restoring a telephone connection between a first communication device and at least one other communication device. In some embodiments, the method includes establishing a first telephone call between a first communication device associated with a telecommunication system and at least one other communication device, initiating a call to the telecommunication system from the first communication device using a predetermined number, and automatically initiating, in response to the call to the predetermined number, a reconnect call by the telecommunication system to establish a second call between the first communication device and the at least one other communication device. In some embodiments, the first call and the second call may be between a first communication device and at least two other communication devices.

Claims

1. A method of automatically reconnecting a telephone call participant to one or more other participants to the call, the method comprising:

associating a first communication device with a telecommunication system, said first communication device being associated with a first telecommunication system user;

establishing in said telecommunication system a first telephone call between said first communication device and at least one other communication device associated with another telecommunication system user;

initiating a call to an advanced services module in the telecommunication system from the first communication device responsive to disconnect of said first call, said call to the advanced services module using a predetermined number other than a number to the at least one other communication device of the first telephone call; and

automatically initiating, in response to the call to the advanced services module a reconnect call by the advanced services module to establish a second call between the first communication device and the at least one other communication device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one other communication device is at least two other communication devices associated with two other telecommunication system users in a collaboration module.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the advanced services module being aware that the first communication device was previously connected to the at least two communication devices during the first telephone call.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the first call and the reconnect call are conference calls created and maintained by said collaboration module.

5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the advanced services module determining whether the at least two other communication devices are still engaged in the first call prior to initiating the reconnect call.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first telephone call between the first communication device and the at least one other communication device is terminated prior to the initiating of the call to the advanced services module.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising extracting ANI (Automatic Number Identification) information of the first communication device that initiated the call to the advanced services module, a basic services module extracting said ANI information.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the basic services module identifying a user associated with the first communication device based on the extracted ANI information.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the identifying comprises the basic services module referencing a data store of users of the telecommunication system and ANIs associated with the users, communications destinations being chosen responsive to user presence information from said data store and the presence each communication device associated with telecommunication system.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the call initiated by the first communication device to the advanced services module telephone system using the predetermined number is terminated prior to a charge being incurred for the call.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication device is a cellular telephone.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the advanced services module being aware that the first communication device was previously connected to the at least one other communication device during the first telephone call.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first telephone call was a most recent telephone call participated in by the first communication device, prior to the initiation of the call to the advanced services module.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number is retrieved from a memory connected to the first communication device.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the advanced services module choosing communications destinations responsive to user presence information and the presence each communication device associated with telecommunication system.

16. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the advanced services module invoking, in response to the call to the predetermined number, at least one telephony function other than the reconnect call.

17. A system for interactive telecommunication comprising:

a processor running a collaboration system, said collaboration system comprising;

a collaboration unit, collaboration sessions being created, modified and deleted by interactive telecommunication system clients through said collaboration unit,

an interaction center interfacing subscriber and guest telephony services to interactive telecommunication system subscribers and guests,

a mobility module providing message services to interactive telecommunication system subscribers, and

a communication broker module providing telecommunication system services and automation in said interactive telecommunication system; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions to cause the collaboration system to;

associate a first communication device with said interactive telecommunication system;

establish in said interactive telecommunication system by said communication broker module a first telephone call between said first communication device and at least one other communication device;

initiating a call to the interactive telecommunication system from the first communication device responsive to disconnect of said first call, said call to the interactive telecommunication system using a predetermined number other than a number to the at least one other communication device of the first telephone call; and

automatically initiating by said communication broker module, in response to the call to the predetermined number, a reconnect call by the interactive telecommunication system to establish a second call between the first communication device and the at least one other communication device.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the processor and the memory comprises a telecommunication server.

19. A system according to claim 17, further comprising storing instructions to cause the communication broker module to extract ANI (Automatic Number Identification) information of the communication device that initiated the call to the interactive telecommunication system using the predetermined number.

20. A system according to claim 19, further comprising storing instructions to cause the communication broker module to identify a user associated with the communication device based on the extracted AM information.

21. A system according to claim 20, further comprising a data store of users of the interactive telecommunication system and ANIs associated with the users, the communication broker module choosing communications destinations responsive to user presence information from said data store and the presence of each communication device associated with the interactive telecommunication system.

22. A system according to claim 17, further comprising a user interface that facilitates a user associated with the telecommunication system an option of designating, at least, a user preference regarding establishing the reconnect call by the telecommunication system, wherein once associated, said telecommunication system retains the association after call completion and the communication broker module may re-establish calls from said first communication device to other communication devices and reconnect based on said association.

23. A system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one other communication device is at least two other communication devices.

24. A system according to claim 17, further comprising the communication broker module invoking, in response to the call to the predetermined number, at least one telephony function other than the reconnect call.

25. An interactive telecommunication system comprising:

a processor running a collaboration system, said collaboration system comprising;

a plurality of collaboration modules creating, modifying and deleting collaboration sessions with clients, interfacing subscriber and guest telephony services to subscribers and guests, and providing message services to subscribers, and

a communication broker module including a basic services module providing phone support, PBX interfaces, call features and management, an advanced services module including a multipoint control unit (MCU), an automation module, and a toolkit module; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions to cause the collaboration system to;

associate a first communication device with said interactive telecommunication system;

establish in said interactive telecommunication system by said communication broker module a first telephone call between said first communication device and at least one other communication device;

initiating a call to the interactive telecommunication system from the first communication device responsive to disconnect of said first call, said call to the interactive telecommunication system using a predetermined number other than a number to the at least one other communication device of the first telephone call; and

automatically initiating by said communication broker module, in response to the call to the predetermined number, a reconnect call by the interactive telecommunication system to establish a second call between the first communication device and the at least one other communication device.