Call forwarding to voice mail systems based on redirecting number

• US 7,664,248 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearson, Larry B
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/725,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20050117731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 379/9, 379/207.02, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/67.1, 379/88.17, 379/212.01, 379/88.12, 379/88.11, 379/88.22, 379/88.25, 379/88.16, 455/414.4, 455/413, 455/432.3, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 709/223
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• 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 method and system is presented to route calls to a voicemail system. The method includes receiving a call from an originating device at a first redirecting device and forwarding the call from the first redirecting device to a second redirecting device. The forwarded call has an associated data message that includes a calling number of the originating device and the first redirecting number of the first redirecting device. The method also includes forwarding the call from the second redirecting device to a destination voice mailbox. The destination voice mailbox is selected based on an evaluation of the first redirecting number and the second redirecting number.

Claims

1. A method of routing a call to a voice mailbox based on a redirecting number, the method comprising:

receiving a call from an originating telephone device at a first redirecting telephone device;

forwarding the call from the first telephone redirecting device to a second telephone redirecting device, the forwarded call having an associated data message that includes a calling number of the originating telephone device and a first redirecting number of the first redirecting telephone device; and

forwarding the call from the second redirecting telephone device to a destination voice mailbox, the destination voice mailbox selected from a plurality of voice mailboxes associated with a user, the destination voice mailbox selected based on an evaluation of the first redirecting number and a second redirecting number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second redirecting numbers is compared to a set of predetermined authorized redirecting numbers and wherein the voice mailbox is selected from a group of available voice mailboxes based upon at least one of the first and the second redirecting numbers.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a first greeting upon access to the destination voice mailbox and presenting a second greeting upon access to a second voice mailbox of the plurality of voice mailboxes associated with the user.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the second redirecting number is associated with the second telephone redirecting device.

3. A method of processing an intelligent network communication, the method comprising:

receiving a query message at a switch control point;

determining that inbound call data includes a first redirecting number of a first telephone redirecting device;

formulating a response message to the query message, the response message to indicate an address of a destination voicemail account, wherein the destination voicemail account is one of a plurality of voicemail accounts associated with a user, the address determined based upon the first redirecting number of the first telephone redirecting device and a second redirecting number of a second telephone redirecting device;

sending the response message to a service switching point; and

routing a call to the destination voicemail account based upon the address.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising comparing the second redirecting number to a plurality of authorized redirecting numbers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the response message indicates forwarding the call to the destination voicemail account only when the second redirecting number is found within the plurality of authorized redirecting numbers.

6. An intelligent network system comprising:

a switching control point;

a service switching point coupled to the switching control point;

wherein the service switching point is operative to send a request message to the switching control point, the request message including a subscriber telephone number and a redirecting number of a telephone redirecting device; and

wherein the switching control point is operative to send a response message to the service switching point based on an evaluation of the redirecting number and a second redirecting number of a second telephone redirecting device, the response message including afield to identify a number associated with a voicemail account, wherein the voicemail account is one of a plurality of voicemail accounts associated with a user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the service switching point is coupled to a second service switching point that is coupled to a destination voicemail system.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the service switching point receives a data message associated with a call prior to sending the request message to the switching control point.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the service switching point is coupled to a signaling system 7 type of communication link.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the call is routed to a default home voicemail system when the second redirecting number is not found in an authorized list of redirecting numbers.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the second service switching point receives a message that includes a calling number, a called number, the redirecting number, and the second redirecting number.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second service switching point includes a memory that stores data related to the plurality of voicemail accounts.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the switching control point includes a memory, the memory including a first redirecting number entry associated with a first voice mailbox and a second redirecting number entry associated with a second voice mailbox.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first redirecting number entry is associated with a work phone and wherein the first voice mailbox is a designated work voicemail account.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second redirecting number entry is associated with a mobile communication device and wherein the second voice mailbox is a designated mobile communication device voicemail account.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a first greeting is presented upon access to the first voice mailbox and a second greeting is presented upon access to the second voice mailbox.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory further includes a default voicemail account associated with a home phone, wherein the default voicemail account is one of the plurality of voicemail accounts associated with a user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the switching control point replaces an address of the default voicemail account with an address of at least one of the first voice mailbox and the second voice mailbox.