Provision of group services in a telecommunications network
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for providing group services to subscribers in a telecommunications network, including:
- receiving a first service request sent by a first originating party of a predefined group in a first communications mode, said first service request including a first telephone dialing number;
routing said first service request to a first destination selected on the basis of said first telephone dialing number and the first communications mode;
in response to receipt of said first service request at said first destination, confirming that the first originating party is a member of the predefined group, and selecting a first group of participants from the predefined group on the basis of said first telephone dialing number;
in response to confirmation that the first originating party is a member of the predefined group and selection of the first group, providing via the first destination a first group service to the selected first group of participants, the first group service having associated therewith the first telephone dialing number as originating calling line identity to facilitate a group reply to the first group of participants by any member of the first group of participants;
receiving a second service request sent by a second originating party of the predefined group in a second communications mode, which second communications mode is different from said first communications mode, said second service request including the first telephone dialing number;
routing said second service request to a second destination selected on the basis of said first telephone dialing number and the second communications mode, second destination being different from the first destination;
in response to receipt of said second service request at said second destination, confirming that the second originating party is a member of the predefined group and selecting a second group of participants from the predefined group on the basis of said first telephone dialing number; and
in response to confirmation that the second originating party is a member of the predefined group and selection of the second group, providing via the second destination a second group service to the selected second group of participants, the second group service having associated therewith the first telephone dialing number as originating calling line identity to facilitate a group reply to the second group of participants by any member of the second group of participants.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for providing group services in a telecommunications network. Groups of subscribers can be created and each group associated with its own telephone number. A member of a group can communicate with others in that group using a group service and the telephone number associated with the group. In one aspect, a number of different, and separately processed, group services are provided which can be accessed using a common group telephone dialing number.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method for providing group services to subscribers in a telecommunications network, including:
-
receiving a first service request sent by a first originating party of a predefined group in a first communications mode, said first service request including a first telephone dialing number; routing said first service request to a first destination selected on the basis of said first telephone dialing number and the first communications mode; in response to receipt of said first service request at said first destination, confirming that the first originating party is a member of the predefined group, and selecting a first group of participants from the predefined group on the basis of said first telephone dialing number; in response to confirmation that the first originating party is a member of the predefined group and selection of the first group, providing via the first destination a first group service to the selected first group of participants, the first group service having associated therewith the first telephone dialing number as originating calling line identity to facilitate a group reply to the first group of participants by any member of the first group of participants; receiving a second service request sent by a second originating party of the predefined group in a second communications mode, which second communications mode is different from said first communications mode, said second service request including the first telephone dialing number; routing said second service request to a second destination selected on the basis of said first telephone dialing number and the second communications mode, second destination being different from the first destination; in response to receipt of said second service request at said second destination, confirming that the second originating party is a member of the predefined group and selecting a second group of participants from the predefined group on the basis of said first telephone dialing number; and in response to confirmation that the second originating party is a member of the predefined group and selection of the second group, providing via the second destination a second group service to the selected second group of participants, the second group service having associated therewith the first telephone dialing number as originating calling line identity to facilitate a group reply to the second group of participants by any member of the second group of participants. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for providing a group service to subscribers in a telecommunications network, including:
-
storing data indicating a set of telephone dialing numbers which are intended to be allocated for use in the provision of group services; conducting a group set up procedure for defining a service group for a defined group of members, said set up procedure including; a) receiving a group set up request; b) allocating a first telephone dialing number from said set of numbers to said group; c) storing group member data identifying members of said defined group to render the group member data accessible by a number of different group service modules; d) identifying said first telephone dialing number to one or more of said plurality of members of said defined group; e) receiving a first service request sent by a first originating party of the defined group in a first communications mode, said first service request including said first telephone dialing number, and in response thereto, confirming that the first originating party is a member of the defined group; f) routing to a first destination the first service request, the first destination comprising a first group service module of the number of different group service modules, the routing to the first destination being on the basis of the first communications mode, and at the first group service module of the number of different group service modules, identifying said group member data from said first telephone dialing number received in said first service request; g) at said first group service module, providing via the first destination a first group service in response to identifying said group member data from said first telephone dialing number received in said first service request, the first group service having associated therewith the first telephone dialing number as originating calling line identity to facilitate a group reply by a member identified in the group member data; h) receiving a second service request sent by a second originating party of the defined group in a second communications mode, which second communications mode is different from said first communications mode, said second service request including said first telephone dialing number, and in response thereto, confirming that the second originating party is a member of the defined group; i) routing to a second destination the second service request, the second destination comprising a second group service module of the number of different group service modules and being different from the first destination, the routine to the second destination being on the basis of the second communications mode, and at the second group service module, which second group service module is different to said first said group service module of the number of different group service modules, identifying said group member data from said first telephone dialing number received in said second service request; and j) at said second group service module, providing via the second destination a second group service in response to identifying said group member data from said first telephone dialing number received in said second service request, the second group service having associated therewith the first telephone dialing number as originating calling line identity to facilitate a group reply by a member identified in the group member data. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification