Direct calling to devices via a shared telephone number

• US 7,711,101 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Benveniste, Mathilde
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZENATI, AMAL S
• Application Number:
  US11/203,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20060034442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 379/211, 379/221.01, 379/207, 379/211.03, 379/211.04, 379/221.08
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42331 Direct inward dialling
• 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: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique for directly calling telephones via a shared telephone number, which telephones do not have telephone numbers in the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network. This is particularly useful for visitors and guests who are, for example, temporarily at a hotel, school campus, or business.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a voice telephone call with a device that has an address outside the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network, said method comprising:

receiving a first call set-up message for a first voice telephone call that has been forwarded from a first originally-called telephone number, wherein said first originally-called telephone number is an address in the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network; and

attempting, without human intervention and without intervention of an interactive voice response system, to establish a voice telephone call with a first device that has an address outside the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network;

wherein said address of said first device is found from said first originally-called telephone number; and

wherein the caller of said first voice telephone call is not notified of the forwarding from said first originally-called telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising mapping said first originally-called telephone number to said address of said device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said device is a telephone extension of a private branch exchange.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said private branch exchange serves a hotel.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second call set-up message for a second voice telephone call that has been forwarded from a second originally-called telephone number, wherein said second originally-called telephone number is an address in the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network; and

attempting to establish said voice telephone call with said first device;

wherein said address of said first device is found from said second originally-called telephone number.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said first originally-called telephone number is a residential telephone number and said second originally-called telephone number is a business telephone number.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second call set-up message for a second voice telephone call that has been forwarded from a second originally-called telephone number, wherein said second originally-called telephone number is an address in the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network; and

attempting to establish said second voice call with a second device that has an address outside the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network;

wherein said address of said second device is found from said second originally-called telephone number.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said first originally-called telephone number is a first business telephone number and said second originally-called telephone number is a second business telephone number.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said first originally-called telephone number is a residential telephone number and said second originally-called telephone number is a business telephone number.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said first originally-called telephone number is a first residential telephone number and said second originally-called telephone number is a second residential telephone number.

11. An apparatus for establishing a voice telephone call with a device that has an address outside the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network, said apparatus comprising:

a switch for;

(1) receiving a first call set-up message for a first voice telephone call that has been forwarded from a first originally-called telephone number, wherein said first originally-called telephone number is an address in the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network L and

(2) attempting, without human intervention and without intervention of an interactive voice response system, to establish a voice telephone call with a first device that has an address outside the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network;

wherein said address of said first device is found from said first originally-called telephone number, and wherein the caller of said first voice telephone call is not notified of the forwarding from said first originally-called telephone number; and

a memory for mapping said first originally-called telephone number to said address of said device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said memory is a forwarding database.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said device is a telephone extension of a private branch exchange.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said private branch exchange serves a hotel.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said switch is also for:

(3) receiving a second call set-up message for a second voice telephone call that has been forwarded from a second originally-called telephone number, wherein said second originally-called telephone number is an address in the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network; and

(4) attempting to establish said voice telephone call with said first device;

wherein said address of said first device is found from said second originally-called telephone number.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said first originally-called telephone number is a residential telephone number and said second originally-called telephone number is a business telephone number.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said switch is also for:

(3) receiving a second call set-up message for a second voice telephone call that has been forwarded from a second originally-called telephone number, wherein said second originally-called telephone number is an address in the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network; and

(4) attempting to establish said second voice call with a second device that has an address outside the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network;

wherein said address of said second device is found from said second originally-called telephone number.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said first originally-called telephone number is a first business telephone number and said second originally-called telephone number is a second business telephone number.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said first originally-called telephone number is a residential telephone number and said second originally-called telephone number is a business telephone number.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said first originally-called telephone number is a first residential telephone number and said second originally-called telephone number is a second residential telephone number.