Automatically sequentially ringing alternative telephone numbers

• US 7,711,102 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• 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: Song, Ping, Zhang, Zhiqiang Zeeman, Patterson, Greg N., Worsham, James A., Contractor, Sunil H., Levine, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Application Number:
  US11/684,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 37921102-21104, 37922108-2211, 379/221.12, 379/207.02
• US Class Current: 379/211.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained

Abstract

A Service Control Point (SCP) has a call list associated with the main telephone number of a called party. When a calling party attempts to contact the called party by calling the main number, but cannot reach the main number, a Service Switching Point (SSP) fires a trigger. One trigger is a T_No_Answer trigger, which is fired in response to a call to the main number that is not answered within a predefined number of rings. Another trigger is a T_Busy trigger that is fired in response to a call to the main number that is made when the main number is busy. Each trigger causes the SCP to access the call list and to cause the SSP to ring an alternative telephone number associated with the main telephone number. If this attempt to reach the called party also fails, then the SSP again fires the trigger and an attempt is made to connect the calling party to the next number on the call list. If the call list is exhausted before the calling party is connected to a number on the called party'"'"'s call list, then a message can be played to the calling party. Alternatively, the calling party may be connected to a voice mailbox associated with the called party or may receive a busy tone.

Claims

1. A sequential number ringing system connecting a calling party to a first alternative number associated with a main number, comprising:

a Service Control Point (SCP) with a sequential ring application (SRA) resident thereon; and

a plurality of call lists, each of the plurality of call lists containing a plurality of alternative numbers;

a first call list of the plurality of call lists associated with the main number and, the first call list containing the first alternative number; and

a Service Switching Point (SSP) provisioned with a trigger list associating the main number with a T_Busy trigger and with a T_No_Answer trigger;

wherein the SSP is further operative to fire the T_Busy trigger in response to a determination that a call to the main number cannot be connected because the main number is busy;

wherein the SSP is further operative to fire the T_No_Answer trigger in response to a determination that a call to the main number cannot be connected because the main number is not answered within a predefined ring number;

wherein the SRA is operative to select the first call list from amongst the plurality of call lists based on an identity of the calling party and cause the SSP to connect the calling party to the first alternative number, in response to a determination that the T_Busy trigger has been fired; and

wherein the SRA is operative to select the first call list from amongst the plurality of call lists based on an identity of the calling party and cause the SSP to connect the calling party to the first alternative number, in response to a determination that the T_No_Answer trigger has been fired.

2. The sequential number ringing system of claim 1, further comprising a second call list containing a second alternative number and a third alternative number.

3. The sequential number ringing system of claim 1, wherein the first call list contains a second alternative number and a third alternative number.

4. The sequential number ringing system of claim 3,

wherein the SRA is operative to cause the SSP to connect the calling party to the second alternative number, in response to a determination that a telephone associated with the first alternative number is busy;

and

wherein the SRA is operative to cause the SSP to connect the calling party to the second alternative number, in response to a determination that a telephone associated with the first alternative number is not answered.

5. The sequential number ringing system of claim 4, wherein a determination that the telephone associated with the first alternative number is busy is made by detecting a next event notification.

6. The sequential number ringing system of claim 4, wherein a determination that the telephone associated with the first alternative number is not answered is made by detecting a next event notification.

7. The sequential number ringing system of claim 3,

wherein the first alternative number is associated with a first likelihood, the first likelihood indicating the probability that a call can be completed to the first alternative number;

and

wherein the second alternative number is associated with a second likelihood, the second likelihood indicating the probability that a call can be completed to the second alternative number.

8. The sequential number ringing system of claim 7, wherein the first alternative number and the second alternative number are ordered within the call list in accordance with the first likelihood and the second likelihood.

9. The sequential number ringing system of claim 1, wherein the call list can be modified through a remote access point.

10. The sequential number ringing system of claim 9, wherein the remote access point is a web site hosted by a web server.

11. A method for using a Service Control Point (SCP) to connect a calling party to an alternative number associated with a main number, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call attempt from the calling party;

ringing the main number, in response to receiving the call attempt;

determining whether the main number is busy;

determining whether the main number is not answered;

causing the SCP to determine a first alternative number from a first call list selected from a plurality of call lists, each of the plurality of call lists comprising a plurality of alternative numbers, the first call list associated with the main number and selected from amongst the plurality of call lists based on an identity of the calling party;

causing the SCP to connect the calling party to the first alternative number, in response to a determination that the main number is busy;

causing the SCP to connect the calling party to the first alternative number, in response to a determination that the main number is not answered.

12. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 11.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising causing the SCP to determine a second alternative number from the first call list associated with the main number.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing the SCP to connect the calling party to the second alternative number, in response to a determination that a telephone associated with the first alternative number is busy.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that the telephone associated with the first alternative number is busy by detecting a next event notification.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising causing the SCP to connect the calling party to the second alternative number, in response to a determination that a telephone associated with the first alternative number is not answered.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining that the telephone associated with the first alternative number is not answered by detecting a next event notification.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

assigning a first likelihood to the first alternative number, the first likelihood indicating a probability that a call can be completed to the telephone associated with the first alternative number; and

assigning a second likelihood to the second alternative number, the second likelihood indicating a probability that a call can be completed to the telephone associated with the second alternative number.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising ordering the first alternative number and the second alternative number within the first call list in accordance with the first likelihood and the second likelihood.

20. A method for using a Service Control Point (SCP) to connect a calling party to an alternative number associated with a main number, the method comprising:

receiving a call attempt from the calling party;

provisioning a T_Busy trigger associated with the main number;

provisioning a T_No_Answer trigger associated with the main number;

ringing the main number, in response to receiving the call attempt;

determining whether the main number is busy;

determining whether the main number is not answered;

causing a Service Switching Point (SSP) to fire the T_Busy trigger, in response to a determination that the main number is busy;

causing the SSP to fire the T_No_Answer trigger, in response to a determination that the main number is not answered;

causing the SCP to determine the alternative number from a select call list from a plurality of call lists, each of the plurality of call lists comprising a plurality of alternate numbers, the select call list associated with the main number and selected from amongst the plurality of call lists based on an identity of the calling party, in response to the firing of the T_Busy trigger;

causing the SCP to determine the alternative number from the select call list associated with the main number and selected from amongst the plurality of call lists based on an identity of the calling party, in response to the firing of the T_No_Answer trigger;

causing the SSP to ring the alternative number, in response to a determination that the main number is busy;

causing the SSP to ring the alternative number, in response to a determination that the main number is not answered.