Enhanced call pickup

• US 7,751,545 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Sarkar, Shantanu, Shaffer, Shmuel, FitzGerald, Cary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar; Ahmad F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Khai N
• Application Number:
  US10/828,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20050238157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,267 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/214.01, 379/201.04, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/215.01, 455/417
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42212 Call pickup comprising simultaneous alerting H04M3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for enhanced call pickup includes accessing data indicating a current status of each of one or more users in a call pickup group (CPG) with respect to an incoming phone call to a phone number corresponding to the CPG and communicating the data to one or more endpoints of one or more users in the CPG for display to one or more users in the CPG. A display of the data to a first user in the CPG facilitates the first user determining a current status of each of one or more second users in the CPG to facilitate a decision by the first user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call.

Claims

1. A system for enhanced call pickup, the system comprising one or more processing units collectively operable to:

receive an incoming phone call directed to a particular user of a plurality of users associated with a call pickup group (CPG);

access data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG in response to the incoming phone call; and

communicate the status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG for display to each of the plurality of users in the CPG, displaying the data to a first user in the CPG for the first user to determine a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to facilitate a decision by the first user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call directed to the particular user, wherein data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG comprises at least;

data indicating a bandwidth limitation preventing transfer of the incoming phone call to one or more users in the CPG, wherein bandwidth is available for one or more other users in the CPG to pick up the incoming phone call; and

data indicating a preference of each user with respect to picking up the incoming phone call.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG further comprises one or more of:

data identifying each user;

data indicating a current availability of each user;

data indicating a current presence status of each user;

data indicating a current call status of each user; and

data indicating whether any user intends to pick up the incoming phone call.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the CPG comprises a hunt group.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are collectively operable to automatically and without user input access and communicate the data in response to the incoming phone call.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are collectively operable to access the data and communicate the data to the first user in the CPG in response to a request for the data from the first user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are collectively operable to:

receive input from the first user in the CPG comprising one or more of;

a first indication of a preference of the first user with respect to picking up the incoming phone call; and

a second indication of whether the first user intends to pick up the incoming phone call; and

communicate the input from the first user to one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG for display to the plurality of users in the CPG, a display of the input from the first user facilitating a second user determining a current status of the first user to facilitate a decision by the second user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call directed to the particular user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to communicate with one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising the one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG, each of the endpoints being operable to receive the data from the one or more processing units and display the data to a respective user in the CPG.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein any user communicates its current status using one or more of a graphical user interface (GUI) and a button at a respective endpoint.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to select one of a plurality of pregenerated messages conveying a call status of each user and communicate the selected message to indicate the call status of each user.

11. A method for enhanced call pickup, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming phone call directed to a particular user of a plurality of users associated with a call pickup group (CPG);

accessing data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG in response to the incoming phone call; and

communicating the status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG for display to each of the plurality of users in the CPG, displaying the data to a first user in the CPG for the first user to determine a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to facilitate a decision by the first user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call directed to the particular user, wherein data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG comprises at least;

data indicating a bandwidth limitation preventing transfer of the incoming phone call to one or more users in the CPG, wherein bandwidth is available for one or more other users in the CPG to pick up the incoming phone call; and

data indicating a preference of each user with respect to picking up the incoming phone call.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG further comprises one or more of:

data identifying each user;

data indicating a current availability of each user;

data indicating a current presence status of each user;

data indicating a current call status of each user; and

data indicating whether any user intends to pick up the incoming phone call.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the CPG comprises a hunt group.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising automatically and without user input accessing and communicating the data in response to the incoming phone call.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising accessing the data and communicating the data to the first user in the CPG in response to a request for the data from the first user.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving input from the first user in the CPG comprising one or more of;

a first indication of a preference of the first user with respect to picking up the incoming phone call; and

a second indication of whether the first user intends to pick up the incoming phone call; and

communicating the input from the first user to one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG for display to the plurality of users in the CPG, a display of the input from the first user facilitating a second user determining a current status of the first user to facilitate a decision by the second user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call directed to the particular user.

17. The method of claim 11, comprising communicating with one or more endpoints of each of the plurality users in the CPG using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the data and displaying the data to each user in the CPG.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein any user communicates its current status using one or more of a graphical user interface (GUI) and a button at a respective endpoint.

20. The method of claim 11, comprising selecting one of a plurality of pregenerated messages conveying a call status of each user and communicate the selected message to indicate the call status of each user.

21. Computer-readable medium encoded with software for enhanced call pickup, the software when executed operable to:

receive an incoming phone call directed to a particular user of a plurality of users associated with a call pickup group (CPG);

access data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG in response to the incoming phone call; and

communicate the status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG for display to each of the plurality of users in the CPG, displaying the data to a first user in the CPG for the first user to determine a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to facilitate a decision by the first user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call directed to the particular user, wherein data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG comprises at least;

data indicating a bandwidth limitation preventing transfer of the incoming phone call to one or more users in the CPG, wherein bandwidth is available for one or more other users in the CPG to pick up the incoming phone call; and

data indicating a preference of each user with respect to picking up the incoming phone call.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG further comprises one or more of:

data identifying each user;

data indicating a current availability of each user;

data indicating a current presence status of each user;

data indicating a current call status of each user; and

data indicating whether any user intends to pick up the incoming phone call.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the CPG comprises a hunt group.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, operable to automatically and without user input access and communicate the data in response to the incoming phone call.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, operable to access the data and communicate the data to the first user in the CPG in response to a request for the data from the first user.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, operable to:

receive input from the first user in the CPG comprising one or more of;

a first indication of a preference of the first user with respect to picking up the incoming phone call; and

a second indication of whether the first user intends to pick up the incoming phone call; and

communicate the input from the first user to one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG for display to the plurality of users in the CPG, a display of the input from the first user facilitating a second user determining a current status of the first user to facilitate a decision by the second user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call directed to the particular user.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, operable to communicate with one or more endpoints of each of the plurality users in the CPG using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further operable to receive the data and display the data to each user in the CPG.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein any user communicates its current status using one or more of a graphical user interface (GUI) and a button at a respective endpoint of the user.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, operable to select one of a plurality of pregenerated messages conveying a call status of each user and communicate the selected message to indicate the call status of each user.

31. A system for enhanced call pickup, the system comprising one or more processing units collectively operable to:

in response to an incoming phone call directed to a particular user of a plurality of users of a call pickup group (CPG), automatically and without user input;

access data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in a CPG in response to the incoming phone call directed to the particular user, the data comprising at least;

data identifying each user;

data indicating a current availability of each user;

data indicating a current presence status of each user;

data indicating a bandwidth limitation preventing transfer of the incoming phone call to one or more users in the CPG, wherein bandwidth is available for one or more other users in the CPG to pick up the incoming phone call; and

data indicating a current call status of each user;

using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), communicate the status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG for display to the plurality of users in the CPG, displaying the data to a first user in the CPG for the first user to determine a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to facilitate a decision by the first user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call directed to the particular user;

using SIP, receive input from the first user in the CPG comprising one or more of;

a first indication of a preference of the first user with respect to picking up the incoming phone call; and

a second indication of whether the first user intends to pick up the incoming phone call; and

using SIP, communicate the input from the first user to one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG for display to the plurality of users in the CPG, a display of the input from the first user facilitating a second user determining a current status of the first user to facilitate a decision by the second user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call directed to the particular user.

32. A system for enhanced call pickup, the system comprising:

means for receiving an incoming phone call directed to a particular user of a plurality of users associated with a call pickup group (CPG);

means for accessing data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG in response to the incoming phone call; and

means for communicating the status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to one or more endpoints of each of the plurality of users in the CPG for display to each of the plurality of users in the CPG, displaying the data to a first user in the CPG for the first user to determine a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG to facilitate a decision by the first user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call directed to the particular user, wherein data indicating a current status of each of the plurality of users in the CPG comprises at least;

data indicating a bandwidth limitation preventing transfer of the incoming phone call to one or more users in the CPG, wherein bandwidth is available for one or more other users in the CPG to pick up the incoming phone call; and

data indicating a preference of each user with respect to picking up the incoming phone call.