Methods and apparatus for providing expanded telecommunications service

• US 7,822,188 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: FuzeBox, Inc.
• Inventors: Kirchhoff, Leland W., Trandal, David S., Kelley, Colin, Brahm, David J., Smith, Robert F., Hofstatter, David Frank, Dolan, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Creighton
• Application Number:
  US11/526,200
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 379/88.11, 379/88.25, 379/93.23
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/543 Call deflection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

The present invention provides flexible call processing. For example, a call processor system can receive an inbound call intended for a called party and place an outbound call to the called party. The call processing system can provide the called party with a call transfer option.

Claims

1. A method of processing calls, the method comprising:

storing in computer readable memory associated with a call processing system a phone address associated with a first subscriber;

storing in computer readable memory a plurality of phone addresses for the subscriber associated with at least one network selected from the group including a wireline network, a wireless network, and/or an Internet network;

participating at the call processing system in a first call with the subscriber, wherein the first call is associated with a second phone address;

placing a first outcall from a call processing system to the first called party, wherein the call processing system inserts the first phone address in a callerID field associated with signaling information associated with the first outcall, wherein the first phone address is different than the second phone address;

bridging the first call and the first outcall;

participating at the call processing system in a second call with the subscriber, wherein the second call is conducted via a subscriber communication device associated with a third phone address;

placing a second outcall from a call processing system to the second called party, wherein the call processing system inserts the first phone address in a callerID field associated with signaling information associated with the second outcall, wherein the first phone address is different than the third phone address; and

bridging the second call and the second outcall.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call is initiated by the subscriber.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call is forwarded to the call processing system on at least one of a call forward on ring-no-answer condition, a call-forward-all calls condition, or of a forward-on-busy condition.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call is forwarded to a pilot number associated with the call processing system.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the signaling information associated with the first outcall is SS7 signaling.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call is initiated via a telecommunications client application hosted on a computer terminal associated with the subscriber.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the signaling information associated with the first outcall is SIP signaling.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first outcall is placed using an Internet Protocol network.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first outcall is placed over a wireless network.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first outcall is placed over a switched circuit telephone network.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving at the call processing system a third call from a calling party directed to the first phone address;

reading at least one subscriber specified rule from computer readable memory; and

based at least in part on at least one subscriber specified rule, transferring the third call to a destination associated with the subscriber, wherein the destination is assigned a phone address different than the first phone address.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing the subscriber with software used to enable a firewall to be penetrated by a call-related communication.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing software that adaptively penetrates a firewall so that a call-related communication is not stopped by the firewall.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

while the first outcall is in process, receiving at the call processing system a call transfer request from the subscriber, wherein the call transfer request is associated with a transfer destination;

placing a third outcall to the transfer destination; and

connecting the first outcall with the third outcall.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of phone addresses includes a work phone address, a home phone address, and a mobile phone address.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first phone address is a virtual telephone address that is not assigned by a carrier to the subscriber.

17. A method of processing calls, the method comprising:

receiving at a call processing system a first call request from a client telecommunications application hosted on a user computer, wherein the first call request identifies a first party to be called;

at least partly in response to the first call request, placing a first outcall from the call processing system to a telephone associated with the user;

placing a second outcall from the call processing system to a telephone associated with the first party, wherein the second outcall is associated with signaling information, the signaling information including a user phone address associated with the user, wherein the user phone address is not the phone address of the call processing system, but is a phone address assigned to or specified by the user; and

causing the first outcall and the second outcall to be connected.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the user telephone is a landline phone.

19. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the user telephone is a mobile phone.

20. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the user telephone is an Internet protocol phone.

21. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the first call request is received by the call processing system after the first call request traverses a firewall.

22. The method as defined in claim 17, the method further comprising:

determining if the first party is a subscriber of at least a first service offered by the call processing system; and

if the first party is not a subscriber of the first service offered by the call processing system providing an invitation control to the user, which, when activated by the user, initiates at least in part the generation of a communication to the first party regarding subscribing.

23. The method as defined in claim 17, the method further comprising providing an invitation link in a call log entry associated with at least one call.

24. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the first call request is provided via the user selecting a contact database entry or a call log entry.

25. The method as defined in claim 17, the method further comprising receiving an indication from the user as to which communication device the first outcall is to be placed.

26. A method of processing calls, the method comprising:

storing in computer readable memory an association between a user and a first phone address associated with a call processing system;

receiving from the user a plurality of user phone addresses associated with at least one network selected from the group including wireline network, wireless network, and Internet network;

storing the plurality of user phone addresses in computer readable memory;

receiving at the call processing system an indication from the user that the user wants to establish a call with a first party using a first of the plurality of phone addresses; and

placing a first outcall from the call processing system to the first party, wherein the call processing system inserts the first phone address associated with the call processing system in a callerID field associated with signaling information corresponding to the first outcall,

wherein a user communication device to be connected to the first outcall at least partly in response to a user action.

27. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising:

receiving at the call processing system an indication from the user that the user want to establish a call with a second party via a second of the user phone addresses;

placing a second outcall from the call processing system to the second party, wherein the call processing system inserts the first phone address associated with the call processing system in a callerID field associated with signaling information corresponding to the second outcall, wherein the first phone address associated with the call processing system is different than the second user phone address; and

causing, at least in part, a user communication device associated with the second user phone address to be connected to the second outcall.

28. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein the signaling information associated with the first outcall is SS7 signaling.

29. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein the first communication device is a computer hosting Voice over IP software.

30. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein the signaling information associated with the first outcall is SIP signaling.

31. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein the first outcall is placed using an Internet Protocol network.

32. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein the first outcall is placed over a wireless network.

33. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein the first outcall is placed over a switched circuit telephone network.

34. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising:

receiving at the call processing system a call from a calling party directed to the first phone address associated with the call processing system;

reading at least one user specified rule from computer readable memory;

based at least in part on the at least one user specified rule, connecting the calling party call to a destination associated with the user, wherein the destination is assigned a phone address different than the first phone address.

35. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising providing software used to penetrate a firewall.

36. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising providing software that adaptively penetrates a firewall.

37. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising:

while the first outcall is in process, receiving at the call processing system a call connect request from the user, wherein the call connect request is associated with a connect destination;

placing an outcall to the connect destination; and

connecting the first outcall with the outcall to the connect destination.

38. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising providing an invitation link in a call log entry associated with at least one call.

39. The method as defined in claim 26, the method further comprising:

determining if the first party is a subscriber of at least a first service offered by the call processing system; and

if the first party is not a subscriber of the first service offered by the call processing system providing an invitation control to the user, which, when activated by the user, initiates at least in part the generation of a communication to the first party regarding subscribing.

40. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving at a call processing system a message from an Internet protocol proxy regarding a first call from a caller;

determining if the first call is directed to a telephone address of a subscriber of services offered by the call processing system, wherein at least partly in response to determining that the telephone address is that of a subscriber;

accessing an account record associated with the subscriber, the account record including at least one subscriber instruction;

based at least in part on the subscriber instruction, placing a first outcall to a first communication device associated with the subscriber;

if the first outcall is not answered within a first number of rings or period of time, placing a second outcall to a second communication device associated with the subscriber; and

receiving a call connect instruction from the subscriber; and

instructing the call processing system to connect the first call to a third communication device.

41. The method as defined in claim 40, wherein the Internet Protocol proxy is a Session Internet Protocol (SIP) proxy that converts SS7 signaling to SIP protocol.

42. The method as defined in claim 40, the method further comprising using two stage calling during the first outcall, wherein at least one of the two stages includes dialing a private branch exchange extension.

43. The method as defined in claim 40, wherein the call connect instruction is provided using DTMF tones.

44. The method as defined in claim 40, wherein the call connect instruction is provided via a menu that displays a plurality of communication destinations.

45. The method as defined in claim 40, the method further comprising:

providing a request to the caller to leave a message;

connecting the caller to the subscriber in half duplex mode so that the subscriber can listen to the caller leaving a message in substantially real time and the caller cannot hear the subscriber; and

receiving an indication from the subscriber that the subscriber wants to speak with the caller;

at least partly in response to the indication, causing the connection between the caller and the subscriber to be in full duplex mode.

46. The method as defined in claim 40, the method further comprising asking the subscriber if the subscriber wants to update a contact record for the caller at least partly in response to the first call.

47. The method as defined in claim 40, the method further comprising asking the subscriber if the subscriber wants to create a contact record for the caller at least partly in response to the first call.

48. The method as defined in claim 40, the method further comprising transmitting a message including text to a mobile device associated with the subscriber, wherein the message includes information regarding the first call.

49. The method as defined in claim 40, wherein the first communication device resides behind a firewall.

50. The method as defined in claim 40, wherein the first communication device is connected to a private branch exchange system.

51. The method as defined in claim 40, the method further comprising updating a call counter at least partly in response to the first call.

52. A method of processing calls, comprising:

receiving a message over the Internet indicating a call has been placed by a caller to a phone address of a user having a mobile communication device, wherein the user has an account associated with a call processing system;

requesting the status of the mobile communication device;

receiving a response to the request;

if the response indicates that the mobile communication device is available to receive the call,

causing at least in part that call to be routed to the mobile communication device;

receiving at the call processing system an indication as to whether the mobile communication device answered the call;

at least partly in response to receiving an indication that the mobile communication device answered the call, causing a half-duplex talk path to be established between the mobile communication device and the caller so that the user can hear the caller and the caller does not hear the user;

at least partly in response to receiving an indication that the user wants to converse with the caller via the mobile communication device, causing a full duplex communication path to be established between the mobile communication device and the caller;

connecting the call to a computer-based telecommunications client application in half-duplex mode, wherein the user can hear the caller and the caller cannot hear the user; and

if an indication is provided that the user wants to converse with the caller via the computer-based telecommunications client application, causing, at least in part, a full duplex talk path to be established between the computer-based telecommunications client application and the caller so that the caller and the user can converse.

53. The method as defined in claim 52, wherein the mobile communication device status request response includes a response from a Visitor Location Register.

54. The method as defined in claim 52, wherein the phone address is associated with an Internet service provider.

55. The method as defined in claim 52, wherein the call placed by the caller is converted to an Internet protocol.

56. The method as defined in claim 52, wherein signaling associated with the call placed by the caller is converted from SS7 protocol to Session Internet Protocol.

57. The method as defined in claim 52, wherein the computer-based telecommunications client application is protected by a firewall.