Method and system for bridging third parties into calls

• US 7,844,034 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2005
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Oh, Dae-Sik, Steele, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US11/175,916
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 379/45, 379/202.01, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 370/261, 709/204, 709/227
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party service or three-way call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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

A method and system for bridging third parties into calls. When a subscriber places a call to a designated number, such as 9-1-1 for instance, the network will automatically connect the call to a conference bridge and to the called party. Further, the network will automatically generate and send to a designated third party contact person an alert message that will invite the contact person to call into the conference bridge, so that the contact person can listen to the call. Advantageously, the invention may thus enable a close friend or relative to more quickly learn about an emergency being reported by the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to set up a first call from a calling party to a called destination, the request specifying the called destination;

responsive to the request (i) accessing a profile associated with the calling party, the profile including a plurality of different called destinations and correlation data setting forth an associated third party destination respectively for each of the plurality of called destinations specified in the profile, (ii) using the correlation data stored in the profile to determine a third party destination based on the calling party and the called destination specified in the request, (iii) setting up the first call to the called destination and to a conference bridge, and (iv) sending an alert message to the determined third party destination, the alert message identifying the conference bridge; and

thereafter receiving into the conference bridge a second call from a third party and bridging the second call with the first call so that the third party can listen to the first call.

2. A method comprising:

receiving a request to set up a first call from a calling party to a called destination, the request specifying the called destination;

responsive to the request, (i) accessing a profile associated with the calling party, the profile including a plurality of different called destinations and correlation data setting forth an associated third party destination respectively for each of the plurality of called destinations specified in the profile, (ii) using the correlation data stored in the profile to determine a third party destination based on the calling party and the called destination specified in the request, (iii) setting up the first call from the calling party to the called destination via a conference bridge and (iv) sending an alert message to the determined third party destination, the alert message identifying the conference bridge; and

thereafter receiving into the conference bridge a second call from a third party and bridging the second call with the first call so that the third party can listen to the first call.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the specified called destination is an emergency number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the emergency number is 9-1-1.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a user directive to provision the profile record with the third party destination.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the alert message comprises a message type selected from the group consisting of a short message service (SMS) message, an e-mail message, an instant message, and a voice message.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request into a switch, the method further comprising the switch sending a signaling message to a call controller in response to the request, wherein sending the alert message to the determined third party destination comprises the call controller sending the alert message to the determined third party destination.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the call controller comprises a service control point.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first call comprises an emergency call, and wherein the call controller comprises a mobile positioning center that determines and reports a location of the calling party for use by a public safety answering point that receives the first call.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the call controller directing the switch to set up the first call to the conference bridge, wherein the conference bridge in turn sets up the first call to the called destination.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein setting up the first call from the calling party to the called destination via the conference bridge comprises:

setting up a first leg of the first call from the calling party to the conference bridge;

setting up a second leg of the first call from the conference bridge to the called destination; and

bridging the first leg and second leg together at the conference bridge.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the alert message provides the third party destination with a conference bridge number, and wherein the second call is placed to the conference bridge number.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising the conference bridge restricting the third party to a listen-only mode with respect to the first call.

14. A system comprising:

a switch arranged to serve a plurality of subscribers;

a call controller communicatively linked with the switch and arranged to provide the switch with call processing guidance, the call controller including or having access to a profile store that stores a profile for each of a plurality of telephone subscribers, each profile including a plurality of different called destinations and correlation data setting forth an associated third party destination respectively for each of the plurality of called destinations specified in the profile; and

a conference bridge arranged to receive calls from multiple parties and to bridge the calls together,

wherein when the switch receives an emergency call request from a given subscriber specifying a called destination, the switch signals to the call controller, and the call controller (i) directs the switch to set up the emergency call to the conference bridge and to a public safety answering point by directing the switch to set up the emergency call to the conference bridge, wherein the conference bridge then proxies the emergency call to the public safety answering point, (ii) accesses a profile associated with the calling party from the profile store, (iii) uses the correlation data stored in the profile to determine an emergency contact destination based on the calling party and the called destination specified in the request, and (iv) sends an alert message to the emergency contact destination, directing the emergency contact to call into the conference bridge,

whereby when the emergency contact calls into the conference bridge, the conference bridge bridges the emergency contact into the emergency call, so that the emergency contact can listen to the emergency call.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the conference bridge restricts the emergency contact to a listen-only mode with respect to the emergency call.

16. A system comprising:

a switch arranged to serve a plurality of subscribers;

a call controller communicatively linked with the switch and arranged to provide the switch with call processing guidance, the call controller including or having access to a profile store that stores a profile for each of a plurality of telephone subscribers, each profile including a plurality of different called destinations and correlation data setting forth an associated third party destination respectively for each of the plurality of called destinations specified in the profile; and

a conference bridge arranged to receive calls from multiple parties and to bridge the calls together,

wherein when the switch receives an emergency call request from a given subscriber specifying a called destination, the switch signals to the call controller, and the call controller (i) accesses a profile associated with the calling party from the profile store, (ii) uses the correlation data stored in the profile to determine an emergency contact destination based on the specified calling party and the destination specified in the request, (iii) directs the switch to set up the emergency call to the conference bridge and to a public safety answering point, and (iv) sends an alert message to the emergency contact destination, directing the emergency contact to call into the conference bridge,

whereby when the emergency contact calls into the conference bridge, the conference bridge bridges the emergency contact into the emergency call, so that the emergency contact can listen to the emergency call.