System and method for providing communications services

• US 7,970,108 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CDN Innovations, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Palus A31 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Durkee, Joseph L., Wechter, Larry S., Pence, Joseph Allen, Harris, Roundell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Creighton
• Application Number:
  US12/572,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/84, 379/88.13, 379/93.24
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

An enhanced services system for a telecommunications network includes operator equipment accessible by an operator, and a routing system for routing a call from a caller to the operator equipment. The caller may access e-mail creation and service and/or interpreter services. A method of sending an electronic message includes routing a call from a caller to operator equipment using a routing system, inputting information provided by the caller into the operator equipment to create an electronic message, and sending the electronic message to at least one recipient. A method of translating a telephone conversation includes providing a routing system to connect to operator equipment a call from a caller, routing the call to the operator equipment using the routing system to enable communications between at least the caller and a bilingual operator, and translating at least a portion of the conversation between the caller and a third party.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a call from a calling communications device by way of a first link, wherein the first link is coupled to a switch;

activating the switch based at least in part on first information regarding the call to communicably couple the first link to a second link, wherein the second link is coupled to the switch and to a called communications device;

monitoring the call for second information; and

activating the switch based at least in part on the monitoring to communicably couple the first link to a third link, wherein the third link is coupled to the switch and to operator equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information comprises one or more dual tone multi-frequency tones.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information comprises a verbal utterance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information comprises an access number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises at least one of an originating number of the call, a number dialed at the calling communications device, a number of the called communications device, or information indicating a circuit through which the call is received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the switch based at least in part on the monitoring further comprises communicably coupling the second link to the third link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information includes an originating number of the call, and further comprising:

determining whether the originating number of the call supports a service; and

identifying at least one of the second link or the third link based at least in part on the determination.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying a routing table based at least in part on the first information; and

identifying the second link based at least in part on the querying.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a call tour based on at least one of the first information or the second information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the call tour offers at least one of a translation service or an e-mail service.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the second information.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions execution of which by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a call from a calling communications device by way of a first link, wherein the first link is coupled to a switch;

activating the switch based at least in part on first information regarding the call to communicably couple the first link to a second link, wherein the second link is coupled to the switch and to a called communications device;

monitoring the call for second information; and

activating the switch based at least in part on the monitoring to communicably couple the first link to a third link, wherein the third link is coupled to the switch and to operator equipment.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second information comprises at least one of a verbal utterance, an access number, one or more dual tone multi-frequency tones, a busy signal, a connection indicator, or a non-connection indicator.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first information comprises an originating number of the call.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first information comprises a number of the called communications device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first information comprises information indicating a circuit through which the call is received.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise presenting a call tour based on at least one of the first information or the second information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the call tour offers at least one of a translation service or an e-mail service.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether a service is supported based at least in part on an originating number of the call.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein activating the switch based at least in part on the monitoring further comprises communicably coupling the second link to the third link.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a call from a calling communications device by way of a first link, wherein the first link is coupled to a switch;

means for activating the switch based at least in part on first information regarding the call to communicably couple the first link to a second link, wherein the second link is coupled to the switch and to a called communications device;

means for monitoring the call for second information; and

means for activating the switch based at least in part on the monitoring to communicably couple the first link to a third link, wherein the third link is coupled to the switch and to operator equipment.