Methods and systems for telephony call-back processing

• US 8,107,609 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: FuzeBox, Inc.
• Inventors: Trandal, David S., Smith, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US11/294,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20060126806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,248 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/414.1, 455/409, 455/519, 379/67.1, 379/88.19, 379/210.01, 379/88.23, 379/211.01, 379/220.01
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4527 Voicemail attached to other kind of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides flexible call processing. In one embodiment, a first call from a calling party intended for a called party is received at a call processing system. The call processing system places a second call to a telephonic device associated with the called party. The calling party and called party communicate via the first and second calls. A determination is made that the first call has been terminated. A call-back instruction is received from the called party while the second call is still in place. At least partly in response to receiving the call-back instruction, a third call is placed to a terminal associated with the calling party. The calling party and the called party can communicate via the second call and the third call.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call, the method comprising:

receiving at a call processing system a first inbound call from a calling party intended for a first called party,

wherein the first inbound call is associated with a first phone address of the calling party;

enabling a first outbound call to be placed to a telephonic device associated with the first called party;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first inbound call and the first outbound call;

receiving a call re-origination request from the first called party prior to the termination of the first inbound call,

wherein the re-origination request indicates a destination phone address different than the calling party'"'"'s first phone address associated with the first inbound call;

at least partly in response to receiving the call re-origination request from the first called party, enabling a second outbound call to be placed to a terminal associated with the calling party,

wherein the terminal associated with the calling party is associated with the destination phone address;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first outbound call and the second outbound call;

storing the destination phone address associated with the call re-origination request in association with the calling party'"'"'s first phone address associated with the first inbound call;

receiving at the call processing system a second inbound call from the calling party for a second called party,

wherein the second inbound call is associated with the first phone address;

placing a third outbound call to a telephonic device associated with the second called party;

providing the second called party with a call re-origination instruction wherein the call re-origination instruction identifies the stored destination phone address of the calling party;

after receiving from the second called party a response to the call re-origination instruction, the response indicating that the calling party is to be called at the destination address, placing a fourth outbound call to the calling party to a destination corresponding to the stored destination phone address; and

enabling the calling party and the second called party to communicate via the fourth outbound call and the third outbound call.

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

providing a message to the first called party at least partly in response to receiving the re-origination request; and

automatically terminating the first outbound call and the second outbound call if the first called party does not hang-up within a specified time period.

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

providing a message to the first called party at least partly in response to receiving the re-origination request; and

automatically terminating the first outbound call and the second outbound call if the first called party does not terminate the first outbound call within a specified time period.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the re-origination request includes the destination phone address selected by the first called party from a contact database provided to the first called party while the first inbound call is connected.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first called party is a subscriber to the call processing system.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the calling party is not a subscriber to the call processing system.

7. A system, comprising:

a computing device;

instructions stored on non-transitory media readable by the computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising;

receiving a first inbound call from a calling party intended for a first called party,

wherein the first inbound call is associated with a first phone address of the calling party;

enabling a first outbound call to be placed to a telephonic device associated with the first called party;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first inbound call and the first outbound call;

receiving a call re-origination request from the first called party prior to the termination of the first inbound call,

wherein the re-origination request indicates a destination phone address different than the calling party'"'"'s first phone address associated with the first inbound call;

at least partly in response to receiving the call re-origination request from the first called party, enabling a second outbound call to be placed to a terminal associated with the calling party,

wherein the terminal associated with the calling party is associated with the destination phone address;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first outbound call and the second outbound call;

storing the destination phone address associated with the call re-origination request in association with the calling party'"'"'s first phone address associated with the first inbound call;

receiving a second inbound call from the calling party for a second called party,

wherein the second inbound call is associated with the first phone address;

placing a third outbound call to a telephonic device associated with the second called party;

providing the second called party with a call re-origination instruction wherein the call re-origination instruction identifies the stored destination phone address of the calling party;

after receiving from the second called party a response to the call re-origination instruction, the response indicating that the calling party is to be called at the destination address, placing a fourth outbound call to the calling party to a destination corresponding to the stored destination phone address; and

enabling the calling party and the second called party to communicate via the fourth outbound call and the third outbound call.

8. The system as defined in claim 7, the operations further comprising:

providing a message to the first called party at least partly in response to receiving the re-origination request; and

automatically terminating the first outbound call and the second outbound call if the first called party does not hang-up within a specified time period.

9. The system as defined in claim 7, the operations further comprising:

providing a message to the first called party at least partly in response to receiving the re-origination request; and

automatically terminating the first outbound call and the second outbound call if the first called party does not terminate the first outbound call within a specified time period.

10. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein the re-origination request includes the destination phone address selected by the first called party from a contact database provided to the first called party while the first inbound call is connected.

11. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein the first called party is a subscriber to a service offered via the system.

12. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein the first called party is not a subscriber to a service offered via the system.

13. Instructions stored on non-transitory media readable by a computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a first inbound call from a calling party intended for a first called party,

wherein the first inbound call is associated with a first phone address of the calling party;

enabling a first outbound call to be placed to a telephonic device associated with the first called party;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first inbound call and the first outbound call;

receiving a call re-origination request from the first called party prior to the termination of the first inbound call,

wherein the re-origination request indicates a destination phone address different than the calling party'"'"'s first phone address associated with the first inbound call;

at least partly in response to receiving the call re-origination request from the first called party, enabling a second outbound call to be placed to a terminal associated with the calling party,

wherein the terminal associated with the calling party is associated with the destination phone address;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first outbound call and the second outbound call;

storing the destination phone address associated with the call re-origination request in association with the calling party'"'"'s first phone address associated with the first inbound call;

receiving a second inbound call from the calling party for a second called party,

wherein the second inbound call is associated with the first phone address;

placing a third outbound call to a telephonic device associated with the second called party;

providing the second called party with a call re-origination instruction wherein the call re-origination instruction identifies the stored destination phone address of the calling party;

after receiving from the second called party a response to the call re-origination instruction, the response indicating that the calling party is to be called at the destination address, placing a fourth outbound call to the calling party to a destination corresponding to the stored destination phone address; and

enabling the calling party and the second called party to communicate via the fourth outbound call and the third outbound call.

14. The instructions as defined in claim 13, the operations further comprising:

providing a message to the first called party at least partly in response to receiving the re-origination request; and

automatically terminating the first outbound call and the second outbound call if the first called party does not hang-up within a specified time period.

15. The system as defined in claim 13, the operations further comprising:

providing a message to the first called party at least partly in response to receiving the re-origination request; and

automatically terminating the first outbound call and the second outbound call if the first called party does not terminate the first outbound call within a specified time period.

16. The instructions as defined in claim 13, wherein the re-origination request includes the destination phone address selected by the first called party from a contact database provided to the first called party while the first inbound call is connected.