Performing recipient based routing of a phone call

• US 8,244,282 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chavez, Timothy R., Eisinger, Jacob D., Hollinger, Michael C., King, Jennifer E., Lauridsen, Christina K., Morgan, Fabian F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEAN, JR, JOSEPH E
• Application Number:
  US12/115,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/417, 455/465, 455/426.1, 455/41.2, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 455/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program for routing an incoming voice call in real time is presented. A call is received from a caller to an intended receiving wireless telecommunication device. In response to the call failing to connect to the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device, a short range wireless query signal is transmitted to determine if another wireless communication device is within a predefined proximity to the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device. If the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device receives a response from the other wireless telecommunication device indicating that the other wireless telecommunication device is within the predefined proximity to the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device, then the call is rerouted to the other wireless telecommunication device based on preferences internal to the intended receiving wireless device. These preferences may be stored on the intended receiving wireless device or remotely stored on the host carrier network.

Claims

1. A method of routing an incoming phone call, the method comprising:

a computer registering that an intended receiving telecommunication device is receiving a call from a caller telecommunication device;

the computer determining that a user of the intended receiving telecommunication device is unavailable to answer the call; and

in response to the computer determining that a user of the intended receiving telecommunication device is unavailable to answer the received call, the computer triggering the intended receiving telecommunication device to transmit a short range wireless query signal;

the computer determining, by one or more responses to the query signal, that one or more alternate telecommunication devices are within a predefined proximity to the intended receiving telecommunication device;

the computer ranking the one or more alternate telecommunication devices according to signal strength between the one or more alternate telecommunication devices and the intended receiving telecommunication device;

the computer determining that one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices has a highest ranking of signal strength between the one or more alternate telecommunication devices and the intended receiving telecommunication device; and

in response to the computer determining that one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices has the highest ranking of signal strength, the computer rerouting the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rerouting is based on a profile for the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device, wherein the profile of the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device indicates that the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device is attending a meeting, and wherein the profile identifies a user of the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices as a co-attendee of the meeting.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

the computer determining if the intended receiving telecommunication device is configured to prevent rerouting of incoming calls; and

the computer, in response to determining that the intended receiving telecommunication device is configured to prevent rerouting incoming calls, blocking an attempt to reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the rerouting is based on a profile for the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device;

the intended receiving telecommunication device has a first contact list;

the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices has a second contact list;

the profile identifies a receiving party based on a common entry in the first contact list and the second contact list; and

the receiving party is a user of the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the rerouting is based on a profile for the intended receiving telecommunication device; and

the profile identifies a common wireless carrier service for the intended receiving telecommunication device and the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the computer, in response to a determination that none of the one or more alternative telecommunication devices uses the common wireless carrier service, rerouting a second call to a second alternate telecommunication device that has a different wireless carrier service than the intended receiving telecommunication device.

7. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable memories; and

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to register that an intended receiving telecommunication device is receiving a call from a caller telecommunication device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine that a user of the intended receiving telecommunication device is unavailable to answer the call; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories to, in response to determining that the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device is unavailable to answer the received call, trigger the intended receiving telecommunication device to transmit a short range wireless query signal;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine, by one or more responses to the query signal, that one or more alternate telecommunication devices are within a predefined proximity to the intended receiving telecommunication device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to rank the one or more alternate telecommunication devices according to signal strength between the one or more alternate telecommunication devices and the intended receiving telecommunication device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine that one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices has a highest ranking of signal strength between the one or more alternate telecommunication devices and the intended receiving telecommunication device; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories to, in response to determining that the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices has the highest ranking of signal strength, reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein:

the program instructions to reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices reroute the call based on a profile for the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device;

the profile of the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device indicates that the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device is attending a meeting; and

the profile identifies a user of the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices as a co-attendee of the meeting.

9. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more of the processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine if the intended receiving telecommunication device is configured to prevent rerouting of incoming calls; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more of the processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to, in response to determining that the intended receiving telecommunication device is configured to prevent rerouting of incoming calls, block an attempt to reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein:

the program instructions to reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices reroute the call based on a profile for the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device;

the intended receiving telecommunication device has a first contact list;

the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices has a second contact list;

the profile identifies a receiving party based on a common entry in the first contact list and the second contact list; and

the receiving party is a user of the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein:

the program instructions to reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices reroute the call based on a profile for the intended receiving telecommunication device; and

the profile identifies a common wireless carrier service for the intended receiving telecommunication device and the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more of the processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to, in response to a determination that none of the one or more alternative telecommunication devices use the common wireless carrier service, reroute the call to a second alternate telecommunication device that has a different wireless carrier service than the intended receiving telecommunication device.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to register that an intended receiving telecommunication device is receiving a call from a caller telecommunication device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to determine that a user of the intended receiving telecommunication device is unavailable to answer the call; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to, in response to determining that the user for the intended receiving telecommunication device is unavailable to answer the received call, trigger the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device to transmit a short range wireless query signal;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to determine, by one or more responses to the query signal, that one or more alternate telecommunication devices are within a predefined proximity to the intended receiving telecommunication device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to rank the one or more alternate telecommunication devices according to signal strength between the one or more alternate telecommunication devices and the intended receiving telecommunication device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to determine that one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices has a highest ranking of signal strength between the one or more alternate telecommunication devices and the intended receiving telecommunication device; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices to, in response to determining that the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices has the highest ranking of signal strength, reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein:

the program instructions to reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices reroute the call based on a profile for the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device;

the profile of the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device indicates that the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device is attending a meeting; and

the profile identifies a user of the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices as a co-attendee of the meeting.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to determine if the intended receiving telecommunication device is configured to prevent rerouting of incoming calls; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to, in response to determining that the intended receiving telecommunication device is configured to prevent rerouting of incoming calls, block an attempt to reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein:

the program instructions to reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices reroute the call based on a profile for the user of the intended receiving telecommunication device;

the intended receiving telecommunication device has a first contact list;

the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices has a second contact list;

the profile identifies a receiving party based on a common entry in the first contact list and the second contact list; and

the receiving party is a user of the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein:

the program instructions to reroute the call to the one of the one or more alternate telecommunication device reroute the call based on a profile for the intended receiving telecommunication device; and

the profile identifies a common wireless carrier service for the intended receiving telecommunication device and the one or more alternate telecommunication devices.