Performing caller based routing of a phone call

• US 8,280,415 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• 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:
  US12/115,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/417, 455/41.2
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program for routing an outgoing 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 caller initiated short range wireless query signal is transmitted to determine if an other 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 an other proximate telecommunication device indicating that the proximate telecommunication device is within the predefined proximity to the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device, then the call is rerouted to the proximate telecommunication device based on preferences internal to the caller telecommunication device. These preferences may be stored on the caller telecommunication device or remotely stored on the host carrier network.

Claims

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

a caller telecommunication device transmitting a call to an intended receiving wireless telecommunication device;

in response to the caller telecommunication device receiving a notification that the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device is unavailable, the caller telecommunication device transmitting an instruction to a first proximate telecommunication device, wherein the instruction directs the first proximate telecommunication device to determine when the first proximate telecommunication device is within a predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device, wherein the predefined proximity is a distance within which the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device and an other wireless telecommunication device can directly communicate by local signals, wherein the first proximate telecommunication device and a second proximate telecommunication device are pre-selected by a caller according to historical rankings of past successes and failures in re-routing calls to the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device; and

the caller communication device re-routing the call to the first proximate telecommunication device when the first proximate telecommunication device is within the predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the caller telecommunication device simultaneously rerouting the call to the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device; and

the caller telecommunication device connecting the call to a first-responding device from the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device, wherein the first-responding device is a first device to accept a rerouting of the call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first proximate telecommunication device is further pre-selected according to a caller-defined criteria that has been established by the caller, wherein the caller-defined criteria is based on the first proximate telecommunication device being in a same wireless service network as the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first proximate telecommunication device is pre-selected according to a caller-defined smart list on the first proximate telecommunication device, wherein the caller-defined smart list is a plurality of preferences of routing an outgoing communication that has been pre-established by the caller.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the caller telecommunication device re-routing a second call to the second proximate telecommunication device that is within the predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device if the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device is unavailable and if the first proximate telecommunication device is outside of the predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device.

5. A caller telecommunication device comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor;

a computer memory coupled to the data bus;

a computer-readable tangible storage device;

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to transmit a call from a caller, who is using the caller telecommunication device, to an intended receiving wireless telecommunication device;

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to, in response to receiving a notification that the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device is unavailable, transmit an instruction from the caller telecommunication device to a first proximate telecommunication device, wherein the instruction directs the first proximate telecommunication device to;

determine when the first proximate telecommunication device is within a predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device, wherein the predefined proximity is a distance within which the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device and an other wireless telecommunication device can directly communicate by local signals;

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to, when the first proximate telecommunication device is within the predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device, connect the call from the caller telecommunication device to the first proximate wireless telecommunication device; and

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to, when the first proximate telecommunication device is outside the predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device, connect the call from the caller telecommunication device to a second proximate wireless telecommunication device that is within the predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device wherein the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device are pre-selected by the caller according to historical rankings of past successes and failures in re-routing calls to the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device.

6. The caller telecommunication device of claim 5, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to simultaneously reroute the call to first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device; and

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to connect the call to a first-responding device from the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device, wherein the first-responding device is a first device to accept the rerouting of the call.

7. The caller telecommunication device of claim 5, wherein the first proximate telecommunication device is further pre-selected according to a caller-defined criteria that has been established by the caller, wherein the caller-defined criteria is based on the first proximate telecommunication device being in a same wireless service network as the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device.

8. The caller telecommunication device of claim 5, wherein the first proximate telecommunication device is further pre-selected according to a caller-defined smart list on the first proximate telecommunication device, wherein the caller-defined smart list is a plurality of preferences of routing an outgoing communication that has been pre-established by the caller.

9. The caller telecommunication device of claim 8, wherein the caller-defined smart list is stored on the caller telecommunication device.

10. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable tangible storage device;

transmit a call from a caller who is using a caller telecommunication device to an intended receiving wireless telecommunication device; and

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to in response to receiving a notification that the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device is unavailable, transmit an instruction from the caller telecommunication device to a first proximate telecommunication device, wherein the instruction directs the first proximate telecommunication device to determine when the first proximate telecommunication device is within a predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device, wherein the predefined proximity is a distance within which the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device and an other wireless telecommunication device can directly communicate by local signals;

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to attempt to connect the call from the caller telecommunication device to a first proximate telecommunication device;

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to, in response to the attempt to connect the call to the first proximate telecommunication device succeeding, maintain a connection of the call between the caller telecommunication device and the first proximate telecommunication device; and

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to, in response to the attempt to connect the call to the first proximate telecommunication device failing, connect the call to a second proximate telecommunication device, wherein the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device are pre-selected by the caller according to historical rankings of past successes and failures in re-routing calls to the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to simultaneously re-route the call to the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device; and

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to connect the call to a first-responding device, wherein the first-responding device is one of the first proximate telecommunication device and the second proximate telecommunication device that first accepts, a re-routing of the call.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first proximate telecommunication device is further pre-selected according to a caller-defined criteria that has been established by the caller, wherein the caller-defined criteria is based on the first proximate telecommunication device being in a same wireless service network as the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first proximate telecommunication device is further pre-selected according to a caller-defined smart list on the first proximate telecommunication device, wherein the caller-defined smart list is a plurality of preferences of routing an outgoing communication that has been pre-established by the caller.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the caller-defined smart list is stored on the caller telecommunication device.