Forwarding one or more preferences during call forwarding

• US 8,300,627 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Mukul, Kumar, Sanjeev, Patel, Labhesh, Khouri, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): KASSIM, KHALED M
• Application Number:
  US11/497,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20080043968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42034 Calling party identification service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• 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: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

In one embodiment, a telephony system includes a memory that stores one or more call preferences of a user, and a central call routing entity that enables a user to set a call forwarding rule. In accordance with the call forwarding rule and in response to an incoming call to a first telephone device of the user, the call routing entity routing the incoming call to a second telephone device along with a message indicating that the one or more call preferences of the user are stored in the memory. The one or more call preferences are then fetched and applied at the second telephone device. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory that stores one or more call preferences of a user, the one or more call preferences including a specific ring tone for use in alerting an incoming call intended for the user;

a call routing entity operable to receive a request from the user to forward the incoming call from a first endpoint device associated with the user to a second endpoint device associated with a different user, to cause the one or more call preferences of the user to be communicated to the second endpoint device, and to apply the one or more call preferences at the second endpoint device to the incoming call—

forwarded to the second endpoint device, application of the one or more call preferences causing the specific ring tone to be used at the second endpoint device to alert of the incoming call.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second endpoint device fetches the one or more call preferences from the memory and applies the one or more call preferences to the forwarded calls responsive to the request.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the call routing entity comprises an Internet Protocol private branch exchange (IP-PBX).

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a repository that stores call preferences of a plurality of users.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the specific ring tone comprises a priority call ring tone.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the request comprises a call control message call control message sent to the second endpoint device, the call control message including instructions regarding downloading of the one or more call preferences.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, which when executed, is operable to:

receive an incoming call intended for a user at a routing entity, the incoming call being directed to a first telephone device associated with the user; and

route the incoming call to a second telephone device associated with a different user along with a call control message which includes information that enables the second telephone device to apply one or more call alerting preferences stored in a memory of the user to the incoming call, the one or more call alerting preferences including a specific ring tone, application of the one or more call alerting preferences causing the specific ring tone to be used at the second endpoint device to alert of the incoming call.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the one or more call alerting preferences further includes a display preference.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the computer program, when executed, is further operable to fetch the one or more call alerting preferences from a central repository.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the one or more call alerting preferences specify one or more media files, the information including instructions regarding how to access media files.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the call control message comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

12. A processor-implemented method of operation for an Internet Protocol private branch exchange (IP-PBX) system comprising:

receiving a request from a user to forward an incoming call intended for a first endpoint associated with the user to a second endpoint associated with a different user;

accessing one or more call preferences of the user, the one or more call preferences being stored in a memory and including a specific ring tone and/or a display preference; and

communicating the one or more of the call preferences to the second endpoint to apply the one or more call preferences at the second endpoint to the incoming call forwarded to the second endpoint, application of the one or more call preferences causing the specific ring tone to be used at the second endpoint device to alert of the incoming call.

13. The processor-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the communicating step comprises automatically routing the incoming call to the second endpoint upon arrival at the IP-PBX system.

14. The processor-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the communicating step comprises embedding the one or more call preferences in a message header.

15. The processor-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the accessing step comprises fetching the one or more call preferences from a central repository.

16. The processor-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the one or more call alerting preferences specify one or more media files, the information including instructions regarding how to access the one or more media files.

17. The processor-implemented method of claim 14 wherein the message header comprises a Session initiation Protocol (SIP) message header.

18. The processor-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the second telephone device is associated with a different PBX.

19. The processor-implemented method of claim 17 wherein the SIP message header includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) with authentication information for downloading media files.

20. A system comprising:

a memory that stores one or more call alerting preferences of a user, the one or more call alerting preferences including a specific ring tone;

means for receiving a request from the user to forward calls for a first endpoint device associated with the user to a second endpoint device associated with a different user, means for accessing one or more call alerting preferences of the user, and means for communicating the one or more call alerting preferences to the second endpoint device to apply the one or more call alerting preferences at the second endpoint device to calls intended for the user that have been forwarded to the second endpoint device.