Methods and apparatus for providing expanded telecommunications service

• US 8,325,901 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Dolan, Robert A., Hofstatter, David F., Smith, Robert, Trandal, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Creighton
• Application Number:
  US12/479,595
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/215.01, 379/88.11, 379/88.21, 379/93.23
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party

Abstract

The present invention provides flexible call processing. For example, a call processor system can receive an inbound call intended for a called party and place an outbound call to the called party. The call processing system can provide the called party with a call transfer option.

Claims

1. A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls, the method comprising:

receiving, at a call processing system, a first call from a calling party that had been directed to a first communications device associated with a called party and forwarded to the call processing system;

providing a greeting to the calling party;

receiving a voice communication from the calling party at the call processing system;

placing an outbound call from the call processing system back to the first communication device; and

transmitting, in substantially real-time, at least a portion of the voice communication from the calling party to the first communication device, wherein the calling party cannot hear the called party, so that the called party can screen the call, and wherein the called party can accept the call on the first communication device or not accept the call.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting an identifier associated with the call processing system to the first communication device in association with the outbound call.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting in association with the outbound call an identifier associated with the call processing system to the first communication device for display on the first communication device display.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting an identifier for display on a display associated with the first communication device, the identifier indicating that the outbound call is in a call screening mode.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising providing the called party with an option to have the call processing system record a message from the calling party.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising providing the called party with an option to have a call refusal message provided to the calling party.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication device is a wireless phone.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call was initially placed directly to the first communication device.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication device is a cell phone and the first call was initially placed to a phone number assigned to the cell phone.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication device is a wireline phone.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication device is an Internet Protocol phone.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the called party accepts or does not accept the call by selecting a key pad key.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein call acceptance options are audibly provided by the call processing system to the called party.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein call acceptance is determined based at least in part on a spoken command from the called party.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising causing at least in part call acceptance options to be visibly displayed to the called party on the first communication device.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the inbound and outbound call are automatically terminated by the call processing system after a predetermined amount of time.

17. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the outbound call is automatically terminated after an amount of time, based at least in part, on a network transport type used to place the outbound call.

18. A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls, the method comprising:

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

playing a greeting to the calling party;

placing an outbound call from the call processing system to a phone address associated with the called party;

receiving a voice message from the calling party;

transmitting over the outbound call, in substantially real-time, at least a portion of the voice message from the calling party to a telephonic device associated with the phone address as a message is being left;

receiving a call handling instruction from the called party over a voice communications network; and

processing the inbound call in accordance with called party'"'"'s call handling instruction.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the phone address is an E.164 telephone number.

20. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the phone address is associated with a VoIP phone.

21. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the inbound call is a forwarded call.

22. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the inbound call is directed to a phone address assigned to the called party.

23. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the call handling instruction is selected from a group including:

transfer the call to another phone address.

24. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the call handling instruction is selected from a group including:

accept the call or reject the call.

25. A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls, the method comprising:

receiving, at a call processing system, an inbound call from a calling party intended for a phone address;

answering the inbound call;

placing an outbound call from the call processing system to the phone address;

receiving a voice communication from the calling party;

transmitting over the outbound call at least a portion of the voice communication from the calling party to a telephonic device associated with the phone address as a message is being recorded;

receiving a call handling instruction; and

processing the inbound call in accordance with the call handling instruction.

26. The method as defined in claim 25, wherein the voice communication is not transmitted over the outbound call until after the outbound call has been answered.

27. The method as defined in claim 25, wherein the voice communication is not transmitted over the outbound call until after the outbound call has been answered and announced to the called party.