Methods and systems for telephony call completion

• US 8,345,833 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Trandal, David S., Brahm, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US12/835,965
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/207.02, 379/207.04, 379/207.07, 379/209.01, 379/210.01, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/518, 455/519, 455/566, 455/575
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4281 when the called subscriber is connected to a data network using his telephone line, e.g. dial-up connection, Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy

Abstract

The present invention is directed to processing calls to busy telecommunications lines. In one embodiment, the presence of a subscriber accessing a computer network over a first telephone line via a first computer terminal is detected, wherein the subscriber also has a first telephone station connected to the first line. When a caller calls the first line and the first line is busy, the call is forwarded to a second telephone line associated with a call manager system. The call manager system determines when the subscriber is no longer accessing the computer network. At least partly in response to determining that the subscriber is no longer accessing the computer network, the call manager system transmits a text message to the caller, the message including the subscriber'"'"'s phone number. The caller can then call back the first line using the transmitted phone number.

Claims

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

receiving at a computing system signaling information associated with a first call from a first caller placed by the first caller using a telephonic device, the first call intended for a called party;

determining whether the called party'"'"'s telecommunications line is unavailable;

after the called party'"'"'s telecommunications line is determined to be unavailable, determining if the unavailable called party'"'"'s telecommunications line becomes available;

providing, via the computing system, a first notification to the called party of the first call,

wherein the first notification includes;

the first caller'"'"'s name, or

an identifier associated with the first caller, wherein the identifier associated with the first caller is based at least in part on an identifier from a contact database associated with the called party, or

both the first caller'"'"'s name and the identifier associated with the first caller, wherein the identifier associated with the first caller is based at least in part on the identifier from the contact database associated with the called party;

providing, via the computing system, a user interface via which the called party can request a second notification transmission to the first caller related to the availability of the called party'"'"'s telecommunications line be inhibited;

in the absence of the called party requesting inhibition of the second notification transmission, and at least partly in response to the determination that the telecommunications line associated with the called party has become available, at least partly causing the transmission of the second notification to the telephonic device associated with the first caller related to the availability of the called party telecommunications line,

wherein the second notification to the telephonic device associated with the first caller enables, at least in part, the first caller to initiate a second call to the called party'"'"'s telecommunications line that had been unavailable;

receiving a third call from a second caller before the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunication line has become available, and transmitting a third notification to the subscriber providing information on the third call; and

receiving a selection from the subscriber indicating that a fourth notification should be transmitted only to one of the first caller or the second caller.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second notification is transmitted using instant messaging.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second notification is transmitted using electronic mail.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second notification is provided via a web page banner.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second notification is a short message service (SMS) message.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the signaling information associated with the first call includes a phone number of the telephonic device.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first caller is not a subscriber to services offered via the computing system providing the second notification related to the availability of the called party'"'"'s telecommunications line.

8. A method of processing a telecommunication call, the method comprising:

providing to a subscriber of a call processing service, via a computing system, a user interface via which the subscriber can inhibit notification transmission to one or more other potential callers in a first set of potential callers related to the availability of the called party'"'"'s telecommunications line,

wherein the user interface presents identifiers corresponding to respective potential callers,

wherein at least a portion of the identifiers are accessed from a contact database associated with the subscriber;

based at least in part on instructions from the subscriber provided via the user interface,

inhibiting transmission of notifications related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line;

receiving signaling information associated with a first call from a first caller placed by the first caller using a telephonic device, the first call intended for the subscriber;

determining, via the computing system, whether the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line is unavailable;

receiving a second call from a second caller before the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunication line has become available, and transmitting a notification to the subscriber providing information on both the first call and the second call;

indicating to the subscriber that a notification related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line will be transmitted only to one of the first caller and the second caller;

after the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line is determined to be unavailable, determining, via the computing system, if the unavailable subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line becomes available; and

if notification transmission has not been inhibited by the subscriber with respect to the first caller,

at least partly in response to the determination that the telecommunications line associated with the subscriber has become available,

at least partly causing the transmission of a notification to the telephonic device of the first caller related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the signaling information associated with the first call includes a phone number of the first caller'"'"'s telephonic device.

10. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the notification related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line enables, at least in part, a recipient of the notification to initiate another call to the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line that had been unavailable.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the notification related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line is transmitted using instant messaging.

12. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the notification related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line is transmitted using electronic mail.

13. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the notification related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line is provided via a web page banner.

14. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the notification related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line is a short message service (SMS) message.

15. A system, comprising:

a computing device;

programmatic instructions stored in non-transitory media, that when executed by the computing device, are configured to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising;

enabling a user interface to be provided to a subscriber of a call processing service via which the subscriber can inhibit notification transmission to one or more other potential callers in a first set of potential callers related to the availability of the called party'"'"'s telecommunications line,

wherein the user interface presents identifiers corresponding to respective potential callers,

wherein at least a portion of the identifiers are accessed from a contact database associated with the subscriber;

based at least in part on instructions from the subscriber provided via the user interface,

inhibiting transmission of notifications related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line;

receiving signaling information associated with a first call from a first caller placed by the first caller using a telephonic device, the first call intended for the subscriber;

determining whether the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line is unavailable;

after the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line is determined to be unavailable, determining if the unavailable subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line becomes available; and

if notification transmission has not been inhibited by the subscriber with respect to the first caller,

at least partly in response to the determination that the telecommunications line associated with the subscriber has become available,

at least partly causing the transmission of a notification to the telephonic device of the first caller related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line;

receiving a second call from a second caller before the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunication line has become available, transmitting a notification to the subscriber providing information on both the first call and the second call;

and indicating to the subscriber that a notification related to the availability of the subscriber'"'"'s telecommunications line will be transmitted only to one of the first caller and the second caller.