Methods and systems for telephony call-back processing

• US 8,457,293 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Trandal, David S., Smith, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US13/349,814
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 379/210.01, 379/211.01, 379/201.01, 455/518, 455/519
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4527 Voicemail attached to other kind of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides flexible call processing. In one embodiment, a first call from a calling party intended for a called party is received at a call processing system. The call processing system places a second call to a telephonic device associated with the called party. The calling party and called party communicate via the first and second calls. A determination is made that the first call has been terminated. A call-back instruction is received from the called party while the second call is still in place. At least partly in response to receiving the call-back instruction, a third call is placed to a terminal associated with the calling party. The calling party and the called party can communicate via the second call and the third call.

Claims

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

during a first inbound call from a calling party to a first called party, receiving at a call processing system a call re-origination request from the first called party, wherein the call re-origination request indicates a destination phone address different than a first phone address associated with the first inbound call;

at least partly in response to receiving the call re-origination request from the first called party, enabling a first outbound call to be placed to the destination phone address;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first outbound call;

storing the first phone address and the destination phone address in memory;

receiving at the call processing system a second inbound call from the calling party for a second called party,

wherein the second inbound call is associated with the first phone address or the destination phone address;

providing the second called party with a call re-origination instruction wherein the call re-origination instruction identifies at least;

the first phone address if the second inbound call is associated with the destination phone address, or

the destination phone address if the second inbound call is associated with the first phone address;

after receiving from the second called party a response to the call re-origination instruction, the response indicating that the calling party is to be called at the destination phone address or the first phone address, placing a second outbound call to the calling party in accordance with the call re-origination instruction response; and

enabling the calling party and the second called party to communicate via the second outbound call.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the re-origination request indication includes a device or location identifier and/or a numeric phone address.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein call signaling information associated with the first inbound call is used to determine the first phone address.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the re-origination request includes the destination phone address selected by the first called party from a contact database provided to the first called party while the first inbound call is connected.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second called party is a subscriber to the call processing system.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the calling party is not a subscriber to the call processing system.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the destination phone address corresponds to a phone address of the calling party'"'"'s office phone.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the re-origination request includes the destination phone address selected by the first called party using a voice response.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first called party is a subscriber to the call processing system.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the calling party is not a subscriber to the call processing system.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the destination phone address corresponds to a phone address of the calling party'"'"'s office phone.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the re-origination request includes the destination phone address selected by the first called party using a voice response.

9. A method of processing a call, the method comprising:

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

wherein the first inbound call is associated with a first phone address of the calling party;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first inbound call;

querying a location-based system using at least in part the first phone address to determine the location of the calling party;

identifying a destination phone address of the calling party based at least in part on a response to the query to the location-based system;

providing the first called party with a notification related to the identified destination phone address;

receiving a call re-origination request from the first called party prior to the termination of the first inbound call, wherein the call re-origination request indicates the identified destination phone address of the calling party is to be used, wherein the identified destination phone address of the calling party is different than the first phone address of the calling party associated with the first inbound call;

at least partly in response to receiving the call re-origination request from the first called party, enabling a first outbound call to be placed to the destination phone address of the calling party;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first outbound call; and

,

storing the first phone address and the destination phone address in memory.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the call re-origination request indication includes a device or location identifier and/or a numeric phone address.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein call signaling information associated with the first inbound call is used to determine the first phone address.

16. A system, comprising:

a computing device;

instructions stored on non-transitory media readable by the computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising;

during a first inbound call from a calling party to a first called party, receiving a call re-origination request from the first called party,

wherein the call re-origination request indicates a destination phone address different than a first phone address associated with the first inbound call;

at least partly in response to receiving the call re-origination request from the first called party, enabling a first outbound call to be placed to the destination phone address;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first outbound call;

storing the first phone address and the destination phone address in memory;

receiving a second inbound call from the calling party for a second called party,

wherein the second inbound call is associated with the first phone address or the destination phone address;

providing the second called party with a call re-origination instruction wherein the call re-origination instruction identifies at least;

the first phone address if the second inbound call is associated with the destination phone address, or

the destination phone address if the second inbound call is associated with the first phone address;

after receiving from the second called party a response to the call re-origination instruction, the response indicating that the calling party is to be called at the destination phone address or the first phone address, placing a second outbound call to the calling party in accordance with the call re-origination instruction response; and

enabling the calling party and the second called party to communicate via the second outbound call.

17. The system as defined in claim 16, wherein the re-origination request indication includes a device or location identifier and/or a numeric phone address.

18. The system as defined in claim 16, wherein call signaling information associated with the first inbound call is used to determine the first phone address.

19. A system, comprising:

a computing device;

instructions stored on non-transitory media readable by the computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising;

receiving a first inbound call from a calling party intended for a first called party,

wherein the first inbound call is associated with a first phone address of the calling party;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first inbound call;

querying a location-based system using at least in part the first phone address to determine the location of the calling party;

identifying a destination phone address of the calling party based at least in part on a response to the query to the location-based system;

providing the first party with an identification corresponding to the destination phone address of the calling party;

receiving a call re-origination request from the first called party indicating that the identified destination phone address of the calling party is to be used prior to the termination of the first inbound call, wherein the destination phone address is different than the first phone address of the calling party associated with the first inbound call;

at least partly in response to receiving the call re-origination request from the first called party, enabling a first outbound call to be placed to the destination phone address of the calling party;

enabling the calling party and the first called party to communicate via the first outbound call; and

,

storing the first phone address and the destination phone address in memory.

20. The system as defined in claim 19, wherein the re-origination request indication includes a device or location identifier and/or a numeric phone address.

21. The system as defined in claim 19, wherein call signaling information associated with the first inbound call is used to determine the first phone address.