Methods and systems for routing calls

• US 8,503,646 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Kirchhoff, Leland W., Trandal, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US13/529,273
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.17, 379/114.2, 379/121.03, 379/121.04, 379/126, 379/142.07, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.12, 379/207.08, 379/207.9, 379/207.1, 379/207.16
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing and routing calls are described. A call processing system receives from a telecommunications system a communication indicating that a first call to a user is in progress. A call routing instruction associated with the user is accessed. Based at least in part on the call routing instruction, a second call to be placed to a first telephonic device and a third call to be placed to a second telephonic device, wherein the second call and the third call are placed at substantially the same time or a second call to be placed to a first telephonic device and a third call to be placed to a second telephonic device, wherein the third call is placed if the second call is not timely answered.

Claims

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

accessing a first account at a call processing system wherein the first account has an associated;

first phone address and a second phone address associated with a primary account, a third phone address associated with a first secondary user account wherein the first secondary user account includes at least a fourth phone address, and a fifth phone address associated with a second secondary user account, wherein the first secondary user account further includes a sixth phone address;

receiving over a network at the call processing system a first call directed to the third phone address, and at least partly in response;

generating a first outbound call to the fourth phone address, and at least partly in response to determining that the first outbound call is not timely answered;

generating a second outbound call to the second phone address, and

logging the status of the first call in a first secondary user call log wherein the first call is not logged to a primary account call log;

receiving over the network at the call processing system a second call directed to the fifth phone address, and at least partly in response;

generating a third outbound call to the sixth phone address and at least partly in response to determining that the third outbound call is not timely answered;

generating a fourth outbound call to the sixth phone address, and

logging the status of the second call in a second secondary user call

log wherein the second call is not logged to the primary account call log;

receiving over the network at the call processing system a third call directed to the first phone address, and at least partly in response;

generating a fifth outbound call to the second phone address; and

logging the status of the third call in the primary user call log.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second phone address is associated with a shared landline.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the fourth phone address is associated with a first user and a first wireless line and the sixth phone address is associated with a second user and a second wireless line.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

at least partly in response to determining that the second outbound call is not answered, assigning a missed call type status to the first call.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

at least partly in response to determining that the second outbound call is answered by the call processing system and a voice message is recorded, assigning a voice mail call type status to the first call.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

at least partly in response to determining that the second outbound call is answered by the call processing system and a fax message is recorded, assigning a fax mail call type status to the first call.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

providing a first user interface in which a user can view and edit the primary user call log.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a determination is made that the first outbound call and the third outbound call are not timely answered if at least one of first outbound call and the third outbound call are not answered within a first number of rings.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising transmitting status information related to the third call to a user computer system for display to the user.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising transmitting status information related to the third call to a user computer system for display to the user, wherein status information related to the third call is displayed in substantially real time on the computer system via (a) a client application, (b) a Web page, (c) a widget, (d) a gadget or any combination of (a), (b), (c), and (d).

11. A method of call processing, the method comprising:

accessing a first account at a call processing system wherein the first account has an associated;

first phone address and a second phone address associated with a primary account, and

third phone address and a fourth phone address associated with a first secondary user account;

receiving over a network at the call processing system a first call directed to the third phone address, and at least partly in response;

generating a first outbound call to the fourth phone address, and at least partly in response to determining that the first outbound call is not timely answered;

generating a second outbound call to the second phone address,

causing at least in part a first telephonic device associated with the first phone address to ring with a first ring type in association with the second outbound call, and

logging the status of the first call in a first secondary user call log wherein the first call is not logged to a primary account call log;

receiving over the network at the call processing system a second call directed to the first phone address, and at least partly in response;

generating a third outbound call to the second phone address;

causing at least in part a second telephonic device associated with the first phone address to ring with a second ring type in association with the third outbound call;

logging the status of the second call in the primary user call log.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the fourth phone address is associated with a first user and a first wireless line.

13. The method as defined in claim 11, the method further comprising:

at least partly in response to determining that the second outbound call is not answered, assigning a missed call type status to the first call.

14. The method as defined in claim 11, the method further comprising:

at least partly in response to determining that the second outbound call is answered by the call processing system and a voice message is recorded, assigning a voice mail call type status to the first call.

15. The method as defined in claim 11, the method further comprising:

at least partly in response to determining that the second outbound call is answered by the call processing system and a fax message is recorded, assigning a fax mail call type status to the first call.

16. The method as defined in claim 11, the method further comprising:

providing a first user interface in which a user can view and edit the primary user call log.

17. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein a determination is made that the first outbound call is not timely answered if the first outbound call and is not answered within a first number of rings.

18. The method as defined in claim 11, the method further comprising transmitting status information related to the second call to a user computer system for display to the user.

19. The method as defined in claim 11, the method further comprising transmitting status information related to the second call to a user computer system for display to the user, wherein status information related to the second call is displayed in substantially real time on the computer system via (a) a client application, (b) a Web page, (c) a widget, (d) a gadget or any combination of (a), (b), (c), and (d).

20. A system comprising:

at least one computing device;

program instructions stored in non-transitory memory, that when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

accessing a first account wherein the first account has an associated;

first phone address and a second phone address associated with a primary account, a third phone address associated with a first secondary user account wherein the first secondary user account includes at least a fourth phone address, and a fifth phone address associated with a second secondary user account wherein the first secondary user account includes at least a sixth phone address;

receiving over a network a first call directed to the third phone address, and at least partly in response;

generating a first outbound call to the fourth phone address, and at least partly in response to determining that the first outbound call is not timely answered;

generating a second outbound call to the second phone address, and

logging the status of the first call in a first secondary user call log wherein the first call is not logged to a primary account call log;

receiving over the network a second call directed to the fifth phone address, and at least partly in response;

generating a third outbound call to the sixth phone address and at least partly in response to determining that the third outbound call is not timely answered;

generating a fourth outbound call to the sixth phone address, and

logging the status of the second call in a second secondary user call log wherein the second call is not logged to the primary account call log;

receiving over the network a third call directed to the first phone address, and at least partly in response;

generating a fifth outbound call to the second phone address; and

logging the status of the third call in the primary user call log.