Method and apparatus for providing special call handling for valued customers of retailers

• US 8,520,811 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eslambolchi, Hossein, Croak, Marian
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/861,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20100316200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.21, 379/212.01, 379/220.01, 463/20, 463/31, 463/42, 705/7.32, 705/14.14, 705/14.35, 705/14.56, 705/26.1, 705/26.35, 705/35, 705/413, 703/8, 713/176
• US Class Current: 379/88.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8011 using class of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

The present invention enables users of a network service to register with the network as valued shoppers, thereby allowing them to receive specialized treatment when calling registered retailers. The present invention enables retailers to register with the network, thereby allowing them to set preferred service logic for handling valued customer calls by the network.

Claims

1. A method for processing a call setup message in a communication network, comprising:

receiving, by a processor in the communication network, the call setup message from an endpoint device of a calling party to a called party;

verifying, by the processor, whether the calling party is associated with a valued customer status and whether the called party is a registered retailer based upon the call setup message; and

processing, by the processor, the call setup message in accordance with a registered service logic if the calling party is associated with the valued customer status and the called party is the registered retailer instead of processing the call setup message in accordance with a service logic associated with a regular customer status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is a voice over internet protocol network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering a phone number of the calling party as being associated with the valued customer status; and

registering a phone number of the called party as being associated with the registered retailer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the phone number of the called party is a toll-free phone number.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the phone number of the called party is a toll phone number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling party being associated with the valued customer status is selectively set by the calling party.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling party being associated with the valued customer status is selectively set by the called party.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the registered service logic is retrieved from an application server by a call control element.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the registered service logic comprises service logic for forwarding the call setup message to a preferred translated destination number set by the called party.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a caller identification of the calling party to the called party.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the caller identification is used by the called party to verify the valued customer status.

12. A tangible computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor in a communication network, cause the processor to perform operations for processing a call setup message in the communication network, the operations comprising:

receiving the call setup message from an endpoint device of a calling party to a called party;

verifying whether the calling party is associated with a valued customer status and whether the called party is a registered retailer based upon the call setup message; and

processing the call setup message in accordance with a registered service logic if the calling party is associated with the valued customer status and the called party is the registered retailer instead of processing the call setup message in accordance with a service logic associated with a regular customer status.

13. The tangible computer-readable of claim 12, further comprising:

registering a phone number of the calling party as being associated with the valued customer status; and

registering a phone number of the called party as being associated with the registered retailer.

14. The tangible computer-readable of claim 13, wherein the phone number of the called party is a toll-free phone number.

15. The tangible computer-readable of claim 13, wherein the phone number of the called party is a toll phone number.

16. The tangible computer-readable of claim 12, wherein the calling party being associated with the valued customer status is selectively set by the calling party.

17. The tangible computer-readable of claim 12, wherein the calling party being associated with the valued customer status is selectively set by the called party.

18. The tangible computer-readable of claim 12, further comprising:

sending a caller identification of the calling party to the called party.

19. The tangible computer-readable of claim 18, wherein the caller identification is used by the called party to verify the valued customer status.

20. A network element for processing a call setup message, where the network element is deployed in a communication network, the network element comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving the call setup message from an endpoint device of a calling party to a called party;

verifying whether the calling party is associated with a valued customer status and whether the called party is a registered retailer based upon the call setup message; and

processing the call setup message in accordance with a registered service logic if the calling party is associated with the valued customer status and the called party is the registered retailer instead of processing the call setup message in accordance with a service logic associated with a regular customer status.