Performing routing of a phone call through a third party device

• US 8,571,474 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chavez, Timothy R., Eisinger, Jacob D., Hollinger, Michael C., King, Jennifer E., Lauridsen, Christina K., Morgan, Fabian F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Wesley
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEAN, JR, JOSEPH E
• Application Number:
  US12/115,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,002 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/417, 455/41.2, 455/426, 455/445, 455/403, 455/422.1, 379/201.01, 370/352, 370/395.52
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program for routing an outgoing communication in real time is presented. A communication is received from a caller to an intended receiving wireless telecommunication device. In response to the communication failing to connect to the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device, a host carrier initiated query of third party priority of contacts routing preferences of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device is initiated to determine if other communication devices are available for receiving a re-route of the original communication. If third party routing preferences of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device have previously been established, then the call is rerouted through one or more alternate telecommunication devices to the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device. The priority of contacts is stored with the host carrier.

Claims

1. A method of routing a communication, the method comprising:

a caller device transmitting, to a host carrier, a request to transmit a communication from the caller device to a mobile receiving device using a wireless mobile telecommunication network that includes a wireless transmission tower configured to communicate with the receiving device; and

in response to receiving a notification that the communication cannot be routed to the receiving device via the wireless mobile telecommunication network, the caller device transmitting an instruction to the host carrier to;

identify a plurality of alternate telecommunication devices that are configured for short range wireless transmission and are available for receiving a re-route of the communication,

request that each of the alternate telecommunication devices scan for the presence of the receiving device within range of the short range wireless transmission,

identify a priority of contacts policy established by preferences of a user of the caller device that indicates a first one of the alternate telecommunication devices that has a higher priority than remaining ones of the alternate telecommunication devices to communicate with the receiving device by the short range wireless transmission, and

in response to identifying the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices, transmit the communication from the caller device to the receiving device via the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices using the short range wireless transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction from the caller device further instructs the host carrier to:

in response to an attempt to transmit the communication to the receiving device via the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices failing, attempt to transmit the communication to the receiving device via the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices and a second one of the alternate telecommunication devices, wherein the second one of the alternate telecommunication devices is identified by the priority of contacts policy.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the priority of contacts policy is stored on the host carrier.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the priority of contacts policy specifies a maximum number of re-routing hops that are authorized to be made from the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices to the second one of the alternate telecommunication devices.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the alternate telecommunication devices are able to wirelessly communicate via a same multiple user network by utilizing a common short range wireless technology.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the alternate telecommunication devices communicate via a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is a text based message, and wherein the instruction from the caller device further instructs the host carrier to:

in response to an attempt to transmit the text based message to the receiving device succeeding, autonomously transmit an automated delivery notification message to the caller device indicating the text based message was delivered successfully.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is a voice call, and wherein the instruction from the caller device further instructs the host carrier to:

in response to attempts to transmit the voice call to the receiving device exceeding a maximum number of permitted re-routing attempts, autonomously re-route the communication to a voicemail service.

9. A telecommunication device comprising:

a telecommunications transceiver for communicating over a communication system, wherein the telecommunications transceiver is operative to transmit, to a host carrier, a request to transmit a communication from a caller, who is using the telecommunication device, to a mobile receiving device using a wireless mobile telecommunication network that includes a wireless transmission tower configured to communicate with the receiving device, and wherein the telecommunication device is a caller device; and

a processor configured to, in response to receiving a notification that the communication cannot be routed to the receiving device via the wireless mobile telecommunication network, instruct the telecommunications transceiver to transmit an instruction to the host carrier, wherein the instruction directs the host carrier to;

identify a plurality of alternate telecommunication devices that are configured for short range wireless transmission and are available for receiving a re-route of the communication,

request that each of the alternate telecommunication devices scan for the presence of the receiving device within range of the short range wireless transmission,

identify a priority of contacts policy established by preferences of a user of the caller device that indicate a first one of the alternate telecommunication devices that has a higher priority than remaining ones of the alternate telecommunication devices to communicate with the receiving device by the short range wireless transmission, and

in response to identifying the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices, transmit the communication from the caller device to the receiving device via the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices using the short range wireless transmission.

10. The telecommunication device of claim 9, wherein the instruction to the host carrier further instructs the host carrier to

in response to an attempt to transmit the communication to the receiving device via the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices failing, attempting to transmit the communication to the receiving device via the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices and a second one of the alternate telecommunication devices, wherein the second one of the alternate telecommunication devices is identified by the priority of contacts policy.

11. The telecommunication device of claim 10, wherein the priority of contacts policy is stored on the host carrier.

12. The telecommunication device of claim 10, wherein the priority of contacts policy specifies a maximum number of re-routing hops that are authorized to be made from the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices to the second one of the alternate telecommunication devices.

13. The telecommunication device of claim 10, wherein the alternate telecommunication devices are able to wirelessly communicate via a same multiple user network by utilizing a common short range wireless technology.

14. The telecommunication device of claim 10, wherein the alternate telecommunication devices communicate via a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network.

15. The telecommunication device of claim 9, wherein the communication is a text based message, and wherein the instruction to the host carrier further instructs the host carrier to

in response to an attempt to transmit the text based message to the receiving device succeeding, autonomously transmitting an automated delivery notification message to the caller device indicating the text based message was delivered successfully.

16. The caller telecommunication device of claim 9, wherein the communication is a voice call, and wherein the instruction to the host carrier further instructs the host carrier to:

in response to attempts to transmit the voice call to the receiving device exceeding a maximum number of permitted re-routing attempts, autonomously re-routing the communication to a voicemail service.

17. A computer program product, comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices; and

a plurality of instructions stored on the computer-readable storage devices, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, configure the processors to;

transmit, to a host carrier, a request to transmit a communication from a caller device to a mobile receiving device using a wireless mobile telecommunication network that includes a wireless transmission tower configured to communicate with the receiving device; and

in response to receiving a notification that the communication cannot be routed to the receiving device via the wireless mobile telecommunication network, transmit an instruction from the caller device to the host carrier to determine whether the receiving device has previously set up a plurality of alternate devices for receiving a re-route of the communication, wherein the instruction from the caller device instructs the host carrier to;

identify the alternate telecommunication devices that are configured for short range and are available for receiving a re-route of the communication, request that each of the one or more available alternate devices scan for the presence of the receiving device within range of the by a common short range wireless technology between the alternate transmission,

identify a priority of contacts policy established by preferences of a user of the caller device that indicates a first one of the alternate telecommunication devices that has a higher priority than remaining ones of the alternate telecommunication devices to communicate with the receiving device by the short range wireless transmission, and

in response to identifying the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices, transmit the communication from the caller device to

the receiving device via the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices using the short range wireless transmission.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instruction from the caller device further instructs the host carrier to:

in response to an attempt to transmit the communication to the receiving device via the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices failing, attempt to transmit the communication to the receiving device via the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices and a second one of the alternate telecommunication devices, wherein the second one of the alternate telecommunication devices is identified by the priority of contacts policy.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the priority of contacts policy is stored on the host carrier.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the priority of contacts policy specifies a maximum number of re-routing hops that are authorized to be made from the first one of the alternate telecommunication devices to the second one of the alternate telecommunication devices.