Performing caller based routing of a phone call

• US 8,682,247 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• 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): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEAN, JR, JOSEPH E
• Application Number:
  US13/559,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20130023273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/417, 455/465, 455/426.1, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/552.3, 455/445, 455/423.2, 455/67.11
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A caller telecommunication device transmits a call to an intended receiving wireless telecommunication device. In response, the caller telecommunication device transmits an instruction to a first proximate telecommunication device, wherein the instruction directs the first proximate telecommunication device to determine if the first proximate telecommunication device is within a predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device. The predefined proximity is a distance within which the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device and other wireless telecommunication device can directly communicate by local signals. The caller communication device re-routes the call to the first proximate telecommunication device if the first proximate telecommunication device is within the predefined proximity of the intended receiving wireless telecommunication device.

Claims

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

a caller device transmitting a communication to an intended receiving device; and

in response to the caller device receiving a notification that the receiving device is unavailable, the caller device transmitting an instruction to a first device, wherein the instruction directs the first device to determine when the first device is within a predefined proximity of the receiving device, wherein the predefined proximity is a distance within which the receiving device and the first device can directly communicate by short range wireless signals;

the caller device re-routing the communication to the first device when if the first device is within the predefined proximity of the receiving device and the receiving device is unavailable; and

the caller device re-routing the communication to a second device that is within the predefined proximity of the receiving device when the first device is outside the predefined proximity of the receiving device and the receiving device is unavailable.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the caller device simultaneously re-routing the communication to the first device and the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is pre-selected according to a caller-defined criteria established by the caller, wherein the caller-defined criteria is based on the first device being in a same wireless service network as the receiving device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is pre-selected according to a caller-defined smart list on the first device, wherein the caller-defined smart list is a plurality of preferences of routing an outgoing communication pre-established by the caller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device are pre-selected by the caller according to historical rankings of past successes and failures in re-routing the communication to the first device and the second device.

6. A caller device comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor;

a computer memory coupled to the data bus;

a computer-readable storage device;

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to initiate transmission of a communication from a caller, who is using the caller device, to an intended receiving device; and

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to, when the receiving device is unavailable, transmit an instruction from the caller device to a first device, wherein the instruction directs the first device to;

determine when the first device is within a predefined proximity of the receiving device, wherein the predefined proximity is a distance within which the receiving device and the first device can directly communicate by short range wireless signals;

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to, when the first device is within the predefined proximity of the receiving device, re-route the communication from the caller device to the first device; and

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the computer memory, to, when the first device is outside the predefined proximity of the receiving device, re-route the communication from the caller device to a second device that is within the predefined proximity of the receiving device.

7. The caller device of claim 6, wherein the first device and the second device are pre-selected by the caller according to historical rankings of past successes and failures in re-routing the communication to the first device and the second device.

8. The caller device of claim 6, wherein the first device is pre-selected according to a caller-defined criteria established by the caller, wherein the caller-defined criteria is based on the first device being in a same wireless service network as the receiving device.

9. The caller device of claim 6, wherein the first device is pre-selected according to a caller-defined smart list on the first device, wherein the caller-defined smart list is a plurality of preferences of routing an outgoing communication pre-established by the caller.

10. The caller device of claim 9, wherein the caller-defined smart list is stored on the caller telecommunication device.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable storage device;

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to transmit a communication from a caller who is using a caller device to an intended receiving device; and

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to in response to receiving a notification that the receiving device is unavailable, transmit an instruction from the caller device to a first device, wherein the instruction directs the first device to determine when the first device is within a predefined proximity of the receiving device, wherein the predefined proximity is a distance within which the receiving device and the first device can directly communicate by short range wireless signals;

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to re-route the communication to the first device when the first device and the receiving device are within the predefined proximity; and

program instructions, stored on the storage device, to re-route the communication to a second device when the second device and the receiving device are within the predefined proximity and the first device and the receiving device are not within the predetermined proximity.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first device and the second device are pre-selected by the caller according to historical rankings of past successes and failures in re-routing the communication to the first device and the second device.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first device is pre-selected according to a caller-defined criteria established by the caller, wherein the caller-defined criteria is based on the first device being in a same wireless service network as the receiving device.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first device is pre-selected according to a caller-defined smart list on the first device, wherein the caller-defined smart list is a plurality of preferences of routing an outgoing communication pre-established by the caller.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the caller-defined smart list is stored on the caller device.