Method and system for managing multiple simultaneously placed calls

• US 8,811,588 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Alberth, William P., Thorson, Dean E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US13/331,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20130156169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 37920201-20601, 379/211.04
• US Class Current: 379/211.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained

Abstract

A method is disclosed, herein, for managing multiple simultaneously placed calls by enabling calling, in parallel and simultaneously, a plurality of parties. An initial answer is detected from one of the plurality of parties and the initial answer is further determined to be from a live person or a machine-operated apparatus, such as an answering machine, voice-mail service. Where the initial answer is from a machine-operated apparatus a pre-recorded message is played; unlike where a live person has been detected. Therein, a live conversation is enabled where the initial answer is determined to be a live person. Finally, the method includes the simultaneous management of the other called parties while the live conversation with the initial live person is occurring.

Claims

1. A method for managing multiple simultaneously placed calls, comprising the steps of:

a. enabling calling, in parallel and simultaneously, a plurality of parties;

b. detecting an initial answer and a subsequent answer from an initial party and a subsequent party, respectively;

c. placing the subsequent party on hold while determining whether the initial answer is from a live person or a machine-operated apparatus;

d. playing a pre-recorded message to the initial party when the initial answer is from a machine-operated apparatus;

e. determining whether the subsequent answer is from a live person or an other machine-operated apparatus and;

f. enabling a live conversation with the subsequent party when the subsequent answer is from the live person.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-recorded message includes subject matter of the purpose of the call.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-recorded message includes connected state of the call.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the live conversation with the initial party when the initial answer is from the live person.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the step of determining whether an answer is from the live person or the machine-operated apparatus with other called parties until the answer from the live person is determined from at least one of the plurality of parties.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprises managing other called parties simultaneously while the live conversation with the subsequent party is occurring.

7. The method claimed in claim 6, wherein managing the other called parties further comprises forwarding a pre-recorded message to the other called parties.

8. The method claimed in claim 7, wherein the pre-recorded message includes subject matter of the purpose of the call.

9. The method claimed in claim 7, wherein the forwarded pre-recorded message includes connected state of the call.

10. The method claimed in claim 6, wherein managing the other called parties further comprises maintaining a communication connection with the other called parties.

11. The method claimed in claim 6, wherein managing the other called parties further comprises terminating a communication connection with the other called parties.

12. A method for managing multiple simultaneously placed calls, comprising the steps of:

a. in response to an emergency call initiation, enabling calling, in parallel and simultaneously, a plurality of parties;

b. detecting an initial answer and a subsequent answer from an initial party and a subsequent party, respectively, the subsequent answer while the connection associated with the initial answer is still active;

c. determining whether the initial answer is from a live person or a machine-operated apparatus;

d. playing a pre-recorded message to the initial party when the initial answer is from a machine-operated apparatus;

e. determining whether the subsequent answer while the prerecorded message is played to the first device is by a live person or an other machine-operated apparatus; and

f. playing another prerecorded message while waiting to enable a live conversation with the subsequent party when the subsequent answer is by the live person.

13. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein the pre-recorded message includes location information.

14. The method claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of determining presence status of the plurality of parties, and preferentially placing calls to parties with a presence status that indicates availability.

15. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein the pre-recorded message includes connected state of the call.

16. The method claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

enabling the live conversation with the initial party when the initial answer is from the live person.

17. The method claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

repeating the step of determining whether an answer is from the live person or the machine-operated apparatus with other called parties until the answer from the live person is determined.

18. The method claimed in claim 12, further comprises managing other called parties simultaneously while the live conversation with the subsequent party is occurring.

19. The method claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of managing the other called parties further comprises forwarding a pre-recorded message to the other called parties.

20. The method claimed in claim 18, where the step of managing the other called parties includes informing the other parties that the user is in a conversation.

21. The method claimed in claim 20, wherein managing the other called parties further comprises informing the other parties of the identity of the initial live person.

22. A system for managing a user'"'"'s multiple simultaneously placed calls, comprising:

a) a telecommunications network coupled to a presence function for determining presence status of a plurality of parties;

b) at least one server for enabling calling, in parallel and simultaneously, the plurality of parties, detecting an initial answer and a subsequent answer from an initial party and a subsequent party, respectively, placing the subsequent party on hold while determining whether the initial answer is from a live person or a machine-operated apparatus, playing a pre-recorded message to the initial party when the initial answer is from a machine-operated apparatus, determining whether the subsequent answer is from a live person or the machine-operated apparatus and enabling a live conversation with the subsequent party when the subsequent answer is from the live person associated with the subsequent answer; and

c) a memory device for storing a pre-recorded message, wherein the pre-recorded message is forwarded to the other called parties.

23. The system claimed in claim 22, wherein the telecommunications network informs other called parties that the user is in a conversation.

24. The system claimed in claim 22, wherein the pre-recorded message includes connected state of the call.

25. A method of multiple call generation from a single mobile communication device to a plurality of communication devices, the method comprising:

initiating, by the mobile communication device, calling in parallel and simultaneously, to the plurality of communication devices;

playing a first pre-recorded message to a first one of the plurality of devices to answer when an initial answer from the first one of the plurality of devices to answer is determined to be machine-operated, else, enabling a live conversation using the first one of the plurality of devices to answer when the initial answer is determined to be by a live person;

determining whether a second answer by a second one of the plurality of device to answer is machine-operated or by a live person, when the second answer is received during the live conversation using the first one of the plurality of devices to answer; and

playing to the second one of the plurality of devices to answer a second pre-recorded message different from the first pre-recorded message, when the second answer is received during the live conversation using the first one of the plurality of devices to answer.