Enhanced service levels for call-processing services

• US 9,258,412 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Trandal, David S., Brahm, David J., Hofstatter, David F., Smith, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jianye
• Application Number:
  US14/565,951
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

Service levels for call-processing are enhanced based on the subscriber status of at least one of the calling party and the called party. In one example, a calling party (caller) places a call to a called party (recipient). At least one of the parties subscribes to a call-processing service and the call normally would be processed according to a predetermined service level. However, the service level is enhanced in response to a subscriber status for at least one of the parties, and the call is processed according to the enhanced service level.

Claims

1. A method of providing call processing services, comprising:

communicating, by a computer system comprising hardware, with a first software program on a first computing device associated with a first user, the first user associated with an account of a communication service and entitled to a first level of service features with respect to the communication service;

communicating, by the computer system, with a second software program on a second computing device associated with a second user, the second user associated with an account of the communication service and entitled to the first level of service features with respect to the communication service;

receiving, at the computing system, a first call for the first user, wherein the first call is associated with call information indicating that the first call is originated from the second software program;

based at least in part on the first user and the second user being associated with respective accounts of the communication service, enabling a call connection between the first software program and the second software program at an enhanced level of service features;

receiving at the computing system a second call for the first user wherein the second call is placed from a telecommunication device associated with a third user; and

based at least in part on the third user not being associated with an account of the communication service, not providing the enhanced level of service features to the first user, the third user, or the first user and the third user with respect to the second call.

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

based at least in part on the first user and the second user being associated with respective accounts of the communication service, providing, in substantially real-time, an enhanced call notification to the first user;

receiving a third call for the first user wherein the third call is placed from a telecommunication device associated with a fourth user; and

determining whether an address book of the first user has an entry for the fourth user; and

providing an enhanced level of service with respect to the third call for the first user from the fourth user based at least in part determining that the address book of the first user has an entry for the fourth user.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing an enhanced level of service with respect to a third call for the first user from a fourth user based at least in part on a determination that an address book of the first user has an entry for the fourth user.

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

based at least in part on the first user and the second user being associated with respective accounts of the communication service, causing a name of the second user to be displayed to the first user in association with the first call.

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

based at least in part on the first user and the second user being associated with respective accounts of the communication service, providing, in substantially real-time, an enhanced call notification to the first user.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the enhanced level of service feature comprises a three-way calling feature.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call is over a circuit-switched or packet-switched network.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first computing device associated with the first user comprises an interface to a broadband network.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first computing device associated with the first user is configured to communicate using Voice over IP.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first computing device associated with the first user comprises a voice and data device.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein communicating, by the computer system, with the first software program on the first computing device associated with the first user comprises monitoring an online presence of the first software program.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call is a Voice over Internet Protocol call.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunication device associated with the third user comprises a telephone.

14. A system, comprising:

one or more computing devices;

a network interface; and

non-transitory computer readable memory storing program code that when executed by the one or more computing devices is configured to cause the system to at least;

communicate over the network interface with a first software program on a first computing device associated with a first user, the first user associated with an account of a communication service and entitled to a first level of service features with respect to the communication service;

communicate over the network interface with a second software program on a second computing device associated with a second user, the second user associated with an account of the communication service and entitled to the first level of service features with respect to the communication service;

receive a first call for the first user, wherein the first call is associated with call information indicating that the first call is originated from the second software program;

based at least in part on the first user and the second user being associated with respective accounts of the communication service, enable a call connection between the first software program and the second software program at an enhanced level of service features;

receive a second call for the first user wherein the second call is placed from a telecommunication device associated with a third user; and

based at least in part on the third user not being associated with an account of the communication service, not provide the enhanced level of service features to the first user, the third user, or the first user and the third user with respect to the second call.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the system is configured to:

based at least in part on the first user and the second user being associated with respective accounts of the communication service, provide, in substantially real-time, an enhanced call notification to the first user;

receive a third call for the first user wherein the third call is placed from a telecommunication device associated with a fourth user; and

determine whether an address book of the first user has an entry for the fourth user; and

provide an enhanced level of service with respect to the third call for the first user from the fourth user based at least in part determining that the address book of the first user has an entry for the fourth user.

16. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the system is configured to provide an enhanced level of service with respect to a third call for the first user from a fourth user based at least in part on a determination that an address book of the first user has an entry for the fourth user.

17. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the system is configured to, based at least in part on the first user and the second user being associated with respective accounts of the communication service, cause a name of the second user to be displayed to the first user in association with the first call.

18. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the system is configured to, based at least in part on the first user and the second user being associated with respective accounts of the communication service, provide, in substantially real-time, an enhanced call notification to the first user.

19. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein an enhanced level of service feature comprises a three-way calling feature.

20. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first call is over a circuit-switched or packet-switched network.

21. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the network interface comprises a circuit-switched interface and a packet-switched network interface.

22. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first computing device associated with the first user is configured to communicate using Voice over IP.

23. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first computing device associated with the first user comprises a voice and data device.

24. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein communication over the network interface with the first software program, by the computer system, comprises monitoring an online presence of the first software program.

25. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first call is a Voice over Internet Protocol call.

26. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the telecommunication device associated with the third user comprises a telephone.

27. Non-transitory computer storage media, comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

communicating with a first software program on a first computing device associated with a first user, the first user associated with an account of a communication service and entitled to a first level of service features with respect to the communication service;

communicating with a second software program on a second computing device associated with a second user, the second user associated with an account of the communication service and entitled to the first level of service features with respect to the communication service;

receiving a first call for the first user, wherein the first call is associated with call information indicating that the first call is originated from the second software program;

based at least in part on the first user and the second user being associated with respective accounts of the communication service, enabling a call connection between the first software program and the second software program at an enhanced level of service features;

receiving a second call for the first user wherein the second call is placed from a telecommunication device associated with a third user; and

based at least in part on the third user not being associated with an account of the communication service, not providing the enhanced level of service features to the first user, the third user, or the first user and the third user with respect to the second call.