Outgoing call management in a communication environment with unified communication interfaces

• US 9,473,625 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hearsay Social, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mast Mobile, Inc. (Hearsay Social, Inc.)
• Inventors: Messenger, David, Lurie, Peter, Dawson, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US14/827,204
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2477 for selecting a function from a menu display H04M1/2474 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/32 Charging, billing or metering arrangements for satellites or concentrators which connect one or more exchange lines with a group of local lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/72 by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/45 related to voicemail messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42034 Calling party identification service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 : Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 : Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53358 : Message preview
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 : Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 : Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for managing outgoing calls comprises receiving, at an intermediate server a request from the mobile phone to make an outgoing call, the request including a recipient phone number. In response to receiving the request to make an outgoing call, the intermediate server selects caller identification information (“caller ID” information), wherein identifying caller ID information comprises selecting the first phone number as the caller ID information in response to the recipient phone number being included in the first contact group, and selecting the second phone number as the caller ID information in response to the recipient phone number being included in the second contact group. The intermediate server modifies the request to make an outgoing call to include the selected caller ID information and routes the modified outgoing call request to a mobile service provider.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing outgoing calls, comprising:

receiving, at an intermediate server communicatively coupled to a mobile phone associated with a first phone number corresponding to a first contact group and a second phone number corresponding to a second contact group, a request from the mobile phone to make an outgoing call, the request including a recipient phone number;

in response to receiving the request to make an outgoing call, selecting, by the intermediate server, caller identification information (“

caller ID”

information), wherein identifying caller ID information comprises;

in response to the recipient phone number being included in the first contact group, selecting the first phone number as the caller ID information; and

in response to the recipient phone number being included in the second contact group, selecting the second phone number as the caller ID information;

modifying, by the intermediate server, the request to make an outgoing call to include the selected caller ID information;

routing, by the intermediate server, the modified outgoing call request to a mobile service provider; and

in response to determining the recipient phone number not included in the first contact group or the second contact group;

determining, by the intermediate server, a selected default contact group, and

selecting, by the intermediate server, called ID information based on the determined default contact group;

wherein the second phone number comprises a virtual phone number assigned to the mobile phone by the intermediate server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first phone number comprises a phone number corresponding to hardware of the mobile phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient phone number is not included in the first contact group or the second contact group, and further comprising:

requesting, by the intermediate server from the mobile phone, a selection of one of the first phone number and the second phone number;

receiving, by the intermediate server from the mobile phone, the requested selection; and

selecting, by the intermediate server, caller ID information based on the received selection.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising including the recipient number in one of the first contact group and the second contact group based on the received selection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the outgoing call request is placed by a user of the mobile phone from a native call interface of the mobile phone.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer instructions for managing outgoing calls that, when executed by a hardware processor, perform steps comprising:

receiving, at an intermediate server communicatively coupled to a mobile phone associated with a first phone number corresponding to a first contact group and a second phone number corresponding to a second contact group, a request from the mobile phone to make an outgoing call, the request including a recipient phone number;

in response to receiving the request to make an outgoing call, selecting, by the intermediate server, caller identification information (“

caller ID”

information), wherein identifying caller ID information comprises;

in response to the recipient phone number being included in the first contact group, selecting the first phone number as the caller ID information; and

in response to the recipient phone number being included in the second contact group, selecting the second phone number as the caller ID information;

modifying, by the intermediate server, the request to make an outgoing call to include the selected caller ID information;

routing, by the intermediate server, the modified outgoing call request to a mobile service provider; and

in response to determining the recipient phone number not included in the first contact group or the second contact group;

determining, by the intermediate server, a selected default contact group, and

selecting, by the intermediate server, called ID information based on the determined default contact group;

wherein the second phone number comprises a virtual phone number assigned to the mobile phone by the intermediate server.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the first phone number comprises a phone number corresponding to hardware of the mobile phone.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the recipient phone number is not included in the first contact group or the second contact group, comprising instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, perform further steps comprising:

requesting, by the intermediate server from the mobile phone, a selection of one of the first phone number and the second phone number;

receiving, by the intermediate server from the mobile phone, the requested selection; and

selecting, by the intermediate server, caller ID information based on the received selection.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, comprising instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, perform further steps comprising including the recipient number in one of the first contact group and the second contact group based on the received selection.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the outgoing call request is placed by a user of the mobile phone from a native call interface of the mobile phone.

11. A system for managing outgoing calls, comprising:

an intermediate server communicatively coupled to a mobile phone associated with a first phone number and a second phone number, the intermediate server comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions and one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to perform steps comprising;

receiving a request from the mobile phone to make an outgoing call, the request including a recipient phone number;

in response to receiving the request to make an outgoing call, selecting, by the intermediate server, caller identification information (“

caller ID”

information), wherein identifying caller ID information comprises;

in response to the recipient phone number being included in the first contact group, selecting the first phone number as the caller ID information; and

in response to the recipient phone number being included in the second contact group, selecting the second phone number as the caller ID information;

modifying, by the intermediate server, the request to make an outgoing call to include the selected caller ID information;

routing, by the intermediate server, the modified outgoing call request to a mobile service provider; and

in response to determining the recipient phone number not included in the first contact group or the second contact group;

determining, by the intermediate server, a selected default contact group, and

selecting, by the intermediate server, called ID information based on the determined default contact group;

wherein the second phone number comprises a virtual phone number assigned to the mobile phone by the intermediate server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first phone number comprises a phone number corresponding to hardware of the mobile phone.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the recipient phone number is not included in the first contact group or the second contact group, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to execute the instructions to perform further steps comprising:

requesting, by the intermediate server from the mobile phone, a selection of one of the first phone number and the second phone number;

receiving, by the intermediate server from the mobile phone, the requested selection; and

selecting, by the intermediate server, caller ID information based on the received selection.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to execute the instructions to perform further steps comprising including the recipient number in one of the first contact group and the second contact group based on the received selection.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the outgoing call request is placed by a user of the mobile phone from a native call interface of the mobile phone.