Method and apparatus for managing telephone calls

• US 9,942,406 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Walker, Craig Elliott, Fletcher, Donnie Carlton, Paquet, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSTIN, JEREMY M
• Application Number:
  US14/458,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42127 Systems providing several special services or facilities from groups H04M3/42008 - H04M3/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication

Abstract

A system and method for managing telephone calls is disclosed. The system includes a central controller that receives and processes telephone calls. The identity of a caller is first determined. Based on predetermined settings designated by an end user, a call is directed to one or more telephones of the end user. Preferably, the end user'"'"'s telephones ring simultaneously. The user may answer any of his/her telephones and choose from among several options of how to handle the call. If the user chooses to answer the call, the call may be transferred to that telephone and the conversation may commence.

Claims

1. A method for processing calls to a called user, comprising:

receiving session initiation protocol (SIP) calls, by an inbound controller, coupled to an inbound gateway coupled to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and to a packet network;

sending SIP calls by an outbound controller, coupled to an outbound gateway coupled to the PSTN and the packet network;

generating a graphical representation of data about the SIP calls, wherein the graphical representation of data is displayed on a webpage and the graphical representation of data includes options for associating the called user with multiple destination points;

responsive to the inbound controller receiving a current inbound call, updating the graphical representation of data displayed on the webpage for the called user, wherein the webpage includes a first option for allowing the called user to accept the current inbound call and a second option for sending the current inbound call to a voicemail database; and

storing and retrieving voicemail messages in the voicemail database, wherein the voicemail messages in the voicemail database are ranked based at least in part on a frequency of calls by a particular caller associated with each voicemail message, a priority of each particular caller such that a first voicemail message from a high priority caller has a higher priority than a second voicemail message from a lower priority caller, and an urgency of each of the voicemail messages as designated by the particular caller associated with each voicemail message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein responsive to the inbound controller receiving the current inbound call, updating the graphical representation of data displayed on the webpage further includes a fourth option for connecting the current inbound call to the voicemail database and listening to the current inbound call.

3. A system for processing calls to a called user, comprising:

an inbound controller, coupled to an inbound gateway coupled to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and to a packet network for receiving session initiation protocol (SIP) calls;

an outbound controller, coupled to an outbound gateway coupled to the PSTN and capable of sending SIP calls;

a central controller, coupled to the inbound controller and the outbound controller, the central controller capable of;

generating a graphical representation of data about the SIP calls, wherein the graphical representation of data is displayed on a webpage and the graphical representation of data includes options for associating the called user with multiple destination points;

responsive to the inbound controller receiving a current inbound call, updating the graphical representation of data displayed on the webpage for the called user, wherein the webpage includes a first option for allowing the called user to accept the current inbound call and a second option for sending the current inbound call to a voicemail database; and

responsive to the inbound controller receiving a voicemail message, updating the graphical representation of data displayed on the webpage to include a third option to send a person a link to the voicemail message; and

the voicemail database, coupled to the central controller, the voicemail database capable of storing and retrieving communications and ranking voicemail messages stored in the voicemail database based at least in part on a frequency of calls by a particular caller associated with each voicemail message and a priority of each particular caller.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the system is configured to prompt an inbound caller from a telephone number for an identity at an initial time the inbound caller calls the called user, and thereafter each time the inbound caller calls the called user from the telephone number, providing the identity to the called user without further prompting the inbound caller for the identity.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein multiple tiers of priority are predetermined by the called user.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the priority of each particular caller is designated by the called user.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein the voicemail messages are ranked further based on a time that each of the voicemail messages was recorded.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the voicemail messages are ranked further based on an urgency of each message of the voicemail messages as designated by the particular caller associated with each voicemail message.

9. The system of claim 3 wherein the system is further capable of routing the current inbound call simultaneously to the multiple destination points, including points on the PSTN, as configured by the called user.

10. The system of claim 3 wherein the central controller is further capable of establishing communication with the called user at an answered one of the multiple destination points, and, after communication is established at the answered one of multiple destination points, allowing the called user to select from at least one of the first option for accepting the current inbound call, the second option for sending the current inbound call to the voicemail database, and a fourth option for connecting the current inbound call to the voicemail database and providing the called user with an ability to listen to the current inbound call.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the central controller is further capable of allowing the called user to select a fourth option to accept the current inbound call while an inbound caller is connected to the voicemail database and further configured to allow the called user to select whether a voicemail recording ends when the current inbound call is accepted while the inbound caller is connected to the voicemail database and whether the voicemail recording continues when the current inbound call is accepted while the inbound caller is connected to the voicemail database.

12. The system according to claim 3, wherein the multiple destination points include at least one of a cellular telephone, a home telephone, and the webpage.

13. The system according to claim 3, wherein:

the voicemail database stores at least the following voicemail data for each inbound call sent to the voicemail database;

audio from each particular caller, a telephone number for each particular caller, a name for each particular caller, and a duration of stored audio for each inbound call; and

the graphical representation of data on the webpage includes the voicemail data.

14. The system according to claim 3, wherein responsive to the called user deleting the voicemail message, the link to the voicemail message is rendered unplayable.

15. A computer program product for processing calls to a called user, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, including computer program instructions recorded on the non-transitory computer readable medium, executable by a processor, for processing the calls, the computer program instructions including:

a call processing module capable of;

sending and receiving calls in a session initiation protocol (SIP) format and to a public switched telephone network (PSTN),

prompting an inbound caller for an identity, and thereafter each time the inbound caller calls the called user from a same telephone number, providing the identity to the called user without further prompting of the inbound caller for the identity,

generating a graphical representation of data about the calls, wherein the graphical representation of data is displayed on a webpage and the graphical representation of data includes options for associating the called user with multiple destination points;

responsive to receiving a current inbound call, updating the graphical representation of data displayed on the webpage for the called user, wherein the webpage includes a first option for allowing the called user to accept the current inbound call and a second option for sending the current inbound call to a voicemail database; and

responsive to the inbound controller receiving a voicemail message, updating the graphical representation of data displayed on the webpage to include a third option to send a person a link to the voicemail message; and

a voicemail module, executable by the processor, capable of storing and retrieving voicemail messages from the calls in the voicemail database and ranking the voicemail messages based at least in part on a frequency of calls by a particular caller associated with each voicemail message.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein responsive to the called user deleting the voicemail message, the link to the voicemail message is rendered unplayable.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein priority of each particular caller is designated by the called user.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein ranking the voicemail messages is further based on a time that each of the voicemail messages was recorded.

19. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein ranking the voicemail messages is further based on an urgency of a particular voicemail message as designated by the particular caller associated with the particular voicemail message.

20. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein:

the voicemail module is configured to store in the voicemail database at least the following voicemail data for each inbound call sent to the voicemail database;

audio from each particular caller, a telephone number for each particular caller, a name for each particular caller, and a duration of stored audio for each inbound call; and

the graphical representation of data on the webpage includes the voicemail data.