CALL-CONNECTING DEVICE, CALL-CONNECTING METHOD, CALL-CONNECTING PROGRAM, AND CALL-ACCEPTING SERVER

• US 20080130843A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: COMSQUARE Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: COMSQUARE Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: UESHIMA, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,045,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/76 Translation from the called subscriber's number to the outgoing or incoming control information

Abstract

A server system includes a database having an identification number and a contact destination number as associated information; a storage device for containing the database; a call-accepting unit for accepting a call designating an advertised telephone number from a user'"'"'s telephone as well as for extracting the identification number therefrom; a contact destination-extracting unit for extracting the contact destination number associated with the identification number from the database; and a connection-processing unit for connecting the call from a user'"'"'s telephone to the telephone of an advertiser corresponding to the contact destination number according to the extracted contact destination number.

Claims

1. A call-connecting device, comprising:

a database having an identification number and a contact destination number, as associated information,

a storage device containing said database,

a call-accepting unit configured to accept a call from a first telephone designating a telephone number including the identification number as well as to extract the identification number from said telephone number,

a contact destination-extracting unit configured to extract the contact destination number associated with said identification number from the database, according to said extracted identification number; and

a connection-processing unit configured to connect the call from the first telephone to a second telephone corresponding to said contact destination number, according to said extracted contact destination number.

2. A call-connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the database has one identification number and a plurality of contact destination numbers, as associated information.

3. A call-connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the database has a plurality of identification numbers and one or a plurality of contact destination numbers, as associated information.

4. A call-connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the call-accepting unit extracts the identification number from the telephone number after making an incoming call response to the call.

5. A call-connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the call-accepting unit extracts the identification number from the telephone number without making an incoming call response to the call.

6. A call-connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the connection-processing unit comprises:

a response-detecting unit configured to detect an incoming call response of the second telephone; and

a conversation-connecting unit configured to connect a call from the first telephone to said second telephone so as to enable the conversation, according to the incoming call response of said second telephone.

7. A call-connecting device according to claim 6, further comprising a conversation-processing unit configured to transmit conversation voice information from one of the first telephone and the second telephone to the other telephone.

8. A call-connecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a history-recording unit configured to record at least either a history of the call or a history of a conversation connected by the connection-processing unit to the storage device, with association to the identification number.

9. A call-connecting device according to claim 8, further comprising a history-output unit configured to output telephone call history information corresponding to each of the identification numbers, according to at least the call history or the conversation history.

10. A call-connecting device according to claim 8, further comprising a charge-processing unit configured to generate information of charges corresponding to each of the identification numbers, according to at least the call history or the conversation history.

11. A call-connecting device according to claim 1, further comprising an error-detecting unit configured to detect an error according to a frequency of calls.

12. A call-connecting device according to claim 1, further comprising an identification number-generating unit configured to generate the identification number automatically.

13. A call-connecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a timer unit configured to measure a current time,

wherein the connection-processing unit connects the call to a second telephone corresponding to said contact destination number, only in a case in which a time of the call, which has been measured by said timer unit, is within a range of a specific period.

14. A call-connecting device according to claim 13,

wherein the database further has a connectable time for each of the contact destination numbers, as associated information of the identification number, and

wherein the connection-processing unit connects the call to the second telephone corresponding to said contact destination number, only in a case in which the call time is within a connectable time.

15. A call-connecting method, comprising:

accepting a call from a first telephone designating a telephone number including an identification number that has been stored within a database by being associated with a contact destination number,

extracting the identification number from said telephone number,

extracting the contact destination number associated with said identification number from the database, according to said extracted identification number; and

connecting a call from the first telephone to a second telephone corresponding to the contact destination number, according to said extracted contact destination number.

16. A call-connecting method according to claim 15, wherein, in the step of extracting the identification number, the identification number is extracted from the telephone number after making an incoming call response to the call.

17. A call-connecting method according to claim 15, wherein, in the step of extracting the identification number, the identification number is extracted from the telephone number without making an incoming call response to the call.

18. A call-connecting method according to claim 15, wherein the step of connecting the call comprises:

detecting an incoming call response of the second telephone; and

connecting a call from the first telephone to said second telephone so as to enable a conversation, according to an incoming call response of said second telephone.

19. A call-connecting method according to claim 18, further comprising transmitting conversation voice information from the first telephone or the second telephone to the other telephone.

20. A call-connecting method according to claim 15, further comprising recording at least either a history of the call or a history of a conversation connected by the connection-processing unit to the storage device, with association to the identification number.

21. A call-connecting method according to claim 20, further comprising outputting telephone call history information corresponding to each of the identification numbers, according to at least the call history or the conversation history.

22. A call-connecting method according to claim 20, further comprising generating information of charges corresponding to each of the identification numbers, according to at least the call history or the conversation history.

23. A call-connecting method according to claim 15, further comprising detecting an error according to frequency of calls.

24. A call-connecting method according to claim 15, wherein, in the step of connecting the call, the call is connected to the second telephone corresponding to said contact destination number, only in a case in which a time of the call is within a range of a specific period.

25. A call-connecting program causes a computer to function as:

a call-accepting unit for accepting a call from a first telephone designating a telephone number including an identification number that has been stored within a database by being associated with a contact destination number as well as for extracting the identification number from said telephone number,

a contact destination-extracting unit for extracting the contact destination number associated with said identification number from the database, according to said extracted identification number; and

a connection-processing unit for connecting the call from the first telephone to a second telephone corresponding to said contact destination number, according to said extracted contact destination number.

26. A call-accepting server for accepting a call designating an advertised telephone number having:

a telecommunications company-specific number of at least four digits, which has been allocated to each telecommunications company,

a server-specific number of at least three digits, which has been allocated to each call-accepting server; and

an identification number of at least fourteen digits, which has been allocated to each of advertised information, said identification number including an agency number that indicates an agency that provides the advertised information and an advertisement-specific number that identifies said advertised information, and

selecting a telephone number of a connection destination automatically according to the identification number.