Computer-implemented call forwarding options and methods therefor in a unified messaging system

• US 6,463,145 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jiang, John, OʼNeal, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGDEPPA, HECTOR A
• Application Number:
  US09/239,584
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 709/229, 455/461
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for permitting a subscriber of a call forwarding service to customize call forwarding parameters associated with the call forwarding service. The call forwarding service being configured to permit the subscriber to specify whether a call received at a telephone number associated with a given account of the call forwarding service be forwarded to a forwarding telephone number. The call forwarding parameters includes a call forwarding enable option and the forwarding telephone number. The method includes providing a subscriber communication profile database. The subscriber communication profile database has therein the account pertaining to the subscriber. The account includes the call forwarding parameters for the subscriber. The method further includes visually displaying the call forwarding parameters on a display terminal coupled to a data-centric network, using a computer server coupled to exchange data with the subscriber communication profile database, when the subscriber employs the display terminal to access the account. There is also included receiving from the subscriber via the display terminal a first change to the call forwarding parameters. The first change to the call forwarding parameters pertains to at least one of the call forwarding enable option and the forwarding telephone number. Further, there is included updating the first change to the account in the subscriber communication profile database, wherein subsequent calls to the given account are handled in accordance with parameters present in the subscriber communication profile database after the update.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented control center for permitting a subscriber of a unified messaging system to customize call forwarding parameters associated with a call forwarding service, said call forwarding service being configured to permit said subscriber to specify whether a call received at a telephone number associated with a given account of said unified messaging system be forwarded to a forwarding telephone number, said call forwarding parameters including a call forwarding enable option and said forwarding telephone number, said computer-implemented control center comprising:

a subscriber communication profile database, said subscriber communication profile database having therein said account pertaining to said subscriber, said account including said call forwarding parameters for said subscriber;

a computer server coupled to exchange data with said subscriber communication profile database, said computer server being configured to visually display said call forwarding parameters on a display terminal coupled to a data-centric network when said subscriber employs said display terminal to access said computer-implemented control center, said computer server also being configured to receive from said subscriber via said display terminal a first change to said call forwarding parameters and to update said first change to said account in said subscriber communication profile database, wherein subsequent calls to said given account are handled in accordance with parameters present in said subscriber communication profile database after said update; and

wherein when said call forwarding enable option is enabled and a call is received at the telephone number associated with the given account of said unified messaging system, said computer server obtains digital data corresponding to a telephone signal associated with said received call, and said computer server automatically determines whether said received call is a voice call made to said associated telephone number or a facsimile call made to said associated telephone number on the basis of said obtained digital data, and automatically forwards said voice call, but not said facsimile call, to said forwarding telephone number.

2. The computer-implemented control center of claim 1 wherein said subsequent calls are made through a telephony-centric network different from said data-centric network.

3. The computer-implemented control center of claim 1 wherein said first change represents one of a disabling and an enabling of said call forwarding enable option.

4. The computer-implemented control center of claim 1 wherein said first change represents an edit of said forwarding telephone number.

5. The computer-implemented control center of claim 1 further comprising a telephony server coupled to exchange data with said communication profile database, said telephony server being configured to audibly represent said call forwarding parameters to a telephone set when said subscriber employs said telephone set to access said computer-implemented control center, said telephony server also being configured to receive from said subscriber via said telephone set a second change to said call forwarding parameters and to update said second change to said account in said subscriber communication profile database.

6. The computer-implemented control center of claim 5 wherein said telephony server includes an outgoing port and an incoming port, said incoming port representing a port through which said call is received, said outgoing port represents a port employed by said telephony server to initiate an outgoing call to said forwarding telephone number, wherein said forwarding is accomplished by coupling said incoming port to said outgoing port.

7. The computer-implemented control center of claim 6 wherein said incoming port is coupled to said outgoing port only if said outgoing call is successful.

8. The computer-implemented control center of claim 1 wherein the computer server comprises:

a database server coupled to exchange data with the subscriber communication profile database; and

a telephony server configured to receive the received call and to obtain said digital data corresponding to a telephone signal associated with said received call, said telephony server also being configured to communicate with said database server.

9. The computer-implemented control center of claim 8 wherein the telephony server determines if the telephone signal associated with the received call comprises an analog signal in which case said telephony server converts said telephone signal to the digital data.

10. The computer-implemented control center of claim 1 wherein the server automatically determines whether said received call is a voice call made to said associated telephone number or a facsimile call made to said associated telephone number on the presence of facsimile tone data identified in said obtained digital data.

11. A computer-implemented control center for permitting a subscriber of a unified messaging system to customize facsimile forwarding parameters associated with a facsimile forwarding service, said facsimile forwarding service being configured to permit said subscriber to specify whether a facsimile received at a telephone number associated with a given account of said unified messaging system be forwarded to a forwarding telephone number associated with another facsimile receiver, said facsimile forwarding parameters including a facsimile forwarding enable option and said forwarding telephone number, said computer-implemented control center comprising:

a subscriber communication profile database, said subscriber communication profile database having therein said account pertaining to said subscriber, said account including said facsimile forwarding parameters for said subscriber;

a computer server coupled to exchange data with said subscriber communication profile database, said computer server being configured to visually display said facsimile forwarding parameters on a display terminal coupled to a data-centric network when said subscriber employs said display terminal to access said computer-implemented control center, said computer server also being configured to receive from said subscriber via said display terminal a first change to said facsimile forwarding parameters and to update said first change to said account in said subscriber communication profile database, wherein subsequent facsimiles to said given account are handled in accordance with parameters present in said subscriber communication profile database after said update; and

wherein when said facsimile forwarding enable option is enabled and a call is received at the telephone number associated with the given account of said unified messaging system, said computer server obtains digital data corresponding to a telephone signal associated with said received call, and said computer server automatically determines whether said received call is a voice call made to said associated telephone number or a facsimile call made to said associated telephone number on the basis of said obtained digital data, and automatically forwards said facsimile call, but not said voice call, to said forwarding telephone number.

12. The computer-implemented control center of claim 11 wherein said subsequent facsimiles are made through a telephony-centric network different from said data-centric network.

13. The computer-implemented control center of claim 11 wherein said subsequent facsimiles are made through said data-centric network.

14. The computer-implemented control center of claim 11 wherein said first change represents one of a disabling and an enabling of said facsimile forwarding enable option.

15. The computer-implemented control center of claim 11 wherein said first change represents an edit of said forwarding telephone number.

16. The computer-implemented control center of claim 11 further comprising a telephony server coupled to exchange data with said communication profile database, said telephony server being configured to audibly represent said facsimile forwarding parameters to a telephone set when said subscriber employs said telephone set to access said computer-implemented control center, said telephony server also being configured to receive from said subscriber via said telephone set a second change to said facsimile forwarding parameters and to update said second change to said account in said subscriber communication profile database.

17. The computer-implemented control center of claim 16 wherein said telephony server includes an outgoing port and an incoming port, said incoming port representing a port through which said facsimile is received, said outgoing port represents a port employed by said telephony server to initiate an outgoing facsimile to said forwarding telephone number, wherein said forwarding is accomplished by coupling said incoming port to said outgoing port.

18. The computer-implemented control center of claim 17 wherein said incoming port is coupled to said outgoing port only if said outgoing facsimile is successful.

19. The computer-implemented control center of claim 11 further comprising a telephony server coupled to exchange data with said communication profile database, said telephony server including an outgoing port and an incoming port, said incoming port representing a port through which said facsimile is received, said outgoing port represents a port employed by said telephony server to initiate an outgoing call to said forwarding telephone number, wherein said forwarding is accomplished by coupling said incoming port to said outgoing port.

20. The computer-implemented control center of claim 19 wherein said incoming port is coupled to said outgoing port only if said outgoing call is successful.

21. The computer-implemented control center of claim 11 wherein the computer server comprises:

a database server coupled to exchange data with the subscriber communication profile database; and

a telephony server configured to receive the received call and to obtain said digital data corresponding to a telephone signal associated with said received call, said telephony server also being configured to communicate with said database server.

22. The computer-implemented control center of claim 21 wherein the telephony server determines if the telephone signal associated with the received call comprises an analog signal in which case said telephony server converts said telephone signal to the digital data.

23. The computer-implemented control center of claim 11 wherein the server automatically determines whether said received call is a voice call made to said associated telephone number or a facsimile call made to said associated telephone number on the presence of facsimile tone data identified in said obtained digital data.

24. A computer-implemented method for permitting a subscriber of a call forwarding service to customize call forwarding parameters associated with said call forwarding service, said call forwarding service being configured to permit said subscriber to specify whether a call received at a telephone number associated with a given account of said call forwarding service be forwarded to a forwarding telephone number, said call forwarding parameters including a call forwarding enable option and said forwarding telephone number, the method comprising:

providing a subscriber communication profile database, said subscriber communication profile database having therein said account pertaining to said subscriber, said account including said call forwarding parameters for said subscriber;

visually displaying said call forwarding parameters on a display terminal coupled to a data-centric network, using a computer server coupled to exchange data with said subscriber communication profile database, when said subscriber employs said display terminal to access said account;

receiving from said subscriber via said display terminal a first change to said call forwarding parameters, said first change to said call forwarding parameters pertains to at least one of said call forwarding enable option and said forwarding telephone number;

updating said first change to said account in said subscriber communication profile database, wherein subsequent calls to said given account are handled in accordance with parameters present in said subscriber communication profile database after said update;

receiving a call made to said associated telephone number;

obtaining digital data corresponding to a telephone signal associated with said received call made to said associated telephone number;

ascertaining whether the call made to said associated telephone number represents a facsimile call or a voice call on the basis of said obtained digital data; and

forwarding the call made to said associated telephone number to the forwarding telephone number only if the call made to said associated telephone number is a voice call and said call forwarding option is enabled.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24 wherein obtaining digital data corresponding to said telephone signal associated with said received call comprises determining whether the telephone signal comprises an analog signal in which case the telephone signal is converted to digital data corresponding to the telephone signal.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 24 wherein said subsequent calls are made through a telephony-centric network different from said data-centric network.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26 wherein said data-centric network represents the Internet.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 24 further comprising

providing a telephony server coupled to exchange data with said communication profile database, said telephony server being configured to audibly represent said call forwarding parameters to a telephone set when said subscriber employs said telephone set to access said computer-implemented control center, said telephony server also being configured to receive from said subscriber via said telephone set a second change to said call forwarding parameters and to update said second change to said account in said subscriber communication profile database.

29. The computer-implemented control center of claim 28 wherein said telephony server includes an outgoing port and an incoming port, said incoming port representing a port through which said call is received, said outgoing port represents a port employed by said telephony server to initiate an outgoing call to said forwarding telephone number, wherein said forwarding is accomplished by coupling said incoming port to said outgoing port.

30. A computer-implemented method for handling routing of a telephone call, the method comprising:

receiving a telephone call;

obtaining digital data corresponding to a telephone signal associated with the received telephone calls

determining whether the received telephone call is a facsimile call or a non-facsimile call on the basis of the obtained digital data; and

forwarding the received telephone call to a first forwarding telephone number only if the received telephone call is a non-facsimile call and a non-facsimile forwarding option is enabled.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein obtaining digital data corresponding to the telephone signal associated with the received telephone call comprises determining whether the telephone signal comprises an analog signal in which case the telephone signal is converted to digital data corresponding to the telephone signal.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising forwarding the received telephone call to a second forwarding telephone number if the received telephone call is a facsimile call and a facsimile forwarding option is enabled.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving a facsimile message associated with the received telephone call if the received telephone call is a facsimile call.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising forwarding the received facsimile message to a second forwarding telephone number having facsimile receiving capability if the received telephone call is a facsimile call and a facsimile forwarding option is enabled.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the method is implemented in a unified messaging system.