Call announcement service

• US 7,881,442 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lssi Data Corp.
• Original Assignee: Lssi Data Corp.
• Inventors: Renner, Peter, Rickard, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US10/886,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,400 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 379/212.01
• US Class Current: 379/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set

Abstract

A method and operation for a call announcement service which answers incoming phone calls. The system retrieves identifying information about the calling party and provides that information to the called party. The called party can choose from several options for answering the call, such as completing the call with the calling party, sending the calling party to voice mail or terminating the call. In an alternative embodiment, the calling party can be notified that they have dialed a cellular phone customer, and can be provided the option of accepting the called party'"'"'s cellular phone charges.

Claims

1. A method of answering a telephone call from a calling party to a called party, said method comprising:

using a call answering system to answer the telephone call from the calling party;

obtaining information about the calling party from a source other than the calling party, the obtained information including an identity of the calling party, the source comprising a database that includes names;

announcing to the calling party that the called party is being contacted to determine if the called party is available to answer the call;

placing the calling party on hold pending receipt of call answering instructions from the called party;

announcing, via a second telephone call initiated by the call answering system to the called party, the telephone call from the calling party, including audibly announcing the identity of the calling party using the obtained information;

providing call answering options to the called party;

receiving the call answering instructions from the called party, the call answering instructions being a selected one of the provided call answering options;

providing an option to the calling party to accept the called party'"'"'s cellular telephone usage charges;

terminating the telephone call if the calling party does not accept the called party'"'"'s cellular telephone usage charges; and

completing the telephone call according to the call answering instructions received from the called party if the calling party does accept the called party'"'"'s cellular telephone usage charges.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of providing call answering options further comprises providing an option to connect the call, providing a record option to send the calling party to a voice mail unit and providing an option to terminate the call.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of announcing a greeting to the calling party further includes announcing to the calling party that the called party is a cellular telephone customer.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said step of providing call answering options further comprises providing an option to connect the telephone call, providing a record option to send the calling party to a voice mail unit and providing an option to terminate the telephone call.

5. A telephone call announcement system, the telephone call announcement system comprising:

a switch in communication with a telephone network;

a voice-response unit coupled to the switch;

a controller in communication with the switch and the voice response unit, the controller operable to control the switch and the voice response unit, the operability to control comprising operability to;

answer a telephone call from a calling party to a called party;

obtain information about the calling party from a source other than the calling party, the obtained information including an identity of the calling party, the source comprising a database that includes names;

announce to the calling party that the called party is being contacted to determine if the called party is available to answer the call;

place the calling party on hold pending receipt of call answering instructions from the called party;

announce, via a second telephone call initiated by the telephone call announcement system to the called party, the telephone call from the calling party, the announcement comprising audibly announcing the identity of the calling party using the obtained information;

provide call answering options to the called party;

receive the call answering instructions from the called party, the call answering instructions being a selected one of the provided call answering options;

provide an option to the calling party to accept the called party'"'"'s cellular telephone usage charges;

terminate the telephone call if the calling party does not accept the called party'"'"'s cellular telephone usage charges; and

complete the telephone call according to the call answering instructions received from the called party if the calling party does accept the called party'"'"'s cellular telephone usage charges.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the operability to control comprises operability to provide a record option to send the calling party to a voice mail unit and operability to provide an option to terminate the telephone call.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the operability to control comprises operability to announce to the calling party that the called party is a cellular telephone customer.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the operability to provide call answering options further comprises operability to:

provide an option to connect the telephone call;

provide a record option to send the calling party to a voice mail unit; and

provide an option to terminate the telephone call.