Method, system and article for providing a family telecommunication service using an originating dual-tone multi-frequency trigger

• US 8,023,632 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gruchala, Carol
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US12/633,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20100086116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.02, 379/201.07, 379/201.08, 379/211.01, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 379/201.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

A menu is provided in a telephone call. The menu provides a plurality of destination options including a first destination option for a residence of a family, a second destination option for a first member of the family at a first location other than the residence, and a third destination option for a second member of the family at a second location other than the residence. A first selection of one of the destination options is received in the telephone call, and the telephone call is routed to a first telephone number corresponding to the first selection. Thereafter, an originating dual-tone multi-frequency trigger is detected. The telephone call to the first telephone number is interrupted, a second selection of the destination options is received, and the telephone call is routed to a second telephone number corresponding to the second selection.

Claims

1. A method of providing a telecommunication service, the method comprising:

providing a menu during a telephone call from a network element of a telecommunications network to a caller, the menu providing a plurality of destination options including a first destination option for a residence of a family, a second destination option for a first member of the family at a first location other than the residence, and a third destination option for a second member of the family at a second location other than the residence;

receiving during the telephone call a selection of the caller of one of the destination options; and

routing the telephone call via the telecommunications network to a first telephone number corresponding to the selection;

detecting a trigger from the caller in the telephone call after routing the telephone call to the first telephone number corresponding to the first selection;

after the detecting;

interrupting the telephone call to the first telephone number;

receiving during the telephone call a second selection of the caller of one of the destination options provided in the menu; and

routing the telephone call to a second telephone number corresponding to the second selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of destination options further includes a fourth destination option for the first member of the family at a third location other than the residence, the first location, and the second location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises an originating dual-tone multi-frequency trigger.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after interrupting the telephone call to the first telephone number, providing a portion of the menu in the telephone call.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a public switched telephone network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the caller of one of the destination options is received at the network element within the telecommunications network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the selection of the caller of one of the destination options is received at a switch located within a public switched telephone network.

8. A system comprising:

a first network element located within a telecommunications network, the first network element comprising a first trigger and a second trigger, the first trigger to detect a telephone call placed by a caller to a telephone number and the second trigger enabling the caller to interrupt the telephone call; and

a second network element comprising service logic accessible by the first network element, the service logic implementing;

providing to the caller during a telephone call in response to the first trigger a menu providing a plurality of destination options including a first destination option for a residence of a family, a second destination option for a first member of the family at a first location other than the residence, and a third destination option for a second member of the family at a second location other than the residence; and

receiving during the telephone call a selection of the caller of one of the destination options and routing the telephone call via the telecommunications network to a first telephone number corresponding to the selection;

the service logic of the second network element implementing;

in response to the second trigger received from the caller;

receiving during the telephone call a second selection of the caller of one of the destination options provided in the menu; and

routing the telephone call to a second telephone number corresponding to the second selection.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the service logic of the second network element further implements:

providing a portion of the menu in the telephone call in response to the second trigger received from the caller.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second trigger is an originating dual-tone multi-frequency trigger.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the second network element is a service control point.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a public switched telephone network.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for providing a telecommunications service, the set of instructions to direct a processor to implement:

providing a menu during a telephone call from a network element of a telecommunications network to a caller, the menu providing a plurality of destination options including a first destination option for a residence of a family, a second destination option for a first member of the family at a first location other than the residence, and a third destination option for a second member of the family at a second location other than the residence;

receiving during the telephone call a selection of the caller of one of the destination options;

routing the telephone call via the telecommunications network to a first telephone number corresponding to the selection;

detecting a trigger from the caller in the telephone call after routing the telephone call to the first telephone number corresponding to the first selection;

after the detecting;

interrupting the telephone call to the first telephone number;

receiving during the telephone call a second selection of the caller of one of the destination options provided in the menu; and

routing the telephone call to a second telephone number corresponding to the second selection.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 further comprising a set of instructions to direct the processor to implement:

after interrupting the telephone call to the first telephone number, providing a portion of the menu in the telephone call.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the trigger comprises an originating dual-tone multi-frequency trigger.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a public switched telephone network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the selection of the caller of one of the destination options is received at a switch located within a public switched telephone network.