System and method for call management

• US 8,660,254 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gray, Michael, Baccay, Peter, Colbert, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US12/394,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 379/208.01, 379/211.01, 379/215.01, 379/48, 379/218.02
• US Class Current: 379/208.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/30 for subscriber's lines , for the local loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network

Abstract

A method and system for call management is provided. In a system embodiment a call manager server is provided that can managing incoming call requests from certain telephony devices and effect connections to other telephony devices based on those incoming call requests. The call manager server can also maintain a policy that defines permissions as to whether certain telephony devices can request interruption of an ongoing phone call at a destination telephony device.

Claims

1. A method of managing calls comprising:

receiving at a call manager server, an incoming call request to connect a first telephony device to a second telephony device, wherein said first telephony device and said second telephony device are associated with a private network;

if said second telephony device is otherwise engaged in another call with a third telephony device associated with a public network, determining at said call manager server if a preemption request exists to interrupt said another call;

if said preemption request exists, determining at said call manager server if a preemption policy permits said preemption request, wherein said preemption policy applies to said first telephony device and said second telephony device but does not apply to said third telephony device, wherein said preemption policy includes preemption permissions associated with a plurality of telephony devices including said first and second telephony devices, and said preemption policy permissions contain different determinations of whether preemption requests are permitted or not based on whether calls are emergency calls or not;

if said preemption policy permits said preemption request, terminating at said call manager server said another call, providing a notification to one or more of said second telephony device and said third telephony device as to termination of said another call, and completing said call request by connecting said first telephony device to said second telephony device; and

,

if said preemption policy does not permit said preemption request, invoking a process at said call manager server for managing incoming call requests when said second telephony device is unavailable;

if said second telephony device is not otherwise engaged in another call with said third telephony device, completing at said call manager server said call request by connecting said first telephony device to said second telephony device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if said preemption request does not exist, invoking said process for managing incoming call requests when said second telephony device is unavailable said call.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy permits preemption requests from said first telephony device to said second telephony device, but does not permit preemption requests from said second telephony device to said first telephony device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy is based on the priority of said call request.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy include overrides such that either said first telephony device or said second telephony device will always accept a preemption request, or that said first telephony device or said second telephony device will never accept a preemption request.

6. A call manager server comprising:

storage for maintaining a policy application and a policy database, said policy database including a policy indicating permissions as to whether a first telephony device is permitted to interrupt an existing call between a second telephony device and a third telephony device, wherein said permissions contain different determinations of whether or not existing calls are permitted to be interrupted based on whether existing calls are emergency calls or not;

a processor connected to said storage and configured to executed said policy application;

a network interface connected to said processor and configured to connect to said telephony devices;

said processor configured to receive a call request from said first telephony device to connect to said second telephony device;

said processor configured through said policy application to interrupt any existing call between said second telephony device and said third telephony device if said policy data indicates a permission that such interruption is permitted, said processor configured to provide a notification to one or more of said second telephony device and said third telephony device as to interruption of said any existing call,

wherein said call manager server is associated with a private network and said first telephony device and said second telephony device are associated with said private network and said third telephony device is associated with a public network, and

wherein said policy applies to said first telephony device and said second telephony device but does not apply to said third telephony device.

7. The call manager server of claim 6 wherein said call manager server connects to said public network and said first telephony device and said second telephony device are configured to connect to said call manager server via said private network or said public network.

8. The call manager server of claim 7 wherein said policy includes preemption permissions associated with a plurality of additional telephony devices associated with said private network.

9. The call manager server of claim 6 wherein said policy permits preemption requests from said first telephony device to said second telephony device, but does not permit preemption requests from said second telephony device to said first telephony device.

10. The call manager server of claim 6 wherein said policy is based on the priority of said call request.

11. The call manager server of claim 6 wherein said policy include overrides such that either said first telephony device or said second telephony device will always accept a preemption request, or that said first telephony device or said second telephony device will never accept a preemption request.

12. The call manager server of claim 6 wherein said first telephony device and said second telephony device are permitted to interrupt an existing call with each other.