Enhanced service levels for call-processing services

• US 8,670,536 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Trandal, David S., Brahm, David J., Hofstatter, David F., Smith, Bob F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sing, Simon
• Application Number:
  US13/444,312
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.12
• US Class Current: 379/201.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

Service levels for call-processing are enhanced based on the subscriber status of at least one of the calling party and the called party. In one example, a calling party (caller) places a call to a called party (recipient). At least one of the parties subscribes to a call-processing service and the call normally would be processed according to a predetermined service level. However, the service level is enhanced in response to a subscriber status for at least one of the parties, and the call is processed according to the enhanced service level.

Claims

1. A method for modifying service parameters with respect to telecommunication services, comprising:

recording, by a computing system, an assigned designation in association with a first phone address based at least in part on an action by a first user, wherein the first user is a subscriber to a telecommunication service and has subscribed to a first level of service with respect to the telecommunication service, and wherein the first phone address is assigned to a second user;

receiving, at the computing system, a first call for the first user, wherein the first call is associated with call signaling information indicating that the first call is originated from the first phone address;

determining, by the computing system, an enhanced service level with respect to the telecommunication service and the first call based at least in part on the designation associated with the first phone address and the call signaling information;

causing at least in part, by the computing system, the enhanced service level to be provided to the first user, the second user, or the first user and the second user with respect to the first call;

receiving a second call for the first user wherein the second call is placed from a telecommunication device associated with a third user, wherein a phone address associated with the third user telecommunication device is not assigned the designation; and

not providing the enhanced service level to the first user, the second user, or the first user and the second user with respect to the second call.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the designation is a contact record created by the first user containing the first phone address.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the designation is determined by the computing system based at least in part upon a number of answered calls by the first user where the call signaling information of the answered calls indicate that the answered calls originated from the first phone address.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunication service is a voice mail service.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunication service is a voice telephony service.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the telecommunication service is a three-way calling service.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the enhanced service level includes enabling a call waiting feature.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the enhanced service level includes enabling caller name service.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the call signaling associated with the call includes the first phone address of the second user and a phone address of the first user.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call is a Voice over Internet Protocol call.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first call is from a mobile device of the second user.

12. A method for modifying service parameters with respect to telecommunication services, comprising:

recording, by a computing system, an assigned designation in association with a first phone address based at least in part on an action by a first user, wherein the first user is a subscriber to a telecommunication service and has subscribed to a first level of service with respect to the telecommunication service and wherein the first phone address is assigned to a second user;

placing, by the computing system in response to a first request by the first user, a first call to the first phone address;

determining, by the computing system, an enhanced service level with respect to the telecommunication service and the first call based at least in part on the designation associated with the first phone address;

causing at least in part, by the computing system, the enhanced service level to be provided to the first user, the second user, or the first user and the second user with respect to a first call placed at least partly in response to the first call request;

placing, by the computing system in response to a second request by the first user, a second call to a third user associated with a second phone address wherein the first user has not assigned the designation to the second phone address; and

not providing the enhanced service level to the first user, the third user, or the first user and the third user with respect to the second call request.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the designation is a contact record created by the first user containing the first phone address.

14. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the designation is determined by the computing system based at least in part upon a quantity of calls originated by the first user to the first phone address.

15. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the telecommunication service is a voice telephony service.

16. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the enhanced service level includes enabling caller name service.

17. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the first call originates from a mobile device of the first user.

18. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the first call is a Voice over Internet Protocol call.

19. A system comprising:

at least one computing device;

non-transitory memory storing program instructions, that when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

recording an assigned designation in association with a first phone address based at least in part on an action by a first user, wherein the first user is a subscriber to a telecommunication service and has subscribed to a first level of service with respect to the telecommunication service, and wherein the first phone address is assigned to a second user;

receiving a first call for the first user, wherein the first call is associated with call signaling information indicating that the first call is originated from the first phone address;

determining an enhanced service level with respect to the telecommunication service and the first call based at least in part on the designation associated with the first phone address and the call signaling information;

causing at least in part the enhanced service level to be provided to the first user, the second user, or the first user and the second user with respect to the first call;

receiving a second call for the first user wherein the second call is placed from a telecommunication device associated with a third user, wherein a phone address associated with the third user telecommunication device is not assigned the designation; and

not providing the enhanced service level to the first user, the second user, or the first user and the second user with respect to the second call.

20. A system comprising:

at least one computing device;

non-transitory memory storing program instructions, that when executed by the at least one computing device, are configured to cause the at system to perform operations comprising;

recording an assigned designation in association with a first phone address based at least in part on an action by a first user, wherein the first user is a subscriber to a telecommunication service and has subscribed to a first level of service with respect to the telecommunication service and wherein the first phone address is assigned to a second user;

placing, in response to a first request by the first user, a first call to the first phone address;

determining an enhanced service level with respect to the telecommunication service and the first call based at least in part on the designation associated with the first phone address;

causing at least in part the enhanced service level to be provided to the first user, the second user, or the first user and the second user with respect to a first call placed at least partly in response to the first call request;

placing, in response to a second request by the first user, a second call to a third user associated with a second phone address wherein the first user has not assigned the designation to the second phone address; and

not providing the enhanced service level to the first user, the third user, or the first user and the third user with respect to the second call request.