Methods and systems for call management with user intervention

• US 9,392,120 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chingon, Robert A., Brennan, Stephen P., Helbling, Christopher L., Kunuturi, Nagendra, Penumatsa, Ravi, Rajagopalan, Mahesh, Reding, Craig L., Reformato, John R., Wurster, John H., Chakraverty, Sandeep, Pinto, Byron M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/324,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20140378110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/352, 379/88.19, 379/93.25, 379/210.02, 379/213.01, 379/88.17, 379/265.09, 379/88.12, 379/88.22, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/142.08, 455/415, 455/417, 455/418, 455/414.4, 455/564, 713/155
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• 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 3/543 Call deflection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing a call in real-time are disclosed. Methods and systems consistent with the present invention manage a call in real-time based on input from a user. A service center receives information pertaining to a call to the user from a service control point and sends a notification of the call to a device associated with the user. The service center receives a response to the notification from the user. Thereafter, the service center instructs the service control point to connect the call based on the response.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server and from a network call controller, information associated with a call to a user;

sending, by the server, a notification to a device of the user after receiving the information associated with the call;

receiving, by the server and as a response to the notification, information regarding a selection of an option for managing the call by the user,

the option including sending the call to another device that is different from the device; and

instructing, by the server, the network call controller to connect the call based on the selection of the option.

2. The method of claim 1,

where the notification includes displayable user-selectable options for managing the call, and

where the user-selectable options for managing the call includes the option for managing the call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the device, from a plurality of devices, based on data associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

retrieving the data associated with the user based on the information associated with the call.

5. The method of claim 1, where the other device is within a particular distance from a temporary location of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the network call controller, other information associated with another call to the user;

sending another notification to the device of the user after receiving the other information associated with the other call;

determining that another response to the other notification has not been received after a particular period of time; and

accepting the call for the device based on determining that the other response to the other notification has not been received after the particular period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, where instructing the network call controller comprises:

encrypting the information regarding the selection of the option, and

sending the encrypted information regarding the selection of the option to the network call controller.

8. The method of claim 1,

where the option is selected from a plurality of options, and

where another option, of the plurality of options, includes screening a calling party that placed the call to the user.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, a notification regarding a call directed to a user associated with the device;

providing, by the device and for display, a user interface based on the notification,

the user interface including information identifying user-selectable options for managing the call directed to the user;

receiving, by the device and via the user interface, a selection of a particular option, of the user-selectable options, from the user; and

causing, by the device, the call to be connected based on the selection of the particular option.

10. The method of claim 9, where the notification includes the information identifying the user-selectable options for managing the call directed to the user.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing, while providing the user interface, a ringing tone or an announcement that indicates that the call is proceeding.

12. The method of claim 9, where causing the call to be connected based on the selection of the particular option comprises:

providing, to a server, a response to the notification based on the selection of the particular option,

the response including information identifying the selection of the particular option by the user, and

the server instructing a network call controller to connect the call based on the selection of the particular option.

13. The method of claim 9, where the particular option includes forwarding the call to another device that is different from the device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

presenting, to the user, a query for a number of the other device; and

receiving, from the user, information identifying the number,

causing the call to be connected including;

causing the call to be forwarded to the other device based on the information identifying the number.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive, from a network call controller, information associated with a call to a user;

send a notification to a device of the user after receiving the information associated with the call;

receive, as a response to the notification, information regarding a selection of an option for managing the call by the user,

the option including causing a particular recorded announcement to be played to a calling party that placed the call to the user; and

instruct the network call controller to connect the call based on the selection of the option.

16. The system of claim 15,

where the notification includes displayable user-selectable options for managing the call, and

where the user-selectable options for managing the call includes the option for managing the call.

17. The system of claim 15,

where the option is selected from a plurality of options, and

where another option, of the plurality of options, includes sending the call to another device that is different from the device.

18. The system of claim 15,

where the option is selected from a plurality of options, and

where another option, of the plurality of options, includes screening a calling party that placed the call to the user.

19. The system of claim 15, where the one or more processors are further to:

select the device, from a plurality of devices, based on data associated with the user.

20. The system of claim 15, where, when instructing the network call controller, the one or more processors are to:

encrypt the information regarding the selection of the option, and

send the encrypted information regarding the selection of the option to the network call controller.