Patent ID: 6301349
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
In a telecommunications system, a method to connect an unanswered forwarded communication directly to a voice mail service (VMS) applied to a designated directory number without connecting the unanswered forwarded communication to the designated directory number, comprising:placing a call by dialing a code followed by voice mail information so that the call is routed with the voice mail information through the telecommunications system;in routing the call through the telecommunications system, making a recognition of the code;in response to the recognition, parsing the voice mail information into call instructions so that the call is further routed with the call instructions and so that the call is further routed based on the call instructions through the telecommunications system;in further routing the call through the telecommunications system, pausing in processing of the call to obtain call termination instructions based on the call instructions;receiving the call termination instructions, the call termination instructions directing the call to be terminated to the VMS applied to the designated directory number;in response to receipt of the call termination instructions, terminating the call to the VMS applied to the designated directory number; andafter the call is terminated to the VMS, bridging the unanswered forwarded communication to the call,whereby the further routing of the call through the telecommunications system on the basis of the call instructions until the call termination instructions are received allows the call to be terminated to the VMS rather than to the designated directory number so that the unanswered forwarded communication is directly connected to the VMS without first being connected to the designated directory number.