Patent ID: 7415007
Filing Date: 2008-08-19
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
1. A method for playing an announcement to a calling party, the method comprising: receiving an incoming call from the calling party; determining an identification of the calling party; specifying one of a plurality of differing announcements to the calling party in accordance with the identification of the calling party upon receipt of the incoming call, wherein the specified announcement is a calling party specific announcement intended for the identified calling party; determining with a service control point how to handle the incoming call, including determining with information from a gateway system whether a user is connected to the packet-based data network; providing instructions from the service control point to a service switching point to supply a busy or call waiting signal to the calling party if the user is not connected to the packet-based data network; otherwise, forwarding the incoming call to the gateway system if the user is connected to the packet-based data network; and prompting the user to choose at least one call handling option if the user is connected to the packet-based data network, wherein the prompting allows rerouting the incoming call to an alternate communication line that differs from a communication line of the incoming call, and also allows a one-way voice connection to be established to allow a called party to listen to the calling party contemporaneous with the calling party leaving a message and while the called party maintains a connection with the packet-based data network, without answering the incoming call.