Abstract:
A method and system are provided for automatic call connection. A call back request is initiated by a first user and then sent to a second user. After the call back request is received by the second user, the second user is given the option of accepting or rejecting the call back request. If the second user accepts the call back request, then the first user is automatically connected to the second user.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to automatically connecting calls, and more particularly to an improved, automated system and method for connecting multi-media calls. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Contacting someone in an urgent situation can be difficult in today&#39;s business world. One approach presently utilized includes a combination of landline telephone calls, cellular telephone calls, pager calls, E-mail messages, and the like. Some systems track a person down by trying a series of these methods in succession. Trying a series of these steps might or might not result in a connection and may not result in the most efficient or most cost effective connection. For example, a long distance telephone call to a cellular telephone might reach someone when they are sitting in their office with their landline telephone in the “do not disturb” mode. The “do not disturb” mode can automatically forward all calls to a voice messaging system or an assistant. The telephone usually does not ring while in this mode of operation. These known techniques require a sequential calling scheme which results in expensive calls. They are also intrusive because they do not allow the called party to reject the call or otherwise notify the caller with a message (e.g., a possibility of calling later). 
     Selective call screening is also known. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,844, a call screening arrangement is disclosed for an intercom communication system. The described call screening features selectively screens incoming telephone calls. The unscreened calls are selected according to the currently activated call features at the called station. This patent provides a second call screening embodiment which enables activation of a call back feature. 
     Call back indication is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,301. This patent describes storing data associated with a detected telephone number and reading out the stored telephone number. This information is then used to produce a dialing control signal to call back the calling party. Thus, the telephone has a caller&#39;s telephone number recognition function. The caller&#39;s telephone number can be displayed on the telephone, and the user can dial with reference to the stored telephone data to call back a calling person. 
     Call back requests which utilize a network are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,790. A telecommunication system receives a call back request through a separately maintained computer network and initiates the actual call back toward the requesting subscriber using its own signaling system telecommunications network. Thus, call back subscriber features are provided which utilize two different communications networks. This patent provides a system for establishing a communications link between two subscribers located within two different countries where certain outgoing calls are restricted. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,929 provides an interoffice call back arrangement. A telephone switching system is disclosed with facilities for processing interoffice call back information over a common channel interoffice signaling system between program controlled call processors in call originating and terminating offices upon encountering a called station busy condition. U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,761 also provides an automatic call back system. In this system, incoming calls are answered, and if the resource desired by the caller is not then available, a robot controller informs the caller when a call back to the caller can be made. The call back time can be suggested by the robot controller or the caller can request a specific call back time. At the appropriate time, the robot controller removes the information from the call back queue, places the call and connects the desired resource. 
     In addition to telephone calls, computers, and computer laptops are commonly used to contact someone via, for example, E-mail. Personal digital assistants (PDAs) and pagers can also be used to contact someone. What is needed is a system and method which saves on toll charges and reaches a called person more efficiently. Media blending, computer laptops and/or PDAs can be utilized as intelligent tools to place the most expedient and economic call possible. Additionally, it is desirable to have less intrusive media used to alert a called party of an incoming urgent call. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Contacting someone immediately can be a difficult task. Letting someone know you need to reach them can be accomplished in a number of ways (e.g., voice mail message, facsimile, pager message, etc.). The present invention allows a caller to leave a call request with a called party in a special server that will perform the notification function to the called party. This special server also handles the acceptance or rejection of the call, notification to the caller and media blending. It can be used by employees at the same business site to expedite connections between employees. It can also be used from remote locations to reach people more effectively and to save on telephone call charges or toll charges. 
     A method and system are provided for automatic call connection. A call back request is initiated by a first user and then sent to a second user. After the call back request is received by the second user, the second user is given the option of accepting or rejecting the call back request. If the second user accepts the call back request, then the first user is automatically connected to the second user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  provides an environment for the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  provides a block diagram for one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  provides a process flow chart for one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  provides a process flow chart showing an embodiment for a call back based on a message. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  provides an environment for the present invention. A caller  10  is connected to a called party  20  via a network connection  30 . Network connection  30  can be any commercially available network connection (e.g., a packet based network). Caller  10  has multiple caller inputs  40  available. These caller inputs  40  include, for example, a personal digital assistant (PDA)  42 , a personal computer (e.g., a laptop computer)  44 , a workplace telephone  46 , a home telephone  48 , a cellular telephone  50  and facsimile machine  51 . Similarly, called party  20  has called party outputs  60 . These called party outputs  60  include, for example, a personal digital assistant (PDA)  62 , a personal computer  64 , a workplace telephone  66 , a home telephone  68 , a cellular telephone  70  and a facsimile machine  71 . Caller  10  uses one of caller inputs  40  to communicate with called party  20 . This communication utilizes one of called party outputs  60 , and the connection is made via network connection  30 . For example, caller  10  can utilize home telephone  48  to call workplace telephone  66  via network connection  30 . When called party  20  answers work telephone  66 , caller  10  and called party  20  are connected. In one embodiment of the present invention, caller  10  utilizes PDA  42  to contact work telephone  66 . PDA  42  can be, for example, 3COM&#39;s commercially available Palm Pilot. In this embodiment, work telephone  66  has a visual display. The identification of caller  10  is provided in data sent by PDA  42  such that this identification information can be displayed on work telephone  66 . Called party  20  can consider the displayed caller identification information before deciding whether to take the call placed by caller  10  via PDA  42 . If called party  20  decides to take the call, work telephone  66  may, depending on the system configuration, automatically dial the telephone number for cellular telephone  50  in order to connect called party  20  with caller  10 . 
       FIG. 2  provides a block diagram for one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, caller  100  has both telephone  110  and personal computer  120  at his disposal. Caller  100  uses telephone  110  and computer  120  to attempt to contact called party  130 . Telephone  140 , server  150  and message mailbox  160  are associated with called party  130 . Caller  100  makes a call request to called party  130  via computer  120 . Computer  120  then communicates this request to server  150  via, for example, a direct landline or a telephone network. Server  150  contacts called party  130  via telephone  140 . If called party  130  wishes to speak to caller  100 , she indicates this via telephone  140 . For example, a touch tone driven menu of options can be used to provide the information to server  150  via telephone  140 . Server  150  then places a call between telephone  110  and telephone  140 . In an alternative embodiment, if called party  130  is not present or refuses to take the call, server  150  provides caller  100  with the option of leaving a message in message mailbox  160 . 
       FIG. 3  provides a process flow chart for one embodiment of the present invention. In this example, Party A is in a hotel room in Florida and wants to reach Party B at her desk in Santa Clara. Party A and Party B may be employees of the same company. Party A could try to make a telephone call to Party B via the telephone network. Party A would then pay hotel long distance charges or go through the inconvenience of using a credit card which results in paying credit card surcharges and higher rates than normal. With the present invention, Party A can use computer assistance to make a connection. This computer assistance can be with, for example, a laptop computer or a PDA. At step  200 , Party A enters his location telephone number and Party B&#39;s work telephone number. The location telephone number would be the direct dial telephone number for Party A&#39;s hotel room in Florida. At step  202 , Party A&#39;s laptop automatically makes a modem telephone call to the local internet service provider (ISP) network serving the local area (e.g., AT&amp;T, WorldNet or Netcom). Thus, Computer A places a local call from the hotel with the associated local charges. 
     At step  204 , Computer A logs onto the ISP network and connects to a call request server attached to the ISP network as well as Party B&#39;s communication system (e.g., a PBX). The function of the call request server can be built into a PBX, but for this example, a separate Server B is provided. The server could also be attached to a central office or to a LAN based real-time communication system or some other type of communication system. There can also be a secondary log on to the call request server to authenticate the identity of Party A before toll charges are incurred by the honoring of the forthcoming call request. 
     At step  206 , the call request Server B calls Party B through, for example, the PBX. At step  208 , Party B is given the option of answering the telephone call. If Party B answers the call, the process moves to step  210 . At this step, the Server B will play a message. For example, the server message may be, “You have an incoming call back request from . . . ”, and the name of Party B can be either replayed from a database or sent via text-to-speech conversion. At step  212 , Party B is given the option of either accepting the call and its charges or rejecting the call. If Party B accepts the call, the process moves to step  214 . At this step, call request Server B places a call over the public switched telephone network or other discount long distance network. At step  216 , call request Server B sends a data message to Computer A over the ISP to instruct Computer A to hang up and to notify Party A that an incoming call will soon follow. At step  218 , Computer A hangs up. Alternatively, if Party B rejects the call at step  212 , the process moves to step  220 . At this step, Server B sends a data message to Computer A over the ISP network to instruct it to hang up and to notify Party A that the call request has been rejected. At step  222 , Computer A hangs up. 
     Moving back to step  208 , if Party B does not answer the call, the process moves to step  230 . At this step, if Party B&#39;s telephone is busy, then the process moves to step  231 . If Party B&#39;s telephone is not busy, the process moves to step  232 . At step  231 , if call waiting is available and Party B answers the call waiting system, then the process moves to step  210  as described above. If call waiting is not available or not answered, then the process moves to step  232 . At this step, call request Server B will receive a busy signal, voice mail, or a continuous ring signal. At step  234 , call request Server B notifies Party A via Computer A that Party B is on the telephone or not answering the telephone. At step  236 , Party A is given the option of staying connected. If Party A decides to stop at this point, the connection is ended at step  238 . If Party A decides to wait for the outcome, the process moves to step  240 . At this step, Party A is given the option of leaving a message or waiting for various periods of time. If Party A chooses not to wait, the process moves to step  242  and Party A can leave a “call me back later” message out of stored personalized messages or enter a different personalized message on Computer A. If Party A decides to wait for a certain period of time, the process moves to step  244 . At step  246 , a message is left for Party B stating the name of the person waiting (i.e., Party A) and stating that Party A will wait for a certain period of time for a response to his call back request. 
     In the above example, the call back Server B will always give Party B the option of either accepting the call and its charges or rejecting the call. In either case, the call request server sends a data message to Computer A over the ISP network to instruct it to hang up and to notify Party A that an incoming call will soon follow or that the request has been rejected. If Party A is no longer connected via Computer A, that information is provided back to Party B in the form of another message to the call back request Server B which can initiate another voice call to notify Party B. Because Computer A may be being used to retrieve E-mail or perform other functions on the data network, it is conceivable that Party A will stay connected long enough for Party B to initiate the call back while Party A is still connected. 
     If a “call me back later” message is left for Party B, it will also state that Party A tried to reach Party B. The message can ask for an immediate call back or a later call back, and can be left in many ways. For example, notification can be left for Party B in the form of a voice mail message based on a message sent from Computer A to Server B. The voice mail system can present Party B with the option of trying to call back Party A. As an alternative, Party B&#39;s telephone display can record and display the call back request. Party B may then be able to initiate the call back by pressing a special, pre-programmed function key on Party B&#39;s telephone. In yet another embodiment, an E-mail message can be sent. Party B can then reply to this E-mail message to initiate a telephone call to Party A. 
       FIG. 4  provides a process flow chart showing an embodiment for a call back based on a message. At step  300 , Party B retrieves the message from Party A. This message can be, for example, a regular voice mail message or an E-mail message. At step  302 , Party B is given the option of accepting or rejecting the call. If Party B rejects the call, the process moves to step  304  and no call back is placed. At step  306 , Server B checks if Computer A is still connected. If Computer A is no longer connected, Party B is notified at step  308 . If Computer A is still connected, Server B notifies Computer A of the rejection at step  310 . Computer A then hangs up at step  312 . 
     If Party B accepts the call at step  302  after retrieving the message, then the process moves to step  320 . At this step, Server B automatically places a call to Party A. At step  322 , Server B checks to see if Computer A is still connected. If Computer A is not connected, Party B is notified at step  324 . If Computer A is still connected, Server B notifies Computer A of the incoming call back at step  326 . The notification can come as a voicemail message, an e-mail message, a later voice call, a video message or the like. Computer A then hangs up at step  328 . 
     In an alternative environment, Party B can reject the call back request and disconnect Server B at the same time, such that Party A is not notified of the rejection. This would emulate a disconnected call (e.g., if a modem connection is lost) and could be used if Party B does not want Party A to be notified of the rejection. Alternatively, Party B can send a quick message to Party A along with the notification of the call back request rejection. For example, the message may state “late for a meeting” or “I will call you next week.” In the preferred embodiment, Server B sends this message with the notification sent to Computer A. 
     In yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, if Party A utilizes a LAN in the workplace or a wireless PDA, a connection can be made without tying up any telephone lines. For example, if Party A is using a wireless PDA and a call back request is sent to Party B, Party A can then use the hotel telephone line to call someone else (e.g., his family). If Party B then receives the call request, Party A can be alerted by the PDA to hang up the hotel telephone line to receive the incoming call from Party B. Any data network can be used for the present invention, not just the internet. For example, any data compatible device, including laptops, PDAs and personal communications service (PCS) telephones can be used, and any other method of notification can be used, such as 2-way paging, facsimile, and the like. In addition to voice connections, the present invention can be utilized to establish any real-time connections such as video calls and video conferences in the same manner. 
     In the above-described examples, various and multiple Internet service providers can be used for implementation. In the preferred embodiment, at least one packet based network is utilized. A packet based network can be used to bypass toll charges. The commercially available services provided by Internet service providers is sufficient for implementation of the present invention.