Abstract:
A proposed method and system allow customer to avoid long distance charges that arise when user receives a call when he/she is outside of his home network. We rely on fact that in Cellular network the call placed from the terminal that outside home network to local number will not be a subject of long distance tariff. 
     A method and system employs a mobile phone by which the user instead of answering the call that comes through users&#39; personal DID will reject it and then make a call to local number (pickup number). Server will keep the initial call and complete the connection when it receives incoming call from user phone. As an additional option instead of sending call to the device, server sends notification to the device and device will initiate call to local number. Notification can be send using push notification, SMS or another mechanism.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Applicants&#39; prior provisional application, number 
         [0002]    [61/564,864], filed on [Nov. 30, 2011]. 
       MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0004]    This application relates in general to providing of communications services and, in particular, to a method and system for optimizing mobile cost of answering of incoming anchored cellular calls. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In the context of mobile network when user receives the call while he/she is outside of his/her home network corresponding long distance charges will be applied. If this incoming call has been delivered to the customer mobile phone through the VOIP operator infrastructure (for example through personal DID) it is necessary to provide an effective way to eliminate these long distance charges for these customers. At the same time we can rely on fact that in Cellular network the call placed from the terminal that outside home network to local number will not be a subject of long distance tariff. 
         [0006]    Known methods of minimizing long distance charges for incoming calls have different drawbacks. For example, delivering an incoming call as IP call over data network (WiFi/3G/4G) can be sensitive to the availability and quality of data connection and can significantly drain the battery of customer&#39;s mobile phone. 
         [0007]    There therefore exists a need for a method and system that provides an effective way of accepting incoming cellular calls that can eliminate long distance charges. 
         [0008]    While establishing a long distance call or in special plans arrangements like free calls to limited set of numbers (favourite numbers) customer can benefit from replacing incoming cellular calls to mobile phone with the pick up call to certain predefined number or to the number specified by message sent from telephony server. 
         [0009]    There therefore exists a need for service providers to enable a method and system that can establish a call to their customers by answering incoming anchored call through local number pick up call and therefore reduce the cost of long distance incoming cellular calls. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method and a system for effective call establishment which optimizing mobile cost of answering incoming anchored call through local number pick up. 
         [0011]    The invention therefore provides a method for optimizing mobile cost of answering incoming anchored call through local number pick up comprising: receiving initial incoming call anchored by means of calling through user&#39;s personal DID and traversing this call to the call control application server (CCAS); keeping this initial call request by CCAS and propagating the call request to user&#39;s mobile phone; rejecting incoming cellular calls that comes to the user mobile phone through user&#39;s personal DID; making a call from this mobile phone to the certain local number (pickup number or pickup DN); receiving the call request through this pickup DN by the call control application server (CCAS) which keeping the initial anchored call; and completing the connection between a call to the called pickup number and initial incoming call by CCAS which correlates initial incoming call with the call to the pickup DN. 
         [0012]    The invention further provides a system for optimizing mobile cost of answering incoming anchored call through local number pick up, comprising: a mobile phone optionally equipped with application client programmed to: monitor incoming calls; monitor the location of the phone and detecting when long distance charges can be applied; reject incoming cellular call that comes to the user mobile phone through user&#39;s personal DID automatically (or manually by user); make a call to the certain local number (pickup number or pickup DN); and a call control application server (CCAS), comprising a service programmed to: receive initial incoming call anchored by means of calling through user&#39;s personal DID; keep (park) this initial call request and propagate the call request to user&#39;s mobile phone; wait for incoming call from the subscriber mobile phone through certain call pickup number; receive the call request through this pickup DN; correlate initial incoming call with the call to the pickup DN and complete the connection between them. 
         [0013]    The invention further provides a mobile handset application client, comprising: program instructions to monitor incoming calls; program instructions to monitor the location of the mobile handset for detecting when long distance charges can be applied and to select proper pick up number based on the location of the mobile handset; program instructions for rejecting incoming cellular call that comes to the user mobile phone through user&#39;s personal DID; and program instructions for receiving parameters of pickup call (pickup number, DTMF sequence) within notification message sent by server or by using request to the server prior to initiating of pickup call; and program instructions for launching a cellular telephone call from the mobile cellular handset using certain pick up DN and optionally sending DTMF sequence right after pickup call is answered by the server. 
         [0014]    The invention yet further provides a call control application server, comprising: a service application that is receiving anchored called; instead of sending call to the device optionally sending notification to the device by using push notification, SMS or another mechanism; keeping (parking) this initial received incoming call request while waiting for incoming call pick up from the subscriber phone; identifies incoming call by one of or combination of dedicated pickup number per subscriber, CallerID that is matching subscriber phone or/and DTMF combination that is sent by subscriber right after pickup call is answered by the server; completes the call setup request to connect the subscriber to the initial incoming call. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a block representation of a communication environment according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  provides an exemplary communication flow according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  provides an exemplary communication flow according to the embodiment of the disclosure which used short messaging as notification mechanism. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  provides an exemplary communication flow according to the embodiment of the disclosure which used push messaging as notification mechanism. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a block representation of a mobile handset with an application client according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a block representation of a call control application server according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and illustrate the best mode of practicing the invention. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the invention and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims. 
         [0023]    Prior to delving into the details of select embodiments, an overview of an exemplary communication environment  10  is provided in association with  FIG. 1 . In general, a call control application server (CCAS)  20  is provided to facilitate call establishment between two phones and to connect incoming call anchored through user&#39;s personal DID  21  by calling to local pick up number  23 . In an exemplary embodiment, the mobile handset  12  is equipped with application client which monitors incoming calls coming through user&#39;s personal DID and/or notifications that contain parameters of pickup call (pickup number, DTMF sequence sent by server by SMS or through push notification or by using request to the server prior to initiating of pickup call). The call control application server (CCAS)  20  will receive a call through certain user&#39;s personal access DN (DID)  21 , keep this initial call request by CCAS  20  and propagating the call request to user&#39;s mobile phone DN  15  (user B). Given DN  15  will be retrieved from subscriber database based on personal DID  21 . The mobile phone of user B  12  will reject incoming cellular call that comes to the user mobile phone through user&#39;s personal DID  21 , select local pickup number  23  based on its location and make a call to this local pickup number  23 . After receiving the call request through this local pickup DN  23  the call control application server (CCAS)  20  will correlate the initial incoming call to personal DID  21  with the call to the pickup DN  23  and complete the connection between a call to the called pickup number  23  and initial incoming call kept by CCAS  20 . 
         [0024]    Alternatively, the call control application server (CCAS)  20  that is receiving anchored called; instead of sending call to the device can send notification to the device by using push notification, SMS or another mechanism through SMSC gateway  14 , push gateway  18  or others. After receiving this call pickup information through SMS or push notification the mobile phone of user B  12  will make a call to specified local pickup number  23  and send (optionally) DTMF sequence. After receiving the call request through this local pickup DN  23  the call control application server (CCAS)  20  will correlate the initial incoming call to personal DID  21  with the call to the pickup DN  23  and complete the connection between a call to the called pickup number  23  and initial incoming call kept by CCAS  20 . 
         [0025]    Notably, the devices  12  for user A or A′ may take virtually any form, including wired or wireless telephones, personal computers with VOIP application, and the like. The labels provided for these terminals in this description and the following claims are used only to improve readability and separately identify the terminals. 
         [0026]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , a communication flow is provided to illustrate an exemplary scenario for utilizing the call control application server  20  to set up a voice call between user A and user B equipped with application client  30 . This is only an exemplary scenario of voice call establishment between two phones, which anchored through calling personal DID  21 , and the aspects and elements represented in the communication flow are not all deemed necessary for implementation of the present invention. For purposes of clarity, the phone  12  of user A associated with DN A is labelled “Phone (user A)  12 ”. Likewise the mobile handset  12  of user B associated with DN B is labelled “Mobile Phone (user B)  12 ”. The call control application server  20  operates to accept incoming call from users through personal access DN (personal DID). The subscriber database  44  operates to store user profile information and to provide this information to the service application  40  as requested. In exemplary embodiments, the user database  44  may form a part of the call control application server  20 . 
         [0027]    At some point, the user A decides to initiate a call from the phone (user A)  12  to the phone (user B)  12  using certain access DN (personal DID)  21  (step  232 ). 
         [0028]    The call control application server (CCAS)  20  is receiving an inbound call request at the access DN  21  (step  232 ), extracting the calling number (user A&#39;s DN) and parking the call (step  234 ). 
         [0029]    Now in possession of user B&#39;s personal access DN the call control application server (CCAS)  20  matches it with information in subscriber&#39;s database  44  (step  238 ) and retrieves the called number (user B&#39;s DN)  15  to formulate a call setup request to the called number (step  240 ). 
         [0030]    Now in possession of user B&#39;s DN, DN B  15  (called number) the call control application server (CCAS)  20  sends the call setup to the user B&#39;s DN (step  242 ) as originated from predefined DN (for example from personal access DN of user B). 
         [0031]    The application client  30  in phone (user B)  12  will intercept this incoming call attempt, identify that it is a call set up from the call control application server (CCAS)  20  and reject it (step  244 ). At the same time the application client will initiate a cellular telephone call from the mobile cellular handset using certain pickup DN  23  (step  246 ). This pickup DN will be selected based on the location of this mobile handset. 
         [0032]    The call control application server (CCAS)  20  is receiving an inbound call request at the pickup DN  23  (step  232 ) and extracting the calling number (user B&#39;s DN  15 ). 
         [0033]    Now in possession of user B&#39;s DN  15  and user&#39;s B pickup DN  23  the call control application server (CCAS)  20  matches it with information in subscriber&#39;s database  44  (step  248 ) and retrieves the initial parked call leg (step  250 ). 
         [0034]    Now the call control application server (CCAS)  20  connects the initial parked call leg and incoming call to pick up DN  23  and connects the subscriber to the called number (step  252 ). 
         [0035]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , a communication flow is provided to illustrate an exemplary scenario for utilizing the call control application server  20  to set up a voice call between user A and user B equipped with application client  30 . This is only an exemplary scenario of voice call establishment between two phones, which anchored through calling personal DID  21  where the call control application server (CCAS)  20  is using short messaging as notification mechanism to provide call pickup information to user&#39;s B handset equipped with the application client  30 . 
         [0036]    The call control application server (CCAS)  20  is receiving an inbound call request at the access DN (step  232 ), extracting the calling number (user A&#39;s DN) and parking the call (step  234 ). 
         [0037]    Now in possession of user B&#39;s personal access DN the call control application server (CCAS)  20  matches it with information in subscriber&#39;s database  44  (step  238 ) and retrieves the called number (user B&#39;s DN  15 ) and necessary pick up information (call pickup number and DTMF sequence) to formulate an assisting SMS with given pick up instructions (step  302 ). 
         [0038]    This information will be sent to the SMSC gateway  14  through corresponding communication interface (step  302 ). In exemplary scenario RESTful API  22  is used as such interface but it can be any type of inter services connectivity. 
         [0039]    Next, the SMS gateway  14  sends assisting SMS (SMSAM) message to user B&#39;s DN  15  (step  304 ) as originated from user B&#39;s personal access DN  21 . 
         [0040]    The application client  30  in phone (user B)  12  will intercept this incoming assisting SMS message, identify that it is a message from the call control application server (CCAS)  20  and extract pick up information (step  306 ) (call pickup number DN  23  and DTMF sequence). At the same time the application client will initiate a cellular telephone call from the mobile cellular handset using received pickup DN  23  (step  308 ) and send correspondent DTMF sequence to the call control application server (CCAS)  20 . 
         [0041]    The call control application server (CCAS)  20  is receiving an inbound call request at the pickup DN  23  (step  308 ) and extracting the calling number (user B&#39;s DN) and sent DTMF sequence. 
         [0042]    Now in possession of user B&#39;s DN, DTMF sequence and user&#39;s B pickup DN the call control application server (CCAS)  20  matches it with information in subscriber&#39;s database  44  (step  310 ) and retrieves the initial parked call leg (step  250 ). 
         [0043]    Now the call control application server (CCAS)  20  connects the initial parked call leg and incoming call to pick up DN  23  and connects the subscriber to the called number (step  252 ). 
         [0044]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , a communication flow is provided to illustrate an exemplary scenario for utilizing the call control application server  20  to set up a voice call between user A and user B equipped with application client  30 . This is only an exemplary scenario of voice call establishment between two phones, which anchored through calling personal DID  21  where the call control application server (CCAS)  20  is using push messaging as notification mechanism to provide call pickup information to user&#39;s B handset equipped with the application client  30 . 
         [0045]    The call control application server (CCAS)  20  is receiving an inbound call request at the access DN  21  (step  232 ), extracting the calling number (user A&#39;s DN) and parking the call (step  234 ). 
         [0046]    Now in possession of user B&#39;s personal access DN the call control application server (CCAS)  20  matches it with information in subscriber&#39;s database  44  (step  238 ) and retrieves the called number (user B&#39;s DN  15 ) and necessary pick up information (call pickup number and DTMF sequence) to formulate an assisting push message with given pick up instructions (step  402 ). 
         [0047]    This information will be sent to the push gateway  18  through corresponding communication interface (step  402 ). In exemplary scenario RESTful API  22  is used as such interface but it can be any type of inter services connectivity. 
         [0048]    Next, the push gateway  18  sends assisting push message to user B&#39;s DN  15  (step  404 ). 
         [0049]    The application client  30  in phone (user B)  12  will receive this push message, identify that it is a message from the call control application server (CCAS)  20  and extract pick up information (step  406 ) (call pickup number DN  23  and DTMF sequence). At the same time the application client will initiate a cellular telephone call from the mobile cellular handset using received pickup DN  23  (step  308 ) and send correspondent DTMF sequence to the call control application server (CCAS)  20 . 
         [0050]    The call control application server (CCAS)  20  is receiving an inbound call request at the pickup DN  23  (step  408 ) and extracting the calling number (user B&#39;s DN) and sent DTMF sequence. 
         [0051]    Now in possession of user B&#39;s DN, DTMF sequence and user&#39;s B pickup DN the call control application server (CCAS)  20  matches it with information in subscriber&#39;s database  44  (step  310 ) and retrieves the initial parked call leg (step  250 ). 
         [0052]    Now the call control application server (CCAS)  20  connects the initial parked call leg and incoming call to pick up DN  23  and connects the subscriber to the called number (step  252 ). 
         [0053]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , a block representation of the mobile handset (smartphone)  12  with an application client  30  is illustrated according to one embodiment. The mobile handset  12  includes an application client  30  having capability of gathering location information from location services  32  and program instructions  34  and data  36  to operate as described above. The program instructions  34  provide the communication functions, data storage and gathering functions and geo location function which are described above. The application client  30  can interact with three communication interfaces  38  (SMS, push notification and call setup through mobile network) to gather additional information through SMS assisting message or push message and to establish a call through pick up DN  23  as illustrated in the communication environment  10 . 
         [0054]    With reference to  FIG. 6 , a block representation of a call control application server  20  is illustrated. The call control application server  20  includes a service application  40  having capability to store and retrieve subscriber and call specific data in database  44  and program instructions  42  for initiating SMS assisting message or push notification, accepting and control call requests to personal access DN  21  and to pick up DN  23  and processing DTMF sequences as described above. The service application  40  interacts with through several communication interfaces  48  with SMS gateways, push gateway, PSTN and mobile network to provide call control functionality as described above. 
         [0055]    Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the embodiments of the present invention. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.