Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6327356?dq=5,381,459
Timestamp: 2014-12-27 12:59:58
Document Index: 181417344

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Patent US6327356 - Call forwarding on busy or no answer when call waiting is active - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA method and an apparatus for handling incoming calls when call waiting is active. If the called party is not on a call when an incoming call occurs and the called party does not answer the incoming call then a message is played to the calling party that the called party did not answer, and the called...http://www.google.com/patents/US6327356?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6327356 - Call forwarding on busy or no answer when call waiting is activeAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6327356 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/033,920Publication dateDec 4, 2001Filing dateMar 3, 1998Priority dateJul 17, 1996Fee statusPaidAlso published asCA2208394A1, CA2208394C, US5974131Publication number033920, 09033920, US 6327356 B1, US 6327356B1, US-B1-6327356, US6327356 B1, US6327356B1InventorsDale W. MalikOriginal AssigneeBellsouth Intellectual Property Group, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (10), Referenced by (6), Classifications (17), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetCall forwarding on busy or no answer when call waiting is activeUS 6327356 B1Abstract A method and an apparatus for handling incoming calls when call waiting is active. If the called party is not on a call when an incoming call occurs and the called party does not answer the incoming call then a message is played to the calling party that the called party did not answer, and the called party is given the opportunity to record a message for the called party. If the called party is on a call when an incoming call occurs and, after the call waiting signal is played to the called party, the called party does not answer the incoming call then a message is played to the calling party that the called party is busy, and the called party is given the opportunity to record a message for the called party. If the called party is engaged in a first call and a second call when an incoming call occurs then a message is played to the calling party that the called party is busy, and the called party is given the opportunity to record a message for the called party. Therefore, even when call waiting is active, the calling party is properly advised of the reason that the called party did not answer the incoming call.
TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to the processing of incoming telephone calls and, more particularly, is a method and an apparatus for processing an incoming call to a telephone number which has call waiting based upon the busy/not busy status of that telephone number.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For a long time, most people had only one telephone line or number to a household and only one call could be handled at a time. If a called party was using the telephone when a calling party tried to call, the calling party simply received a busy signal.
The next improvement was call waiting. With call waiting, if the called party was engaged in a first call when a calling party tried to call, the central office would play a ringback signal to the calling party, and would signal the called party of the incoming call by periodically interrupting the first call by means of a tone or a click or other audible indicator. If the called party wished to answer the incoming call then the called party signaled the central office by momentarily pressing the hookswitch to generate a �hookflash� signal. The central office would then place the first call on hold and connect the calling party to the called party. The called party could switch between the two calls by pressing the hookswitch. However, if the called party did not want to answer the incoming call then the called party simply ignored the audible indicator and, eventually, the calling party would hang up as the incoming call would remain unanswered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for handling incoming calls when the called party has call waiting and the call waiting is active. If the called party is not on a call when an incoming call occurs and the called party does not answer the incoming call then a message is played to the calling party that the called party did not answer, and the calling party is given the opportunity to record a message for the called party. If the called party is on a call when an incoming call occurs then a call waiting signal is played to the called party and, if the called party does not answer the incoming call within a predetermined time, then a message is played to the calling party that the called party is busy, and the called party is given the opportunity to record a message for the called party. If the called party is engaged in a first call and a second call when an incoming call occurs then a message is played to the calling party that the called party is busy, and the called party is given the opportunity to record a message for the called party. Therefore, if the called party was on another call or other calls when the incoming call occurred then, if the incoming call is not answered by the called party, the calling party is advised that the called party is on another call and is offered the opportunity to leave a message. However, if the called party was not on another call when the incoming call occurred and the incoming call is not answered by the called party, then the calling party is advised that the called party did not answer and is offered the opportunity to leave a message. Therefore, the calling party knows whether the called party was on another call and the calling party can react accordingly and leave an appropriate message.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an illustration of the preferred environment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 is an illustration of the preferred environment of the present invention. The telephone company central office (CO) switch 10, such as a 1A ESS switch or a 5ESS switch, is connected by a plurality of telephone lines 11A, 11B, and 13 to a first party telephone 12A, a second party telephone 12B, and the called party telephone 14, respectively. Depending upon the customer's selection and the services offered by the telephone company, the switch 10 may also be connected by the telephone line 13 to a CPE device 16, by a communications link 17 to an ATAS device 18, or by a telephone 19 to an answering service 20. For ease of illustration and explanation, communications link 17 is shown as a single component. However, in the preferred embodiment, communications link 17 comprises both signalling and voice paths. The signalling path would be, for example, a simplified message desk interface (SMDI), which is well known in the art, and the voice path would be, for example, one or more conventional telephone trunks or lines. ANI and DNIS information, and the disposition of the call, such as the call state or status, are sent over the signalling link. The selection of ATAS device 18 or the answering service 20 is a customer (called party) preference. For convenience, the selection 18 or 20 is referred to herein as the specified destination. It will be appreciated that the ATAS device 18 could, if desired, be implemented as part of the switch 10. In this environment, the called party at telephone 14 has subscribed to the call waiting service. The examples below illustrate the operation of the switch 10 in the present invention.
Example 1: The called party 14 is not on the telephone and calling party 12A calls the called party 14. If the called party 14 does not answer then (1) the CPE device 16 answers the call if CPE device 16 is present, or (2) if the CPE device 16 is not present then the switch 10 forwards the call, along with a status indication, to the ATAS device 18, such as an answering machine service, or forwards the call to an answering service 20. The status indication is used by the ATAS device 18 or the answering service 20 to select the proper message to be played to the calling party 12A, such as, �I am sorry. The called party does not answer. Please leave a message at the tone.�
Example 2: The called party 14 is on the telephone with a first call with calling party 12A and then calling party 12B calls the called party 14. The switch 10 signals the called party 14 that there is an incoming call. If the called party 14 does not answer the incoming call from calling party 12B then the switch 10 forwards the call, along with a status indication, to the ATAS device 18, such as an answering machine service, or forwards the call to an answering service 20. However, in this case, the status indication is busy. This status indication is used by the ATAS device 18 or the answering service 20 to select the proper message to be played to the calling party 12A, such as, �I am sorry. The called party is on another line. Please leave a message at the tone.�
FIGS. 2A and 2B are a flowchart of the process used by the switch 10. The process is used to determine the status of the called party and, hence, the reason why the incoming call is not answered. Decision 201 tests whether there is an incoming call. If not, a loopback is made to decision 201 until there is an incoming call. Once an incoming call occurs then decision 203 tests the line of the called party to determine whether the line is busy, that is, the line is not idle, and, if busy, whether the called party 14 is handling one or two calls. If the line is not busy (the line is idle) then, in step 205, the switch 10 rings the telephone of the called party. Decision 207 tests whether call the forwarding-no answer feature or the call forwarding-call waiting-no answer feature is active. If neither is active then the call handling process is complete so the switch 10 then returns to decision 201 to wait for the next incoming call. If either feature is active then decision 209 tests whether the incoming call is answered by the called party (or by a CPE device at the called party telephone number). If the incoming call is not answered within a predetermined time or a predetermined number of rings then, in step 211, the call is forwarded to the specified destination, along with a �no answer� status indication. The call handling process is then complete so the switch 10 then returns to decision 201 to wait for the next incoming call. If, at decision 209, the incoming call is answered the call handling process is complete so the switch 10 then returns to decision 201 to wait for the next incoming call.
However, if, at decision 203, the line of the called party is busy with one call then decision 217 tests whether the call waiting feature is active. If not, then the switch plays a busy signal for the calling party in step 219. The call handling process is then complete so the switch 10 returns to decision 201 to wait for the next incoming call. If at decision 217 the call waiting feature is active then the switch 10 signals the called party at step 221 that the called party has an incoming call. Decision 223 tests whether the called party has accepted the incoming call. If the called party accepts the incoming call then the call handling process is complete so the switch 10 then returns to decision 201 to wait for the next incoming call. If the called party does not accept the incoming call within a predetermined time or a predetermined number of rings then decision 225 tests whether the call forwarding-call waiting-busy feature of the present invention is active. If not then the switch proceeds to step 211. If, at decision 225, the call forwarding-call waiting-busy feature of the present invention is active then, in step 227, the call is forwarded to the specified destination, along with a �busy� status indication. The call handling process is then complete so the switch 10 then returns to decision 201 to wait for the next incoming call.
In step 223, although the timeout process described above is preferred, in an alternative embodiment the called party can also indicate non-acceptance of the call by pressing a specified key, for example, the �#�, during the existing call.
For convenience, the forwarding status referred to in steps 211 and 227 have been referred to simply as �no answer� or �busy�. However, it may be desirable to use a different name for such forwarding status, such as �call forwarding-call waiting-no answer� and �call forwarding-call waiting-busy�, to distinguish these unique status conditions from the existing �call forward-no answer� and �call forward-busy� status conditions.
Assume instead that the called party 14 is currently on a telephone call with a calling party 12A. Assume now that the calling party 12B calls the called party 14. The switch 10 will signal the called party 14 that there is an incoming call. If the called party 14 does not accept the incoming call then the switch 10 will forward the call to the SCN 25 along with the number of the calling party 12B (Automatic Number Identification�ANI), the number of the called party 14 (Dialed Number Information Service�DNIS), and the status indication�busy. The SCN 25 will then answer the call from the calling party 12B and will play a message for the calling party advising that the called party 14 is currently on another call and inquiring as to whether the calling party 12B wishes to wait on hold for the calling party 14 to finish the present telephone call or wishes to leave a message. The SCN 25 also advises the calling party 12B to indicate a preference by, for example, pressing �1� to hold, or �2� to leave a message.
If the calling party 12B presses �1� then the SCN 25 will place the calling party 12B on hold and, after a predetermined time, call the called party 14. If the called party 14 is no longer on another call and answers the call from the SCN 25 then the SCN 25 will notify the switch 10 to immediately connect the called party 14 to the calling party 12B and to disconnect the SCN 25 from the called party 14 and the calling party 12B. This may be accomplished by any one of several procedures, such as a �transfer� command, or a �conference� command followed by a �release� command.
If the called party 14 intercepts the calling party 12B by sending a signal to the SCN 25 by, for example, pressing �6�, the SCN 25 will signal the switch 10 to transfer the call from the calling party 12B to the called party 14, and the SCN 25 will also signal termination of the connection to the specified destination and the one-way connection to the called party 14 by hanging up, at which point the switch 10 will terminate the connections between the SCN 25, the called party 14, and the specified destination.
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