EP0410657A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus and method for processing a freephone number telephone call
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1990-07-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-07-20
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and method for providing an on-site 800 number customer-made determination of a further action to be taken in response to a caller dialling an 800 number associated with the 800 number customer. A system 10 includes apparatus for receiving from an 800 number network provider Host processor 26 information expressive of an occurrence of a caller having dialled an 800 telephone number. The system 10 further includes apparatus for determining at a customer's Host processor 12 an action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the 800 telephone number. The system also includes apparatus for transmitting from the customer's Host processor to the network provider's Host processor 26 information expressive of the determined action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the 800 telephone number. The information received by the customer's Host processor includes an identification of the caller as provided by the caller's billing telephone number. The determined action may be to deny or to accept the call. If the call is accepted the customer's Host 12 determines a destination phone number that is provided to the network provider's Host processor for further transmission to the caller's local Host processor.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles H. Dr. Jolissaint
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 06:56
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M15/00; H04M15/08; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/4228; H04M3/42306; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/523; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0029; H04M11/00; H04M11/06; H04M2203/00; H04M2203/55; H04M2203/551; H04M2215/00; H04M2215/62; H04M2242/00; H04M2242/22; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42034; H04M3/42059; H04M3/42085; H04M3/42102; H04M7/00; H04M7/06; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/1313; H04Q2213/13512; H04Q2213/13547; H04Q3/72; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S379/00; Y10S379/912
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
236 words
A method of processing a Freephone number telephone call wherein the called party's phone system has a plurality of phones (15) associated with Freephone number destination phone numbers, the plurality of phones being managed by a digital switch (14), the called party's system further including a Host processor (12) coupled to the digital switch, and interface means (22) for bidirectionally coupling the called party's Host processor to a Freephone number network provider's Host processor (26), the method comprising the steps of, in response to a caller dialling a Freephone telephone number: (a) transmitting from the Freephone number network provider's Host processor to the called party's Host processor information expressive of the occurrence of the caller having dialled the Freephone number; (b) determining at the called party's Host processor an action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the Freephone number; (c) transmitting from the called party's Host processor to the network provider's Host processor information expressive of the determined action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the Freephone number; and (d) if the called party's Host processor does not transmit the information expressive of the determined action within a predetermined interval of time, transmitting from the network provider's Host processor to the called party's Host processor default information including an indication that the network provider's Host processor has provided a default destination telephone number associated with the Freephone number.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
236 words
A method of processing a Freephone number telephone call wherein the called party's phone system has a plurality of phones (15) associated with Freephone number destination phone numbers, the plurality of phones being managed by a digital switch (14), the called party's system further including a Host processor (12) coupled to the digital switch, and interface means (22) for bidirectionally coupling the called party's Host processor to a Freephone number network provider's Host processor (26), the method comprising the steps of, in response to a caller dialling a Freephone telephone number: (a) transmitting from the Freephone number network provider's Host processor to the called party's Host processor information expressive of the occurrence of the caller having dialled the Freephone number; (b) determining at the called party's Host processor an action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the Freephone number; (c) transmitting from the called party's Host processor to the network provider's Host processor information expressive of the determined action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the Freephone number; and (d) if the called party's Host processor does not transmit the information expressive of the determined action within a predetermined interval of time, transmitting from the network provider's Host processor to the called party's Host processor default information including an indication that the network provider's Host processor has provided a default destination telephone number associated with the Freephone number.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of determining includes a step of determining whether to accept or deny the call based at least in part upon call load balancing considerations.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
68 words
A method as set forth in any preceding claim wherein the first step of transmitting includes a step of sending a first data packet from the network provider's Host processor to the called party's Host processor, the first data packet being comprised of data fields expressive of at least: (a) an identification of the caller; (b) the Freephone number dialled by the caller; and (c) a reference number.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as set forth in Claim 3 wherein the step of determining includes a step of determining whether to accept or deny the call based at least in part upon the caller's identification.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method as set forth in Claim 3 or 4 wherein the step of determining includes a step of determining a destination phone number to which to connect the caller, and wherein the second step of transmitting includes a step of sending a second data packet from the customer's Host processor to the network provider's Host processor, the second data packet being comprised of data fields expressive of at least: (a) the destination phone number; and (b) the reference number.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method as set forth in claim 5, wherein if the called party's host processor does not transmit the information expressive of the determined action wihtin a predetermined interval of time, the third step of transmitting includes a step of sending a third data packet from the network provider's Host processor to the called party's Host processor, the third data packet being comprised of data fields expressive of at least: (a) the default destination phone number; and (b) the reference number.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
222 words
Apparatus for processing a Freephone number telephone call wherein the called party's phone system has a plurality of phones (18) associated with Freephone number destination phone numbers, the plurality of phones being managed by a digital switch means (14), the system further including a customer's Host processor (12) coupled to the digital switch and an interface means (22) for bidirectionally coupling the Host processor to a Freephone number network provider's Host processor (26), the apparatus comprising: means for receiving from the Freephone number network provider's Host processor information expressive of the occurrence of a caller having dialled a Freephone telephone number; means for determining at the called party's Host processor an action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the Freephone telephone number; means for transmitting from the called party's Host processor to the network provider's Host processor information expressive of the determined action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the Freephone telephone number; and means, responsive to the called party's Host processor not transmitting the information expressive of the determined action within a predetermined interval of time, for transmitting from the network provider's Host processor to the called party's Host processor default information including an indication that the network provider's Host processor has provided a default destination telephone number associated with the Freephone number.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
222 words
Apparatus for processing a Freephone number telephone call wherein the called party's phone system has a plurality of phones (18) associated with Freephone number destination phone numbers, the plurality of phones being managed by a digital switch means (14), the system further including a customer's Host processor (12) coupled to the digital switch and an interface means (22) for bidirectionally coupling the Host processor to a Freephone number network provider's Host processor (26), the apparatus comprising: means for receiving from the Freephone number network provider's Host processor information expressive of the occurrence of a caller having dialled a Freephone telephone number; means for determining at the called party's Host processor an action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the Freephone telephone number; means for transmitting from the called party's Host processor to the network provider's Host processor information expressive of the determined action to be taken in response to the caller having dialled the Freephone telephone number; and means, responsive to the called party's Host processor not transmitting the information expressive of the determined action within a predetermined interval of time, for transmitting from the network provider's Host processor to the called party's Host processor default information including an indication that the network provider's Host processor has provided a default destination telephone number associated with the Freephone number.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said receiving and said transmitting means comprise means for interfacing to a Signalling System 7 communications link and wherein said information is transmitted over a Signalling System 7 communications link.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as set forth in Claim 8 wherein said interfacing means comprises processor means having Signalling System 7 interface means, the processor means further having means for bidirectionally coupling the processor means to the customer's Host processor for transmitting information thereto and for receiving information therefrom.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the received information comprises a first data packet having data fields expressive of at least: (a) an identification of the caller; (b) the Freephone number dialled by the caller; and (c) a reference number.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus as set forth claim 10 wherein the means for determining includes means for determining at least a destination phone number for the Freephone number call and wherein the transmitting means includes means for transmitting a second data packet from the called party's Host processor to the network provider's Host processor, the second data packet being comprised of data fields expressive of at least: (a) the destination phone number; and (b) the reference number.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus as set forth claim 11 wherein the means for determining includes means for determining at least whether to deny the dialled Freephone number call or whether to determine a destination phone number for the Freephone number call, and wherein the second data packet further includes a data field expressive of the Freephone number call being denied by the determining means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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