EP0726669A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1996-01-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-01-31
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls that allows the caller to specify priority criteria relating to its call and the recipient to specify priority criteria relating to the treatment of incoming calls.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark J. Foladare
- 👤 Nancy S. Murray
- 👤 Shelley B. Goldman
- 👤 David P. Silverman
- 👤 Roy P. Weber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 19:12
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0029; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/38; H04M3/42; H04M3/436; H04M3/54; H04M2242/00; H04M2242/22; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42034; H04M3/42059; H04M3/42085; H04M3/42102; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13091; H04Q2213/13103; H04Q2213/13141; H04Q2213/13176; H04Q2213/13204; H04Q2213/1325; H04Q2213/13256; H04Q2213/13282; H04Q2213/13547; H04Q3/72
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for prioritizing telephone calls in a telephone network having the ability to connect a caller at a caller station having a telephone number and a call recipient at a call recipient station having a telephone number, comprising the steps of: determining whether a caller has assigned a priority to its call; and directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes determining whether the caller's telephone number appears on an automatic number identification ("ANI") trigger table.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: establishing a connection between an originating switch and an ANI trigger table; and transmitting signals between the originating switch and the ANI trigger table to determine whether the caller's telephone number appears on the ANI trigger table.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes identifying caller specified priority criteria.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: establishing a connection between an originating switch and a data base; and using the caller's telephone number to retrieve caller specified priority criteria from the data base.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes connecting the caller station to the call recipient station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 4, wherein directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: establishing a connection between the caller telephone station and an originating switch; establishing a connection between the originating switch and a terminating switch; and transmitting the caller specified priority criteria from the originating switch to the terminating switch.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes determining whether the call recipient's telephone number appears on an ANI trigger table.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: establishing a connection between a terminating switch and an ANI trigger table; and transmitting signals between the terminating switch and the ANI trigger table to determine whether the call recipient's telephone number appears on the ANI trigger table.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes identifying call recipient specified priority criteria.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: establishing a connection between a terminating switch and a data base; and using the call recipient's telephone number to retrieve call recipient specified priority criteria from the data base.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 1, wherein directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: identifying caller specified priority criteria; identifying call recipient specified priority criteria; and determining whether the caller specified priority criteria and the call recipient specified priority criteria match.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
72 words
An apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls in a telephone network having the ability to connect a caller at a caller station having a telephone number and a call recipient at a call recipient station having a telephone number, comprising: a means for determining whether a caller has assigned a priority to its call; and a means for directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for determining whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes means for determining whether the caller's telephone number appears on an automatic number identification ("ANI") trigger table.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
67 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for determining whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: means for establishing a connection between an originating switch and an ANI trigger table; and means for transmitting signals between the originating switch and the ANI trigger table to determine whether the caller's telephone number appears on the ANI trigger table.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for determining whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes means for identifying caller specified priority criteria.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for determining whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: means for establishing a connection between an originating switch and a data base; and means for using the caller's telephone number to retrieve caller specified priority criteria from the data base.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes means for connecting the caller station to the call recipient station.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
74 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 16, wherein the means for directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: means for establishing a connection between the caller telephone station and an originating switch; means for establishing a connection between the originating switch and a terminating switch; and means for transmitting the caller specified priority criteria from the originating switch to the terminating switch.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes means for determining whether the call recipient's telephone number appears on an ANI trigger table.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
72 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: means for establishing a connection between a terminating switch and an ANI trigger table; and means for transmitting signals between the terminating switch and the ANI trigger table to determine whether the call recipient's telephone number appears on the ANI trigger table.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes means for identifying call recipient specified priority criteria.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: means for establishing a connection between a terminating switch and a data base; and means for using the call recipient's telephone number to retrieve call recipient specified priority criteria from the data base.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls according to claim 13, wherein the means for directing the call based on whether the caller has assigned a priority to its call includes: means for identifying caller specified priority criteria; means for identifying call recipient specified priority criteria; and means for determining whether the caller specified priority criteria and the call recipient specified priority criteria match.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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