Automated booking of telecommunications calls

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing comprises storing a back party telephone number, a forward party telephone number, the class of charge of the call, the type of charge of the call and the time the call is to be set-up.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing comprises storing the ticket data in a call reservation database.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 wherein the retrieving step comprises: scanning the database to find the ticket data; and extracting the ticket data for establishing the call.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein the retrieving step comprises retrieving a back party telephone number, a forward party telephone number and a class of charge.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein the establishing step comprises: determining that a trunk to the back party is available; establishing a connection to the back party; establishing a connection to the forward party; and establishing a connection between the back party and the forward party without connecting an operator position to said call.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein said call is a collect call further comprising the step of: responsive to detecting an answer signal from the forward party, attaching an operator position prior to establishing a connection between the back party and the forward party.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 wherein the establishing step comprises: an answer signal is not detected from the forward party; responsive to said undetected answer signal, the system automatically entering a new reservation for the call; and responsive to said entering a new reservation, the system storing new ticket data for the call.

Claim 12

Apparatus for establishing a call from a back party to a forward party comprising: a switching network, connectable to the back party and the forward party; control means, operable under the control of a program process, for controlling a reservation of the call in the switching system and automatic establishment of a connection to the forward party via the switching network and prior to connecting an operator position to said call at a reserved time.

Claim 13

Apparatus for establishing a call from a back party to a forward party comprising: a switching network, connectable to the back party and the forward party; control means, operable under the control of a program process, for controlling a reservation of the call in the switching system and automatic establishment of a connection to the forward party via the switching network and prior to connecting an operator position to said call at a reserved time.

Claim 14

In a telephone switching system, apparatus for booking a call from a back party to a forward party comprising: means for accepting a reservation of the call in the switching system; means, responsive to the reservation of the call, for storing call reservation ticket data for the call; means for retrieving the call reservation ticket data; and means, responsive to said means for retrieving, for establishing a connection to the back party and the forward party prior to connecting an operator position to said call.

Claim 15

In a telephone switching system, apparatus for booking a call from a back party to a forward party comprising: means for accepting a reservation of the call in the switching system; means, responsive to the reservation of the call, for storing call reservation ticket data for the call; means for retrieving the call reservation ticket data; and means, responsive to said means for retrieving, for establishing a connection to the back party and the forward party prior to connecting an operator position to said call.

Claim 16

In a telephone switching system, apparatus for establishing a booked call from a party to a forward party comprising: means for accepting a reservation of the call in the switching system; means, responsive to the reservation of the call, for storing call reservation ticket data for the call in a call booking database; means for retrieving the call reservation ticket data at a time specified by the call ticket data; and means, responsive to said retrieving, for automatically establishing a call between the back party and the forward party; wherein said retrieving means comprises means for scanning the database to find the stored ticket data to establish the call, said data comprising a back party telephone number, a forward party telephone number and a class of charge; and wherein said establishing means comprises means for determining that a trunk to the back party is available; means for establishing a connection to the back party; means, responsive to establishing a connection with the back party, for playing a message stating that the reserved call is being established and for placing the back party on hold; means for establishing a call to the forward party; and means, responsive to detecting an answer from the forward party, for establishing a connection between the back party and the forward party.

Claim 17

In a telephone switching system, apparatus for establishing a booked call from a party to a forward party comprising: means for accepting a reservation of the call in the switching system; means, responsive to the reservation of the call, for storing call reservation ticket data for the call in a call booking database; means for retrieving the call reservation ticket data at a time specified by the call ticket data; and means, responsive to said retrieving, for automatically establishing a call between the back party and the forward party; wherein said retrieving means comprises means for scanning the database to find the stored ticket data to establish the call, said data comprising a back party telephone number, a forward party telephone number and a class of charge; and wherein said establishing means comprises means for determining that a trunk to the back party is available; means for establishing a connection to the back party; means, responsive to establishing a connection with the back party, for playing a message stating that the reserved call is being established and for placing the back party on hold; means for establishing a call to the forward party; and means, responsive to detecting an answer from the forward party, for establishing a connection between the back party and the forward party.

Claim 20

The method of claim 13 wherein the retrieving step comprises: scanning a database comprising call ticket data for a plurality of calls to find the call ticket data for said booked call; and extracting the ticket data for establishing the call.

Claim 21

The method of claim 13 wherein the establishing step comprises: determining that a trunk to the back party is available; establishing a connection to the back party; establishing a connection to the forward party; and establishing a connection between the back party and the forward party without connecting an operator position to said call.

Claim 22

The method of claim 13 wherein said call is a collect call further comprising the step of: responsive to detecting an answer signal from the forward party, attaching an operator position prior to establishing a connection between the back party and the forward party.

Claim 23

The method of claim 13 wherein the establishing step comprises: an answer signal is not detected from the forward party; responsive to said undetected answer signal, the system automatically entering a new reservation for the call; and responsive to said entering a new reservation, the system storingg new ticket data for the call.

Claim 24

In a telephone switching system, apparatus for booking a call from a back party to a forward party comprising: means for retrieving call reservation ticket data for said call; and means, responsive to said means for retrieving, for establising a connection to the back party and the forward party prior to connecting an operator position to said call.

Claim 25

In a telephone switching system, apparatus for booking a call from a back party to a forward party comprising: means for retrieving call reservation ticket data for said call; and means, responsive to said means for retrieving, for establising a connection to the back party and the forward party prior to connecting an operator position to said call.