# US 7,079,629 B1 · Method and apparatus for selective post-call audio logo/message > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,079,629 B1 - Document ID: US7079629B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 10/782,182 - Filed: 2004-02-18 - Granted: 2006-07-18 - Earliest claimed: 2004-02-18 - Assignees: AT&T Corp. - Inventors: Paul Fellingham; Christopher P. Gilboy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7079629B1 ## CPC - H04M 3/4878: {Advertisement messages} - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A system relays a call from a calling party to a called party and, upon termination of the call by the calling party, a post-call announcement is played to the called party. Attributes of either the calling party, the called party, or both are passed to a database. The database performs a look-up query based on the call attribute information. An announcement indication is transmitted from the database to an announcement frame indicating which post-call announcement, if any, is to be played to the called party. The announcement frame plays the particular post-call announcement, if any, to the called party when the calling party has disconnected from the call. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for providing post-call advertising announcements by a telecommunications service provider to a called party, the system comprising: a network switch for routing a call to a called party and playing a post-call advertising announcement to the called party; a database storing information for use in determining, on the basis of call attribute information for establishing said call received from the network switch and selection criteria determined by the telecommunications service provider, whether a post-call advertising announcement established by the telecommunications service provider is to be played to the called party upon termination of the call; and means coupled to the network switch for transmitting the call and the post-call advertising announcement to the called party. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the network switch includes an announcement frame for playing the post-call advertising announcement to the called party. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the database returns to the network switch an indication of a particular post-call advertising announcement to be played. ### Claim 4 An apparatus for providing post-call advertising announcements by a telecommunications service provider to a called party, the apparatus comprising: a database for storing call attribute information and selection criteria determined by the telecommunications service provider for use in determining whether a post-call advertising announcement is to be played to the called party upon termination of the call; an announcement frame for storing advertising announcements established by the telecommunications service provider and for playing a particular post-call advertising announcement to the called party; and wherein the database returns an announcement number to the announcement frame indicating the particular post-call advertising announcement to be played to the called party. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the database maintains a communication connection to the announcement frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the announcement frame is implemented in a network switch. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a null announcement number indicates that no post-call advertising announcement is played to the called party. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the database counts how many times a post-call advertising announcement is played for a given set of selection criteria. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the announcement frame ceases to play a particular post-call advertising announcement after the particular post-call announcement has been played to the called party three times. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a terminating switch notifies the database of an outcome of the post-call advertising announcement. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the outcome relates to whether the called party was connected for the duration of the advertising announcement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the announcement frame plays a particular post-call advertising announcement until the terminating switch determines that the called party maintains a connection to the network for the entire duration of the particular post-call advertising announcement. ### Claim 13 A method of providing post-call advertising announcements by a telecommunications service provider to a called party, the method comprising the steps of: the telecommunications service provider establishing advertising announcements in an announcement frame: the telecommunications service provider determining selection criteria for playing particular advertising announcements to a called party; receiving a call request from a calling party to a called party; passing call attribute information to a database; performing a look-up query at the database based on the call attribute information and on the selection criteria determined by the telecommunications service provider; transmitting, based upon the look-up query, an announcement indication to the announcement frame; routing a call to the called party; determining whether the calling party has disconnected from the call; and playing, based on the announcement indication, a particular post-call advertising announcement, if any, to the called party when the calling party has disconnected from the call. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: ceasing billing of the calling party once the calling party has disconnected from the call prior to playing the particular post-call announcement; and disconnecting the called party from the call. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the steps are performed in the order listed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the step of routing a call to the called party is performed in parallel with the step of passing of the call attribute information to the database. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: counting how many times a particular post-call advertising announcement is played for a given set of selection criteria; and ceasing to play the particular post-call advertising announcement after the particular post-call announcement has been played a predetermined number of times. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: determining whether the called party is connected to the network for an entire duration of a particular post-call advertising announcement; and continuing to play the particular post-call advertising announcement until the called party is connected to the network for the entire duration of the particular post-call advertising announcement. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the step of transmitting is performed by an announcement frame located within a network switch. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the call attribute information includes at least one of: a portion of a calling party number, a portion of a called party number, a portion of a Carrier Identification Code, a trunk group characteristic, and Originating Line Information. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the call attribute information comprises at least one of: a portion of a called party's calling plan, and a portion of a calling party's calling plan. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the call attribute information includes at least two of: a calling party number portion, a called party number portion, a Carrier Identification Code, a trunk group characteristic, and Originating Line Information.