US 8,155,298 B2Granted

Tandem access controller within the public switched telephone network

AssigneeTelemaze LLC

InventorsSamuel F. Wood, Jerry A. Klein, Margaret Susan Asprey

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Abstract

In one embodiment, the system includes a processor, referred to herein as a tandem access controller (TAC), coupled to the PSTN, where the TAC allows a subscriber to set-up and make changes to the configuration of his or her phone line or other communications device. Such changes include selective call forwarding. In one embodiment, the TAC is controlled by the subscriber using the web. The TAC is coupled internally to the PSTN in a local service area and is outside the central office of the subscriber. A calling party makes a first call to the subscriber using the subscriber's public telephone number. The TAC receives the first call prior to the call reaching the subscriber's terminating central office, which in some cases avoids a toll. The TAC then carries out the subscriber's instructions for the first call, such as making one or more second calls using telephone numbers different from the subscriber's public telephone number. When the second call is answered, the answering phone is connected by the TAC to the caller.

Claims42

Dependent claims

A method for providing user control selections for routing of one or more communications between users of one or more communications networks, wherein the users either 1) initiate a communication, 2) receive a communication, or 3) control a communication, the user control selections provided by a user via access to a web server of a web-enabled processing system connected to operate at least in part with the one or more communication networks, wherein at least one of the communication networks is a network comprising edge switches for routing calls from and to users within a local geographic area and switching facilities for routing calls to other edge switches or other switching facilities local or in other geographic areas, the web server of web-enabled processing system facilitating direct access by a user for providing user control selections to the at least one of the switching facilities, the user having a communications device with which to communicate with the web server of the web-enabled processing system, the method comprising the steps of:

facilitating access by authorized users to the web-enabled processing system, via the web server, the web-enabled processing system coupled to at least one of the switching facilities of the network, the web-enabled processing system configured to route a communication from a specific one of the users to an intended recipient of the users;
executing control criteria, via the web-enabled processing system, to control the routing of the one or more communications via the web-enabled processing system, the control criteria predetermined by the users control selections via the web server before the control criteria are executed via the web-enabled processing system,
wherein the web-enabled processing system is configured to perform the following operations to execute the control criteria:
first, receive a message indicating a communication request from a user initiating a communication for an intended recipient user, wherein the message request is transmitted using a signalling protocol of the at least one communication network;
second, validate and acknowledge said communications request without first forwarding said request to a terminating edge switch within the geographic area of the intended recipient of the users;
third, determine the control criteria for access to the intended recipient of the users;
fourth, facilitate selection of a routing path over the at least one communication network in accordance with the control criteria for the intended recipient user;
fifth, route the communication in accordance with the control criteria, and
sixth, complete a communications link between the user initiating the communication and the intended recipient of the users, when the intended recipient of the users accepts the communication from the user initiating the communication.

6 more elements

A method of providing a user interaction system to enable users to control routing of one or more communications between a calling party and a called party through user input, the user interaction system comprising a web server coupled to a controller with access to at least two communication networks, wherein at least one of the networks is a packet network configured to support voice over IP (“VOIP”), and the second network is coupled to a switching facility of a network comprising edge switches for routing calls from and to users within a local geographic area and switching facilities for routing calls to other edge switches or other switching facilities local or in other geographic areas, comprising the steps of.

providing a website for the users to view features associated with the routing of the one or more communications;
facilitating certain of the users to sign up to become subscribers of the communication networks through the entry of user personal data through the website;
granting access to authorized ones of the users;
providing a menu of available features, via the website, for the users to make feature selections;
processing of feature selections into control criteria;
receiving and storing the control criteria in a database associated with the server, the controller, or both;
receiving a communication request at the controller, from the calling party to an intended called party;
upon receiving the communication request, utilizing the controller to retrieve at least a portion of the control criteria relating to the user to determine a possible route for the one or more communications from the calling party;
and
executing the control criteria to facilitate the routing of the one or more communications across at least one of the at least two networks.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/428,822Filed 5 Jul 2006 · continuation
Priority: 4 May 2000
Published: US 2006/0239436 A126 Oct 2006
Granted: 10 Apr 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification27 codes

H04M 7/0033
Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services: notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
H04L 65/1046
Architectures or entities: call controllers; Call servers
H04M 3/42153
Administration or customisation of services: by subscriber
H04M 3/42161
By subscriber: via computer interface

Family

Application09/565,565Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 May 2000
Application10/426,279Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Apr 2003
US 2006/0239436 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Oct 2006
US 7,324,635 B2Parent of this continuation
US 6,574,328 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application10/426,279Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2003/0194078 A1Published application
US 8,155,298 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.