Granted Patent B2

US 7,493,110 · App. 11/288,421 · Granted Feb 17, 2009

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A method of providing a Missed Call Alert (MCA) for a missed call to a first device in a first telecommunications network, wherein the MCA is provided to a second device in a second telecommunications network, the method comprising:

forwarding a call missed by the first device to a forwarding address in the second telecommunications network;

obtaining missed call details from the forwarded call at the second telecommunications network, wherein the missed call details comprise a calling party address and the address of the first device;

identifying the address of the second device, wherein the second device is associated with the first device; and

alerting the second device of the missed call to the first device, wherein forwarding the call comprises forwarding the call to a universal forwarding address reserved by the second telecommunications network for receiving forwarded missed calls from any device in the first telecommunications network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining missed call details comprises issuing a query for the missed call details, or a part thereof, from the second telecommunications network to the first telecommunications network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the query is selected from a group consisting of Integrated Services Digital Network User Part (ISUP), Telephone User Part (TUP), and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding the call comprises forwarding the call to a user-specific forwarding address reserved by the second telecommunications network for receiving forwarded missed calls from the first device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein obtaining missed call details comprises identifying the address of the first device using the user-specific forwarding address,

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein identifying the address of the second device comprises obtaining the address of the second device from the user-specific forwarding address.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises maintaining a relations database at the second telecommunications network, wherein the relations database stores relationships between devices of the first telecommunications network and devices of the second telecommunications network.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein identifying the address of the second device comprises looking up the address of the second device from the relations database using the address of the first device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding the call comprises sending an Initial Address Message (IAM) from the first telecommunications network to the second telecommunications network, wherein the IAM includes the calling party address and the address of the first device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein obtaining missed calf details comprises extracting the address of the first device from the IAM.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein alerting the second device comprises sending an alert selected from the group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, an email message, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first telecommunications network is one selected from a group consisting of a fixed line network and a mobile network.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first telecommunications network is different from the second telecommunications network.

14. A method of providing a Missed Call Alert (MCA) for a missed call to a fixed-line phone, wherein the MCA is provided to a mobile phone, the method comprising:

forwarding a call missed by the fixed-line phone to a forwarding address in the mobile network;

obtaining missed call details from the forwarded call at the mobile network, wherein the missed call details comprise a calling party address and the address of the fixed-line phone;

identifying the address of the mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone is related to the fixed-line phone; and

alerting the mobile phone of the missed call to the fixed-line phone, wherein forwarding the call comprises forwarding the call to a universal forwarding address reserved by the mobile network for receiving forwarded missed calls from any device in the fixed-line network.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein obtaining missed call details comprises issuing a query for the missed call details, or a part thereof, from the mobile network to the fixed-line network.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the query is selected from a group consisting of Integrated Services Digital Network User Part (ISUP), Telephone User Part (TUP), and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein forwarding the call comprises forwarding the call to a user-specific forwarding address reserved by the mobile network for receiving forwarded missed calls from the fixed-line phone.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein obtaining missed call details comprises identifying the address of the fixed-line phone using the user-specific forwarding address.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein identifying the address of the mobile phone comprises obtaining the address of the mobile phone from the user-specific forwarding address.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises maintaining a relations database at the mobile network, wherein the relations database stores relationships between devices of the fixed-line network and devices of the mobile network.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein identifying the address of the mobile phone comprises looking up the address of the mobile phone from the relations database using the address of the fixed-line phone.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein forwarding the call comprises sending an Initial Address Message (IAM) from the fixed-line network to the mobile network, wherein the lAM includes the calling party address and the address of the fixed-line phone.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein obtaining missed call details comprises extracting the address of the fixed-line phone from the IAM.

24. The method of claim 14 , wherein alerting the mobile phone comprises sending an alert selected from the group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, an email message, and combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fixed-line phone is one selected from a group consisting of a phone from a fixed line network and a phone from a mobile network.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the fixed-line phone is different from the mobile phone.

27. A method of providing a Missed Call Alert (MCA) for a missed call to a fixed-line phone, wherein the MCA is provided to an email address, the method comprising:

forwarding a call missed by the fixed-line phone to a forwarding address in the mobile network;

obtaining missed call details from the forwarded call at the mobile network, wherein the missed call details comprise a calling party address and the address of the fixed-line phone;

identifying the email address related to the fixed-line phone; and

sending an alert to the email address of the missed call to the fixed-line phone, wherein forwarding the call comprises forwarding the call to a universal forwarding address reserved by the mobile network for receiving forwarded missed calls from any device in the fixed-line network.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein identifying the email address comprises obtaining the email address from the user-specific forwarding address.

Assignments (18)