Dropped call continuation
A switching system adjunct ( 120 ) monitors a call between a calling and a called party and reestablishes the call when one of the parties has been or is being dropped. The reestablishment may be effected to a same or a different phone number of the dropped party, and may be effected via the same or a different medium (e.g., wired or wireless). The call record of the original call is merged into the call record of the reestablished call, thus preserving the context of entities involved in the call that exists at the time that the party is dropped.
1. A method of reestablishing a communications connection, comprising:
associating terminal translations of a communication terminal of one of a first party and a second party, with a communication virtual terminal;
associating the communication virtual terminal with a first communication connection between the first party and the second party;
detecting that the first party is dropped from the first connection;
in response to the detecting, establishing a second communication connection between the first party and the virtual terminal;
combining the first and the second communication connections to reestablish a communication connection between the first party and the second party; and
associating contents of a call record of the first connection with the reestablished connection.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the first communication connection exists between the first party at a first call address and the second party;
establishing comprises
determining a second call address of the first party other than the first call address; and
establishing the second communication connection to the first party at the second call address.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein:
the first call address is an address for wireless communications-connections of the first party; and
the second call address is an address for wired communications-connections of the first party.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein:
detecting that a first party is dropped comprises
determining that a wireless connection to the first party is dropped; and
establishing the second communication connection comprises
establishing a wired said second communication connection to the first party.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the combining is initiated by the first party.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein:
the first communication connection is a voice call connection; and
the establishing is effected via a data connection from the first party.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
associating contents comprises
combining a call record of the first communication connection with a call record of the reestablished communication connection into a new call record of the reestablished communication connection.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
detecting that a first party is dropped comprises
determining that a portion of the first communication connection with the first party either has been dropped or is being dropped.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein:
either the first party or the second party comprises equipment that automatically interacts with another of the second party and the first party;
the call record of the first communication connection comprises a context of the equipment at a point in time when the first party is dropped; and
associating contents of a call record comprises
automatically restoring the context of the equipment.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein:
the context of the equipment comprises
a position of said another party in a call queue of the equipment.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the first communication connection comprises one of a wired and a wireless connection to the first party, and
the reestablished communication connection comprises another of the wired and the wireless connection to the first party.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the second party comprises a customer contact center,
the call record of the first communication connection comprises an indication of a position of the first party in a contact queue of the customer contact center at a point in time when the first party is dropped; and
establishing comprises
automatically restoring the position of the first party in the contact queue.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein:
detecting comprises
announcing to the second party that the first party has been dropped; and
giving the second party a choice of establishing a communication connection either to the first party or to a third party; and
establishing comprises
in response to the second party selecting to establish the communication connection to the first party, establishing the second communication connection to the first party; and
in response to the second party selecting to establish the communication connection to the third party, establishing a communication connection between the second party and the third party.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein:
the third party comprises a messaging system mailbox.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the second party comprises
a conference of a plurality of parties.
16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the initial steps of:
one of the parties contacting the virtual terminal; and
the one of the parties having the first communication connection established to the one of the parties through the virtual terminal, in response to the contacting.
17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
the first party signaling, via a user communications instrument of the first party that is connected to the first communication connection, that the first party is dropping from the call; wherein
detecting comprises
detecting the signaling.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein:
mapping comprises
associating terminal transactions of a communication terminal of
the one of the first and the second parties with the virtual terminal.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the establishing is initiated by the second party.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the establishing is initiated by the virtual terminal.
21. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the first connection comprises
a connection between the first party and the virtual terminal, and
a connection between the second party and the virtual terminal.
22. A method of reestablishing a communication connection, comprising:
associating terminal translations of a communication terminal of one of a first party and a second party with a communication virtual terminal;
establishing a first communication connection between a first party and a communication virtual terminal;
establishing a second communication connection between the virtual terminal and a second party;
combining the first and the second connections to establish a third communication connection between the first and the second parties;
monitoring the third connection by the virtual terminal;
detecting by the monitoring that one of the first and the second parties is dropped from the third connection;
establishing a fourth communication connection between the virtual terminal and the one party;
combining the fourth connection with the connection between the virtual terminal and the other of the first and the second parties to reestablish a communication connection between the first and the second parties; and
associating contents of a call record of the third connection with the reestablished connection.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein:
the third connection exists between the one party at a first address and the other party; and
establishing a fourth communication connection comprises
determining a second address of the one party, and
establishing the fourth connection between the virtual terminal and the one party at the second address.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein:
the first address is an address for wireless communication-connections of the one party; and
the second address is an address for wired communication-connections of the one party.
25. The method of claim 21 wherein:
detecting comprises
determining that a wireless portion of the third communication connection to the one party is dropped; and
establishing a fourth communication connection comprises
establishing a wired connection to the one party.
26. The method of claim 21 wherein:
the reestablishing is initiated by the one party.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein:
the third connection is for a voice call; and
the reestablishing is effected via a data connection from the other party.
28. The method of claim 21 wherein:
associating comprises
combining a call record of the third connection with a call record of the fourth connection into a new call record of the reestablished connection.
29. The method of claim 21 wherein:
detecting that one of the parties is dropped comprises
determining that the connection between the virtual terminal and the one party either has been dropped or is being dropped.
30. The method of claim 21 wherein:
either the first party or the second party comprises equipment that automatically interacts with another of the first party and the second party;
the call record of the third connection comprises a context of the equipment at a point in time when the one party is dropped; and
associating comprises
automatically restoring the context of the equipment.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein:
the context of the equipment comprises
a position of one of the parties in a contact queue of the equipment.
32. The method of claim 21 wherein:
the first or the second connection comprises one of a wired and a wireless connection to the one party; and
the fourth connection comprises another of the wired and a wireless connection to the one party.
33. The method of claim 21 wherein:
the other party comprises a customer contact center;
the call record of the third connection comprises an indication of a position of the one party in a context queue of the customer contact center at a point in time when the one party is dropped; and
associating comprises
automatically restoring the position of the one party in the contact queue.
34. The method of claim 21 wherein:
establishing the fourth communication connection comprises
announcing to the other party that the one party has been dropped;
giving the other party a choice of establishing a communication connection either to the one party or to a third party;
in response to the other party selecting to establish the communication connection to the one party, establishing the fourth communication connection to the one party; and
in response to the other party selecting to establish the communication connection to the third party, establishing a fifth communication connection between the other party and the third party.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein:
the third party comprises a messaging system mailbox of the one party.
36. The method of claim 21 wherein:
the other party comprises
a conference of a plurality of parties.
37. An apparatus for performing the method of one of claims 2 - 17 , 24 - 36 , or 1 - 22 .
38. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed in a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of one of claims 2 - 17 , 24 - 36 , or 1 - 22 .
39. An apparatus for reestablishing a communication connection comprising:
a communication virtual terminal associated with a first communication connection between a first party and a second party, the communication virtual terminal having terminal translations of a communication terminal of one of the first party and the second party associated with the communication virtual terminal;
a detector of the first party being dropped from the first connection;
an establisher of a second communication connection between the first party and the second party;
a combiner of the first and the second communication connections for reestablishing a communication connection between the first party and the second party: and
an associator of contents of a call record of the first communication connection with the reestablished communication connection.
40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
the first communication connection exists between the first party at a first call address and the second party;
the determinator is adapted to determine a second call address of the first party other than the first call address; and
the establisher is adapted to establish the second communication connection to the first party at the second call address.
41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein:
the first call address is an address for wireless communications-connections of the first party; and
the second call address is an address for wired communications-connections of the first party.
42. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein:
the detector is adapted to detect that a wireless connection to the first party is dropped; and
the establisher is adapted to establish a wired said second communication connection to the first party.
43. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein: operation of the combiner is initiated by the first party.
44. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
the associator is adapted to combine a call record of the first communication connection with a call record of the reestablished communication connection into a new call record of the reestablished communication connection.
45. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
the detector is adapted to detect that a portion of the first communication connection with the first party either has been dropped or is being dropped.
46. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
either the first party or the second party comprises equipment that automatically interacts with another of the second party and the first party;
the call record of the first communication connection comprises a context of the equipment at a point in time when the first party is dropped; and
the associator is adapted to automatically cause the context of the equipment to be restored.
47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein:
the context of the equipment comprises
a position of said another party in a call queue of the equipment.
48. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
the first communication connection comprises one of a wired and a wireless connection to the first party, and
the establisher is adapted to establish another of the wired and the wireless connection to the first party.
49. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
the second party comprises a customer contact center,
the call record of the first communication connection comprises an indication of a position of the first party in a contact queue of the customer contact center at a point in time when the first party is dropped; and
the associator is adapted to automatically cause the position of the calling party in the contact queue to be restored.
50. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising:
an interactor with the second party that is adapted to announce to the second party that the first party has been dropped and give the second party a choice of establishing a communication connection either to the first party or to a third party; and wherein
the establisher is adapted to establish the communication connection selected by the second party.
51. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein:
the third party comprises a messaging system mailbox.
52. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
the second party comprises
a conference of a plurality of parties.
53. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
the establisher is adapted to establish the first communication connection to the one of the parties through the virtual terminal in response to the virtual terminal being contacted by one of the parties.
54. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising:
the detector comprises
a detector of the first party signaling, via a user communications instrument of the first party that is connected to the first communication connection, that the first party is dropping from the call.
55. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
operation of the combiner is initiated by the second party.
56. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
operation of the combiner is initiated by the virtual terminal.
57. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein:
the first connection comprises
a connection between the first party and the virtual terminal, and
a connection between the second party and the virtual terminal.
58. An apparatus for reestablishing a communication connection, comprising:
a virtual terminal for monitoring a third communication connection to detect a party dropping from the third connection;
a mapper of the virtual terminal to one of a first party and a second party, the mapper being adapted to associate terminal translations of a communication terminal of the one of the parties with the virtual terminal;
an establisher of communication connections for establishing a first communication connection between the virtual terminal and the first party and a second communication connection between the virtual terminal and the second party;
a combiner of the first and the second connections to establish the third connection between the first and the second parties; wherein
the establisher is adapted to respond to detection by the virtual terminal of one of the first and second parties dropping from the third connection by establishing a fourth communication connection between the virtual terminal and the one party, and
the combiner is adapted to combine the fourth connection with the connection between the virtual terminal and the other of the first and the second parties to reestablish a communication connection between the first and the second parties; and
the apparatus further comprising
an associator of contents of a call record of the third connection with the reestablished connection.
59. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein:
the first address is an address for wireless communication-connections of the one party; and
the second address is an address for wired communication-connections of the one party.
60. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein:
the establisher is adapted to establish a wired connection to the one party in response to the virtual terminal detecting that a wireless portion of the third communication connection to the one party is dropped.
61. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein:
operation of the combiner is initiated by the one party.
62. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein:
the associator is adapted to cause a call record of the third connection to be combined with a call record of the fourth connection into a new call record of the reestablished connection.
63. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein:
the virtual terminal is adapted to detect that the connection between the virtual terminal and the one party either has been dropped or is being dropped.
64. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein:
either the first party or the second party comprises equipment that automatically interacts with another of the first party and the second party;
the call record of the third connection comprises a context of the equipment at a point in time when the one party is dropped; and
the associator is adapted to automatically restore the context of the equipment.
65. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein:
the context of the equipment comprises
a position of one of the parties in a contact queue of the equipment.
66. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein:
the first or the second connection comprises one of a wired and a wireless connection to the one party; and
the establisher is adapted to establish another of the wired and a wireless connection to the one party as the fourth connection.
67. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein:
the other party comprises a customer contact center;
the call record of the third connection comprises an indication of a position of the one party in a context queue of the customer contact center at a point in time when the one party is dropped; and
the associator is adapted to automatically restore the position of the one party in the contact queue.
68. The apparatus of claim 57 further comprising
an interactor with the other party that is adapted to announce to the other party that the one party has been dropped and give the other party a choice of establishing a communication connection either to the one party or to a third party; and wherein
the establisher is adapted to establish the communication connection selected by the other party.
69. The apparatus of claim 68 wherein:
the third party comprises a messaging system mailbox.
70. The apparatus of claim 68 wherein:
the other party comprises
a conference of a plurality of parties.
71. The apparatus of claim 58 wherein:
the third connection exists between the one party at a first address and the other party;
the virtual terminal is adapted to determine a second address of the one party; and
the establisher is adapted to establish the fourth connection between the virtual terminal and the one party at the second address.
72. The apparatus of claim 58 wherein:
operation of the combiner is initiated by the second party.
73. The apparatus of claim 58 wherein:
operation of the combiner is initiated by the virtual terminal.