Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for providing Programmable Caller ID Screening services. One method monitors a telephone call for a call screening request for commercial, residential, and other identifiers of incoming calls. An action is taken in response to the call screening request. The action could be playing an announcement, terminating the connection, forwarding to voice mail, storing the ICLID information in a database, adding the ICLID information to a Do Not Call list, updating a subscriber's profile with the ICLID information, and/or storing the ICLID information in a subscriber's blocked communications list. The call screening request may comprise a Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency, a softkey entry, and/or a data message. Subsequent incoming calls from the calling telephone number are characterized as undesirable and are screened from alerting or otherwise establishing a communications connection to the called telephone number.

Abstract: A call management system, comprising: a call monitor operable to identify an attempt, in use, by a user to call a predetermined number attributed to a first entity; a processor, configured to derive at least one alternative number, attributed to another entity, based on the predetermined number attributed to the first entity; and a router to provide a user with an opportunity to route a or the call to at least one of the derived at least one alternative numbers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a data device to speech service bridge. The bridge allows packet-based devices, such as, for example, the PDA and 2.5/3G cellular phone, to access voice services.

Abstract: A system and method for communicating in a communication network, comprising presenting a communication comprising data over a communications network to a router, said router being adapted to route the communication to one of a plurality of available network destinations; automatically executing a communication targeting algorithm in the router, based at least in part on the data, wherein the communication targeting algorithm operates to contextually jointly analyze a plurality of parameters extracted from the data and a plurality of contextual parameters, to determine an optimum target for the communication, wherein the optimum target varies in dependence on both the data and the context of the communication; and routing the communication in dependence on the algorithm execution.

Abstract: In a telecommunication system configured to provide a connection between a caller and a callee via a telephone network, wherein the telephone network is configured to connect the caller and the callee, a method for allowing the callee to prevent the caller from establishing the connection with the callee. The method includes receiving an instruction from the callee to prevent the caller from establishing the connection with the callee and identifying a first telephone number associated with the caller. The method also includes preventing one or more phone calls from the first telephone number from being forwarded to a second telephone number associated with the callee.

Abstract: The present invention is related to telecommunications, and in particular, to methods and systems for call processing. By way of example, a first call control is visually provided via a Web page in association with search results transmitted to a user computer system, wherein the user submitted to search request to a search engine. An indication is received that the user activated the first call control. A first call is placed to a telephonic address selected by the user. A second call is placed to a telephonic address associated with the first call control. Progress information related to the second call is transmitted to the user computer system in substantially real-time.

Abstract: A method that processes and conditionally routes a call. The method includes receiving a call from a caller, determining a telephone number of the caller, and determining if the telephone number of the caller is a telephone number assigned to a specific individual. The method also includes accessing an electronic database to determine a stored language preference of the specific individual when the telephone number of the caller is determined to be assigned to a specific individual. The method further includes routing the call to a predetermined destination based on the stored language preference of the specific individual in the electronic database, and routing the call to a first default destination when the telephone number of the caller is determined to not be assigned to a specific individual.

Abstract: An easy to use electronic device is provided. The electronic device functions as a telephone and has a display portion, an audio input portion, an audio output portion, and operation keys. The display portion has a passive element, and the operation keys have LEDs. The direction of an image displayed by the LEDs is switchable.

Abstract: An enhanced directory assistance system includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from at least one caller desiring to receive directions. A direction module is configured to receive a desired destination information provided by the caller and the location of the caller. The direction module is further configured to provide directions to the caller based on the destination and the caller location information, where the system maintains a preferred destination listing configured to store a preferred destination information relating to a destination request frequently requested by the caller, such that when the system recognizes the caller, the desired destination is populated directly from the preferred destination information.

Abstract: A method and system for selectively establishing a communications connection between an origin and destination in a communications network based on one or mediations rules and one or more lists of prohibited and exempted destination identifiers either in real-time using a control unit or with a pre-check using an analysis unit while also providing notification messages associated with the allowed or designated allowed communications connections.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for recording media communications. An exemplary method is comprised of the following steps: configuring an endpoint recording device for relaying an incoming call to an endpoint component; receiving the incoming call from a communication system; determining whether to relay the incoming call to the endpoint component based on the configurations of the endpoint recording device; responsive to determining that the incoming call is to be relayed, relaying media communications associated with the incoming call to the endpoint component via the endpoint recording device; and recording the relayed media communications at the endpoint component.

Abstract: A method of call control in which a first communications network, detecting calls directed to a destination in the first network; redirects at least some of the calls to a destination in a second network (e.g. on no answer from the destination in the first network). The first network then operates in two phases. In a first phase, for a group of calls redirected to the second network, the time delay before the call is answered in the second network is recorded. When a number of time delays have been recorded, a delay period is set to a value less than the maximum value of the recorded time delays. In a second phase, for a second group of calls redirected to the second network subsequent to the calls of the first group, when a call of the second group is not answered in the second network within the delay period, the call is redirected to a message service associated with the first network.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for intelligent routing. An intelligent routing processing module sets at least one intelligent routing trigger condition and at least one corresponding intelligent routing policy in advances and an incoming call or message is processed according to intelligent routing contact manners in the intelligent routing policy. The intelligent routing trigger condition includes relevant information of the incoming call or message and the intelligent routing policy may include more than one intelligent routing contact manner. The embodiments of the present invention may provide more intelligent routing contact manners and intelligent routing policies for communication routing technology and may make full use of subscriber presence information.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring telephone calls that are placed on hold. The telephone calls may be between user electronic devices and call centers, such as customer service departments. In some embodiments, the electronic device can monitor an on-hold telephone call using a background process, which may free up a user interface of the electronic device for one or more non-phone-related tasks. The electronic device can monitor the telephone call for an indicator that a live operator is or will soon be present on the telephone call. Responsive to detecting the indicator, the electronic device can alert the user and allow the user to take control of the telephone call. In some embodiments, the electronic device can obtain information about the call center, such as expected on-hold wait-times, to determine whether an on-hold call should be monitored.

Abstract: A method and system for alphanumeric identifier indexing for advertising with cloud computing. Alphanumeric identifiers (e.g., telephone number, voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) identifier, Internet Protocol (IP) identifier, a text message identifier, an instant message (IM) identifier, an e-mail address identifier, a social network identifier, a social networking hash code, etc.) are used to categorize and associate pre-determined advertising with the alphanumeric identifiers. When the alphanumeric identifier is received anywhere on a cloud computing network, the pre-determined advertising associated with the alphanumeric identifier is sent to a target device.

Abstract: A communication assistance system includes a first database having a plurality of listings, each listings has at least one contact name and a corresponding contact number. A means is provided for receiving communications from a user among a plurality of users desiring to access the listings. An operator terminal displays a search screen among a plurality of search screens, each of which maintain at least a partially different arrangement of content and search windows for receiving search terms to search for listings contained in the first database, where the displayed search screen is determined based on criteria contained in a search request from the user. The operator terminal is further configured to receive the communication from the user and retrieve a listing from the first database using the displayed search screen.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for implementing a Multimedia Ring Back Tone (MRBT) service are provided. The method includes: receiving a call request originated by a calling terminal; parsing a tone playing policy specifying whether to play a caller tone or a callee tone or whether to filter a tone; performing caller tone media negotiation or callee tone media negotiation, or performing no tone negotiation according to the parsing result; and playing the caller tone or the callee tone to the caller, or playing no tone. With the technical solution of the present invention, the caller tone service can be implemented in the IMS domain. Whether a caller tone or a callee tone is played to the caller is determined according to a preset policy. Furthermore, the tone filtering service is also implemented. This gives a user freedom in experiencing the MRBT service.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a call from a caller, and determining whether to offer a first callback time to the caller. The first callback time is a future time for a contact between the caller and the call center. The method also includes providing the first callback time to the caller, obtaining a response from the caller, and scheduling the contact at the first callback time if the response indicates that the caller desires a contact at the first callback time. Providing the first callback time to the caller includes soliciting the response from the caller which indicates whether the caller desires the contact at the first callback time.

Abstract: A method for providing directory assistance, including receiving at least one request from a requester for an un-listed contact information, where the un-listed contact information is stored in one of a plurality of carrier databases. A request is generated to a third party for the un-listed contact information, where the third party is in contact with the carriers, one of which has the un-listed contact information. A notification is received from the third party indicating that the un-listed contact information has been retrieved by said third party and a message is sent to the un-listed contact information, through the third party, indicating that the requester is trying to contact them.

Abstract: The present invention is related to telecommunications. A call processing system receives a first call from a caller intended for a first person. A notification regarding the first call is transmitted over a network to a terminal associated with the first person. A user interface is displayed on the terminal via which the first person can indicate that a callback message is to be transmitted to the caller. The callback message is transmitted to the caller, wherein the callback message includes an identification of the first person, a callback control, and text indicating that the caller is to activate the control to initiate another call to the first person. At least partly in response to the caller activating the control, A second call to be placed via which the first person and caller are connected.