PL352001A1 - Method of effecting telephone call connections basing on virtual telephone numbers - Google Patents

Description

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A method of making phone calls based on a virtual phone number and IVR system.

One of the most popular ICT solutions is IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems. IVR systems provide, among others access to information stored in databases via a touch-tone telephone keypad. Typical examples of this type of solutions are bank teleservices that enable obtaining information about the account balance, exchange rates, as well as ensuring the possibility of making transfers.

The classic method of establishing a telecommunications connection has the disadvantage that the connection is made directly from one telephone to another. This is due to the fact that a specific telephone number is permanently assigned to the target caller. Losing this number, e.g. due to a change of operator or place of residence, is quite troublesome and inconvenient. Another problem is the availability of the user under several different telephone numbers, which is becoming a standard today - e.g. home and mobile phones. With the current state of the art to connect with each such

2/5 the number at which our interlocutor is reachable, you need to know them and make separate calls to them.

The subject of the invention is a method of making telecommunications connections between two callers using a network of the same or different telecommunications operators. The invention can be implemented by a service operator who is not a telecommunications operator, as the principle of operation is based on the use of most of the already existing telecommunications infrastructure. Such operator, when signing a contract for the provision of services with a new user, assigns him a certain identification number, called a virtual number, under which he will be available from the networks of various telecommunications operators with which the service operator has appropriate agreements.

Selecting the prefix and the number assigned to the user on the telephone sets up a connection from the caller (1) to the telephone exchange that serves him (2), and then directly or indirectly through the transit exchange to the IVR system (3) of the service operator. From the exchange (2), the AVR system (3) receives information about the selected virtual number and retrieves the data assigned to it from the database it has. Based on them, the IVR system (3) plays the announcement, the so-called greeting, and then instructions on the commands available after dialing the appropriate numbers from the telephone keypad. The numbers from 1 to 9 can be assigned to, defined by the owner, his actual telephone numbers on which he is reachable. After hearing this information by the caller and selecting the appropriate button on the telephone keypad, the call is transferred to

3/5 assigned telephone number. The transfer takes place from the level of the IVR system (3) via the exchange (2) and then it is set up like a classic telecommunications connection between two participants. If no one reports to the selected telephone number or the number is busy, the call after a specified time may be returned by the exchange (2) to the IVR system (3), and the caller may then select another alternative connection or end the conversation. A user with a virtual number can define real telephone numbers to which incoming calls to his virtual number are to be forwarded. He may also be able to define his own announcements and verbal instructions. An additional functionality may also be user-defined time intervals in which a given real number is available. Then, the verbal information and access to this number would be available in the IVR system only at times defined by the user.

The described system can also be used for forwarding fax calls, data transmission or voicemail calls.

The implementation of the invention allows only one universal telephone number to be permanently assigned to a specific person. This number is not rigidly dependent on the user's place of residence and the actual telephone numbers on which he is available, and thus these numbers can be changed freely by him. Such a solution causes that

4/5 even after changing the physical telecommunications operator or moving the user to another location, his universal telephone number remains unchanged, thanks to which it is available to all who knew this number before. The person calling to this number has the possibility to freely establish a connection to the selected telephone, depending on his needs (e.g. mobile or home telephone) without knowing the real telephone number of the caller.

The invention makes it much easier to establish telephone connections.

The example below shows how the invention works when the target party is available on three different telephone numbers: home, mobile and work. We assume that the person calling the virtual number does so from the telecommunications network where this service is available.

After picking up the handset, the caller (i) dials the virtual number of his interlocutor and waits for the connection to be established. Via the telephone exchange (2), the call is transferred to the IVR system (3), which, on the basis of the number received from it, recreates the associated verbal information, eg: “You've reached Jan Kowalski.

Press the 1 key to contact me at work, press the 2 key when you want to call me at home, 5/5 press the 3 key to catch me on my cell phone.

To repeat the information press the asterisk, to end the conversation press the dot or hang up. &Quot;

After listening to such information, the caller may select, for example, the "3" key and the call is transferred to Jan Kowalski's mobile number (4). The user might be able to define time intervals during which a given real number will be available. If we assume that the work telephone is active from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the home phone is active from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., then by calling Jan Kowalski's virtual number at 4:00 p.m., we could hear the announcement: "You've reached Jan Kowalski.

Press the 1 key to contact me at work, press the 2 key to catch me on the cell phone.

To repeat the information press the asterisk, to end the conversation press the X or hang up. "

If the call to the virtual number was made, for example, at 6:00 PM, the caller could hear the message: “You've reached Jan Kowalski.

Press key 1, if you want to contact me at home, press key 2 to catch me on the cell phone.

To repeat the information press the asterisk, to end the conversation press the X or hang up. "

Claims (3)

352001 A method of establishing telephone connections based on a virtual telephone number and IVR system. Claims 1. Method of establishing telephone connections between two callers, characterized in that the target caller is reachable under a virtual telephone number, the dialing of which causes the caller to call (1) through the telephone exchange (2) with the IVR system (3), where based on the data Appropriate voice information is reproduced assigned to this number, and then, using the DTMF tone keys, the caller (i) can dial the target telecommunications number of the caller (4), to which the exchange (2) transfers the handled call. 2. Virtual telephone number in the form of "* prefixNRTEL", where "prefix" is the fixed area code from all national telecommunications networks to the service operator, and NRTEL is the number assigned to the user by the service operator. 3. Virtual telephone number in the form of "* prefixNIP", where "prefix" is a permanent area code from all national telecommunications networks to the service operator, and NIP is the caller's tax identification number.