Telephone network system and method

Abstract

Systems for and methods of delivering telephone calls using the combination of a data channel and a voice channel are disclosed. A data channel connection with the telephone handset may provide pre-call information used to set up incoming and outgoing calls which are ultimately connected using a voice channel. Use of the pre-call information may permit the same handset to be associated with multiple secondary telephone numbers from which calls appear to have been made and to which calls appear to have been placed.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of providing telephone service, comprising:
 enrolling a telephone handset in a telecommunications system having a server and a switch, wherein said telephone handset is associated with a primary telephone number in a database associated with the server and switch;   electronically transmitting an application from the server to the telephone handset via a data channel responsive to telephone handset enrollment, wherein said application is: adapted to send instructions to have one or more secondary telephone numbers referenced to the primary telephone number in the database, adapted to present visually perceptible call processing rules on the telephone handset, and adapted to transmit information indicating a selection of call processing rules from the telephone handset to the server;   electronically receiving instructions from the telephone handset via the data channel to reference the one or more secondary telephone numbers to the primary telephone number;   storing telephone handset information, including the primary telephone number and the one or more secondary telephone numbers referenced to the primary telephone number, in the database;   electronically receiving instructions from the telephone handset via the data channel to store user selected call processing rules for the telephone handset in the database, wherein the user selected call processing rules include instructions to route calls over a voice channel in a manner that will indicate that the calls are made to or from the one or more secondary telephone numbers;   electronically transmitting information to the telephone handset via the data channel, said information being adapted to cause a pre-call information to be displayed on the telephone handset responsive to initiation of an outgoing call using the one or more secondary telephone numbers or an incoming call to the one or more secondary telephone numbers;   electronically receiving, from the telephone handset via the data channel, call handling information indicating a user selected call processing rule to be used to process the outgoing or incoming call; and   automatically handling the outgoing or incoming call based on the call handling information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application is adapted to automatically install on the telephone handset. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the call processing rules are adapted to provide instructions to receive a call, drop a call, play a prerecorded or dynamically entered text to voice custom voice mail greeting, play a prerecorded or dynamically entered or text to voice custom message, or send a preset custom text message. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the call processing rules are adapted to provide instructions to assign a secondary telephone number to the primary telephone number for a specific purpose or period of time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user selected call processing rules assign a custom voice mail greeting, custom message or a custom text message to a secondary telephone number. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user selected call processing rules include instructions to provide call routing based on one or more of: an incoming caller ID, an accepted caller ID list, a non-accepted caller ID list, or calendar, weekday, weekend, time of day, location data, biometrics data, or accelerometer data information. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the user selected call processing rules are configured to provide a text to voice message. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user selected call processing rules are configured to provide calling features assignable to individual secondary telephone numbers. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of automatically handling the incoming call comprises:
 receiving, at the switch, an incoming call to one of the one or more secondary telephone numbers; transmitting an incoming call notification to the application assigned to the called one or more secondary telephone numbers via the data channel;   receiving a call acceptance notification from the telephone handset via the data channel;   transmitting a bridge number from the server over the data channel to the telephone handset responsive to receipt of the call acceptance notification for the incoming call;   receiving a call from the telephone handset at the switch which is automatically made by the telephone handset using the bridge number in response to acceptance of the incoming call; and   connecting the telephone handset for the incoming call by connecting the call made using the bridge number to the incoming call received at the switch.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the call when it is an incoming call comprises:
 receiving, at the switch, an incoming call to one of the secondary telephone numbers;   transmitting an incoming call notification to the telephone handset via the data channel;   receiving a call acceptance notification from the telephone handset via the data channel;   transmitting a bridge telephone number from the server over the data channel to the telephone handset responsive to receipt of the call acceptance notification for the incoming call;   receiving a voice channel call from the telephone handset at the switch which is automatically made by the telephone handset using the bridge number in response to acceptance of the incoming call; and   connecting the telephone handset for the incoming call by connecting the call made using the bridge telephone number to the incoming call received at the switch.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of automatically handling the outgoing call comprises:
 receiving, at the server, a request over the data channel from the telephone handset to make an outgoing call using one of the one or more secondary telephone numbers;   transmitting a bridge telephone number from the server over the data channel to the telephone handset responsive to receipt of the request to make an outgoing call;   receiving a call over a voice channel from the telephone handset at the switch which is automatically made by the telephone handset using the bridge telephone number; and   connecting the telephone handset for the outgoing call by connecting the call made using the bridge telephone number to an intended called party wherein the one of the one or more secondary telephone numbers is identified to the called party as the calling number.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bridge telephone number is uniquely associated with a contact telephone number in the database. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data channel is an Internet protocol (IP) channel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the voice channel is established in accordance with a CDMA or GSM standard.