At+t Corp.

At&t Bell Laboratories

Christine Patricia Peterson

A Helen McGrath

Shubert A Hau

Harold Fahrer

Alan B Moshinsky

David G Unger

Christos I Vaios

Michael Davitt

Walter H Hawkins

Alan N Dunn

Elizabeth Y Fung

Johan Adriaan Oudmaijer

Arthur G Martin

Paula M Goldstein

Orlando S King

Anthony D D'Urso

Michael Neal

Edgar J Grijalva

A method of completing an international call comprises the steps of receiving one of a request to change the status of an international service or a request to provide system status. For example, in an international redial service, a subscriber may request that a redial service to a dialed international number be terminated. Also, in an international redial service, at the conclusion of a redial period for the service, apparatus for completing the international call may call the subscribing calling party and offer to initiate a new redial period. Other features of the method for completing an international call include the capability to permit the subscriber to receive an indication of the international service status or to change service parameters from default values.

Automatic international redial disablement and status delivery method

A method of completing an international call comprises the steps of determining if the international call cannot be completed as dialed for one reason or another and then automatically attempting the call again. There are many reasons for an international call failure including called station busy, domestic or foreign network congestion and invalid dialed number format. The domestic toll network can receive unsuccessful call reason information from either the domestic or foreign network upon the event of an international call failure. It has been shown that if the reasons are, for example, station busy or network congestion, then there is a significant probability that, if the call is immediately reattempted, the call may be completed on the second try. On the other hand, if the reason is an invalid dialed number format, an automatic reattempt of the international called party is inhibited. Also, if the reattempt of a valid number fails and depending on the reason, further international redial services may be offered to the caller.

Automatic international reattempt method and apparatus

A method for providing a called party with audio messages/prompts in a language selected by the caller or a language spoken in the called party's geographic location comprises the steps of determining the geographic location of the called party; selecting a language from a plurality of language selections by a calling party for delivery of audio prompts to the called party in response to the determined geographic location of the called party; and providing the called party with audio messages/prompts in a selected language. Alternatively, the called party may be provided with audio prompts/messages in a language selected by a calling party through a method comprising the steps of determining dialed digits that identify the called party; selecting a language from a plurality of languages for delivery of audio prompts in response to determined dialed digits; and providing the called party with audio prompts in a language selected by the calling party.

Country-based language selection

A system for an international telephone redial service is provided for callers who attempt to complete telephone calls to parties via foreign telephone networks. If a call is not completed, the foreign network returns unsuccessful call reason information related to the cause of the call completion failure. Informative messages may be played to the caller to inform the caller of the nature of a given call failure. Unsuccessful call reason information may be organized in groups, so that each group of unsuccessful call reason information is associated with a different informative message. International redial service may be selectively based on unsuccessful call reason information. International redial service may be inhibited when the cause of a call completion failure is due to a semi-permanent condition, such as when a non-existent number is dialed.

International redial system driven by unsuccessful call reasons

Easily accessed and widely available language interpretation services are provided in a public switched telephone network by a common platform adjunct which automatically connects an interpretation services subscriber with a selected language interpreter associated with a language interpretation platform in the network. A subscriber dials, for example, an international telephone number which includes a code indicating that the call is an international call, a country code, a city code, and a local destination number. The ANI of the subscriber is detected and the call is routed to the adjunct which further verifies and validates the subscriber. The adjunct places a call through the public switched telephone network to the language interpretation platform. The call is answered either by an automatically preselected interpreter or by a human operator who causes the call to be manually transferred to a desired interpreter. The international call is completed to the destination and the calling subscriber, the interpreter, and the called party are bridged together.

On demand language interpretation in a telecommunications system

A prepaid telephone system having multilingual capabilities is provided in a public switched telephone network. A telephone user buys a predetermined amount of service beforehand and receives a card imprinted with a unique account number. A plurality of toll free access telephone numbers allows the user to access the prepaid telephone system. Each of those telephone numbers causes the prepaid system to interact with the user in the language in which he or she wishes the system to operate. The user is prompted in the chosen language to enter his or her card number. The authenticity of the number and the available credit is determined. If there is a certain minimum amount of credit available, the user is prompted to enter the phone number of a desired party. The user may also dial a speed dialing alias which connects the user to special services including news, weather, travel, translation, and other services. If the user has enough available credit to pay for at least a minimal amount of calling time, the call is completed. A timer is set with an amount of calling time permitted by the available balance. The timer runs during the course of the phone call and the call is disconnected when the timer runs out. If the call is ended prior to the timer running out, a new available balance is computed in light of the time remaining on the timer. The user can make additional phone calls using the new available credit balance.

Multilingual prepaid telephone system

Growing community of inventors

Fords, NJ, United States of America

Christine Patricia Peterson