A telephone subscriber placing a telephone call through a telecommunications network (10) to a telephone line carrying an existing call may interrupt that call by entering an interrupt code to the network. Upon receipt of the code, the network verifies whether the interrupt code is valid by consulting a data base (21) that cross-references interrupt codes to corresponding lines. If the code is valid for the line carrying the existing call, the network then interrupts the existing call.

Claims

16 · 2 independent · depth 4

16 granted claims

›1.independentA method for allowing a telephone subscriber placing a call to a telephone line through a telecommunications network to interrupt an existing call on …+7

›2.↳ 1The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of interrupting the call includes the step of placing a tone on the telephone line while the existing…d2

›3.↳ 1The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of interrupting the call includes the step of playing an announcement on the telephone line while the…d2+2

›6.↳ 1The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of interrupting the existing call includes the steps of terminating the existing call and substitutin…d2+1

›8.↳ 1The method according to claim 1 wherein the call is interrupted in different ways depending on the entered interrupt code.d2

›9.independentA method for allowing a telephone subscriber placing a call to the subscriber's own telephone line through a telecommunications network to interrupt a…+7

›10.↳ 9The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of interrupting the call includes the step of placing a tone on the telephone line while the existing…d2

›11.↳ 9The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of interrupting the call includes the step of playing an announcement on the telephone line while the…d2+2

›14.↳ 9The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of interrupting the existing call includes the steps of terminating the existing call and substitutin…d2+1

›16.↳ 9The method according to claim 9 wherein the call is interrupted in different ways depending on the entered interrupt code.d2

Classifications

5 codes

USPC · US Patent Classification

379/208379/204379/48379/218379/35

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Pendency

2.1 y

755 days filing → grant

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Examiner

Scott Wolinsky

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Citations: 32 back · 1 forward

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