Dialing method and device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9742911-B2
Application number	US-201514837506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Aug 29, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A dialing method for a calling party includes determining a plurality of phone number groups to be dialed in a simultaneous or sequential ringing mode, each of the groups including at least one phone number; and transmitting the plurality of phone number groups and a dialing flag to a calling server. The dialing flag including a simultaneous or sequential ringing flag indicating that the plurality of phone number groups are to be dialed in the simultaneous or sequential ringing mode. The calling party can freely custom multiple phone numbers expected to be rung simultaneously or sequentially and transmit them to a calling server, without registering in the calling server in advance. Thus, the trouble of the user registering the numbers in the calling server may be avoided and the calling server does not need to maintain a large-scale database for storing the multiple numbers at a large cost.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dialing method, comprising:
receiving, by a calling server from a calling party device, a plurality of phone number groups to be dialed in at least one of a simultaneous ringing mode, a sequential ringing mode, or a combined simultaneous-sequential ringing mode, the calling device being separate than the calling server, each phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups including a respective at least one phone number and the receiving including receiving the respective at least one phone number of each phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups, and further receiving, from the calling party device, a dialing flag string for selectively initiating dialing of the respective at least one phone number of each phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups based on the dialing flag string, the dialing flag string including at least one of a simultaneous ringing flag, a sequential ringing flag, or a combined simultaneous-sequential ringing flag, indicating that the plurality of phone number groups are to be dialed in at least one of the simultaneous ringing mode, the sequential ringing mode, or the combined simultaneous-sequential ringing mode; wherein at least one phone number of a phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups is not previously registered in the calling server; and
initiating dialing the plurality of phone number groups in at least one of the simultaneous ringing mode, the sequential ringing mode, or the combined simultaneous-sequential ringing mode according to the at least one of the simultaneous ringing flag, the sequential ringing flag, or the combined simultaneous-sequential ringing flag.

2. The dialing method according to claim 1 , wherein based on a phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups comprising a plurality of phone numbers, the initiating the dialing comprises initiating dialing of the plurality of phone numbers in the simultaneous ringing mode.

3. The dialing method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining the plurality of phone number groups to be dialed in the at least one of the simultaneous ringing mode, the sequential ringing mode, or the combined simultaneous-sequential ringing mode based on at least one of groups of simultaneous ringing numbers or groups of sequential ringing numbers defined by a user of a calling party.

4. The dialing method according to claim 1 , wherein said dialing flag string further comprises a start flag for the calling server to start the at least one of the simultaneous ringing mode, the sequential ringing mode, or the combined simultaneous-sequential ringing mode.

5. The dialing method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving the plurality of phone number groups and the dialing flag string comprises receiving a generated character string that includes the dialing flag string and the plurality of phone number groups including the respective at least one phone number of each phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups.

6. The dialing method according to claim 1 , wherein in the case that the plurality of phone number groups are to be dialed in the sequential ringing mode, the initiating initiates the sequential dialing of the plurality of phone number groups until each of the groups is traversed.

7. The dialing method according to claim 6 , wherein the sequential dialing of the plurality of phone number groups comprises, in response to a phone number group currently being dialed not answering in a predetermined time, dialing a next phone number group.

8. The dialing method according to claim 6 , wherein the sequential dialing of the plurality of phone number groups comprises, in response to at least one phone number of the phone number group currently being dialed answering, continuing to dial the next phone number group upon ending of the answering.

9. A computer system, comprising:
a memory; and
a processing device in communication with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to:
receive, by a calling server from a calling party device, a plurality of phone number groups to be dialed in at least one of a simultaneous ringing mode, a sequential ringing mode, or a combined simultaneous-sequential ringing mode, the calling device being separate than the calling server, each phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups including a respective at least one phone number and the receiving including receiving the respective at least one phone number of each phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups, and further receive, from the calling party device, a dialing flag string for selectively initiating dialing of the respective at least one phone number of each phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups based on the dialing flag string, the dialing flag string including at least one of a simultaneous ringing flag, a sequential ringing flag, or a combined simultaneous-sequential ringing flag, indicating that the plurality of phone number groups are to be dialed in at least one of the simultaneous ringing mode, the sequential ringing mode, or the combined simultaneous-sequential ringing mode; wherein at least one phone number of a phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups is not previously registered in the calling server; and
initiate dialing the plurality of phone number groups in at least one of the simultaneous ringing mode, the sequential ringing mode, or the combined simultaneous-sequential ringing mode according to the at least one of the simultaneous ringing flag, the sequential ringing flag, or the combined simultaneous-sequential ringing flag.

10. The computer system according to claim 9 , wherein said dialing flag string further comprises a start flag for the calling server to start the at least one of the simultaneous ringing mode, the sequential ringing mode, or the combined simultaneous-sequential ringing mode.

11. The computer system according to claim 9 , wherein the receiving the plurality of phone number groups and the dialing flag string comprises receiving a generated character string that includes the dialing flag string and the plurality of phone number groups including the respective at least one phone number of each phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups.

12. The computer system according to claim 9 , wherein in the case that the plurality of phone number groups are to be dialed in the sequential ringing mode, the initiating initiates sequential dialing of the plurality of phone number groups until each of the groups is traversed.

13. The computer system according to claim 12 , wherein the sequential dialing of the plurality of phone number groups comprises, in response to a phone number group currently being dialed not answering in a predetermined time, dialing a next phone number group.

14. The computer system according to claim 12 , wherein the sequential dialing of the plurality of phone number groups comprises, in response to at least one phone number of the phone number group currently being dialed answering, continuing to dial the next phone number group upon ending of the answering.

15. The computer system according to claim 9 , wherein based on a phone number group of the plurality of phone number groups comprising a plurality of phone numbers, the initiating the dialing comprises initiating dialing of the plurality of phone numbers in the simultaneous ringing mode.

16. A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructio

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bin Dai
• Lei Yang
• Yu Chen Y
• Zhao Xin

Classifications

• H04M3/42153

  by subscriber · CPC title

• H04M2203/15

  related to dial plan and call routing · CPC title

• H04M3/465 Primary

  Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained · CPC title

• H04W4/16

  Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold · CPC title