Systems and methods for providing enhanced telephone services

Abstract

A method comprises recognizing, at a switch, tones generated by an originating telephone line, the tones representing a common number associated with a called party and assigned to two telephone lines, identifying, at the switch, the two telephone lines assigned to the common number, causing a first telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring, causing a second telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring substantially simultaneously with but slightly behind the first telephone line, and awaiting the called party to answer one of the two telephone lines.

1 . A method comprising:
 recognizing, at a switch, tones generated by an originating telephone line, the tones representing a common number associated with a called party and assigned to two telephone lines;   identifying, at the switch, the two telephone lines assigned to the common number;   causing a first telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring;   causing a second telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring substantially simultaneously with but slightly behind the first telephone line; and   awaiting the called party to answer one of the two telephone lines.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying, at the switch, a third telephone line assigned to the common number; and   causing the third telephone line to ring substantially simultaneously with the second telephone line.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending a message to the originating telephone line. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the message includes a conventional ringing tone, an audio message, a text message, or any combination thereof. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying, at the switch, a third telephone line assigned to the common number;   recognizing that the third telephone line is the originating telephone line; and   causing the third telephone line not to ring.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising connecting the originating telephone line to a voice mailbox. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying, at the switch, the two telephone lines assigned to the common number includes searching a database management system. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising recognizing that the called party has answered one of the two telephone lines. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 sending a challenge to the answered telephone line; and   awaiting the called party to satisfy the challenge.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the challenge includes a password-based challenge. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the challenge includes multiple types of challenges, each of the two telephone lines being associated with one or more of the multiple types of challenges. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising establishing a telephone connection between the originating telephone line and the answered telephone line upon the called party's satisfying the challenge. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising discontinuing causing the first and second telephone lines to ring. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising terminating the telephone connection upon the called party's failing to satisfy the challenge. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending, to the originating telephone line, an indication that one of the two telephone lines is engaged, that both of the two telephone lines are engaged, that the called party is unavailable, or any combination thereof. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the indication includes an audio message, a text message, a busy signal, a call waiting alert, or any combination thereof. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising discontinuing causing the first and second telephone lines to ring after a predetermined time period has elapsed. 
   
   
       18 . A switching platform comprising:
 a first circuit for recognising tones generated by an originating telephone line and representing a common number assigned to two telephone lines of a party;   a second circuit for identifying the two telephone lines assigned to the common number;   a third circuit for causing a first telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring;   a fourth circuit for causing a second telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring substantially simultaneously with but slightly behind the first telephone line; and   a fifth circuit for establishing a telephone connection between the originating telephone line and an answered telephone sine upon the party's answering one of the two telephone lines.   
   
   
       19 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , wherein the third circuit is adapted for discontinuing causing the first telephone line to ring and the fourth circuit is adapted for discontinuing causing the second telephone line to ring. 
   
   
       20 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , further comprising a sixth circuit for sending a message to the originating telephone line. 
   
   
       21 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , wherein the message includes a conventional ringing tone, an audio message, a text message, or any combination thereof. 
   
   
       22 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , further comprising a sixth circuit for identifying a third telephone line assigned to the common number and a seventh circuit for causing the third telephone line to ring substantially simultaneously with the second telephone line. 
   
   
       23 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , further comprising a sixth circuit for identifying a third telephone line assigned to the common number, a seventh circuit for recognizing that the third telephone line is the originating telephone line, and an eighth circuit for causing the third telephone line not to ring. 
   
   
       24 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , further comprising a sixth circuit for connecting the originating telephone line to a voice mailbox. 
   
   
       25 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , wherein the second circuit is adapted for searching a database management system. 
   
   
       26 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , further comprising a sixth circuit for recognizing that the party has answered one of the two telephone lines. 
   
   
       27 . The switching platform of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 a seventh circuit for sending a challenge to the answered telephone line; and   an eighth circuit for awaiting the party to satisfy the challenge.   
   
   
       28 . The switching platform of  claim 27 , wherein the fifth circuit is adapted for establishing a telephone connection between the originating telephone line and the answered telephone line upon the party's satisfying the challenge. 
   
   
       29 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , further comprising a sixth circuit for terminating the telephone connection upon the party's failing to satisfy the challenge. 
   
   
       30 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , further comprising a sixth circuit for sending, to the originating telephone line, an indication that one of the two telephone lines is engaged, that both of the two telephone lines are engaged, that the called party is unavailable, or any combination thereof. 
   
   
       31 . The switching platform of  claim 18 , wherein the third circuit is adapted for discontinuing causing the first telephone line to ring after a predetermined time period has elapsed, and wherein the fourth circuit is adapted for discontinuing causing the second telephone line to ring after a predetermined time period has elapsed. 
   
   
       32 . A system comprising:
 means for recognizing, at a switch, tones generated by an originating telephone line, representing a common number associated with a called party and assigned to two telephone lines;   means for identifying, at the switch, the two telephone lines assigned to the common number;   means for causing a first telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring;   means for causing a second telephone line of the two telephone lines to ring substantially simultaneously with but slightly behind the first telephone line; and   means for awaiting the called party to answer one of the two telephone lines.