Easy Call Abandon

Abstract

A technique for managing simultaneous incoming and outgoing calls between the same far-end called terminal and far-end calling terminal and/or same user associated with a far-end called terminal and user associated with the far-end calling terminal includes an easy call abandon facility on a near-end terminal configured to compare information associated with an outgoing call to information associated with an incoming call. The easy call abandon facility is configured to initiate an audible or visible indicator when the terminal and/or user of the far-end called party is the same as that of the far-end calling party. In response to an easy call abandon indication received from a near-end terminal user, the easy call abandon facility disconnects the call from the near-end and connects the call received from the far-end terminal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a facility of a first communications device associated with a first phone number, the facility being configured to provide an indicator of a concurrent call condition in response to a first call from the first communications device to a second communications device associated with a second phone number, the first call being connected to a voicemail system of the second communications device, and in response to a second call to the first communications device from a third communications device associated with a third phone number, different from the second phone number, the second and third phone numbers being associated with a user,   wherein the facility is further configured to initiate both a release of the first call and configured to initiate a call connection of the second call in response to a predetermined user input received by the first communications device,   wherein the release of the first call includes terminating a call connection between the first communications device and the voicemail system and the release includes conditionally appending to a voicemail message an indication of the release prior to termination of the first call.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the facility is further configured to provide the indicator of the concurrent call condition based on a contact entry of a database, the contact entry associating the second phone number and the third phone number with a contact corresponding to the user. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the facility comprises a computer program product executable encoded in one or more computer readable media selected from the set of disk, tape, or other magnetic, optical, or electronic storage medium. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus, as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a communications interface configured to receive caller identification information associated with the third communications device; and   a controller configured to provide the caller identification information to the facility,   wherein the indicator is further based on the caller identification information.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the release of the first call includes conditionally deleting the voicemail message prior to terminating the call connection between the first communications device and the voicemail system. 
     
     
         6 . A method comprising:
 providing an indicator of a concurrent call condition, by a first communications device associated with a first phone number including the facility, in response to a first call from the first communications device to a second communications device associated with a second phone number and connected to a voicemail system of the second communications device and in response to a second call to the first communications device from a third communications device associated with a third phone number, different from the second phone number, the second and third phone numbers being associated with a user;   initiating a call connection of the second call in response to a predetermined user input received by the first communications device; and   initiating a release of the first call, the release including terminating the call connection between the first communications device and the voicemail system and the release including conditionally appending to a voicemail message an indication of the release prior to termination of the first call.   
     
     
         7 . The method, as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 requesting, by the first communications device, to participate in a call connection between the first communications device and the second communications device; and   receiving, by the first communications device, a request for a second call connection between the first communications device and the third communications device.   
     
     
         8 . The method, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the indicator indicates that the second communications device and the third communications device are associated with the same user based on a contact entry of a database, the contact entry associating the second phone number and the third phone number with a contact. 
     
     
         9 . The method, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the indicator provides information associated with the third communications device. 
     
     
         10 . The method, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the indicator is provided after establishing a voicemail connection between the first communications device and the voicemail system. 
     
     
         11 . The method, as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 initiating, in response to a second predetermined input, deletion of an incomplete voicemail message from the voicemail system prior to terminating the voicemail connection.   
     
     
         12 . The method, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the indication of the release is appended in response to a second predetermined input. 
     
     
         13 . The method, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the indicator is based on caller identification delivery on call waiting (CIDCW) information received by the first communications device from the third communications device. 
     
     
         14 . The method, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the release includes conditionally deleting the voicemail message prior to termination of the first call. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus comprising:
 a communications interface; and   means for providing a user indicator by a first communications device associated with a first phone number in response to a first call from the first communications device to a second communications device associated with a second phone number and connected to a voicemail system of the second communications device and in response to a second call to the first communications device from a third communications device associated with a third phone number, different from the second phone number, the second and third phone numbers being associated with a user,   initiating a release of the first call and a call connection of the second call in response to a predetermined user input received by the first communications device,   wherein the release of the first call includes terminating a call connection between the first communications device and the voicemail system and includes conditionally appending to a voicemail message an indication of the release prior to the release.