Proxy response terminal and system

Abstract

A proxy response terminal wherein information relating to the call being called is acquired and the call to which a proxy response is to be made is expressly specified so that the call may be responded. The proxy response terminal includes an incoming information acquiring means for requesting the information relating to the call in the calling state to the call control apparatus and a proxy response requesting means for issuing connection request specifying the call to which a proxy response is to be made based on the information notified by the call control apparatus. And the call control apparatus includes an incoming information notifying means for notifying the information relating to the call in the calling state at a terminal in the group to which the proxy response terminal belongs in response to an incoming information acquiring request presented by the proxy response terminal, and a call controlling means for relaying the connection request presented by the calling terminal and the proxy response request presented by the proxy response terminal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of configuration of the proxy response system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of configuration of a proxy response terminal;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of configuration of a call control apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of connecting procedure at the time of proxy response;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing procedure at the time of proxy response at the proxy response terminal;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing procedure at the time of proxy response at the call control apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a table illustration showing an example of the terminal control table of the call control apparatus;

FIG. 8 is a table illustration showing an example of the session control table of the call control apparatus; and

FIG. 9 is an illustration showing an example of the physical image of the proxy response terminal.

Claims

1. A communication system, a plurality of terminal apparatuses and a call controlling apparatus for performing the relay control and the call state management of call control messages transmitted and received by and among various terminals being connected through a communication network, wherein the terminal for making proxy response among the plurality of terminal apparatuses comprises an acquiring means of incoming information for requesting information relating to calls in the calling state from terminals within the group to which it belongs, and proxy response requesting means for issuing connection requests specifying the calls for proxy response to the call controlling apparatus,wherein the call controlling apparatus comprises a incoming information notifying means for notifying the information relating to calls in calling state from the terminals within the group to which the terminal for carrying out the proxy response belong in response to the incoming information acquiring request from the terminal carrying out the proxy response, and call controlling means for handling the connection requests issued by the terminal having transmitted the calls and the proxy response requests made by the terminal for performing the proxy response as a call, andwherein the terminals for performing the proxy response output the information about the caller and the callee on the user interface before making a proxy response.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein, if there are a plurality of calls in the calling state at the same time, the call controlling apparatus provide the terminals carrying out the proxy response with information relating to all the calls now being made, and the terminals carrying out the proxy responses output all the information notified on the user interface, and accept the input for selecting the calls to which proxy responses will be made.

3. A terminal for making proxy responses connected with a plurality of terminal equipment and a call controlling apparatus for carrying out the relay control and the call state management of call control messages sent out and received by and between various terminals through a communication network, wherein, upon receiving a command for acquiring incoming information from the user interface, the terminal sends a request message for the incoming information requesting information on the calls in the calling state at the terminals within the group to which the terminal belongs to the call controlling apparatus.

4. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein, upon outputting the incoming information notified by the call controlling apparatus to the user interface and receiving a proxy response command for specifying the calls to which proxy response should be made from the user interface, the terminal transmits the request for proxy response specifying the call to the call controlling apparatuses.

5. A call controlling apparatus connected with a plurality of terminal apparatuses through a communication network, wherein, upon receiving a request message for incoming information on terminals in the calling state from the proxy response terminal, the apparatus searches the calls of terminals of the group to which the terminal making the proxy response belongs having sent the message and in calling state, and notifies the information relating to the call to the terminal making the proxy response.

6. The call controlling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, upon receiving a proxy response request message specifying the terminal to which proxy responses should be made from among the terminals in calling state from the terminal making the proxy response, the apparatus controls the connection with each of the calling terminal of the specified call and the terminal making the proxy response, and treats a call established between the calling terminal and staid terminal making the proxy response as a call.