Patent Application
20070280454
Telecommunications network 201 is one of multiple networks that constitute telecommunications system 200. Telecommunications network 201 comprises the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. Through Public Switched Telephone Network infrastructure, as well as through other switching and transmission infrastructure, network 201 provides telecommunications service to terminals such as network telecommunications terminal 208. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, in some alternative embodiments, network 201 can comprise a different group of networks than depicted, such as an Internet Protocol-based network, an Ethernet network, and so forth.
Network 201 interconnects the other telecommunications networks, which include: (i) the enterprise network supported by private branch exchange 202, and (ii) cellular network 205 supported by mobile switching center 204. The enterprise network supported by private branch exchange 202 provides telecommunications service to one or more telecommunications terminals, namely terminals 203-1 through 203-J, within the enterprise area served, such as an office building or campus. Cellular network 205, which is supported by mobile switching center 204, provides telecommunications service to one or more cellular telecommunications terminals, including cellular telecommunications terminals 206 and 207.
Private branch exchange 202 is a data-processing system, the salient components of which are described below and with respect to
Private branch exchange 202 is also capable of extending an incoming call (e.g., from terminal 208, etc.) to a telephone number of an off-premises terminal. An “off-premises” terminal is a terminal that is accessible through network 201 while still being affiliated with exchange 202 as an extension to exchange 202's enterprise network. For pedagogical purposes, telecommunications terminals 206 and 207 are the off-premises terminals in telecommunications system 200. Exchange 202 is capable of extending the incoming call to the intended off-premises terminal in addition to or independently of switching the same incoming call to an on-premises terminal within the enterprise area that exchange 202 serves.
Private branch exchange 202 is connected to telecommunications systems that are present in network 201 via communications paths that comprise Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) trunks, as are known in the art. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, other types of communications paths might connect exchange 202 to network 201. For example, exchange 202 might receive at least some of the incoming calls via the Session Initiation Protocol over an Internet Protocol-based network.
Private branch exchange 202 is also capable of performing the tasks described below and with respect to
It will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use private branch exchange 202. Moreover, as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, there can be alternative embodiments of the present invention in which a switch, contact center, or other type of data-processing system than a private branch exchange performs the described tasks. As with exchange 202, the data processing systems in those alternative embodiments can inter-operate in and with a variety of different networks. In other words, the present invention is equally well suited for implementation in public and private telecommunications systems that are wireline or wireless-based, and in accordance with various protocols.
Mobile switching center 204 is capable of switching incoming calls from network 201 to registered cellular-capable terminals, such as terminals 206 and 207. Mobile switching center 204 is also capable of handling outgoing calls from cellular-capable terminals to network 201. Switching center 204 communicates with terminals 206 and 207 via one or more radio base stations in cellular network 205, in well-known fashion. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use mobile switching center 204.
Off-premises telecommunications terminals 206 and 207 are capable of originating and receiving calls in well-known fashion. Some of the originated or received calls are routed through private branch exchange 202, while some are not. Terminals 206 and 207 are also capable of performing the tasks described below and with respect to
Switching fabric 301 is capable of switching calls between on premises terminals (e.g., terminals 203-1 through 203-1, etc.), and terminals that are accessible through network 201. In addition, switching fabric 301 is capable of performing the tasks described below and with respect to
Processor 302 is a general-purpose processor that is capable of receiving called-related data from switching fabric 301, of reading data from and writing data to memory 303, and of executing the tasks described below and with respect to
Memory 303 is a device that stores the instructions and data used by processor 302. Memory 303 stores the PBX on-premises extension and affiliated off-premises telephone number for each PBX user, which are shown in Table 1. Memory 303 also stores, for each off-premises terminal that is affiliated with exchange 202, the function-related information and values that are described below and with respect to
Network interface 304 is capable of routing control-related signals between processor 302 and off-premises terminals 206 and 207, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, network interface 304 is separate from switching fabric 301 and handles control signals transmitted on signal paths that are separate from the voice paths. In some alternative embodiments, network interface 304 is integrated with switching fabric 301 and handles control signals that are present in the voice paths. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use network interface 304.
Transceiver 401 comprises a receiving part and a transmitting part. The receiving part receives signals from cellular network 205, and forwards the information encoded in the signals to processor 402, in well-known fashion. The transmitting part receives information from processor 402, and outputs signals that encode this information to cellular network 205, in well-known fashion. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use transceiver 401.
Processor 402 is a general-purpose processor that is capable of: receiving information from transceiver 401, keypad 404, microphone 405, and camera 406; reading data from and writing data into memory 403; executing the tasks described below and with respect to
Memory 403 is a device that stores the instructions and data used by processor 402. For example, memory 403 stores the calling party identifier values and function-related values that are described below and with respect to
Keypad 404 is a character and user-selection input device as is well known in the art that receives input from a user and transmits keypad signals representing that input. Keypad 404 comprises fixed function keys and soft keys, as are known in the art. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use keypad 404.
Microphone 405 converts acoustic signals (e.g., from the end user, etc.) into electromagnetic signals, and speaker 407 converts electromagnetic signals into acoustic signals (e.g., intended for the end user, etc.), both in well-known fashion.
Camera 406 converts visual signals into electromagnetic signals, and video display 408 converts electromagnetic signals into visual signals (e.g., intended for the end user, etc.), both in well-known fashion.
In the example depicted, off-premises terminal 206 is the intended, telecommunications terminal that is referred to in the described tasks. As those who are skilled in the art will appreciate, however, the tasks described with respect to
At task 501, exchange 202 receives an indication that a first telecommunications terminal, in this case terminal 206, is to perform one or more functions as specified by exchange 202. Performance of a function by the terminal is intended to affect one or more properties at the terminal; the properties include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:
At task 502, exchange 202 transmits a calling party identifier to terminal 206, wherein the calling party identifier serves to identify exchange 202 or some aspect of exchange 202 that is related to sending a function call to the terminal. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, exchange 202 transmits the calling party identifier as part of what appears to be—that is, to mobile switching center 204-a call to terminal 206. Exchange 202 can transmit the calling party identifier, for example, via the Automatic Number Identification (ANI) procedure, which is well-known in the art. In addition to indicating that a function call is to follow, in some embodiments, the value of the calling party identifier is intended to disable an alerting function at terminal 206 so that its user remains unaware of the function transaction that is taking place.
At task 503, exchange 202 receives, in well-known fashion, an answer indication that the call has been answered by terminal 206. In other words, terminal 206 has received the function call from exchange 202 and has accepted it.
At task 504, exchange 202 proceeds to transmit, to terminal 206, a first series of dialed digits in well-known fashion. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, exchange 202 transmits the dialed digits via one or more dual tone multi-frequency signals, as are known in the art. In some alternative embodiments, exchange 202 transmits the dialed digits as part of an encoded message.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the first series of dialed digits comprises:
At task 601, terminal 206 receives a calling party identifier, in well-known fashion, as part of an incoming call.
At task 602, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal 206 checks if the received calling party identifier matches with a value that is stored in memory 303. If there is a match, signifying that a function call is to follow, task execution proceeds to task 603. If there is no match, signifying that a conventional telephone call is being received, task execution proceeds to task 605.
At task 603, terminal 206 disables an alerting function. For example, if terminal 206 is currently programmed to play a particular ringtone to alert its user of an incoming call, then the ringtone is disabled. Likewise, if the terminal is programmed to vibrate to alert of an incoming call, then the vibration is disabled. Terminal 206 disables the alerting function because the incoming “call” is not really a call in the end-user sense, but a mechanism with which to signal the terminal that a function call is to follow.
In some alternative embodiments, terminal 206 does not disable the alerting function or disables the alerting function for only some of the calling party identifier values associated with function calls.
At task 604, terminal 206 processes the call from the originating data-processing system—in this case, private branch exchange 202—in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The details of task 604 are described below and with respect to
At task 605, in response to receiving a non-matching calling party identifier, terminal 206 re-enables the alerting function that had been disabled at task 603.
At task 606, terminal 206 processes the telephone call from the originating caller in well-known fashion. Task execution then returns to task 601.
At task 701, terminal 206 answers the call in well-known fashion. This comprises sending an answer indication to mobile switching center 204, which then sends the answer indication to exchange 202.
At task 702, terminal 206 receives a first series of dialed digits from exchange 202. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, terminal 206 receives the dialed digits via one or more dual tone multi-frequency signals, as are known in the art. In some alternative embodiments, terminal 206 receives the dialed digits as part of an encoded message. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the first series of dialed digits comprises:
i. a first portion that identifies a first function, and
Terminal 206 knows that the dialed digits identify at least a function because of the value of the calling party identifier received at task 601. Terminal 206 decodes the dialed digits to determine the specific function that needs to be performed and, if present, the specific arguments to the function that need to be considered.
At task 703, terminal 206 performs the identified first function, in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. Examples of functions and their intended effects are listed above and with respect to task 501. A function might have the effect of changing an aspect of the user interface, of manipulating or storing one or more values in memory, and so forth. Changing the user interface might include affecting one or more of devices such as keypad 404, microphone 405, camera 406, speaker 407, and video display 408, as well as affecting the part of the database that is related to call information and how calls are to be handled. Values that are changed or stored in memory might include the specific calling party identifier values that correspond to the function-invoking, data-processing systems of the illustrative embodiment. Those values might also constitute the computer programs that correspond to the functions themselves, as well as information on how to handle the execution of the functions with their arguments. Task execution then proceeds to task 601.
It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and that many variations of the above-described embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in this Specification, numerous specific details are provided in order to provide a thorough description and understanding of the illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of those details, or with other methods, materials, components, etc.
Furthermore, in some instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the illustrative embodiments. It is understood that the various embodiments shown in the Figures are illustrative, and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “some embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment(s) is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, but not necessarily all embodiments. Consequently, the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” or “in some embodiments” in various places throughout the Specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is therefore intended that such variations be included within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
This application incorporates herein by reference the underlying concepts, but not necessarily the nomenclature, of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/122866, filed on 5 May 2005, Attorney Docket 630-118US, entitled “Changing the User Interface at a Telecommunications Terminal.”
