Patent Application
20080069325
The present disclosure can be described by the embodiments given below. It is understood, however, that the embodiments below are not necessarily limitations to the present disclosure, but are used to describe typical implementations of the invention.
Embodiments of the present invention can provide a unique method and system for an improved intelligent phone. It is understood, however, that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the invention. Specific examples of components, signals, messages, protocols, and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention from that described in the claims. Well known elements are presented without detailed description in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details unnecessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention have been omitted inasmuch as such details are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. Details regarding control circuitry described herein are omitted, as such control circuits are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. While various features are shown and described within the context of different embodiments, additional embodiments can include any combination of any of the features described herein.
The phone 100 also includes a navigation toggle key 118 along with a first function key 120, a second function key 122, and a third function key 124. The first function key 120 is associated with a first function that is indicated by a function icon, which in this example is a “New Call” function icon. Similarly, the second function key 122 is associated with a second function (“Call Log”), and the third function key 124 is associated with a third function (“Forward”). The phone also includes a handset 126, a first set of additional feature keys 128, a traditional number pad 130, and a second set of additional feature keys 132.
While the keys 110, 112, 114, 118, 120, 122, 124, 128, 130, and 132 are shown as push-buttons, any type of input device, including the use of touch-screen controls, can be used as implementations of one or more of any of the keys 110, 112, 114, 118, 120, 122, 124, 128, 130, and 132. For example, in some embodiments, the extension icons (e.g., the “3337,” “3129,” and “3555” icons) can be aligned with touch-sensitive regions of the screen 116 and can serve as line keys 110, 112, and 114. Also, in some embodiments, the function icons (e.g., the “New Call,” “Call Log,” and “Forward” icons) can be aligned with touch-sensitive regions of the screen 116 and can serve as function keys 120, 122, and 124. In still further embodiments, the navigation key 118 or other control can be used to navigate and select the displayed icons and activate the function or line associated with a selected icon. Alternatives to the navigation key 118 can include plural keys, a thumb wheel, a tilt wheel, a track ball, a touch pad, and/or any other type of input device.
Some phones can be used to control more than one line appearance (phone number/telephone line). In the case of private branch exchange (PBX) phones, this is done by providing a line key for each terminated line. This key can be used for answering that line or for generating outbound calls. Although a VoIP phone can control more line appearances than traditional POTS phones, there has still been only one line per line key. Thus, the traditional method for gaining access to a large amount of lines is through the use of extra keys. Frequently, extra keys are added to a phone through the use of additional banks of keys that are purchased as an accessory to the original phone. However, line keys on a phone usually take up a considerable amount of real-estate on a phone. If fewer than the number of line keys on a phone are needed, then the keys are likely wasted. In addition, if a phone has all its line keys mapped to lines already, it is not possible to add an additional line without a line key extension.
Embodiments of the invention can include a method of having more telephone lines than can be displayed at one time. Some embodiments can include “dynamic” line appearances. According to some embodiments, specific line appearances are not mapped to just one line key.
Traditionally, a phone has a default line. This is the line that goes off hook when the handset is taken off its cradle. The default line in
For example, if the up/down navigation key 118 is pressed on the up arrow, the display shown by the screen 116 changes from the display shown in
If the up/down navigation key 118 is again pressed on the up arrow, the display changes from the display shown in
While there are only three line appearances in the example of
In addition, such embodiments of the invention can include, or be used with, PBX phones, Multi-line home phones, and computer based telephony as well as VoIP phones.
Embodiments of the invention can also include features related to conferencing. A common function of an enterprise phone is the conferencing of multiple calls. Calls are usually added to a conference by either combining existing calls or by dialing in new conference attendees. Once a call is in a conference, it is difficult to manage the various individual conference attendees. Some systems allow you to “drop” attendees in the reverse order they are added but holding and transferring individual call appearances is not possible.
Embodiments of the invention can allow for more flexibility for conference calls.
Embodiments can allow for display of any number of call appearances on the screen 116 at any given time. Embodiments can also allow a user to change the call appearances appearing on the display. For example, if there is a party to the conference call illustrated in
The functions associated with the function keys 120, 122, and 124 and/or the line appearances associated with the line keys 110, 112, and 114 can be different for different parties to the conference call. An indicator 134 shows that the first call appearance 136 is active at this point, in the sense that the line appearances/functions presently appearing on the display are those that relate to the party associated with the first call appearance 136. In this example, the current actions that can be taken for ACME Widgets are: (1) put them on hold by depressing the second function key 122, or (2) drop the call from conference call by depressing the third function key 124. In addition, the entire conference call can be put on hold if the first function key 120 is depressed. Another option that can be implemented is to transfer the active call. Although this option is not displayed on the screen 116, the navigation key 118 can be used to scroll through the functions, thereby changing the functions associated with one or more of the function keys 120, 122, and 124, until the “transfer” function is displayed.
Similarly, the navigation key 118 can be used to move the indicator 134, or alternatively scroll the call appearances 136 and 138, in order to make the second call appearance active. Although only two callers are shown on screen 116, the up/down arrows on the navigation button 118 can be used to scroll through other callers on a conference call that are not displayed in the view shown in
Moreover, such embodiments of the invention can include, or be used with, PBX phones, Multi-line home phones, and computer based telephony as well as VoIP phones.
Embodiments of the invention can also include features related to line appearances (e.g. how a line appears on screen 116). Traditional PBX phones provide a fixed number of line appearances (e.g. an LED associated with that line key is on or blinks). Often a phone with multiple line appearances will only have one line associated with them. When this is the case, all of the line keys that could have been used for other lines (numbers) can now be used to manage the same line. In this way, when a call is placed on Hold, the LED associated with one of the line keys blinks to show that that call is held and another line key can be used to get a dial tone.
Traditional VoIP phones have soft keys that are contact sensitive that give an option to resume a held call or to create a new call on a held line. However, there are several situations when line keys could produce ambiguous results in a phone that cannot show the status of different call appearances. For example, the following scenarios can produce ambiguous results: if a call is on hold on one line and a second line is available, it can be ambiguous to a user whether lifting the handset will cause the call on hold to “resume” or will activate the second available line; if a call is on hold on one line and there is an incoming call on a second line, it can be ambiguous to a user whether lifting the handset will cause the call on hold to “resume” or will activate the line with the incoming call; and if there is an incoming call while the handset is off the hook, it can be ambiguous to a user whether replacing the handset will terminate the incoming call.
Embodiments of the invention can use variations of line appearances as an unambiguous method of providing for the use of line keys, e.g., to resume a held call, create a new outbound call, or to answer an incoming call. In some embodiments, a line appearance for each possible use of the line can be created and displayed on the screen 116.
When phones with a dynamic user interface (not necessarily an IP phone) are in a state where pressing the line key would produce an ambiguous result, the lines are updated with a new line appearance that shows, e.g., through the use of visible states (such as slow blinking, rapid blinking, lit, unlit, etc), what the result of hitting that key will be.
Embodiments of the invention can include features related to porting a line from one phone to another. Line porting is an enterprise telephony feature which allows multiple physical telephones to be configured with the same extension (number). This feature is useful for situations where: multiple people are equally relevant to the line (e.g., call centers); administrative assistants answering for someone away from their phone; and people who wish to cover each other's line.
Traditional phones are configured to operate on a specific line (i.e., extension or telephone number) or group of lines such that changing the line of a phone has been a relatively complex task requiring the services of a trained technician. This is inconvenient for people that wish to have an extension temporarily associated with a phone.
Embodiments of the invention can include more convenient methods of manually adding a line to a phone. Embodiments of the invention can make it possible for a user to add a phone number to a phone with the use of a few keystrokes. No provisioning or administrative intervention is necessary to support these methods.
One method for adding a line to a phone is to provide a function that can be associated with any of the function keys 120, 122, 124 for adding a new line. For example, the user can use the navigation key 118 to scroll to a new option called “New Line.” It would be displayed at the bottom of screen 116 similar to the “Resume,” “Transfer,” and “End Call” options. The appropriate function key 120, 122, 124 could then be depressed to activate the “,New Line” option. The screen 116 would then prompt the user to enter the new line through the use of the phone number pad 130 (shown in
A similar “End Line” option can also be included to drop a line from the phone. Again, the navigation key 118 can be used to display the option “End Line” and the associated user key can be used to drop the line.
However, other methods could be used to add or drop a new line, such as entering a specific code through the phone number pad 130 and then following instructions displayed on the screen 116 or through a voice menu. In addition, a specific key, e.g., one of the additional feature keys 128, 132, could be provided on the phone 100 for adding or dropping a new line.
In some embodiments, the process of adding a line can include requiring entry of a security code, for example a pin number, in order to prevent unauthorized users from adding lines and/or to prevent unauthorized addition of a specific line. For example, a security code can be required for performing the “New Line” function; alternatively or in addition, a security code can be associated with a particular line such that the particular line cannot be added to a phone unless the correct security code is entered.
In addition, such embodiments of the invention can include, or be used with, PBX phones, Multi-line home phones, and computer based telephony as well as VoIP phones.
The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
