Claims
- 1. A data communication method for use in a telephone network having a caller-identification feature, wherein the caller-identification feature communicates data to a called party that includes data corresponding to a telephone number of a calling party, the method comprising:
identifying a recipient having telephone equipment at a telephone number on the telephone network; providing a code in the format of a telephone number; setting up a telephone call to the recipient telephone number from a calling party having the same telephone number as the code, such that the telephone network uses the caller-identification feature to communicate data corresponding to the code to the recipient telephone number; receiving the data corresponding to the code at the recipient telephone number; wherein the recipient telephone equipment automatically signals the telephone network to connect the call upon receipt of the data corresponding to the code.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone equipment automatically signals the telephone network to connect the call by going of-hook.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone equipment automatically signals the telephone network to connect the call by performing a hook flash sequence.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the calling party having the same telephone number as the code is a simulated calling party.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the calling party having the same telephone number as the code is an actual calling party.
- 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
sending data to the recipient telephone equipment over the telephone network after the recipient telephone equipment automatically signals the telephone network to connect the call.
- 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
sending digital data to the recipient telephone equipment over the telephone network after the recipient telephone equipment automatically signals the telephone network to connect the call.
- 8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
sending non-voice data to the recipient telephone equipment over the telephone network after the recipient telephone equipment automatically signals the telephone network to connect the call.
- 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
sending emergency notification data to the recipient telephone equipment over the telephone network after the recipient telephone equipment automatically signals the telephone network to connect the call.
- 10. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of converting the received data to a message.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the received data corresponding to the message is converted to the message for the message recipient.
- 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of displaying the message as text.
- 13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of audibly announcing the message.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the message is audibly announced over a speaker other than a speaker in a telephone handset.
- 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the message is audibly announced over a speaker in a telephone handset.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone network is the North American telephone network.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the caller-identification feature is Caller ID.
- 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the data communicated to a called party by the Caller ID feature is the Incoming Caller Line Identification (ICLID) signal.
- 19. The method of claim 16 wherein the format of the telephone number includes a three-digit area code and a seven-digit number.
- 20. The method of claim 16 wherein the code is a ten-digit number.
- 21. The method of claim 1 wherein the caller-identification feature communicates data on a common channel interoffice signaling system.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein the caller-identification feature communicates data on the signaling system 7 (SS7) common channel interoffice signaling system.
- 23. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of identifying plural recipients, each having a respective telephone equipment and telephone number.
- 24. The method of claim 23 wherein the recipients are identified on the basis of geographical location.
- 25. The method of claim 23 wherein the same message is selected for each of the plural recipients.
- 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the message is an emergency notification message.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/038,866, filed Jan. 4, 2002, the full disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10038866 |
Jan 2002 |
US |
Child |
10336562 |
Jan 2003 |
US |