Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Auxiliary data signaling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-01
2003-03-04
Tsang, Fan (Department: 2645)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Auxiliary data signaling
C379S088120, C379S088180
Reexamination Certificate
active
06529737
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to telecommunications systems and, more particularly, to sending a customized message or signal to a telephony subscriber having a telephone and selectively establishing a direct operative connection therewith within the same telephone call.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A mobile network telephone subscriber having a mobile telephone has several factors to consider regarding the time spent using the telephone, concerns which are not typically shared by landline telephone subscribers. Mobile subscribers often buy airtime packages featuring a predetermined number of minutes of telephone use included in the cost of the package or, in the alternative, may pay by the minute for the use of the telephone. In a mobile network, airtime use is metered for all calls, even calls in the local calling area. For landline subscribers, the cost of a local call is often included in monthly phone service or carries a negligible charge, no matter how long the subscriber spends on the call. However, both landline and mobile subscribers must pay by the minute for long distance telephone calls. Thus, mobile and landline subscribers will sometimes closely monitor their use of their telephones or screen the calls that they will accept in order to contain costs. For example, subscribers closely monitoring their airtime may have their phone powered on, but may refuse to answer a telephone call if they are not expecting a call or do not know who is calling. However, even a landline or wireline subscriber may screen calls and refuse to answer a telephone call for similar reasons, typically to avoid wasting time on an unwanted call.
There are several alternatives for the telephony subscriber on a terminating telephone refusing to answer a telephone call in order to avoid wasting time on an unwanted call. For example, the subscriber may opt to include a voice mail feature in his telephone package. A feature such as voice mail is often combined with a call forwarding service which, for example, will route the originator's telephone call to voice mail if the subscriber's telephone is busy or the subscriber does not answer. Thus, for instance when the subscriber refuses to answer a telephone call, the caller is automatically routed to the voice mail system and prompted to leave a message. The subscriber can then review his messages in the voice mail system at a later time and can then decide whether to contact the person who previously called. In addition, the voice mail feature may be helpful in situations where the subscriber is already engaged in a call with a third party when a caller, also known as an originator, tries to place a call to the subscriber. Here, the originator is routed to the voice mail system and prompted to leave a message for the subscriber. The voice mail message serves as a notification for the subscriber that the originator had called while he was busy with the previous call.
Another alternative for the subscriber is to opt for a caller identification feature in his telephone package. The caller identification feature displays the name and/or the number of the incoming call on the terminating telephone for viewing by the subscriber. The subscriber, based on the identification of the caller, can then decide whether to accept the call. However, the caller identification feature is often not helpful to the subscriber. Depending on the terminal or telephone from which the originator is placing the call, the caller may be identified as “UNKNOWN,” “PRIVATE,” or “OUT OF AREA,” for example. Further, even if a name and/or a telephone number do appear on the terminating telephone, these elements identify the particular originator's name and/or telephone number for the call-originating telephone and not the actual person making the call. This may be the case, for instance, where the person actually placing the call is using someone else's telephone. The name and/or telephone number of the person who owns the telephone and subscribes to the telephone service will be the caller identified on the terminating telephone, not the person actually placing the call. Thus, the subscriber may still refuse to accept the call if he cannot identify the originator thereof. In addition, while caller identification may be helpful in identifying the originator of an incoming call when the subscriber's telephone is idle (where the subscriber is not using the phone for a call), the caller identification feature will not be operable if the subscriber is already engaged in a call with a third party (presuming that the subscriber does not have a call waiting feature as described further below). The terminating telephone will not receive the identification of the caller and the originator will receive a prompt that the subscriber is unavailable or be routed to voice mail.
For situations where the subscriber is already engaged in a telephone call with a third party, he may opt to include a call waiting feature in his telephone package. When the originator places a call to the subscriber and the subscriber is busy on a telephone call to a third party, the call waiting feature sends a signal to the subscriber's telephone indicating the presence of the originator's call. The subscriber then has the option of connecting with the originator and releasing the third party or toggling between the originator and the third party. However, the signal that an originator is placing a call to the terminating telephone often consists of a beep, a tone, a click, or the like at the terminating telephone. Unless the subscriber has a caller identification feature, as described above, he will not know the identity of the originator. Further, even if the subscriber has a caller identification feature, he may still not know the identity of the actual originator of the call or why they are calling, as previously described for the caller identification feature. As such, the subscriber may still refuse to accept the call.
Still another alternative for the subscriber is to opt for a service which allows a short message to be sent by the originator to the subscriber's telephone. If the originator calls the subscriber and the subscriber is busy or does not answer, the originator is routed to a Short Message Service implementing a Short Message Service device. The originator can then enter a short message to be immediately sent to the terminating telephone by the SMS device. However, once the originator has entered the short message, the originator's telephone call will be terminated.
The short message comprises electronic data, such as a telephone number to which the originator wants the subscriber to respond. This electronic data is formed, for instance, by the originator entering the telephone number on the keypad of the telephone from which the originator is placing the call. Alternatively, the electronic data may be formed by a voice recognition system wherein the originator leaves a short voice message or oral communication for the subscriber which is converted into electronic data. The electronic data is then sent to the subscriber's telephone and is displayed as an alphanumeric message on the terminating telephone's display. The message could say, for example, “CALL YOUR WIFE AT 555-1234.” In still another alternative, the originator may leave a message with a receptionist or operator who then enters the message in the Short Message Service. Once the subscriber receives the message on the display, he may then respond to the originator by placing a separate phone call thereto.
These various features and services may also be combined by the subscriber in one telephone package. For example, a subscriber may include caller identification and call waiting. Thus, if the subscriber is busy on a telephone call with a third party and the originator places a call to the subscriber, the originator's name and number may be displayed. However, the caller identification feature has shortcomings, previously described, which may lead the subscrib
DeSoto Sherry Ann
Price Patrick Lee
Skinner Francis Edward
Nortel Networks Limited
Phan Joseph T.
Tsang Fan
Withrow & Terranova, P.L.L.C.
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