Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Combined circuit switching and packet switching
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-20
2001-05-01
Kizou, Hassan (Department: 2662)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Combined circuit switching and packet switching
C379S900000, C709S218000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226286
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a communication node between data networks and public telecommunications networks.
STATE OF THE ART
Such a communication node between data and telecommunications networks is disclosed in, for example, WO 94/24803. This document describes such a node in a multimedia communication system. The object of the node is to enable communication between users using different types of terminals, such as common telephones, personal computers and workstations.
The published international patent application WO 87/078001 describes a node constituting an electronic mailbox. The object is for the mailbox to be able to receive and store electronic mail sent from different types of sources, such as telephones, computers and fax machines. Messages may have been translated before they reach the mailbox. The electronic letters may subsequently be retrieved from different types of terminals.
Some different types of network architecture for establishing a link between data networks and telecommunications networks are described comprehensively in a report of a final thesis at Luleå Institute of Technology: “Functional Distribution between Co-operating Networks”, Bodin and Andreasson. The report briefly describes the design of a node between data networks and telecommunications networks, used to demonstrate the ordering of telephony services from a computer. A user is enabled to order telephony services presented on the computer screen via pages in HTML format. The node consists of a computer with an off-the-shelf software platform.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention attacks the problem of simplifying the use of telecommunications services for a user by offering a solution with which such telecommunications services in public and private telecommunications networks may be made accessible through a computer. In particular this applies to the ordering from a computer of the set-up of a telecommunications connection between an A subscriber and a B subscriber.
The telecommunications services of today are becoming more and more advanced. The new services are perceived as difficult to use since conventional telephones are only provided with a primitive keypad allowing the user to enter commands or provide data. The telephone also has very limited possibilities for providing visual information.
With the new services, the need also arises to be able to adapt some of the services according to the user's desires. Thus the need for several alternative solutions for exchanging information with the user is further increased.
Another problem is avoiding having to equip the user's computer with special software to enable the ordering of telecommunications services from it. It should be sufficient for the computer to be provided with prior art software for communication, and said software should also be useful for other purposes than for ordering telephony services.
A further problem is that the user should have access to personal stored information concerning telecommunications services even if he/she moves geographically and changes computer and telephone equipment.
A purpose of the present invention is thus to enable a user to order telecommunications services, especially connection of calls, by means of a computer, in a way that is simple for the user and to provide subscriber related data that can be used for this purpose, and to give access to these telecommunications services and this user related data even if the user moves geographically and to another telephone and/or computer.
A service node is provided, constituting a link between the data network and the telecommunications network. The service node has an interface to a telephone exchange through which public and private telecommunications networks can be accessed. The service node also has a WWW interface through which a communication connection to a computer can be established through a data network using the HTTP protocol. The computer is equipped with a WWW browser and receives data in HTML format from the service node. The data is presented on a screen connected to the computer, in the form of pages comprising, among other things, active fields. A user requests a service using said active fields by means of the computer. The service node receives the request for a telephony service or programming of subscriber related data from the computer in order for the data to be registered by the service node. The service node performs the requested service and sends the result to the computer in a new HTML page, which is presented to the user on the screen.
The service node is comprised of a web server, a personal assistant and a service node selector. The personal assistant constitutes a control and supervision part of the service node and communicates both with the service node selector and the web server.
The personal assistant handles various subscriber services.
The personal assistant controls the service node selector, which is connected to telecommunications and mobile telecommunications networks.
The personal assistant can, by means of the service node selector, make outgoing calls, receive calls and interconnect incoming and outgoing calls.
The personal assistant stores information associated with a user. The user can retrieve and store personal information by means of a computer telecommunications terminal of his/her choice or.
A user can log in to the service node from a computer with a WWW browser. The web server handles the communication with the computer by transmitting WWW pages in the mark-up language HTML, said pages being presented on the user's computer. The user may enter commands using active fields in the presented HTML page. The commands are transmitted to the web server using the HTTP protocol. The commands are forwarded by the web server to the personal assistant.
The personal assistant makes sure the command is executed. The result is then transmitted to the web server, which generates a new HTML page presenting the result of the command to the user.
The invention makes it possible to simplify the user control of telephony services by means of a computer.
The invention may be utilized by several users as the protocol used for communication with the service node is found in most network connected computers. Programs such as WWW browsers are widely deployed in network connected computers.
The invention enables the storage of data associated with a user in a central node. This data is accessible to the user and may be changed even if the user moves to a different location and uses different terminals. The stored data may be used when a telephone connection with a B subscriber is being set up.
The invention will in the following be described in more detail by way of preferred embodiments and with reference to the enclosed drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5675507 (1997-10-01), Bobo
patent: 5808587 (1998-09-01), Norris et al.
patent: 5943399 (1999-08-01), Bannister et al.
patent: 5953392 (1999-09-01), Rhie et al.
patent: 6052372 (2000-04-01), Gittens et al.
patent: 41 01 885 (1992-07-01), None
patent: 2 254 981 (1992-10-01), None
patent: WO87/07801 (1987-12-01), None
patent: WO94/24803 (1994-10-01), None
patent: WO 96/20553 (1996-07-01), None
Båge Göran
Bergqvist Per
Danne Anders Olof
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Elallam Ahmed
Kizou Hassan
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
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