Telephonic communications – Special services
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-15
2001-12-04
Matar, Ahmad (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Special services
C379S211010, C379S211020, C379S212010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327353
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for permitting temporary use of a telephone number, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for permitting temporary use of a telephone number to temporarily enable a subscriber terminal to have telephone communication by using a telephone number other than that assigned thereto.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in cases where a subscriber is forced to receive a telephone call from persons whom the subscriber wishes to leave uninformed of his or her telephone number, for example, where the subscriber is obliged to indicate his/her telephone number for contact on a public message board such as for purposes of private sale, invitation to group activities or request for search for a lost article or where the subscriber allows another person to temporarily use his/her telephone for contact, the subscriber is left only two options: to install a new telephone to acquire a different telephone number or to let others know his/her own telephone number.
In the case of installing a new telephone to acquire a different telephone number, however, a high installation fee is required, and also the procedures needed from the application for installation to actual registration and the procedures for cancellation of the registration because of disuse of the telephone require much time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for permitting temporary use of a telephone number, which apparatus and method require no installation fee and promptly permit temporary use of a different telephone number.
Herein, the phrase “virtual telephone number” is interchangeable with the phrase “temporary telephone number.”
To achieve the above object, there is provided an apparatus for permitting temporary use of a telephone number to temporarily enable a subscriber terminal to have telephone communication by using a telephone number other than that assigned thereto. The apparatus comprises virtual telephone number notification unit, responsive to a request from a first subscriber terminal to assign thereto a virtual telephone number which is a telephone number permitting temporary use, for assigning a virtual telephone number to the first subscriber terminal and notifying the first subscriber terminal of the assigned virtual telephone number, virtual telephone number registration unit for registering the virtual telephone number assigned to the first subscriber terminal in association with connection information on the first subscriber terminal, and call connection unit, responsive to a call request from a second subscriber terminal by means of a virtual telephone number, for referring to the virtual telephone number registration unit to read out connection information associated with the requested virtual telephone number and connecting the second subscriber terminal to a subscriber terminal with which the connection information is associated.
To achieve the above object, there is also provided a method for use in an apparatus for permitting temporary use of a telephone number to temporarily enable a subscriber terminal to have telephone communication by using a telephone number other than that assigned thereto. The method comprises the step of receiving a request from a subscriber terminal to assign thereto a virtual telephone number and assigning the subscriber terminal a new virtual telephone number other than a telephone number already assigned thereto, and the step of performing a call connection process by using the virtual telephone number when a connection process for connecting a call to the subscriber terminal is requested.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention by way of example.
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Fukuzawa Yohji
Mitome Hirofumi
Morikawa Toshihiro
Deane, Jr. William J.
Fujitsu Limited
Matar Ahmad
LandOfFree
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