Telephonic communications – Special services – Reserved call
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-09
2001-11-20
Hong, Harry S. (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Special services
Reserved call
C379S114240, C379S142010, C379S144020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320950
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication control unit.
Services such as a free dial and a collect call have recently been put to practical use on terminals employing public networks. The free dial service is one wherein when an unspecified communication terminal communicates with a communication target, communication charges are borne by the communication target while the collect call service is one wherein when a specified communication terminal speaks over the telephone with a communication target, communication charges are borne by the communication target.
In the conventional services stated above, a free dial function and a collect call function have not been owned by terminals but have been owned by switchboards
Communication companies, on the other hand, are supposed to start CALLER ID (a caller ID) service wherein an originator number is notified at the moment of arrival, and once this service starts, it is possible for the communication terminal to discriminate originators. In this case, however, the communication terminal owns neither the free dial function nor the collect call function, although it owns a discriminating function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing as a background, the invention has been achieved and its object is to provide a communication control unit capable of realizing a function corresponding to the free dial function and the collect call function on a communication terminal by utilizing caller ID signals.
The above functions are realized by the following structures.
(1) A communication control unit, comprising:
a network connection unit to connect public lines in response to an arrival signal sent from a caller;
communicating means for communicating with the caller through the network connection unit;
caller ID receiving means to receive caller ID signals of the caller sent from the public lines through the network connection unit;
control means for judging whether a telephone number of the caller is included in the caller ID signals;
wherein the communicating means starts communicating with the caller when the control means judges that the telephone number of the caller is not included in the caller ID signals; and calls back the telephone number of the caller when the control means judges that the telephone number of the caller is included in the caller ID signals.
(2) In the communication control unit of Item (1), the control means has a memory to store caller ID data corresponding to the caller ID signals and a central processing unit
(3) In the communication control unit of Item (1), the network connection unit disconnects the public lines from the caller after the caller ID receiving means receives the caller ID signals of the caller.
(4) In the communication control unit of Item (2), when the telephone number of the caller is not included in the caller ID signals, the network connection unit connects again the public lines with the caller in response to a next arrival signal from the caller and the communicating means starts communicating with the caller.
(5) In the communication control unit of Item (2), when the telephone number of the caller is included in the caller ID signals, the communicating means calls back the telephone number of the caller after a next arrival signal is not sent from the caller for a predetermined time.
(6) In the communication control unit of Item (1), if a ring-back tone from the caller is detected when communicating means calls back the telephone number of the caller, the communicating means rings a different sound from that of a regular call so that the calling back is notified, and stops the ring-back tone after a signal is sent from the caller.
(7) In the communication control unit of Item (1), the control means controls the communicating means so as to conduct one of plural automatic response modes including a regular response mode, a free-dial mode and a collect call mode.
(8) In the communication control unit of Item (1), in the case of the regular response mode, the communicating means starts communicating with the caller regardless of whether the telephone number of the caller is included in the caller ID signals.
(9) In the communication control unit of Item (1), in the case of the free-dial mode, when the telephone number of the caller is included in the caller ID signals, the communicating means calls back the telephone number of the caller regardless of whether the telephone number of the caller is registered.
(10) In the communication control unit of Item (8), the control means comprises an area memory section to register plural area codes, and wherein in the case of the free-dial mode, the control means compares the area code of the telephone number of the caller with the area codes registered in the area memory section, the communicating means calls back the telephone number of the caller when the area code of the telephone number of the caller is registered in the area memory.
(11) In the communication control unit of Item (2), the control means comprises a telephone number registration memory section to register plural callers, wherein each caller is registered together with a telephone number of the caller and a personal response mode for the caller.
(12) In the communication control unit of Item (9), in the case of the collect call mode, the control means compares the telephone number of the caller with the telephone numbers registered in the telephone number registration memory section, and the communicating means calls back the telephone number of the caller when the telephone number of the caller is registered in the telephone number registration memory section and the personal response mode is the call back mode.
The structure of the invention stated above makes it possible to realize a call back function wherein caller ID signals are received and are judged whether or not an originator number is included in the signals and thereby either an ordinary response for arrival is conducted or the originator number is called back depending on the results of the judgment, which further makes it possible to realize both a free dial function and a collect call function on a communication terminal.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6009155 (1999-12-01), Adachi
patent: 0 802 663-A2 (1997-10-01), None
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Hong Harry S.
Konica Corporation
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