Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-05
2001-12-18
Trost, William (Department: 2683)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S039000, C455S413000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332085
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to telecommunication systems, and more particularly to an internal telecommunication/voice mail system having the capability of directly activating a local area pager within the system at the request of the caller without the need of an outside paging service.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, voice mail (or voice messaging) systems have been provided to store voice messages from calling parties when the called party cannot pick up the telephone. This occurs as a result of either the called party not being in proximity of their telephone, or, when they are on another line, and cannot break off the conversation in time to retrieve another call. When this happens, the calling party is generally prompted to leave a message.
The alternative to reaching the called party, other than voice mail, has been to either find another individual who will attempt to locate the party, either by overhead paging and/or by searching for the individual. In both cases this is time consuming, disruptive, and inefficient. In some areas, “outdoor” paging has been regulated and is illegal due to the noise pollution created. Also, in after hours situations, where others may not be available to perform the manual intervention described above; thus important or emergency calls are unanswered.
Frequently, individuals are away from their primary telephone (e.g.; meetings) or are normally situated in places where telephones are not readily accessible to their work areas (e.g.; warehouses or manufacturing areas). Callers, both internal and external, need access to these individuals in order to communicate immediately with such individuals, or at least attempt to do so.
Traditional paging systems require the caller to directly dial a remote paging service to leave a one way message, or, through the private branch exchange (PBX) or voice mail system, cause these devices to initiate the call to the paging service, and leave the message. This external notification process requires the acquisition of a paging server and fees for each subscriber of the service. Allowing for the storage of a voice message is not provided, unless, in some instances, additional expensive systems (i.e.; paging servers) are acquired which provide for such storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,703 discloses a communication system which includes voice mail, fax, e-mail, telephone, and paging systems integrated into a PBX environment. However, the system utilizes a remote, outside paging service, and the subscriber's pager notifies the subscriber whether an e-mail, voice mail, or fax message awaits.
Heretofore, the prior art has not provided a suitable private telecommunicator system that does not require an outside, subscriber based paging service, and which is flexible in that the called party can have the option of picking up a call, and require a return call.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a suitable integrated system wherein a local area pager is utilized with a private branch exchange and voice mail system so that a called party may be notified that they may have a call and answer the call, if desired, (when at or away from their telephone) in a manner which is both inexpensive and effective, and does not require subscription to an outside pager service.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above objectives are accomplished according to the present invention by providing an integrated telecommunication system and method having local paging capabilities which does not require an outside service provider, and at the same time, allows for ample time to effectively pick up calls which are for those away from or at their normal work station. An advantageous form of the invention includes a telephone system having a private branch exchange (PBX or PBX/KSU) connected to at least one outside telephone line for receiving incoming calls; and a plurality of individual telephone extensions connected to the private branch exchange. A voice mail system is connected to the private branch exchange for receiving the incoming call and routing the call to a telephone extension of a called party. A local pager system is interfaced with the voice mail system which includes a low-power radio frequency (RF) transmitter and a plurality of individual pagers for receiving RF activation signals transmitted by the RF transmitter under at least one specified condition. A pager interface system connects the voice mail system and the transmitter. The pager interface system includes an interface program for activating the RF transmitter in response to the incoming call to transmit the RF pager activation signal to a pager of the party. The call is routed through the PBX/KSU switch, then answered by the voice mail's auto attendant feature, and the call activates the local pager automatically or when the caller requests the system to page the called party after a predetermined number of rings of the called party's extension.
In an illustrated embodiment, a mailbox assigned to the called party in the voice mail system contains pager configuration data embodied in computer readable code. There is a processor operatively associated with the voice mail and pager interface systems. The pager interface system includes a transmitter protocol for communication between the processor and the transmitter. The pager interface program includes a set of activation instructions stored in computer readable memory for processing the configuration data and the transmitter protocol to send the pager activation signal. The processor includes a communication port for exporting the pager activation signal, and a data transmission cable connecting the communication port and the transmitter. The activation instructions include a sequence of instructions for determining whether the configuration data containing required parameters is present so that the transmitter is activated. The configuration data typically includes a pager identification code identifying a pager assigned to the called party and specifies the type of page to be sent, e.g. alpha, numeric, etc. The pager activation signal may also include caller ID data containing telephone information of the caller if the telephone and voice mail system has a SMDI device, and the pager is an alphanumeric or numeric pager. The configuration data also includes information informing the processor that the incoming call has been parked in the telephone system and the extension number to satisfy the conditions for generating the pager activation signal.
The mailbox may be configured in either an immediate paging activation mode wherein the extension and pager of the called party is activated generally simultaneously, or a delayed paging activation mode wherein the pager is activated only after the voice mail system receives a paging request from the caller. The request signal is entered by the caller in response to a first voice greeting generated by the voice mail system. The response signal may be a key input response by the caller. For this purpose, the mailbox may include a primary mailbox assigned to the called party to which the incoming call is transferred in response to a page request. In this case, the primary mailbox contains special transfer instructions. The call is then transferred to a secondary mail box assigned to the called party which contains the configuration data; and the configuration data is passed to activate the transmitter.
The voice mail system includes a second voice greeting which prompts the caller to leave a message in the called party's mailbox after the called party's pager is activated and there is no answer by the called party. A path for leaving voice mail messages is provided in the same mailbox that is normally used by the called party; thus eliminating the need to retrieve messages from more than one mailbox.
Advantageously, the system may include means for simultaneously activating a plurality of pagers assigned to a plurality of individuals belonging to predefined group so that the plurality of individuals may be
Hanson Dan A.
Topits Kirk
Flint & Kim, P.A.
Gesesse Tilahun
Teleco Inc.
Trost William
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