Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis – Indication or notification of message
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-19
2001-04-03
Weaver, Scott L. (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
Indication or notification of message
C379S088110, C379S088170, C379S083000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212261
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to handling telephone related messages during data communications sessions.
1. Background to the Invention
As a result of the increasing popularity of the Internet and the World Wide Web, more and more users stay connected to their Internet service provider, mainly through dial-up modem connections, for durations well exceeding the average holding time for voice calls (3 minutes). During these calls, the call waiting indicator is usually disabled since the tone generated by this feature would disrupt the data stream. Since the Internet session in most cases occupies the only telephone line in the house, the subscriber is neither able to detect nor respond to a call attempt.
2. Summary of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide improved telephone call handling during data communication sessions.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of providing an indication of an incoming call to a called station coupled to a telecommunications network, the called station having a data processing terminal engaged in a data call with a data communications network, the data call being through a connection in the telecommunications network to an access gateway for the data network, the method comprising the steps of providing a signal advising of the incoming call from the access gateway, over the data call connection through the telecommunications network, to the data processing terminal and generating by the data processing terminal, responsive to receiving the signal, an incoming call indication.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of providing an indication of a message waiting at a voice messaging service to a called station coupled to a telecommunications network, the called station having a data processing terminal engaged in a data call with a data communications network, the data call being through a connection in the telecommunications network to an access gateway for the data network, the method comprising the steps of providing, by the telecommunications network, an incoming call intended for the called station to a voice messaging service whereby the incoming call may record a message, providing a signal advising of the message waiting from the access gateway, over the data call connection through the telecommunications network, to the data processing terminal and generating by the data processing terminal, responsive to receipt of the signal, the message waiting indication.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of disposing of an incoming call intended for a called station coupled to a telecommunications network, the called station having a data processing terminal engaged in a data call with a data communications network, the data call being through a connection in the telecommunications network to an access gateway for the data network, the method comprising the steps of holding call processing of the incoming call at a switching system in the telecommunications network, providing a signal advising of the incoming call from the access gateway, over the data call connection through the telecommunications network, to the data processing terminal, receiving from the data processing terminal, via the access gateway, instructions for disposing of the incoming call and continuing the call processing of the incoming call at the switching system according to the received instructions.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for interconnecting a telecommunications network and a data communications network, comprising a telecommunications gateway and a data network gateway adapted to interface the telecommunications network and the data network, one or more stations coupled to the telecommunications network, each station having a data terminal and a telephone terminal, means for recognizing, responsive to an incoming call being directed to a particular station, that the data terminal of the particular station has a data call connection through the telecommunications network to the data network and means for signalling information relating to the incoming call from the telecommunications network, via the telecommunications and data network gateways, over the data call connection to the data terminal of the particular calling station.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of managing telephone service to a called station coupled to a telecommunications network while the called station is engaged in a data call, the method comprising the steps of providing a message indicative of an incoming call to the called station via the data call, accepting a message from the called station via the data call and disposing of the incoming call in response to the accepted message.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of providing an indication of a message waiting at a voice messaging server to a called station coupled to a telecommunications network. The called station has a data processing terminal engaged in a data call with a data communications network. The data call is through a connection in the telecommunications network to an access gateway for the data network. The method includes receiving an indicator of a recorded message at the voice messaging server resulting from a call intended for the called station; in response to the indicator, providing a signal advising of the recorded message at the voice messaging server, over the data call connection through the telecommunications network by way of the access gateway to the data processing terminal.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing an indication of a message waiting at a voice messaging service for a called station at a data processing terminal while the called station has the data processing terminal engaged in a data call with a data communications network. The data call is through a connection in the telecommunications network to an access gateway for the data network. The method includes receiving at the data processing terminal a signal advising of the message waiting from the access gateway, and generating the message waiting indication, responsive to receipt of the signal.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that when loaded at a data processing terminal interconnected to a data network by way of connection through a telephone network, adapt the data processing terminal to, receive from a telephone network gateway in communication with the data network, a signal advising of a stored message waiting for the subscriber at a voice mail server in communication with the telephone network, and generate responsive to receipt of the signal, a message waiting indication at the data terminal.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that when loaded at a telephone network gateway in communication with a data network and a voice mail server interconnected with a telephone network, adapt the gateway to receive from the voice mail server, an indicator of a stored message waiting at the voice mail server, for a subscriber; originate a signal indicative of the received indicator to the data terminal, so that the data terminal may provide a message waiting indication for the subscriber, while the subscriber is interconnected with the data network by way of a connection through the telephone network.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a voice mail server interconnected with a telephone network to record messages destined for a subscriber, the voice mail server coupled to a data network by way of a network gateway, the network gateway operable to provide an indication of a wai
Bernardi Alan
Jodoin Sylvain
Meubus Charles
Nortel Networks Limited
Weaver Scott L.
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