Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Combined circuit switching and packet switching
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-24
2001-04-10
Chin, Wellington (Department: 2664)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Combined circuit switching and packet switching
C379S216010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215784
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to voice call completion using computer-controlled telephony hardware which is outside the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and, in particular, to a method of completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals using information retrieved from an open application on a computing machine operated by a call originating party.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The telephone and the Personal Computer (PC) are among the most frequently used business machines. A great deal of effort has been invested in making the use of each more efficient. For example, the completion of telephone calls has been facilitated using features such as speed dial, redial and voice-activated dialling. Automated call handling applications have also been developed for use on multi-media PCs, but while a phone line is used for telephony it cannot be concurrently used for on-line functions such as data communications.
To date, efforts directed to improving the efficiency of using telephones have concentrated on making smarter telephones or smarter Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs) to enhance calling features, or combining telephones and personal computers for the same purpose. Both approaches have their drawbacks. Converting a telephone into a computing machine, or a computing machine into a part-time telephone are not the most practical uses of resources. A more economical and versatile approach is to leverage the inherent capabilities of each machine.
While modern telecommunications facilities such as the Internet provide a means for enabling a pooling of resources in order to leverage the capabilities of unrelated machines, the potential for such uses are only now beginning to be realized. For example, it would be advantageous to be able to automatically call the sender of an electronic mail message or a word processing document. However, in order to complete such calls at this time, it may be necessary to locate a record for the individual in a directory or the like using available information. After the telephone number is located, it must be dialled to place a call to the party. Typically, the number must be manually dialled. Although equipment to support enhanced computer telephony integration using a single telephone line exists in the form of Digital Simultaneous Voice and Data (DSVD) modems, this solution is presently costly and not broadly supported.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a means for completing telephone calls using information retrieved automatically from a source independent of the telephone such as a computing machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to enable a user of a first voice terminal and a computing machine connected to a data network to complete a voice connection with a second voice terminal for which information for directly or indirectly identifying the second voice terminal is available in an open application on the computing machine.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a user having a telephone connected to a switched telephone network and a computing machine connected to a data network with facilities for completing a telephone call, without dialling, to a party referenced in a current page of an application open on the computing machine.
Yet a further object of the invention is to permit a user having a computing machine connected to the Internet to originate a voice connection between the user's voice terminal and another voice terminal that is directly or indirectly referenced in a current page of an application open on the computing machine.
The invention thereby provides a method of completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals, comprising the steps of:
establishing a first voice connection between the first voice terminal and a predetermined termination;
locating a data address for a computing machine associated with the first voice terminal after the voice connection is established at the predetermined termination;
sending a data message to the data address requesting that information be retrieved from an open application on the computing machine;
retrieving the information from the open application and returning a data message including the information;
using the information at the predetermined termination to establish a second voice connection with the second voice terminal; and
bridging together the first and second voice connections.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention there is provided a system for completing a voice connection between first and second voice terminals, comprising in combination:
computer-controlled telephony hardware adapted to receive and to originate calls;
a server adapted to control the telephony hardware and determine an identification of the first voice terminal on receipt of a call from the first voice terminal, to determine a data address of a computing machine associated with the first voice terminal, and to send a message to request that information be retrieved from an application open on the computing machine;
means on the computing machine for receiving the message, retrieving the information from the open application and returning the information in a reply message to the server; and
means for receiving the reply message, completing a voice connection with the second voice terminal from the telephony hardware using the information, and bridging together the first and second voice connections.
The invention thereby provides a fast and convenient method for placing a call to a person referenced in a current page of an open application on a computing machine, without manually locating the person in a directory, retrieving the telephone number of the person from the directory and dialling the number to effect the voice connection.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the user's telephone line is equipped to dial a default number if the telephone is placed in an off-hook condition and no digits are dialled within a predetermined period of time (typically 2-5 seconds). This feature is referred to as a “warm-line”. The default number connects the user with a Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) card in a CTI server. The connection with the CTI server may also be accomplished using a “hot-line”. With a hot-line, the default number is dialled as soon as the telephone is taken off-hook. On receipt of the call, the CTI server extracts the identity of the calling party from the call signaling information, and passes it to a “warm-line server”. The identity (phone number) of the calling party is used to determine whether the party is a service subscriber and, if so, to determine the party's current IP address. The current IP address is used to address a query message sent over a data network, such as the Internet, to the party's Personal Computer (PC). The PC receives the message and a warm-line function which is active on the PC recognizes the message as a request for information to be retrieved from an open warm-line enabled application on the PC. The warm-line function prepares a request message which is passed to the open warm-line enabled application instructing that information which appears to be a telephone number or a means for finding a telephone number be retrieved from a current page of the application. When the open warm-line enabled application has retrieved the information, it passes the information to the warm-line function which formulates a response message that is passed back over the data network to the warm-line server that initiated the query. On receipt of the response message, the warm-line server examines the contents of the message to determine whether the message contains a telephone number or an index which may be used to obtain the telephone number. If the message contains an index to be used for obtaining a telephone number, the warm-line server formulates a query that it sends to an appropriate directory service to determine a telephone number for the called party. When a telephone number is return
Frank Alan Stuart
Petras Michael William
Petty Douglas
Chin Wellington
Nortel Networks Limited
Yao Kwang B.
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