Telephonic communications – Supervisory or control line signaling – Signal reception at substation
Reexamination Certificate
1997-01-30
2001-07-17
Weaver, Scott (Department: 2742)
Telephonic communications
Supervisory or control line signaling
Signal reception at substation
C379S067100, C379S199000, C379S214010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263071
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to telecommunication management systems and, in particular, to a programmable personal communications controller system whereby a user may effectively manage residential telecommunication functions in accordance with a personal service configuration programmed therein. The service configuration defines how the system responds to various attributes associated with either incoming or outgoing calls.
Intelligent telephone terminals have been evolving in terms of features and services supported thereby for management of telecommunications functions. Such intelligent terminals are typically characterized by a microprocessor based telephone set having a liquid crystal display (LCD), which together with the common telephone keypad and a few softkeys provide a user interface whereby the terminal may be programmed and controlled for personal operation. Furthermore, these intelligent telephone terminals are known to be equipped with one or more of the following conventional functionality: a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) generator, a DTMF decoder, a digital telephone answering device (DTAD), a time of day (TOD) clock and a calling line identification (CLID) device.
However, the technology capabilities and corresponding service and feature opportunities in existing intelligent telephones have outgrown the capacity of a user to personalize and configure the telephone. The user interface represents a bottleneck to full personalization which point is best illustrated by the following example.
Nortel's 9516 telephone set, a commercially available intelligent telephone terminal having a TOD clock, a two line LCD display and CLID capabilities provides the ability to define a feature key that displays call duration. When you press the key, the LCD display changes from displaying details about the call, either caller identification for terminating call or calling information for originating calls, to displaying call duration time. Press the key again and the display returns to call details.
Other intelligent telephone sets are known to provide a similar call timer that is continuously displayed on their LCD display. A call timer function can be assigned to one of the programmable keys provided on the set. Its function is to reset the timer to zero.
Still other vendors have telephone sets with a call duration timer on their LCD display. Programming of the telephone set simply enables or disables the call timer on a permanent basis.
These represent at least three different variations on implementation of the call timer feature. Telephone set manufacturers generally pick a specific implementation and then provide a programming function whereby a user may only enable or disable this feature.
It would not be difficult to implement the several variations within the telephone set firmware. The difficulty is in providing a configuration setup interface using the LCD display and keypad of the intelligent terminal that empowers the user to configure the call timer feature to his particular personalization.
Speed calling directories is another example which illustrates the inadequacy of the telephone display/keypad user interface. Many intelligent telephones now have an internal directory of name and telephone number lists. Typically, these telephones do not include an alphanumeric keyboard so that names are entered from the digit keypad. For instance, the “2” key is for entering the letters “ABC”; press once for “A”, press twice for “B”, a third press for “C”.
Furthermore, any telecommunication management functions provided by the intelligent telephone terminal are limited to itself and thus it is not particularly useful in a residence having a multiple telephone extension wiring configuration connected to which it is common to find several telephone sets. Still further, there is no way to add incremental service functionality to existing telephone terminals without either replacing the terminal or at a minimum effecting some kind of hardware modification, upgrade.
It is, therefore, desirable to have an adjunct system that provides flexibility for a user to truly personalize its configuration and whereby enhanced telecommunications services and features are supported for multiple telephone terminals within the user's residence.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method and system for managing telecommunication functions.
The invention, therefore, according to a first broad aspect provides in a telecommunications functions management system for a telecommunications service subscriber having a one or more telephone terminals associated with a one or more alerters which are operable at a plurality of cadences, said one or more telephone terminals being communicatively coupled to a telecommunications network, a method for managing alerting of on incoming call directed to the service subscriber, comprising the steps of: providing one or more predetermined call treatment options; associating each predetermined call treatment option with one cadence of the plurality of cadences; prompting the incoming call with the predetermined call treatment options; receiving an input selection from the incoming call; correlating the input selection to a particular call treatment of the one or more predetermined call treatment options; and activating the one or more alerters to operate at the one cadence associated with the particular call treatment.
In accordance with a second broad aspect, the invention provides For a telecommunications service subscriber having a one or more telephone terminals associated with a one or more alerters which are operable at a plurality of cadences, said one or more telephone terminals being communicatively coupled to a, a system for managing alerting of an incoming call directed to the subscriber, comprising: means for providing one or more predetermined call treatment options; means for associating each predetermined call treatment option with one cadence of the plurality of cadences; means for prompting the incoming call with the predetermined call treatment options; means for receiving an input selection from the incoming call; means for correlating the input selection to a particular call treatment of the one or more predetermined call treatment options; and means for activating the one or more alerters to operate at the one cadence associated with the particular call treatment.
A personal communications controller (PCC), embodying the present invention, may be programmed with a personal service configuration based on which telecommunications functions in connection with multiple telephone terminals are managed. The PCC system is designed to provide enhanced service value to all of the telephone terminals throughout a residence coupled to a single telephone communication line entering the residence. The PCC may provide service differentiation on an individual basis to the telephone terminals and, furthermore, differentiated treatment may be effected on a per telephone call basis.
A wireline arrangement of the personal communications controller system effects a signaling protocol between the PCC and the telephone sets over the single twisted pair telephony wiring existing within the residence. The signaling is shared with normal analog telephone line operation by utilizing a frequency band which is above the telephony band. It is fully compatible with existing conventional analog telephone signaling and voice. The signaling operates transparently and invisibly to the telephone central office. The PCC includes suitable protection equipment to prevent leakage of its signaling outside the home into the telephone company wiring.
A wireless arrangement of the present system comprises the PCC integrated into a base station which is able to communicate and control multiple cordless handsets over radio frequency channels.
A personal computer (PC) or any other data processing workstation may be utilized to generate the service configuration which is then downloaded
Marlow John Wallace
Peterson, Jr. Mendel Lazear
Swan Richard Arthur
Foley & Lardner
Nortel Networks Limited
Weaver Scott
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