Telecommunications interface

• US 20030005150A1
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Seal, Christopher H, Thompson, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US10/149,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005150A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13274 Call rejection, call barring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 : Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13343 : Neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13374 : Paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 : Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0033 : customer-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors

Abstract

A telecommunications interface 12 is connected between a voice network 10 (for example the PSTN) and a data network 11 (for example the Internet). Calls from a caller 14 for a recipient 18 are directed to the gateway which accesses user information from a profile 15 to determine how the call is to be routed. The user profile is generated by reference to an appointment calendar 16 (for example Microsoft Outlook), and/or by reference to an organisational hierarchy. Rules based diversion is also provided so that certain calls originating from pre-specified callers (identified by network Calling Line Identification signals) are handled in a more specific manner than calls to the default destination.

Claims

1. A telecommunications interface in a communications network, the interface comprising means responsive to each call to one of a plurality of users of the network to access user provided profile data at a node of the network, said profile data relating to the respective user and to determine from said profile data and from data defining identity of a calling party in a current call a preferred destination for the current call in either the originating network or in an alternative network characterised in that the user profile data is derived from a schedule or electronic diary to determine from location data entered by the user a preferred destination for the current call.

2. A telecommunications interface as claimed in claim 1 in which the interface is between a connection oriented network and a connectionless network, the interface using user provided profile data in the connectionless network to determine a preferred destination for the current call.

3. A telecommunications interface as claimed in claim 2 in which both the originating call and the preferred destination are in the connection oriented network.

4. A telecommunications interface as claimed in claim 2 in which the originating call and the preferred destination are one in each of the connectionless network and the connection oriented network.

5. A telecommunications interface as claimed in any preceding claim in which the data defining the calling party is calling line identification (CLI) data originating in the connection oriented network.

6. A telecommunications interface as claimed in any preceding claim in which the profile data includes data defining a preferred destination for each of a plurality of specified CLIs.

7. A telecommunications interface as claimed in claim 6 in which each of said plurality of CLI'"'"'s has respective data defining time related destination identities.

8. A telecommunications interface as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 in which there is data defining a single profile for a plurality of specified CLI'"'"'s.

9. A telecommunications interface as claimed in any preceding claim in which the user profile data includes data defining a preferred destination for any call originating other than from a specified CLI or CLIs.

10. A telecommunications interface as claimed in any preceding claim in which the user profile data is time oriented.

11. A telecommunications interface as claimed in any preceding claim in which the profile data is call type oriented.

12. A telecommunications interface as claimed in any preceding claim include means responsive to user profile data to transmit to a user telephone appointment or alarm information.

13. A telecommunications interface as claimed in claim 12 in which the telephone appointment or alarm information is transmitted to a user telephone using interactive voice messaging.

14. A telecommunications interface as claimed in claim 12 in which the appointment or alarm information is transmitted to the user by transmitting a data message to the user telephone or to a pager.

15. A telecommunications interface as claimed in any preceding claim in which the profile data includes, for at least one caller identity, more than one preferred destination to which a call may be connected, each such destination being attempted sequentially.

16. A telecommunications interface as claimed in any preceding claim in which the profile data includes, for at least one caller identity, more than one preferred destination to which a call may be connected, each such destination being attempted simultaneously.

18. A telecommunications routing agent as claimed in claim 17 the destination routing is returned to a gateway to permit routing of calls in a connection oriented network.

19. A telecommunications routing agent as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18 in which the agent selects a script in respect of each call to be handled, each such script being derived from user provided profile data.

20. A telecommunications routing agent as claimed in claim 19 in which a selected script uses at least one helper class script, the helper script returning Boolean logic answers in respect of predetermined user function data.

17. A telecommunications routing agent responsive to calls directed to a communications user'"'"'s address to determine, from data derived from the respective communications user'"'"'s personal electronic schedule and a respective personal profile script, a routing within at least one telecommunications or data network for each such call, said routing being further dependent upon the identity of a calling party.