Method and apparatus for an extensible markup language (XML) calendar-telephony interface

• US 20030043989A1
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Walters, Glen R., Lozinski, Zygmunt A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,735,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing an XML calendar-telephony interface. A calendar-telephony interface permits interchange of information between an electronic calendar and a telephony call control application. A telephony call control application (telephony application) can be interfaced to a PSTN through a TCAP interface utilizing, for example, Java APIs for Integrated Networks (JAIN). JAIN provides standardized open APIs which can be utilized to build and integrated services and components for communications networks such as the PSTN. In response to a call request initiated in the PSTN by a calling party, the telephony application can determine from callerlD information associated with the call request, the identity of the called party. This can include the called party'"'"'s name or identity. Upon determination of the called party'"'"'s identity, the telephony control application can access a calendaring tool from which XML formatted information pertaining to the identified called party can be extracted. Notably, in one aspect of the invention, the extracted information can contain one or more call routing instructions. In this case, the telephony application can provide the extracted call routing information to a routing device having a TCAP interface, which is necessary for communicating telephone signaling information during call routing. For example, the call routing information can be a call forwarding instruction. In this example, an XML formatted entry in the calendaring tool can specify that calls received during a given period are to be forwarded to a predetermined telephone number. If a call initiated by a caller to the called party is received by the telephony application during the given period, and the called party has a calendar entry with a call forwarding instruction, the telephony application can extract the specified forwarding number from the XML formatted calendar entry and can provide the forwarding number to a PSTN routing device via the TCAP interface. The PSTN routing device can accordingly route the call to the forwarded telephone number.

Claims

1. A method for routing a telephone call based on a calendar telephony interface, comprising:

parsing telephone data associated with the telephone call;

determining from said parsed telephone data, a called telephone number and an identity of a person associated with said called number;

retrieving an XML formatted calendar entry associated with said identified person;

extracting call control information from said XML formatted calendar entry; and

routing said telephone call based on said extracted routing information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said extracting step comprises parsing said XML formatted calendar entry to extract call control information in said entries.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said call control information is a call forwarding instruction having a call forwarded number.

4. A method for integrating a telephony interface and a calendaring tool, comprising:

defining an XML element representing a calendar entry in the calendar tool;

formatting a call routing instruction with said defined XML element; and

inserting the formatted call routing instruction in an XML document, said XML document forming a calendar entry in the calendaring tool.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the said calendar entry is stored in a database, said database comprising an application program for maintaining said database.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said database is accessible by the telephony application.

7. A system for providing XML calendar-telephony interface, comprising:

a calendar having XML formatted data including call control data;

a telephony application for determining the routing of a call based on said XML formatted call control data; and

a TCAP interface for communicating said call control information between said telephony application and a telephone signaling device.

8. A system for providing an XML calendar-telephony interface, comprising:

a calendar having data fields for an entry formatted in XML format, said formatted entry comprising call control information; and

a telephony application communicatively interfaced to said calendar, said telephony application for communicating said XML formatted data to a telephone signaling device used to control a telephony call feature.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said telephony interface further comprises an API for communicating call control information to said telephone network signaling device.

10. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

parsing telephone data associated with the telephone call, said parsing step for routing a telephone call based on a calendar telephony interface;

determining from said parsed telephone data, a called telephone number and an identity of a person associated with said called number;

retrieving an XML formatted calendar entry associated with said identified person;

extracting call control information from said XML formatted calendar entry; and

routing said telephone call based on said extracted routing information.

11. The machine readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said extracting step comprises parsing said XML formatted calendar entry to extract call control information in said entries.

12. The machine readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said call control information is a call forwarding instruction having a call forwarded number.

13. A machine readable storage for integrating a telephony interface and a calendaring tool, comprising:

defining an XML element representing a calendar entry in the calendar tool;

formatting a call routing instruction with said defined XML element; and

inserting the formatted call routing instruction in an XML document, said XML document forming a calendar entry in the calendaring tool.

14. The machine readable storage according to claim 16, wherein the said calendar entry is stored in a database, said database comprising an application program for maintaining said database.

15. The machine readable storage according to claim 14, wherein said database is accessible by the telephony application.