TELECOMMUNICATIONS CALLS

• US 20090136012A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Boyd, Ivan, Claxton, Robert M., Cassidy, Stephen A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,625,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1058 Shopping and product ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A user accesses a destination such as a call centre 6; the call centre generates a record for insertion into the user'"'"'s personal address book (e.g. at server 3) with a telephone number of the centre 6 and metadata concerning a transaction. To place a later call on the same matter, the user selects, either using his telephone or via a separate terminal, the address book entry and the call is made. The centre 6 receives the user'"'"'s telephone number via the calling line identity (CLI) and translates this (at 8) into a data address whereby it can “pull” the metadata from the personal address book at 3. Alternatively the server 3 can translate the centre'"'"'s telephone number into a data address to “push” the metadata to the centre.

Claims

1. A method of operating a telephone system comprising:

a user accessing a store having a plurality of entries each containing a telephone number;

upon selection by the user of an entry, setting up a call from telephone equipment of the user to destination telephone equipment identified by the telephone number contained in the selected entry, said call signalling to the destination telephone equipment a telephone number of the user;

characterised in that at least some of said entries also contain additional data, and the method further comprises;

upon receipt by the destination equipment of said call, translating said user telephone number into a data address for access means of the store and sending to said data address a request for additional data;

upon receipt, by said store access means, of said request, sending the additional data to the destination telephone equipment.

9. A method according to claim 1 in which the translation is performed by sending an enquiry message containing the telephone number to be translated to a remote server and receiving a reply message from the remote server.

10. A method according to claim 1 in which a data terminal of the user, located adjacent to said telephone equipment of the user, serves to access the store and to select an entry therefrom.

11. A method according to claim 1 in which the telephone equipment of the user includes a graphical user interface by means of which the user accesses the store and selects an entry therefrom.

12. A method according to claim 1 in which entries are translated by a speech synthesiser into audible form and transmitted to the telephone equipment of the user, and the user selects an entry by means of a keypad or via a speech recogniser.

14. A method according to claim 10 in which the store is located in the data terminal.

15. A method according to claim 11 in which the store is located in the telephone equipment of the user.

16. A method according to claim 1, characterised by determining, other than solely by reference to the telephone number of the said telephone equipment of the user, the user'"'"'s identity and inserting into the call, as said telephone number of the user, a stored number, not being said telephone number of said telephone equipment of the user, that is recorded as associated with said identity.

2. A method of operating a telephone system comprising:

a user accessing a store having a plurality of entries each containing a telephone number;

upon selection by the user of an entry, setting up a call from telephone equipment of the user to destination telephone equipment identified by the telephone number contained in the selected entry, said call signalling to the destination telephone equipment a telephone number of the user;

characterised in that at least some of said entries also contain additional data, and the method further comprises;

upon selection by the user of an entry, translating the telephone number contained in the selected entry into a data address for the destination telephone equipment and sending the additional data to said data address;

at the destination telephone equipment, associating the additional data with the incoming call.

3. A method of operating a telephone system, said telephone system including a store for storing, in respect of a user, a plurality of entries each containing a telephone number, and access means whereby the user may consult the store and initiate the making of a telephone call to a destination corresponding to a telephone number stored therein, the method comprising:

making a telephone call from a user station to a destination station, said call signalling to the destination station a telephone number of the user;

at the destination station, generating a message containing a telephone number of the destination station and sending said message;

receiving said message and inserting the telephone number from it into an entry in the store;

upon subsequent selection by the user of an entry in the store, setting up a telephone call from a user station to the destination station using said telephone number.

4. A method according to claim 3 in which the store entries are able to accommodate additional data, the message contains additional data relating to the subject of the telephone call and the step of inserting the telephone number into an entry in the store includes inserting the additional data into that entry.

5. A method according to claim 3 including, prior to sending the message, translating the user telephone number into a data address, to which the message is directed.

6. A method according to claim 3 in which the store is located at a remote server.

7. A method according to claim 3, including, upon receipt by the destination station of the subsequent call, translating said user telephone number into a data address for access means of the store and sending to said data address a request for additional data;

upon receipt, by said store access means, of said request, sending the additional data to the destination telephone equipment.

8. A method according to claim 3, including upon selection by the user of an entry, translating the telephone number contained in the selected entry into a data address for the destination telephone equipment and sending the additional data to said data address;

at the destination telephone equipment, associating the additional data with the incoming call.

13. A method according to in which the store is located at a remote server.

17. A method of operating a telephone system comprising:

a user accessing a store having a plurality of entries each containing a telephone number;

upon selection by the user of an entry, setting up a call from telephone equipment of the user to destination telephone equipment identified by the telephone number contained in the selected entry, wherein said call transmits to the destination telephone equipment a telephone number of the user;

characterised by determining, other than solely by reference to the telephone number of the said telephone equipment of the user, the user'"'"'s identity and inserting into the call, as said telephone number of the user, a stored number, not being said telephone number of said telephone equipment of the user, that is recorded as associated with said identity.

18. A method of operating a telecommunications system comprising:

a user accessing a store having a plurality of entries each containing an address;

upon selection by the user of an entry, setting up a call from telecommunications equipment of the user to destination telecommunications equipment identified by the address contained in the selected entry, said call signalling to the destination telecommunications equipment an address of the user;

characterised in that at least some of said entries also contain additional data, and the method further comprises;

upon receipt by the destination equipment of said call, translating said user address into a data address for access means of the store and sending to said data address a request for additional data;

upon receipt, by said store access means, of said request, sending the additional data to the destination telecommunications equipment.

19. A method of operating a telecommunications system comprising:

a user accessing a store having a plurality of entries each containing an address;

upon selection by the user of an entry, setting up a call from telecommunications equipment of the user to destination telecommunications equipment identified by the address contained in the selected entry, said call signalling to the destination telecommunications equipment an address of the user;

characterised in that at least some of said entries also contain additional data, and the method further comprises;

upon selection by the user of an entry, translating the address contained in the selected entry into a data address for the destination telecommunications equipment and sending the additional data to said data address;

at the destination telecommunications equipment, associating the additional data with the incoming call.

20. A method of operating a telecommunications system, said telecommunications system including a store for storing, in respect of a user, a plurality of entries each containing an address, and access means whereby the user may consult the store and initiate the making of a telecommunications call to a destination corresponding to a address stored therein, the method comprising:

making a telecommunications call from a user station to a destination station, said call signalling to the destination station an address of the user;

at the destination station, generating a message containing an address of the destination station and sending said message;

receiving said message and inserting the address from it into an entry in the store;

upon subsequent selection by the user of an entry in the store, setting up a telecommunications call from a user station to the destination station using said address contained in the entry.

21. A method of operating a telecommunications system comprising:

a user accessing a store having a plurality of entries each containing an address;

upon selection by the user of an entry, setting up a call from telecommunications equipment of the user to destination telecommunications equipment identified by the address contained in the selected entry, wherein said call transmits to the destination telecommunications equipment a telecommunications address of the user;

characterised by determining, other than solely by reference to the address of the said telecommunications equipment of the user, the user'"'"'s identity and inserting into the call, as said address of the user, a stored address, not being said address of said telecommunications equipment of the user, that is recorded as associated with said identity.