TELEPHONY AND DATA NETWORK SERVICES AT A TELEPHONE

• US 20100202442A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Joly, Robert, Orford, Kenneth M., Kramer, Kris W., Star, Robert M., Morley, Robert S., Provencal, Paul, David, Larry John, Otreba, Dariusz, Allan, William, Blatherwick, Peter P., Liang, Kenneth J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,964,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A packetised data network includes IP telephones (ITs) and a network intelligence (NI). All of the keys of each IT are “soft” keys (i.e., they have no fixed function). The NI associates a configuration data structure with the IT which correlates the keys with functions, and, based on this, may control the display of the IT to indicate the current function of certain of the soft keys. Some of the functions are requests for data services at the telephone (e.g., video or programmed audio over the Internet). When a user requests such a service with a key press, the NI sets up the service between the data source and the telephone. This may require associating a new configuration data structure with the keys of the IT. The IT user may activate multiple data services through the NI.

Claims

1. A network intelligence for a data network, comprising:

a call service provider for, when connected to a plurality of data network telephones, facilitating provision of telephony services for said plurality of telephones; and

at least one service proxy for, when connected to at least one data source, setting up at least one data service between said at least one data source and said plurality of telephones.

2. The network intelligence of claim 1 further comprising at least one configuration data structure for each of said plurality of data network telephones, each configuration data structure correlating user input elements from a telephone with functions.

3. The network intelligence of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of configuration data structures for each of said plurality of data network telephones, each configuration data structure of a plurality of configuration data structures for a given one of said plurality of telephones correlating user input elements of said given one telephone with functions, different configuration data structures for said given one telephone correlating at least some user input elements of said given one telephone with different functions.

4. The network intelligence of claim 3 wherein said user input elements comprise key press indications.

13. The network intelligence of claim 1 wherein said call service provider is provisioned with software for implementing H.323 protocol.

14. The network intelligence of claim 1 wherein said call service provider is provisioned with software for implementing Session Initiation Protocol.

15. The network intelligence of claim 1 wherein said call service provider is arranged for connection to a plurality of data network telephones of a first data network running under a first protocol and wherein said call service provider is also arranged for connection to a second network running under a second protocol.

16. The network intelligence of claim 15 wherein said first data network is an internet protocol network.

17. The network intelligence of claim 16 wherein said second network is an integrated services digital network.

18. The network intelligence of claim 17 wherein said second network is a wireless network.

19. The network intelligence of claim 1 wherein said at least one data service proxy is for connection to said plurality of data sources over an internet protocol network.

20. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein one of said at least one data service proxy is arranged for setting up an audio streaming service.

21. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein one of said at least one data service proxy is arranged for setting up a directory number locating service.

22. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein one of said at least one data service proxy is arranged for setting up a map navigation service.

23. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein one of said at least one data service proxy is arranged for setting up a weather information service.

24. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein one of said at least one data service proxy is arranged for setting up a Short Messaging service.

25. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein one of said at least one data service proxy is arranged for setting up an event notification service.

26. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein one of said at least one data service proxy is arranged for setting up a speech recognition service.

27. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein one of said at least one data service proxy is arranged for setting up a voice recognition service.

28. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein said at least one data service proxy is arranged for providing an e-mail service.

29. The network intelligence of claim 19 wherein said at least one data service proxy is provisioned with HTML capability,

30. The network intelligence of claim 1 wherein said call service provider comprises at least one call service proxy.

31. The network intelligence of claim 30 wherein said at least one call service proxy is arranged for providing voice mail services.

5. A telephony system, comprising:

a plurality of telephones connected to a data network;

a network intelligence connected to said network for facilitating provision of telephony services to said plurality of telephones and, where said network is also connected to a data source, for providing a data service between said plurality of telephones and said data source.

6. A method of remotely managing a telephone connected to a data network, comprising:

receiving user input messages from said telephone over said data network, each user input message identifying a user input element actuated by a user;

where one or more user input messages from said telephone indicate a called station, establishing a call between said telephone and said called station utilising a first service provider such that audio data may pass, between said telephone and said called station, and updating a state of said telephone to a state of busy with a voice call;

where, after establishment of said call, a further user input message is received and where a current function of a user input element identified in said further message indicates a service provided by a second service provider, if said state of said telephone is not incompatible with said function, sending a control message to said telephone to establish said service provided by said second service provider.

7. A method of managing a telephone connected to a data network, comprising:

based on user input messages from said telephone, establishing a voice call;

based on one or more user input messages from said telephone received during pendency of said voice call, setting up at least one non-telephony data service between said telephone and at least one data source, at least where said at least one data service does not conflict with said voice call.

8. A method of remotely managing a telephone over a data network, comprising:

receiving indications from said telephone over said data network;

based on said indications, activating a plurality of data services on said data network;

determining an active one of said plurality of data services and sending control messages to said telephone over said data network so that said telephone can provide said active data services; and

based on further indications received from said telephone over said data network, sending control messages to said telephone to establish a voice call.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising, if said active one of said data services conflicts with said voice call, terminating or suspending said data service prior to sending control messages to establish said voice call.

10. The method of claim 8 including sending control messages to configure a display of said telephone based on an active one of said plurality of data services.

11. A computer readable medium, which when loaded into a processor connected to a data network to which at least one telephone is also connected, controls said processor to:

receive user input messages from said telephone over said data network, each user input message identifying a user input element actuated by a user;

where one or more user input messages from said telephone indicate a called station, establish a call between said telephone and said called station utilising a first service provider such that audio data may pass between said telephone and said called station, and update a state of said telephone to a state of busy with a voice call;

where, after establishment of said call, a further user input message is received and where a current function of a user input element identified in said further message indicates a service provided by a second service provider, if said state of said telephone is not incompatible with said function, send a control message to said telephone to establish said service provided by said second service provider.

12. A computer readable medium, which when loaded into a processor connected to a data network to which at least one telephone is also connected, controls said processor to:

based on user input messages from said telephone, establish a voice call;

based on one or more user input messages from said telephone received during pendency of said voice call, set up at least one non-telephony data service between said telephone and at least one data source, at least where said at least one data service does not conflict with said voice call.

32. A method of co-ordinating a telephone and personal computer (PC) at a workstation which are both connected to a data network, comprising:

setting up a data service at said PC from a data source; and

setting up a co-ordinated data service between said telephone and said data source over said data network

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said data service is set up at said PC over said data network by said data source.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein said data source is resident on said PC.

35. A method of managing a telephone connected to a data network, comprising:

based on user input messages from said telephone, establishing a voice call;

before or after establishment of said voice call, establishing at least one non-telephony data service between said telephone and at least one data source such that said at least one non-telephone data service remains established during pendency of said voice call, at least where said at least one data service does not conflict with said voice call.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said at least one non-telephony service comprises an ê

mail service and further comprising notifying of e-mail messages by distinctive ringing at said telephone.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein said at least one non-telephony service comprises an e-mail service and further comprising comparing portions of an e-mail message with stored indications and, on a match, notifying of said e-mail message at said telephone.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said notifying comprises distinctive ringing at said telephone.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein said notifying comprises presenting a graphical display at said telephone.