TELEPHONE CALL HANDLING
First Claim
1. A telephone handset of the type operable to make an outgoing connection to another handset or device and receive an incoming call from another handset or device, the telephone handset comprising:
- at least one connection means for connecting incoming or outgoing voice calls to other handsets or devices via a plurality of different networks or other links wherein the handset is further provided with a call handling engine comprising an identification unit, a rules unit, a comparison unit and an enabling unit,wherein the identification unit is operable to identify the source of an incoming call or the destination of an outgoing call, the rules unit is operable to identify valid options for handling a requested incoming or outgoing call according to predetermined rules, the comparison unit is operable to rank the valid call handling options according to predetermined criteria and the enabling unit is operable to enable the top ranked handling option.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone handset is provided with a user interface which includes a display unit, audio output unit and various user actuable keys. A phone controller implements and responds to instructions from the user interface. Where the instructions from the user interface request the connection of a call, the phone controller connects the handset to a PSTN via one of a plurality of connection means provided. Similarly, in the event of an incoming call connection request received via any one of the connection means, the phone controller enables the connection of the call. The user may choose to accept or reject the connection using the interface. The handling of an incoming or outgoing call is determined by a connection routing engine. The connection routing engine comprises an identification unit, a rules unit, a comparison unit and an enabling unit.
33 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A telephone handset of the type operable to make an outgoing connection to another handset or device and receive an incoming call from another handset or device, the telephone handset comprising:
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at least one connection means for connecting incoming or outgoing voice calls to other handsets or devices via a plurality of different networks or other links wherein the handset is further provided with a call handling engine comprising an identification unit, a rules unit, a comparison unit and an enabling unit, wherein the identification unit is operable to identify the source of an incoming call or the destination of an outgoing call, the rules unit is operable to identify valid options for handling a requested incoming or outgoing call according to predetermined rules, the comparison unit is operable to rank the valid call handling options according to predetermined criteria and the enabling unit is operable to enable the top ranked handling option. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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13. A telephone handset as claimed in wherein for incoming calls, the handling options include any one or more of the following:
- signalling the incoming call as usual, varying the signalling or omitting signalling;
automatically answering, diverting or dropping the call whether immediately, after a predetermined interval or after the playing of a recorded message;
automatically, dropping and returning the call whether immediately, after a predetermined interval or after the playing of a recorded message;
contacting one or more separate systems and modifying the configuration of those systems in response to at least one of the source of the incoming call, time and/or date at the device, source of call or destination of call, device location as determined geographically or in relation to available data or cellular networks;
selecting an operating mode from the set of available operating modes;
or modifying the current set of rules used by the call handling engine.
- signalling the incoming call as usual, varying the signalling or omitting signalling;
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19. A method of selecting the optimum handling procedure for an incoming or outgoing call requested of a telephone handset, the method comprising the steps of:
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identifying the valid options for handling the requested call; ranking the valid handling options according to predetermined criteria; and enabling the top ranked handling option.
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Specification