Call message service
First Claim
1. A method of providing call message service in a telephone system having a memory and serving a plurality of stations, comprising the steps ofafter an off-hook state and before an on-hook state at a calling one of the stations on a call intended for a principal one of the stations, recognizing an activating signal from a station associated with the call as a request to store a callback message for the principal station,identifying the station from which the activating signal was received,automatically generating a callback message for the principal station, including in the callback message the identity of one of the stations also having an association with the call and determined by a predetermined algorithm based on the station from which the activating signal was received,storing the callback message in the memory, andautomatically operating a message waiting indication for the principal station signifying the presence of the stored message.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A call message service arrangement in a telephone system. The arrangement automatically generates and stores a callback message for a called station responsive to a signal from a station served by the system that is associated with the call. If the arrangement is activated from the calling or called stations, a message is stored including the identity of the calling station. If the call has been redirected to another station for any reason, the identity of the other station or that of the calling station may be stored in the message responsive to different signals from the stations. Message waiting lamps are automatically lit and extinguished to alert called parties of the presence of stored messages.
70 Citations
39 Claims
-
1. A method of providing call message service in a telephone system having a memory and serving a plurality of stations, comprising the steps of
after an off-hook state and before an on-hook state at a calling one of the stations on a call intended for a principal one of the stations, recognizing an activating signal from a station associated with the call as a request to store a callback message for the principal station, identifying the station from which the activating signal was received, automatically generating a callback message for the principal station, including in the callback message the identity of one of the stations also having an association with the call and determined by a predetermined algorithm based on the station from which the activating signal was received, storing the callback message in the memory, and automatically operating a message waiting indication for the principal station signifying the presence of the stored message.
-
27. A method of providing call message service in a customer premises telephone system having a memory and serving a plurality of stations, comprising the steps of
after an off-hook state and before an on-hook state at a calling one of the stations, automatically generating a callback message for a principal station responsive to receipt of an activating signal from a station selected from the following list of stations: -
(1) the principal station; (2) the calling station; (3) a station to which the call has been redirected by the system; and including in the callback message the identity of a station requesting a callback from the principal station and being selected from the following list according to a prescribed algorithm; (1) the calling station; (2) the station to which the call was redirected.
-
-
28. A call message service arrangement in a telephone system for serving a plurality of stations, comprising
a main processor (107), a memory (108), first means (207, 318, 3191) associated with each station for activating the call message arrangement, message waiting alerting means (200, 300) at each of the stations, and program means (FIGS. 22-31) stored in the memory operative to control the main processor responsive to an operation of the first call message activating means at an activating station associated with a call intended for a principal station for (a) generating a callback message including the identities of the principal station and one of the stations having a prescribed association with the call and requesting a callback from the principal station, (b) storing the callback message, and (c) operating the alerting means at the principal station.
Specification