Telecommunication system with subscriber controlled feature modification

• US 4,897,866 A
• Filed: 10/19/1988
• Issued: 01/30/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vu, Vinh T., Majmudar, Bhairav A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Bonita F.
• Application Number:
  US07/259,939
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93, 379/94, 379/96, 379/90, 379/201, 379/157, 379/368, 379/396, 455/4, 455/5
• US Class Current: 379/201.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2471 Configurable and interactive telephone terminals with subscriber controlled features modifications, e.g. with ADSI capability [Analog Display Services Interface] systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers H04M3/42; administration or customization of services H04M3/42136; by downloading data to substation equipment H04M3/42178
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0428 Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/916 Touch screen associated with telephone set

Abstract

An arrangement for allowing a subscriber to select telephone features from the subscriber terminal is disclosed. The subscriber terminal includes a touch screen display and a customer premises computer. The terminal in response to a touching of the appropriate area of the screen, displays a list of all possible telephone features available to this subscriber terminal together with an indication of currently subscribed features. By touching the screen in the appropriate areas, the subscriber may select features to be added or deleted. The information regarding the subscriber selection is transmitted to the central office to which the terminal is connected. The central office maintains a set of software packages corresponding to each of the possible combinations of features to be selected by a subscriber and in response to information from the terminal defining a new set of features, the central office transmits the appropriate software package to the terminal. From then on, the terminal is reconfigured to provide the newly selected set of features. The software package includes screen display software showing feature function buttons which indicate the current set of features when the terminal is activated.

Claims

1. A telecommunication switching system for interconnecting a plurality of program controlled subscriber terminals, each assigned a predetermined set of switching system telecommunication features, comprising:

memory means for storing profile data defining the assigned switching system feature set for each of the terminals;

control means for controlling the provision of telecommunication services to the plurality of terminals in accordance with the stored profile data, the control means being responsive to a feature change request message from a requesting terminal, to transmit to the requesting terminal a message including profile data representing the assigned feature set for the requesting terminal and responsive to a message from the requesting terminal requesting a specific change in the feature set to modify the profile data in the memory means for the requesting terminal in accordance with the requested change.

2. A telecommunication switching system for interconnecting a plurality of subscriber terminals comprising:

memory means for storing a plurality of different terminal control software packages each defining terminal functions for a different set of switching system features available to the terminals; and

a control processor responsive to a request message from a designated terminal specifying a certain set of subscriber features, to transmit to the designated terminal one of said control software packages for controlling the designated terminal to execute terminal functions associated with the specified set of features.

3. A telecommunication switching system comprising:

a control processor for connection to subscriber stations each operable under control of a software package, said control processor responsive to a feature select message from a requesting subscriber station to transmit to the requesting station data defining a list of features available for subscription to the requesting station together with data defining features to which the requesting station is subscribed, and responsive to a message from the requesting station requesting feature modification to transmit to the requesting station a modified software package for controlling said requesting station to provide a modified feature set to a user of the requesting station.

4. In combination a switching system and subscriber terminal, said terminal comprising:

a touch screen video display responsive to touch to generate output signals identifying touched locations;

and a program controlled processor operable under control of a software package for displaying on said video display locations representing a set of switching system telecommunication service features assigned to said terminal in the switching system;

said processor operative under control of said software package to be responsive to signals from predetermined locations of said touch screen to transmit to said switching system messages indicating requests for telecommunication services defined by switching system features corresponding to touched screen locations;

said touch screen including a request location representing a request to modify the switching system telecommunication feature set assigned to the terminal and said processor being responsive to a touching of said request location to display on said touch screen a list of switching system features available for subscription in the switching system and responsive to a touching of locations of said touch screen corresponding to said displayed available features to transmit to said switching system a request message defining a request for a modified feature set for said terminal;

said switching system comprising means for storing a plurality of different terminal control software packages each defining terminal functions for a different set of switching system telecommunication service features and means responsive to said request message to transfer to said terminal a one of said terminal control software packages defining terminal functions for switching system features defined by said request message for causing said controller to display on said video display screen locations representing features of said modified feature set.

5. In a telecommunication switching system for interconnecting a plurality of subscriber terminals each operable under control of a software package defining predefined subscriber features assigned to the terminal in which the software package resides, the method of modifying a set of subscriber features assigned to a connected terminal, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a designated subscriber terminal a request for a modification of an assigned feature set;

transmitting to the designated subscriber terminal data defining a list of switching system features available for subscription to the requesting terminal together with data defining features to which the requesting terminal is subscribed; and

responsive to a message from the designated terminal requesting feature modification, to transmit to the designated terminal software defining the requested modified feature set.

6. A telecommunication switching system for serving a plurality of subscriber terminals, comprising control means responsive to a feature request message from one of said terminals defining subscriber telecommunication features to be provided by the switching system to the terminal user, to transmit to said one terminal a terminal control program for controlling said one terminal to provide to the terminal user subscriber feature capabilities corresponding to features defined by said feature request message.

7. The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said control means comprises memory means for storing data defining a plurality of subscriber features and is responsive to a feature request message defining a specific subscriber feature to transmit to said requesting terminal a control program for causing said requesting terminal to display a visual indication for said specific subscriber feature.

8. A terminal for use with a switching system comprising:

processor means controlled by a first program package defining terminal actions for a predetermined set of switching system subscriber features for generating processor output signals;

user interface means responsive to user input signals for generating control signals and responsive to processor output signals for displaying data;

said processor means operative under control of said first program package to be responsive to ones of said control signals defining a selected set of switching system subscriber features to transmit a message defining said selected set of switching system subscriber features to a designated switching system and responsive to a message from said designated switching system including a second program package defining terminal actions for said selected set of switching system features to substitute said second program package for said first program package and to generate processor output signals for controlling and interface means to display data indicative of said selected set of subscriber features.

9. A terminal in accordance with claim 8, wherein said interface means comprises a screen for displaying graphical indications representative of said subscribed features and is responsive to a user input designating one of said displayed indications to generate control signals identifying said designated indications;

and wherein said processor is responsive to said control signals identifying said designated indication to transmit to said designated switching system a message identifying said designated indication.

10. A terminal in accordance with claim 9 wherein said displayed indications include graphically defined areas on said screen displaying data defining specific subscriber features and the screen is responsive to a user input designating one of said areas to generate control signals identifying the designated area, and said processor is responsive to said control signals identifying the designated area to transmit a message identifying the designated area to the designated switching system.

11. A terminal in accordance with claim 10 wherein said screen comprises a touch screen displaying areas representative of buttons on a subscriber telephone set and said user input designation comprises a touching of one of said areas representative of buttons.

12. A terminal for use with a switching system, comprising:

processor means operative under control of a control program for controlling said terminal to transmit to said switching system telecommunication signals corresponding to a first set of switching system telecommunication features,

user interface means including means responsive to a user indicating a user request for a switching system telecommunication feature selection,

said terminal responsive to a user request for a switching system feature selection to display a screen showing features available for selection and responsive to an indication of a request for a specific set of features to transmit to said switching system a message defining said specific set and further responsive to a message from said switching system defining a new control program for controlling said terminal to transmit to said switching system telecommunication signals corresponding to a second set of switching system telecommunication features defined by said new control program.

13. In a telecommunication system comprising a switching system and a plurality of terminals, the method of providing modified feature sets to subscribers comprising the steps of:

transmitting from one of said terminals to said switching system a message requesting modification of subscriber features;

transmitting from said switching system to said one of said terminals a list of switching system telecommunication features available for subscription;

in response to signals evidencing selection of a set of switching system features from said list, transmitting to said switching system a message defining said selected set of features; and

in response to said message, transmitting from said switching system to said one terminal control a software package for controlling said one terminal to execute terminal functions associated with the selected set of features.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein said switching system stores feature data defining a feature set for said one terminal and comprising the further step of:

modifying said feature data in response to said message to reflect the requested modification.