Shared access to voice and information
First Claim
1. Method for conferencing a phone call and information associated with the phone call to a plurality of participants in a system having a plurality of phones managed by a digital switch, a plurality of display terminals, a host processor, and memory means for storing programs and data structures, the digital switch including memory means for storing programs and a data structure for uniquely identifying each phone by an extension, control means for attaching said plurality of phones and communication means for communicating with the host processor, the host processor having memory means for storing a communication manager, data structures and applications programs and communication means for communicating with the digital switch and the plurality of display terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) sending the host processor a communication in response to a call processing event, said communication containing a source phone extension and a plurality of destination phone extensions;
(b) receiving said communication by the communication manager of the host processor;
(c) processing said communication and determining an associated application program and an associated display terminal to link with each of said plurality of destination phone extensions; and
(d) invoking said associated application program to communicate with said associated display terminals to display information associated with the call processing event.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In many business applications, data about a client is created and entered on an agent'"'"'s data terminal during a teleconference with the client. Often, it is necessary to transfer the client to a specialist during the course of the conversation. Alternatively, it is necessary to allow multiple parties to access information together to respond to a client'"'"'s needs. This invention describes a method of sharing the call and the data terminal information associated with the call with a plurality of phone extensions and their associated data terminals. This capability facilitates shared access to information. A plurality of Computerized Branch Exchangers (CBX) are joined via a network means to facilitate the transfer of the call and pass a host program the phone source extension and the destination extension for the transfer. The host program looks up the source and destination extensions in a phone to terminal file and determines the network address of the data terminals involved and transfers the appropriate host application terminal display to invoke a transfer of display information to the participants in the conference call either automatically or under the control of parties to the conversation. The host application sends the data terminal information to the destination data terminal displays in conjunction with the transferred phone calls.
48 Citations
29 Claims
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1. Method for conferencing a phone call and information associated with the phone call to a plurality of participants in a system having a plurality of phones managed by a digital switch, a plurality of display terminals, a host processor, and memory means for storing programs and data structures, the digital switch including memory means for storing programs and a data structure for uniquely identifying each phone by an extension, control means for attaching said plurality of phones and communication means for communicating with the host processor, the host processor having memory means for storing a communication manager, data structures and applications programs and communication means for communicating with the digital switch and the plurality of display terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) sending the host processor a communication in response to a call processing event, said communication containing a source phone extension and a plurality of destination phone extensions; (b) receiving said communication by the communication manager of the host processor; (c) processing said communication and determining an associated application program and an associated display terminal to link with each of said plurality of destination phone extensions; and (d) invoking said associated application program to communicate with said associated display terminals to display information associated with the call processing event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for conferencing a phone call and information associated with the phone call to a plurality of participants in a system having a plurality of phones managed by a plurality of digital switches communicating via network means, a plurality of display terminals, a host processor, and memory means for storing programs and data structures, the digital switch including memory means for storing programs and a data structure for uniquely identifying each phone by an extension, control means for attaching said plurality of phones and communication means for communicating with the host processor, the host processor having memory means for storing a communication manager, data structures and applications programs and communication means for communicating with the digital switch and the plurality of display terminals, comprising:
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(a) means for sending the host processor a communication in response to a conference call request, said communication containing a source phone extension and a plurality of destination phone extensions; (b) means for receiving said communication by the communication manager of the host processor; (c) means for processing said communication and determining an associated application program and an associated display terminal to link with each of said plurality of destination phone extensions; and (d) means for invoking said associated application program to communicate with said associated display terminals to display information associated with the conference call request. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. Method for conferencing a phone call and information associated with the phone call to a plurality of participants in a system having a plurality of phones managed by a digital switch, a plurality of display terminals, a host processor, and memory means for storing programs and data structures, each digital switch including memory means for storing programs and a data structure for uniquely identifying each phone by an extension, control means for attaching said plurality of phones and communication means for communicating with the host processor, the host processor having memory means for storing a communication manager, data structures and applications programs and communication means for communicating with the digital switch and the plurality of display terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting a phone extension to share; (b) sending the phone extension to share and the originating phone extension to the host processor; (c) receiving said communication by the communication manager of the host processor; (d) processing said communication and determining an associated application program and an associated display terminal to link with the phone extension to share; and (d) invoking said associated application program to communicate with said associated display terminal of said originating phone extension to display information associated with said phone extension to share. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. Method for conferencing a phone call and information associated with the phone call to a plurality of participants in a system having a plurality of phones managed by a digital switch, a plurality of display terminals, a host processor, and memory means for storing programs and data structures, each digital switch including memory means for storing programs and a data structure for uniquely identifying each phone by an extension, control means for attaching said plurality of phones and communication means for communicating with the host processor, the host processor having memory means for storing a communication manager, data structures and applications programs and communication means for communicating with the digital switch and the plurality of display terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting a phone extension to add to the conference; (b) sending the phone extension to add and the originating phone extension to the host processor; (c) receiving said communication by the communication manager of the host processor; (d) processing said communication and determining an associated application program and an associated display terminal to link with the phone extension to add to the conference; and (d) invoking said associated application program to communicate with said associated display terminal of said phone extension to add to the conference and displaying information associated with the conference at said associated display terminal.
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Specification