Call announcement arrangement

• US 5,007,076 A
• Filed: 11/03/1989
• Issued: 04/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.), Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Blakley, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US07/431,586
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 379/215, 379/208, 379/142, 379/249, 379/214, 379/88, 379/89, 379/67
• US Class Current: 379/88.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• 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: H04Q 11/0471 Terminal access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/091 Indication of kind/number of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1315 Call waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13173 Busy signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1334 Configuration within the switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13378 Speech recognition, speech analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/171 Number indicating signals (no dial signals)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/377 Recorded announcement

Abstract

An improved call waiting feature implementation for use with conventional analog station sets. When a called station is busy, a call waiting signal is transmitted to the called station. If the called station flashes, a communication path betwaeen the previous caller and the called station is disconnected and the calling party name is spoken, using text-to-speech, to the called station. If the called party chooses to take the new call after learning the calling party name, the called station transmits a DTMF digit or allows the expiration of a predetermined time period without signaling. In response a communication path is completed between the second caller and the called station. If the called party chooses to instead return to the previous call, the called staion flashes. In response a communication path is completed between the previous caller and the called station.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station comprising

in response to said call, effecting a search for information associated with said calling station,

determining whether said called station is busy on another call,

after determining that said called station is busy on another call, transmitting a call waiting signal to said called station,

after transmitting said call waiting signal and in response to receipt of a predefined signal from said called station, disconnecting a communication path between a calling communication station for said another call and said called station,

after disconnecting said communication path, transmitting speech signals, generated from information obtained during said search, to said called station, and

after transmitting said speech signals to said called station and in response to receipt of a prespecified signal from said called station, completing a communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said called station.

2. A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station comprising

in response to said call, effecting a search for information associated with said calling station,

determining whether said called station is busy on another call,

after determining that said called station is busy on another call, transmitting a call waiting signal to said called station,

after transmitting said call waiting signal and in response to receipt of a predetermined signal from said called station, disconnecting a communication path between a calling station for said another call and said called station,

after disconnecting said communication path, transmitting speech signals generated from information obtained during said search to said called station, and

after transmitting said speech signals to said called station, completing a communication path between said calling station for said another call and said called station in response to one of the following two events (a) and (b):

(a) receipt of a predetermined signal from said called station, (b) expiration of a predetermined time period without receiving signaling from said called station.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising

after transmitting said speech signals to said called station and in response to said one of said two events, transmitting call information, including said obtained information, to a message center.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 further comprising

after transmitting said speech signals to said called station and in response to said one of said two events, completing a communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said message center.

5. A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station comprising

in response to said call, effecting a search for information associated with said calling station,

determining whether said called station is busy on another call,

after determining that said called station is busy on another call, transmitting a call waiting signal to said called station,

after transmitting said call waiting signal and in response to receipt of a predefined signal from said called station, disconnecting a communication path between a calling communication station for said another call and said called station,

after disconnecting said communication path, transmitting speech signals generated from information obtained during said search to said called station, and

after transmitting said speech signals to said called station, transmitting call information, including said obtained information, to a message center in response to one of the following two events (a) and (b):

(a) receipt of a prespecified signal from said called station, (b) expiration of a predefined time period without receiving signaling from said called station.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 further comprising

after transmitting said speech signals to said called station and in response to said one of said two events, completing a communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said message center.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising

after completing said communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said message center and in response to receipt of said prespecified signal from said called station, completing a communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said called station.

8. A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station comprising

in response to said call, effecting a search for information associated with said calling station,

determining whether said called station is busy on another call,

after determining that said called station is busy on another call, transmitting a call waiting signal to said called station,

after transmitting said call waiting signal, transmitting call information, including said obtained information, to a message center in response to one of the following two events (a) and (b):

(a) receipt of a predefined signal from said called station, (b) expiration of a predefined time period without receiving signaling from said called station.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising

after transmitting said call waiting signal and in response to said one of said two events, completing a communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said message center.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9

further comprising after completing said communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said message center and in response to receipt of said predefined signal from said called station,

disconnecting a communication path between a calling communication station for said another call and said called station,

after disconnecting said communication path between said calling communication station for said another call and said called station, transmitting speech signals, generated from information obtained during said search, to said called station, and

after transmitting said speech signals to said called station, disconnecting said communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said message center and completing a communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said called station in response to one of the following two events (a) and (b):

(a) receipt of a prespecified signal from said called station, (b) expiration of a predetermined time period without receiving signaling from said called station.

11. A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station comprising

in response to said call, determining a directory number associated with said calling station,

causing a search of a directory to obtain text comprising a name associated with said directory number,

determining whether said called station is busy on another call,

after determining that said called station is busy on another call, transmitting a call waiting signal to said called station,

after transmitting said calling waiting signal and in response to receipt of a predefined signal from said called station, disconnecting a communication path between a calling communication station for said another call and said called station,

after disconnecting said communication path, transmitting speech signals, generated from said obtained text, to said called station, and

after transmitting said speech signals to said called station, performing only one of the following steps (a) and (b):

(a) completing a communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said called station in response to receipt of a prespecified signal from said called station, and (b) completing a communication path between said calling station for said another call and said called station in response to receipt of a predetermined signal from said called station.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said prespecified signal comprises a tone signal.

13. A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station comprising

in response to said call, effecting a search for information associated with said calling station,

determining whether said called station is busy on another call,

after determining that said called station is busy on another call, transmitting a call waiting signal to said called station,

after transmitting said call waiting signal and in response to receipt of a predefined signal from said called station, disconnecting a communication path between a calling communication station for said another call and said called station,

after disconnecting said communication path, transmitting speech signals, generated from information obtained during said search, to said called station, and

after transmitting said speech signals to said called station, completing a communication path between said first-mentioned calling station and said called station in response to one of the following two events (a) and (b):

(a) receipt of a prespecified signal from said called station, (b) expiration of a predetermined time period without receiving signaling from said called station.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said prespecified signal comprises a tone signal.

15. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said disconnecting comprises

placing on hold said calling communication station for another call.