Call tagging user information in a telephonic environment

• US 5,181,239 A
• Filed: 03/27/1992
• Issued: 01/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ROLM Systems (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: ROLM Systems (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Jolissaint, Charles H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATAR, AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US07/861,172
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93, 379/94, 379/96, 379/210-212, 379/201, 379/265, 379/266, 379/142
• US Class Current: 379/93.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0407 using a stored programme control

Abstract

Method and apparatus for permitting host applications processors to read information from and/or to write information into a database which is stored at a switching machine which interfaces with the host applications processors. The information relates to a caller and the database record for the caller is maintained as long as the caller has an ongoing telephone call at the switch.

Claims

1. Method for coordinating the transfer of a telephone call and information associated with the telephone call in a telephony environment comprised of (a) at least two telephones which interface with a switch and (b) at least tow display apparatus, one of the at least two display apparatus interfaces with one of at least two applications processor systems which are interfaced to the switch and another of the at least two display apparatus interfaces with another of the at least two applications processor systems which are interfaced to the switch, wherein one of the at least two telephones is associated with a called party who also uses one of the at least two display apparatus and another one of the at least two telephones is associated with a called party who also uses another one of the at least two display apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

adding a record to a database associated with the switch in response to a telephone call from a calling party to a called party, which record comprises information pertaining to the calling party;

transmitting at least some of the information to an applications processor system which interfaces with the switch and which interfaces with a display apparatus used by the called party;

transmitting information form the applications processor system to the switch and storing at least a portion of the information in the record;

retrieving at least some portion of the information from the record in response to a request to transfer the calling party to another called party whose telephone is connected to the switch and which uses a display apparatus which interfaces with another applications processor system which also interfaces with the switch; and

transferring the retrieval information to the another applications processor system which interfaces with the display apparatus used by the another called party.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

transmitting information from the another applications processor system to the switch; and

storing at least a portion of the information in the record.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

retrieving at least some information from the record of response to a request from at least one of the applications processor systems; and

transferring the at least some information to the at least one of the applications processor systems.

4. The method of claim 1 which further comprises the step of:

deleting the record from the database when the call is terminated.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information and the retrieved information comprises identification information relating to the calling party and the called party.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the called party utilizes a telephone which comprises a display and wherein the step of transmitting at least some of the information further comprises transmitting at least some portion of the information to the display.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the another called party utilizes a telephone which comprises a display and the step of transferring further comprises transmitting at least some portion of the information in the record to the display.

8. Apparatus for coordinating the transfer of a telephone call and information associated with the telephone call in a telephony environment comprised of (a) at least two telephones which interface with a switch and (b) at least two display apparatus, one of the at least two display apparatus interfaces with one of at least two applications processor systems which are interfaced to the switch and another of the at least two display apparatus interfaces with another of the at least two applications processor systems which are interfaced to the switch, wherein one of the at least two telephones telephone is associated with a called party who also uses one of the at least two display apparatus and another one of the at least two telephones is associated with a called party who also uses another one of the at least two display apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for adding a record to a database associated with the switch in response to a telephone call from a calling party to a called party, which record comprises information pertaining to the calling party;

means for transmitting at least some of the information to an applications processor system which interfaces with the switch and which interfaces with a display apparatus used by the called party;

means for transmitting information from the applications processor system to the switch and means for storing at least a portion of the information in the record;

means for retrieving at least some portion of the information from the record in response to a request to transfer the calling party to another called party whose telephone is connected to the switch and which uses a display apparatus which interfaces with another applications processor which also interfaces with the switch; and

means for transferring the retrieved information to the another applications processor system which interfaces with the display apparatus used by the another called party.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for transmitting information from the another applications processor system to the switch; and

means for storing at least a portion of the information in the record.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 which further comprises:

means for retrieving at least some information from the record in response to a request from at least one of the applications processor system; and

means for transferring the at least some information to the at least one of the applications processor systems.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 which further comprises:

means for deleting the record from the database when the call is terminated.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the information and the retrieved information comprises identification information relating to the calling party and the called party.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the called party utilizes a telephone which comprises a display and wherein the means for transmitting at least some of the information further comprises means for transmitting at least some portion of the information to the display.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the another called party utilizes a telephone which comprises a display and the means for transferring further comprises means for transmitting at least some portion of the information in the record of the display.