Automated attendant

• US 5,206,900 A
• Filed: 05/31/1991
• Issued: 04/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David Callele
• Original Assignee: David Callele
• Inventors: Callele, David
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US07/708,722
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/246, 379/265, 379/257
• US Class Current: 379/142.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32704 Establishing a communication with one of a facsimile and another telecommunication apparatus sharing a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3271 Telephone answering machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32713 Data transmission device, e.g. switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32717 a calling tone, e.g. CI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32726 signals other than facsimile protocol signals, e.g. DTMF signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/545 using a stored programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A device and method for interfacing a telephone to the telephone network is disclosed for receiving the ICLID of incoming telephone calls and responding in a predetermined manner. An ICLID receiver detects the presence or absence of the ICLID of an incoming telephone call, and receives the ICLID if present. In accordance with predetermined instructions and with the absence of an ICLID or the presence and identity of the ICLID, the device may acknowledge receipt of the ICLID to the incoming caller by generating a brief confirmation tone at minimum charge to the calling party, cause the incoming call to be answered or not answered, and may forward the incoming ICLID information to a predetermined location over the telephone network or by other means.

Claims

1. A telephone interface apparatus for interfacing a telephone to the public switched telephone network comprising:

line interface means for interfacing the apparatus with the public switched telephone network;

data receiver means for receiving at least signalling information over the telephone network;

line state control means for placing the telephone interface apparatus in an off-hook and an on-hook condition;

dialling signal means for generating dialling signals onto the public switched telephone network;

logic control means including stored program means for interpreting received signalling information and controlling the status of the line state control means and the generation of dialling signals via the dialling signal means in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the received signalling information, said apparatus including confirmation signal generating means for generating a confirmation signal over the public switched telephone network while the line state control means has placed the apparatus momentarily in the off-hook condition for a period of time sufficient for the confirmation signal to be generated, in order to acknowledge receipt of the signalling information,

whereby, in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the signalling information, if an incoming telephone call is not answered, a confirmation signal may be generated.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including data transmitter means for transmitting data over the telephone network;

and

the logic control means further controls the reception and transmission of data via the data receiver means and the data transmitter means under control of the stored program means in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the signalling information.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including any one or more in combination of modem means for the transmission and reception of digital data, facsimile modem means for the transmission and reception of facsimile transmissions, voice synthesizer means or voice playback means for the generation of voice messages upon the public switched telephone network and computer network interface means for interfacing the apparatus to a computer network, all under the control of the logic control means acting in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the signalling information.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the data may be facsimile data for transmission to a facsimile machine at the dialled telephone number.

4. A telephone interface apparatus for interfacing a telephone to the public switched telephone network comprising:

line interface means for interfacing the apparatus with a telephone line of the public switched telephone network;

data receiver means for receiving at least signalling information over the telephone network;

line state control means for placing the telephone apparatus in an off-hook and an on-hook condition;

data transmitter means for transmitting at least dialling signal data over the telephone network;

logic control means including stored program means for interpreting the signalling information and in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the signalling information if available, controlling the performance on non-performance of any combination of the operations of

(i) answering an incoming call by placing the telephone apparatus in the off-hook condition by operation of the line state control means, and

(ii) waiting for the telephone line to be free to dial an outgoing call, placing the telephone apparatus in the off-hook condition by operation of the line state control means, dialling a telephone number by generating dialling signals onto the public switched telephone network via the data transmitter means, and forwarding data onto the telephone line via the data transmitter means when the dialled telephone number has been answered, said apparatus including confirmation signal generating means for generating a confirmation signal over the public switched telephone network while the line state control means has placed the apparatus momentarily in the off-hook condition for a period of time sufficient for the confirmation signal to be generated, in order to acknowledge receipt of the signalling information, whereby, in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the signalling information, if the incoming call is not answered, a confirmation signal may be generated.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, including any one or more in combination of modem means for the transmission and reception of digital data, facsimile modem means for the transmission and reception of facsimile transmissions, voice synthesizer means or voice playback means for the generation of voice messages upon the public switched telephone network and computer network interface means for interfacing the apparatus to a computer network, all under the control of the logic control means acting in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the signalling information.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, including any one or more in combination of modem means for the transmission and reception of digital data, facsimile modem means for the transmission and reception of facsimile transmissions, voice synthesizer means or voice playback means for the generation of voice messages upon the public switched telephone network and computer network interface means for interfacing the apparatus to a computer network, all under the control of the logic control means acting in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the signalling information.

7. A method of responding to an incoming telephone call which includes signalling information on a telephone line connected to the public switched telephone network comprising the steps of

(a) receiving said signalling information over the public switched telephone network;

(b) in accordance with the signalling information, and in accordance with preprogrammed computer instructions, performing or not performing any combination of the operations of

(i) answering the incoming call, and

(ii) waiting for the telephone line to be free to dial an outgoing call, going off-hook, and dialing a telephone number.

8. The method of claim 7, including the step of, if the incoming call is not answered and signalling information has been received,

(a) momentarily placing the telephone line in the off-hook condition while the incoming telephone call is still active for a period of time sufficient to generate a confirmation signal to acknowledge receipt of the signalling information,

(b) generating a confirmation signal onto the public switched telephone network to acknowledge receipt of the signalling information,

(c) placing the telephone line in the on-hook condition.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein when the dialled telephone number is answered, information is forwarded in the form of data or voice.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the data may be facsimile data for transmission to a facsimile machine at the dialled telephone number.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein when the dialled telephone number is answered, information is forwarded in the form of data or voice.

13. A telephone interface apparatus for interfacing a telephone to the public switched telephone network comprising:

line interface means for interfacing the apparatus with the public switched telephone network;

data receiver means for receiving signalling information over the telephone network;

line state control means for placing the telephone interface apparatus in an off-hook and an on-hook condition;

dialling signal means for generating dialling signals onto the public switched telephone network;

logic control means including stored program means for interpreting received signalling information and controlling the status of the line state control means and the generation of dialling signals via the dialling signal means in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the received signalling information, the logic control means causing an incoming calling party to be dialled back after signalling information has been received and the line is free to place an outgoing call, and the logic control means further causing the outgoing call to be transferred to a telephone of a human operator such that both the incoming calling party and the human operator are in communication when both the incoming calling party and the human operator have answered their respective telephones.

14. A telephone interface apparatus for interfacing a telephone to the public switched telephone network comprising:

line interface means for interfacing the apparatus with the public switched telephone network;

data receiver means for receiving signalling information over the telephone network;

line state control means for placing the telephone interface apparatus in an of-hook and an on-hook condition;

dialling signal means for generating dialling signals onto the public switched telephone network;

logic control means including stored program means for interpreting received signalling information and controlling the status of the line state control means and the generation of dialling signals via the dialling signal means in accordance with preprogrammed instructions of the stored program means and in accordance with the received signalling information, the logic control means causing an incoming calling party to be dialled back after signalling information has been received and the line is free to place an outgoing call, and the logic control means further causing the outgoing call to be transferred to a predetermined destination such that both the incoming calling party and the predetermined destination are in communication when both the incoming calling part and the predetermined destination are in an off-hook condition.