Remote access telephone control system
First Claim
1. A control system for connection to a telephone network, said network including at least one telephone switch which is capable of connecting a plurality of telephone lines such that a plurality of parties can simultaneously be in telephone contact with other parties at the same time via said switch, said control system receiving and processing calls from callers to users, the control system comprising:
- input/output means for connection to telephone network lines to input and output telephone calls;
switch control means for controlling said at least one switch to connect a call on one line to a different line;
memory means for controllably storing and recalling electronic signals; and
electronic processing means for accessing said memory means and said switch control means to direct the flow of input and output calls, said electronic processing means including means for;
a) processing calls to the system directed to a user in a selected one of at least two distinct programmable modes, one such mode being call forwarding in which case the processing means proceeds with functions b) through c),b) recalling from said memory means a forwarding number for said user,c) causing said switch control means to switch the caller'"'"'s call in said switch to said forwarding number,d) monitoring a call to said system from said user, including during calls made by said user via said control system to one or more third parties,e) in response to the user transmitting a predetermined command while the call is being monitored, placing the user'"'"'s call in a control mode wherein user may enter commands to change a users call processing mode.
20 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone switching and control system connected to a telephone network for providing telephone calling services to an authorized user. The telephone switching and control system includes at least one switch for concurrently servicing a plurality of users; and at least one controller for receiving user authorization information, controlling the at least one switch and, during a call from the user, permitting that call to be extended to one or more network addresses in a series of extensions of that call without requiring the user to go on hook.
-
Citations
55 Claims
-
1. A control system for connection to a telephone network, said network including at least one telephone switch which is capable of connecting a plurality of telephone lines such that a plurality of parties can simultaneously be in telephone contact with other parties at the same time via said switch, said control system receiving and processing calls from callers to users, the control system comprising:
- input/output means for connection to telephone network lines to input and output telephone calls;
switch control means for controlling said at least one switch to connect a call on one line to a different line;
memory means for controllably storing and recalling electronic signals; and
electronic processing means for accessing said memory means and said switch control means to direct the flow of input and output calls, said electronic processing means including means for;a) processing calls to the system directed to a user in a selected one of at least two distinct programmable modes, one such mode being call forwarding in which case the processing means proceeds with functions b) through c), b) recalling from said memory means a forwarding number for said user, c) causing said switch control means to switch the caller'"'"'s call in said switch to said forwarding number, d) monitoring a call to said system from said user, including during calls made by said user via said control system to one or more third parties, e) in response to the user transmitting a predetermined command while the call is being monitored, placing the user'"'"'s call in a control mode wherein user may enter commands to change a users call processing mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- input/output means for connection to telephone network lines to input and output telephone calls;
-
15. A control system for a telephone network for receiving and processing telephone calls, said network including at least one telephone switch which can handle a plurality of calls at the same time on lines of said switch, said switch being responsive to control signals for switching a call on one line to a different line, said control system comprising:
-
(a) communication means for connection to communication facilities of said network for making and receiving telephone calls; (b) switch control means for controlling said switch to transfer a call on one line to a different line; (c) memory means for controllably storing and recalling electronic signals; and (d) electronic processing means for processing a telephone call received via said communication means, said processing means including a call processing mode wherein the electronic processing means responds to an incoming call by transmitting an audio signal indicating to the caller that said incoming call can be branched to any one of a plurality of options and, responsive to the caller transmitting a branch command, causing said control means to route said incoming call to an appropriate option corresponding to the command transmitted by said caller, said electronic processing means monitoring said call for at least a portion of its duration, including during telephone calls placed via said control system to one or more third parties, for said particular command and, in response to receipt of said particular command, returning the call to a mode wherein the caller may enter another command to branch to yet another option, and in response to receipt of another command, causing said control means to route said incoming call to an appropriate option corresponding to the command transmitted by said caller.
-
-
16. A control system connected to a telephone network, said network including at least one telephone switch which is capable of connecting a plurality of telephone lines such that a plurality of telephone subscribers can simultaneously be in telephone contact with one another and wherein each user of the system is assigned a unique telephone number, said control system routing a call to a user controlled number, the control system comprising:
-
input/output means for connection to telephone network lines to input and output telephone calls; switch control means for controllably connecting a call on one line to a different line in said switch by transmitting commands to said switch; and electronic processing means for controlling said switch control means and said input/output means to direct a flow of calls to said switch, means for responding to incoming calls by transmitting a courtesy message indicating to the caller that his or her call can be branched to any one of a plurality of options responsive to the caller transmitting an appropriate command corresponding to the desired branch, and, responsive to the caller transmitting said command, implementing the commanded option by causing said control means to route said incoming call to a selected branch address, the selected branch address corresponding to the option commanded by the caller, said electronic processing means also monitoring at least selected ones of said incoming calls during at least a portion of their duration, including during outbound calls made to other telephone addresses, for a signal from the caller, and, in response to said signal, returning to a mode wherein an additional outbound call may be commanded by said caller to yet another telephone address.
-
-
17. A telephone system comprising:
-
(a) a telephone switching system for concurrently servicing a plurality of telephone system subscribers, said telephone switching system providing a call conferencing facility; and (b) a telephone switching system controller coupled to said switching system via communications facilities, said controller providing an enhanced telephone service for the subscribers wherein at least one subscriber may place a series of outbound calls to called parties during a single telephone session with said telephone switching system controller using the call conferencing facility, said controller answering an inbound call from a subscriber via said telephone switching system, allowing the subscriber to place an outbound call via said telephone switching system controller to a first called party using the call conferencing facility of said telephone switching system and monitoring for a distinctive signal supplied by the subscriber and, if said distinctive signal is detected, allowing the subscriber to extend the inbound call via said telephone switching system controller to a second called party by terminating the outbound call to the first called party and initiating a conference call with said second party. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
-
20. A telephone system comprising:
-
(a) a telephone switching system for concurrently servicing a plurality of telephone system subscribers; (b) a telephone switching system controller coupled to said switching system via communications facilities, said controller providing an enhanced telephone service for the subscribers wherein at least one subscriber may place a series of calls to other parties during a single telephone session with said telephone switching system controller, said controller receiving a call from a subscriber via said telephone switching system, allowing the subscriber to place a call via said telephone switching system controller to another party and monitoring the call placed by the subscriber for a distinctive signal supplied by the subscriber and, if said distinctive signal is detected, allowing the subscriber to extend the call via said telephone switching system controller to still other parties, said controller, when receiving a telephone call from a caller, takes control of said telephone call, directs a courtesy message to said caller indicating that said call may be branched to any of a plurality of options, and responsive to the caller transmitting an appropriate command corresponding to a desired option, implements at least one of the commanded options by transmitting said sequence of switch functions to said switching system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A control device which controls a telecommunication switch of the type which provides communication services to a plurality of telephone subscribers on telephone links coupling subscriber telephone equipment to said switch, said control device comprising:
- a controller for controlling said telecommunication switch by transmitting switch instructions to said switch via communication links coupling said controller to said telecommunication switch, said controller being responsive to a telephone call placed by a subscriber to said controller for the purpose of placing a series of telephone calls to third parties as requested by said subscriber, said controller having a subscriber telephone number associated therewith which is accessible via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), said controller, in response to a received telephone call, transmitting audible sounds which to a caller sound as normal call processing, but which indicate to the subscriber that a command may be entered, and, in response to receipt of said command, transmitting switch instruction to said switch to cause said switch place a first call of said series of calls externally of said controller, said controller remaining connected to said switch in order to monitor each of said telephone calls in said series for receipt of a further command entered by said subscriber to place yet another telephone call in said series.
-
33. A method of controlling a telecommunication switch from a remote location, said telecommunication switch being of the type which provides a portion of a public switched telephone network and provides communication services to a plurality of telephone subscribers, said method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) transmitting a prompt to a calling party indicating that a received call may be handled in any one of a plurality of ways in response to a command; (b) decoding the command received via a plurality of switches in said public switched telephone network from said remote location and transmitting switch instructions to said switch in response to the received command; and (c) monitoring calls placed by callers throughout at least a portion of the calls that a calling party is in communication with another party, for receipt of a request that an additional communication service be provided, said request being a signal which propagates through said plurality of switches in said public switched telephone network, and providing said additional communication service in response to said request, said additional communication service not otherwise being available in said telecommunications switch. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. A telephone switch control device which controls a telecommunication switch over a communications link by sending switch control functions to said telecommunications switch via said link, said switch being interconnected with a plurality of other switches in a telephone network with subscriber telecommunications equipment being connected to said telephone network via a local switching system of the type which provides predetermined communication services to a plurality of telephone subscribers, the communication services of said telecommunications switch including subscriber controlled features controlled via said subscriber telecommunications equipment, said telephone switch control device providing at least one additional communication service to authorized ones of said subscribers, which additional communication service is in addition to said predetermined communication services available in said local switching system, said telephone switch control device collecting authorization information inputted by a subscriber via said communications link and monitoring, via said communications link, at least a portion of one telephone call placed by an authorized subscriber via said remote switching system and said telecommunications switch, but externally of said communications link, to at least one third party for a signal indicating a request for said at least one additional communication service to be provided.
-
39. A telephone switching and control system connected to a telephone network for providing telephone calling services to authorized users, said telephone switching and control system comprising:
-
(a) at least one switch for concurrently servicing a plurality of users; and (b) at least one controller for receiving user authorization information, controlling said at least one switch and, during a call by a user, permitting that call to be extended to two or more network addresses one at a time in a series of extensions of that call without requiring the user to go on hook, said controller storing a plurality of speed dial numbers for the user and monitoring the call by the user for receipt of a speed dial signal, and, upon receipt thereof, retrieving an associated telephone network address from memory and extending the call to such network address. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A method of providing telephone services comprising:
-
(a) servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers coupled to a telephone network; and (b) detecting a call placed by a subscriber and during said call placed by the subscriber permitting the subscriber to initiate a series of call extensions to other parties, without disconnecting the call placed by the subscriber using subscriber-stored codes representing the other parties in said series.
-
-
46. A method of providing telephone calling services to an authorized user, said method comprising:
-
(a) providing telephone services to a plurality of users; and (b) upon receiving user authorization information during a call from a user, permitting the user to extend that call to two or more network addresses, one at a time in a series of extensions of that call, without requiring the user to go on hook between extensions of that call, with at least one extension of the call being to a network address represented in a memory by a code and occurring in response to the user providing said code. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
-
-
55. A telephone system comprising:
-
(a) a telephone switching system for concurrently servicing a plurality of telephone system subscribers; (b) a telephone switching system controller coupled to said switching system via communications facilities, said controller providing an enhanced telephone service, said controller receiving calls from calling parties and during such calls generating signals which to a caller indicate normal call processing operation, but to a subscriber indicate that certain subscriber-accessible features may be accessed by inputting a pin code, and monitoring the at least a portion of said calls for the subscriber'"'"'s pin code to be supplied by the calling party and, if the subscriber'"'"'s pin code is detected, allowing the calling party to access enhanced features which are not available to a calling party who does not enter the subscriber'"'"'s pin code.
-
Specification