Telecommunications calling feature method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method for operating a telephone switching facility for serving at least one telephone set, the telephone switching facility being connected in combination with a voice features service apparatus whereby a calling party may redirect a call progress, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) initiating the call progress on behalf of the calling party in response to digits dialled by the calling party;
(b) in an event of the call progress being forwarded to the voice features service apparatus, continuing the call progress in the voice features service apparatus while detecting any secondary signalling which may be generated by the calling party; and
(c) in the event that a secondary signalling is detected prior to a completion of a solicitation portion of the call progress, and if the secondary signalling is not within the protocol of the voice features service apparatus, responding to the secondary signalling in the telephone switching facility by resuming the call progress in accordance with the secondary signalling.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone caller is permitted to retrieve his call from the central voice services feature of an unavailable called party, and resume the call progress by substituting a calling feature of his own. In a telephone system including a telephone switching facility and a voice features server, provision is made for enabling a calling party to invoke an appropriate calling party feature such as a ring back feature or an override feature, and thereby subsequently achieve a real time conversation with the called party instead of simply being able to leave a voice message for the called party.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for operating a telephone switching facility for serving at least one telephone set, the telephone switching facility being connected in combination with a voice features service apparatus whereby a calling party may redirect a call progress, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) initiating the call progress on behalf of the calling party in response to digits dialled by the calling party; (b) in an event of the call progress being forwarded to the voice features service apparatus, continuing the call progress in the voice features service apparatus while detecting any secondary signalling which may be generated by the calling party; and (c) in the event that a secondary signalling is detected prior to a completion of a solicitation portion of the call progress, and if the secondary signalling is not within the protocol of the voice features service apparatus, responding to the secondary signalling in the telephone switching facility by resuming the call progress in accordance with the secondary signalling. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A telephone system comprising:
a telephone switching facility for serving at least one telephone set, the telephone switching facility being connected in combination with a voice feature server apparatus, wherein the voice feature server apparatus includes means for detecting a feature request signalled by secondary signalling from a calling party, the secondary signalling not being within the protocol of the voice feature server apparatus, and the telephone switching facility including means for retrieving and resuming the call progress to the exclusion of the voice feature server apparatus in response to the request signalled by the secondary signalling.
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9. A telephone system comprising:
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a telephone switching facility for connection with at least one telephone set being operable to provide telephone communications as directed by a call controller for controlling telephone calls between various telephone sets, in response to signals from the various telephone sets; a voice feature service apparatus being operable in combination with the telephone switching facility for providing a voicemail service; in the voice feature service apparatus, a secondary signalling detection means for receiving any secondary signalling from a telephone of a calling party, a service controller unit for directing a progress of the voicemail service on behalf of a called party in response to a telephone call of a calling party having been connected to the voice feature service apparatus by the telephone switching facility, and for transferring secondary signalling received during a solicitation portion of the progress of the voicemail service and not within a protocol of the service controller unit, to the telephone switching facility; and in the telephone switching facility, the call controller, being operative for causing connection of said telephone call to the voice feature server apparatus in response to a predetermined condition; and being operative for disconnecting said telephone call from the voice feature service apparatus and resuming the call progress within the telephone switching facility in accordance with the secondary signalling identifying a calling party feature having been transferred from the voice feature service apparatus.
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Specification