Computer telephone system

• US 5,754,636 A
• Filed: 02/21/1997
• Issued: 05/19/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AnswerSoft, Inc. (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Young, Gary C., Brannick, Gary L., Black, William B., Lee, Gene W., Mason, Larry P., Stoldt, Mark R., Lloyd, Lora M., Fissel, James E., Young, Garrett C., Withers, Robert W., Bayless, Jeanne A., Mathis, Amy L., Steenbergen, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/804,233
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 379/127, 379/130, 379/131, 379/142, 379/96, 379/97, 379/199, 379/201, 379/245, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/142.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs

Abstract

A telecommunications system (10) is provided that provides for telephone functions to be accessed through client computer system (14). A server computer system (16) provides telephony services, database services and access to E-mail, voice mail, video conferencing and facsimile systems. A graphical user interface 116 is presented to a user to allow the user to perform a large number of functions and to access databases of information associated with calling and called parties.

Claims

1. A method for displaying the locality and state from which a first party is participating in a telephone call with a second party, comprising:

receiving ANI or Caller ID data for the telephone call;

identifying the locality and state from which the first party is calling by using the ANI or Caller ID data to access a database of localities and states, the database directly associating ANI or caller ID data values with localities and states; and

displaying the locality and state to the second party to the telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the ANI or Caller ID data used to identify the locality and state from which the first party is calling comprises the area code of the first party.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the ANI or Caller ID data used to identify the locality and state from which the first party is calling comprises the area code and the exchange of the first party.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying step comprises displaying the locality and state where the first party is located during the call on a computer monitor.

5. A method for displaying the local time at a locality and state from which a first party is participating in a telephone call with a second party, comprising:

receiving ANI or Caller ID data for the telephone call;

processing at the geographic location of the second party at least a portion of the ANI or Caller ID data to determine the local time at the locality and state at which the first party is located, the processing comprising identifying the locality and state from which the first party is calling by using the ANI or Caller ID data to access a database of localities and states, the database directly associating ANI or caller ID data values with localities and states; and

displaying the local time to the second party to the telephone call.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the processing step further comprises processing ANI or Caller ID data comprising the area code of the first party.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the processing step further comprises processing ANI or Caller ID data comprising the area code and the exchange of the first party.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the displaying step comprises displaying the local time on a computer monitor.

9. The method of claim 5, the step of processing further comprising:

retrieving a time stamp representing the time at the place where the second party is located;

retrieving conversion data from a database using at least a portion of the ANI or Caller ID data as an index to the database;

determining the local time using the time stamp and conversion data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the retrieving conversion data step uses ANI or Caller ID data comprising the area code and the exchange of the first party as an index.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

retrieving a date stamp representing the date at the place where the second party is located.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the conversion data includes data about whether the place at which the first party that is participating in the call is on daylight savings time.