Answering telephone using three-party call service

• US 5,870,463 A
• Filed: 05/28/1996
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Jae-Gwan
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US08/655,124
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 379/212, 379/211, 379/210, 379/67, 379/88, 379/77, 379/199, 379/196, 379/197, 379/372, 379/214, 379/201, 379/202, 379/355, 379/386, 379/387
• US Class Current: 379/212.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for directly connecting an incoming telephone call to a user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location when the user is not present with an automatic answering telephone connected to a telephone line having three-party call service the apparatus effects the steps of: transmitting an information message for enabling a caller to select an automatic connection mode to the external and, after transmitting the information message in the information transmission step, when an automatic connection mode selection key has been inputted by the caller, holding the line during a preset time and reading and dialing the telephone number of the external location. When a speech path is formed by detection of a ringback tone after performance of the dialing, transmitting an information message requesting the user to input the selection key for receiving the call; and after transmitting the information message in the selection key input information message transmission step and, when the selection key for receiving call is inputted, executing the connection of the caller to the user telephone, thereby enabling a conversation by telephone.

Claims

1. A method of automatically connecting an incoming telephone call to a user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location with an automatic answering telephone connected to a telephone line having three-party call service, comprising the steps of:

a) detecting the incoming telephone call from a caller;

b) transmitting an information message to the caller requesting the caller to select, as one of a plurality of options, an automatic connection mode for connecting the incoming telephone call to the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location after the incoming telephone call is detected;

c) detecting the selection of the automatic connection mode by the caller and in response thereto, immediately holding the incoming telephone call while reading and dialing a previously stored telephone number of the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location;

d) detecting a ringback tone after dialing the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location and then transmitting an information message to the user requesting the user to indicate if the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone; and

e) detecting the indication by the user that the caller is to be connected to the user and then connecting the caller to the user'"'"'s telephone.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mode is selected by the caller, and the user indicates that the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone by respectively pressing predetermined number keys.

3. A method of automatically connecting an incoming telephone call to a user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location with an automatic answering telephone connected to a telephone line having three-party call service, comprising the steps of:

a) detecting the incoming telephone call from a caller;

b) transmitting an information message to the caller requesting the caller to select, as one of a plurality of options an automatic connection mode for connecting the incoming telephone call to the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location after the incoming telephone call is detected;

c) detecting the selection of the automatic connection mode by the caller and in response thereto, immediately holding the incoming telephone call while reading and dialing a previously stored telephone number of the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location;

d) upon detecting a busy signal after dialing the telephone number of the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location and then transmitting an information message to the call requesting the caller to select one of;

1) a request for the telephone number of the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location, or

2) storing a recorded message of the caller, or

3) storing the telephone number of the caller for the user,

e) detecting a ringback tone after dialing the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location and then transmitting an information message to the user requesting the user to indicate if the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone; and

f) detecting the indication by the user that the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone and then connecting the incoming telephone call to the user'"'"'s telephone.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the selection by the caller is effected by pressing a predetermined number key.

5. A method of automatically connecting an incoming telephone call to a user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location with an automatic answering telephone connected to a telephone line having three-party call service, comprising the steps of:

a) detecting the incoming telephone call from a caller;

b) transmitting an information message to the caller requesting the caller to select an automatic connection mode for connecting the incoming telephone call to the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location after the incoming telephone call is detected or requesting the caller to select a message recording mode for recording a message by the caller for the user or requesting the caller to select a telephone number storage mode for storing the telephone number of the caller for the user;

c) recording a message from the caller to the user upon detecting the selection of the message recording mode or storing the telephone number of the caller upon detecting the selection of the telephone number storage mode;

d) immediately holding the incoming telephone call while reading and dialing a previously stored telephone number of the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location upon detecting the selection of the automatic connection mode by the caller;

e) detecting a ringback tone after dialing the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location and then transmitting an information message to the user requesting the user to indicate if the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone; and

f) detecting the indication by the user that the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone and then connecting the incoming telephone call to the user'"'"'s telephone.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the selection by the caller is effected by pressing a predetermined number key.

7. An apparatus for automatically connecting an incoming telephone call to a user'"'"'s telephone at an external location with an automatic answering telephone connected to a telephone line having three-party call service, comprising:

a) a first detector for detecting the incoming telephone call from a caller;

b) an information message transmitter for transmitting an information message to the caller requesting the incoming telephone call to select, as one of a plurality of options, an automatic connection mode for connecting the caller to the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location after the incoming telephone call is detected;

c) a second detector for detecting the selection of the automatic connection mode by the caller and a means for holding the incoming telephone call while immediately reading and dialing a previously stored telephone number of the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location in response to the detection of the selection by the caller;

d) said first detector detecting a ringback tone after dialing the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location and said information message transmitter then transmitting an information message for the user requesting the user to indicate if the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone; and

e) said second detector detecting the indication by the user that the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone and then connecting the incoming telephone call to the user'"'"'s telephone.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, further comprising a dual tone multifrequency keypad disposed at the caller'"'"'s location, the automatic connection mode being selected by the caller by pressing a predetermined key on said dual tone multifrequency keypad.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, further comprising a dual tone multifrequency keypad disposed at the user'"'"'s telephone, the user indicating that the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone by pressing a predetermined key on said dual tone multifrequency keypad.

10. An apparatus for automatically connecting an incoming telephone call to a user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location with an automatic answering telephone connected to a telephone line having three-party call service, comprising:

a) a first detector for detecting the incoming telephone call from a caller;

b) an information message transmitter for transmitting an information message to the caller requesting the caller to select, as one of a plurality of options, an automatic connection mode for connecting the incoming telephone call to the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location after the incoming telephone call is detected;

c) a second detector for detecting the selection of the automatic connection mode by the caller and a means for holding the incoming telephone call while immediately reading and dialing a previously stored telephone number of the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location in response to the detection of the selection by the caller;

d) said second detector for detecting a ringback tone after dialing the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location and said information message transmitter then transmitting an information message for the user requesting the user to indicate if the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone; and

e) said second detector for detecting the indication by the user that the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user and then connecting the incoming telephone call to the user'"'"'s telephone; and

f) said first detector for detecting a busy signal after dialing the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location and said information message transmitter then transmitting an information message to the caller requesting the caller to select one of;

1) a request for the telephone number of the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location;

or

2) storing a recorded message by the caller, or

3) storing the telephone number of the caller for the user.

11. An apparatus for automatically connecting an incoming telephone call to a user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location with an automatic answering telephone connected to a telephone line having three-party call service, comprising:

a) a first detector for detecting the incoming telephone call from a caller;

b) an information message transmitter for transmitting an information message to the incoming telephone call requesting the caller to select an automatic connection mode for connecting the caller to the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location after the incoming telephone call is detected or requesting the caller to select a message recording mode for recording a message by the caller for the user or requesting the caller to select a telephone number storage mode for storing the telephone number of the caller for the user;

and further comprising a means for detecting one of either the selection of the message recording mode and then recording a message from the caller to the user or the selection of the telephone number storage mode and then storing the telephone number of the caller;

c) a second detector for detecting the selection of the automatic connection mode by the caller and a means for holding the incoming telephone call while immediately reading and dialing a previously stored telephone number of the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location in response to the detection of the selection by the caller;

d) said second detector detecting a ringback tone after dialing the user'"'"'s telephone located at an external location and said information message transmitter then transmitting an information message for the user requesting the user to indicate if the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user'"'"'s telephone; and

e) said second detector detecting the indication by the user that the incoming telephone call is to be connected to the user and then connecting the incoming telephone call to the user'"'"'s telephone.