Control and monitoring apparatus and method for a telephone system
First Claim
Patent Images
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 an incoming call to the system directed to a user in a selected one of at least two distinct modes, one such mode being call forwarding in which case the processing means invokes functions b) and c),b) recalling from said memory means a forwarding number for the user,c) causing said switch control means to switch the incoming call in said switch to said forwarding number,d) monitoring a call to said system from the user, including during outbound calls made by the 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 call from the user in a control mode wherein the user may enter commands to change said selected one of at least two distinct modes, andf) identifying a call to said system from the user requesting the present mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to the user, recalling from said memory means the current mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to the user, transmitting courtesy messages which indicate said current mode and inform the user as to how to enter a mode command to change said mode, and responding to the user transmitting a specific mode command to appropriately change the mode by which the system processes subsequent incoming calls directed to the user.
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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 monitoring a telephone call placed via the control system to provide a additional feature not otherwise available in said telephone network.
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Citations
24 Claims
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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 an incoming call to the system directed to a user in a selected one of at least two distinct modes, one such mode being call forwarding in which case the processing means invokes functions b) and c), b) recalling from said memory means a forwarding number for the user, c) causing said switch control means to switch the incoming call in said switch to said forwarding number, d) monitoring a call to said system from the user, including during outbound calls made by the 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 call from the user in a control mode wherein the user may enter commands to change said selected one of at least two distinct modes, and f) identifying a call to said system from the user requesting the present mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to the user, recalling from said memory means the current mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to the user, transmitting courtesy messages which indicate said current mode and inform the user as to how to enter a mode command to change said mode, and responding to the user transmitting a specific mode command to appropriately change the mode by which the system processes subsequent incoming calls directed to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
- input/output means for connection to telephone network lines to input and output telephone calls;
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4. 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 telephone network providing information regarding the network address of a calling station to said control system, 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 modes, one such mode being call forwarding in which case the processing means invokes functions b) through c), b) recalling from said memory means a forwarding number for the user, c) causing said switch control means to switch the call to the user in said switch to said forwarding number, d) monitoring a call to said system from the user, including during outbound calls made by the 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 call from the user in a control mode wherein the user may enter commands to change said selected one of at least two distinct modes, and f) identifying a call to said system by the user, and utilizing said information as the user'"'"'s memory means stored forwarding number, whereby the user can update the forwarding number without manually entering the number of the telephone at the user'"'"'s present location.
- input/output means for connection to telephone network lines to input and output telephone calls;
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5. 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 invokes functions b) through c), b) recalling from said memory means a forwarding number for the user, c) causing said switch control means to switch the call to the user in said switch to said forwarding number, d) monitoring a call to said system from the user, including during outbound calls made by the 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 call from the user in a control mode wherein the user may enter commands to change said selected one of at least two distinct modes, and identifying the user'"'"'s presently selected call processing mode and transmitting a courtesy message to the user setting forth the user'"'"'s presently selected call processing mode.
- input/output means for connection to telephone network lines to input and output telephone calls;
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6. A telephone system for providing telephone services, said system comprising:
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(a) a telephone switching system for concurrently servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers; (b) a telephone switching system controller coupled to said switching system via communications facilities, said controller communicating with said switching system via said communication facilities by means of switch functions to provide an additional telephone service for said subscribers, said controller receiving calls from subscribers via said communications facilities and monitoring the received calls, including during at least a portion of the time that calls are placed by subscribers to and received by another party, and if a subscriber signals said controller to provide said additional service during the call received by said another party, then said controller responds by communicating a corresponding sequence of switch functions to said switching system, said controller further including a voice screening mode of operation wherein during a telephone call, said controller transmits a prompt for the caller to transmit identification information, records the caller'"'"'s response to said prompt, instructs said switching system to connect to a subscriber-selected one of a plurality of telephone network addresses, and transmits the caller'"'"'s recorded response. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A telephone system for providing telephone services, said system comprising:
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(a) a telephone switching system for concurrently servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers; (b) a telephone switching system controller coupled to said switching system via communications facilities, said controller communicating with said switching system via said communication facilities by means of switch functions to provide at least one additional telephone service for said subscribers, said controller including a memory for storing a plurality of sequences of said switch functions, said controller receiving calls from subscribers via said communications facilities and monitoring the received calls, including during at least a portion of the time that calls are placed by subscribers to and received by another party, and if a subscriber signals said controller to provide said at least one additional telephone service during the call received by said another party, then said controller responds by communicating a corresponding sequence of said switch functions to said telephone switching system; and (c) a paging system wherein said subscriber carries a paging device for receiving radio frequency signals broadcast from a paging system with a unique identification code assigned to each paging device, and wherein each paging device includes a transmitter for transmitting a data signal to the controller to revise at least one of the sequences of switch functions stored in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A telephone system for providing telephone services, said system comprising:
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(a) a telephone switching system for concurrently servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers; (b) a telephone switching system controller coupled to said switching system via communications facilities, said controller communicating with said switching system via said communication facilities by means of switch functions to provide at least one additional telephone service for said subscribers, said controller including a memory for storing a plurality of sequences of said switch functions, said controller receiving calls from subscribers via said communications facilities and monitoring the received calls, including during at least a portion of the time that calls are placed by subscribers to and received by another party, whereby if a subscriber signals said controller to provide said at least one additional service during the call received by said another party, then said controller responds by communicating a corresponding sequence of said switch functions to said telephone switching system; and (c) a paging system wherein said subscriber carries a paging device for receiving radio frequency signals broadcast from a paging system with a unique identification code assigned to each paging device, and wherein each paging device includes a transmitter for transmitting a data signal to the controller to invoke at least one of the sequences of switch functions stored in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A telephone system for providing telephone services, said system comprising:
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(a) a telephone switching system for concurrently servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers; (b) a telephone switching system controller coupled to said switching system via communications facilities, said controller communicating with said switching system via said communication facilities by means of switch functions to provide at least one additional telephone service for said subscribers, said controller including a memory for storing a plurality of sequences of said switch functions, said controller receiving calls from subscribers via said communications facilities and monitoring the received calls, including during at least a portion of the time that calls are placed by subscribers to and received by another party, and if a subscriber signals said controller to provide said at least one additional service during the call received by said another party, then said controller responds by communicating a corresponding sequence of said switch functions to said telephone switching system; and (c) a locator system wherein said locator system comprises a plurality of predeterminedly located locator transmitters, with each locator transmitter transmitting to a proximate paging device an address signal, and wherein said proximate paging device includes a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting a signal based on said address signal to said controller system to revise at least one of the sequences of switch functions stored in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A telephone system for providing telephone services, said system comprising:
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(a) a telephone switching system for concurrently servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers; (b) a telephone switching system controller coupled to said switching system via communications facilities, said controller communicating with said switching system via said communication facilities by means of switch functions to provide at least one additional telephone service for said subscribers, said controller receiving calls from subscribers via said communications facilities and monitoring the received calls, including during at least a portion of the time that calls are placed by subscribers to and received by another party, whereby a subscriber may signal said controller to provide said at least one additional service when requested by the subscriber during the call received by said another party, said controller including a memory for storing a plurality of sequences of said switch functions and a present mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to said subscriber and wherein said controller identifies a call to said system from said subscriber requesting a present mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to said subscriber, said controller, in response to an inquiry from said subscriber, recalling from said memory the current mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to said subscriber and transmitting information to said subscriber which advises said subscriber of said present mode. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification