Communication system

• US 5,949,855 A
• Filed: 11/20/1996
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Fischer, Jochen, Abramowski, Stephan, Kehne, Axel, Konrads, Ursula, Klabunde, Karin, Elixmann, Martin, Gappisch, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Application Number:
  US08/752,828
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/201, 379/207, 379/211, 379/212, 379/269, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.22, 379/88.24, 379/88.25, 379/243, 379/245
• US Class Current: 379/88.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13378 Speech recognition, speech analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

A communication system comprises a communications network coupled at least to a terminal unit. The communications network is coupled to a service device which comprises a switching center, a controller, and a data bank. The data bank contains at least a service logical program. A terminal unit generates a first parameter and a second parameter for sending as a single transmission to the service device. The controller extracts a service logical program from the data bank in response to the first parameter. The controller further controls the switching center in response to the second parameter based on the extracted service logical program.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a terminal unit;

a communications network coupled to the terminal unit and having a switching point having only a normal telephone function of switching through telephone connections; and

a service device, which is a terminal unit for the switching point, and which is coupled to the switching point of said communications network on a one-to-one basis without modification of the communications network, said service device including a switching center, a controller and a data bank, the data bank including at least one service logical program for rendering a service;

said first-recited terminal unit being adapted to generate a first parameter and a second parameter which are sent as a single transmission to said service device; and

said controller being adapted to (i) in response to the first parameter, select from the data bank a service logical program which is relevant to the first parameter, and (ii) in response to the second parameter, control the switching center in accordance with the selected service logical program as applied to the second parameter.

2. The communication system claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said controller treats the second parameter as an entry in the selected service logical program, and generates a control instruction for controlling the switching center in accordance with the selected service logical program as modified by the second parameter; and

the switching center is adapted to (a) convey the first parameter and second parameter, as received from said terminal unit via said communications network, to said controller, and (b) carry out a switching function in response to the control instruction generated by said controller.

3. The communication system claimed in claim 1, wherein said service device contains a service development arrangement for developing a service logical program and for feeding a developed service logical program to the data bank.

4. The communication system claimed in claim 1, wherein said service device further comprises a speech processor which includes:

means for receiving a control instruction from the controller at least in response to the second parameter,

means for providing speech recognition of a message supplied via the switching center;

means for conveying the recognized message as a third parameter to the controller, and

means for producing a prompt to be conveyed by the switching center to said terminal unit.

5. The communication system claimed in claim 4, wherein said controller receives the third parameter from the speech processor and produces a control instruction for the switching center and/or the speech processor in dependence on the third parameter.

6. A service device adapted to be coupled via a communications network to a terminal unit, said service device, which is a terminal unit for a switching point of said network, and which is coupled to the switching point on a one-to-one basis without modification of said network, comprising:

a switching center;

a data bank containing at least one service logical program for rendering a service; and

a controller which (i) in response to a first parameter, sent by the first-recited terminal unit selects a service logical program from said data bank, and (ii) in response to a second parameter sent by the first-recited terminal unit controls the switching center in accordance with the second parameter as applied to the selected service logical program;

the first parameter and second parameter being sent by said first-recited terminal unit as a single combined transmission.