Communication method and system
First Claim
1. A method of establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and at least one telephony network, the method comprising the steps of:
- requesting over said computer network the establishment of a communication channel between the first and second systems, said communication channel comprising a connection over one of said telephony networks;
establishing whether or not sufficient outgoing channel capacity is available from the first system to the second system to support the communication channel;
transmitting over said computer network, in response to establishing that there is insufficient available outgoing channel capacity from the first system to support the communication channel, a message to the second system requesting the second system to instigate establishment of the communication channel; and
establishing the communication channel according to a result of said establishing channel capacity step.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to establishing a communication channel between two communication systems having computer telephony integration (CTI). Many CTI systems are configured into incoming and outgoing lines according to the anticipated demands. Consequently, if sufficient outgoing or incoming capacity is unavailable at a given time to support a communication channel of required characteristics, the users of such a system must conventionally wait until sufficient capacity becomes available. However, the present invention determines who the intended addressee is and can instruct the CTI system associated with that addressee to instigate the establishment of a communication channel to the user who originally desired the connection. The instructions can be sent to the intended addressee using for example, another communication network, such as the Internet or other data communications network. This arrangement also allows the call to be placed in the reverse direction, where this is favourable for tariff reasons. The invention also includes the automatic selection of a telephone network carrier based on tariff data requested over a data network such as the Internet.
62 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and at least one telephony network, the method comprising the steps of:
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requesting over said computer network the establishment of a communication channel between the first and second systems, said communication channel comprising a connection over one of said telephony networks; establishing whether or not sufficient outgoing channel capacity is available from the first system to the second system to support the communication channel; transmitting over said computer network, in response to establishing that there is insufficient available outgoing channel capacity from the first system to support the communication channel, a message to the second system requesting the second system to instigate establishment of the communication channel; and establishing the communication channel according to a result of said establishing channel capacity step.
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2. A method of establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and at least one telephony network, the method comprising the steps of:
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requesting over said computer network the establishment of a communication channel between the first and second systems, said communication channel comprising a connection over one of said telephony networks; ascertaining whether or not it is more cost efficient to instigate establishment of the communication channel at the first or the second communication system; instigating, in response to ascertaining that it is more cost effective to instigate establishment of the communication channel at the first communication system, said communication channel from said first communication system; and transmitting over said computer network, in response to ascertaining that it is more cost effective to instigate establishment of the communication channel at the second communication system, a message to the second system requesting the second system to perform said instigating of establishment of the communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and at least one telephony network, the method comprising the steps of:
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requesting over said computer network the establishment of a communication channel between the first and second systems, said communication channel comprising a connection over one of said telephony networks; transmitting a message from the first communication system, which originally desires the communication channel to be established, to said second communication system; waiting a predetermined period of time for a response to the transmission; deciding in the absence of said response within said predetermined time that said first communication system should establish the communication channel; and establishing at said second communication system said communication channel.
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9. A method of establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and at least one telephony network, the method comprising the steps of:
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requesting over said computer network the establishment of a communication channel between the first and second systems, said communication channel comprising a connection over one of said telephony networks; ascertaining that there is insufficient available outgoing channel capacity from the first communication system to support the communication channel but sufficient available outgoing channel capacity from the first communication system to transmit a request for the communication channel to be established; transmitting said request from the first communication system using said available outgoing channel capacity, said request containing an indication that the second system should instigate establishment of said communication channel; and instigating establishment of said communication channel at said second system.
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10. A method of establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and at least two telephony networks, the method comprising the steps of;
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requesting over said computer network the establishment of a communication channel between the first and second systems; sending a first data message over said computer network to each of said at least two telephony networks, wherein said first message requests connection information regarding said telephony network; receiving a response to said first data message from one or more of said telephony networks, wherein each of said responses contains a version of said requested connection information; determining which one of the at least two telephony networks is to route the communication channel based upon comparing said received responses; and establishing the communication channel according to a result of said determining step. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and at least one telephony network, comprising:
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means for receiving a request over said computer network for the establishment of a communication channel between the first and second systems, said communication channel comprising a connection over one of said telephony networks; means for determining whether the first or second communication system should establish the communication channel; means for instigating, in response to determining that the first communication system should establish the communication channel, establishment of the communication channel from said first communication system; and transmitting over said computer network, in response to determining that the second communication system should establish the communication channel, a message to the second communication system requesting the second communication system to instigate establishment of the communication channel.
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15. A method of establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and at least one telephony network, the method comprising the steps of:
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requesting over said computer network the establishment of a communication channel between the first and second systems, said communication channel comprising a connection over one of said telephony networks; sending a message from said first communication system to a third communication system, said message requesting said second communication system to ascertain whether or not it is more cost effective to instigate establishment of the communication channel at the first or the second communication system; instigating, in response to ascertaining that it is more cost effective to instigate establishment of the communication channel at the second communication system, said communication channel from said second communication system; and transmitting over said computer network, in response to ascertaining that it is more cost effective to instigate establishment of the communication channel at the first communication system, a response to the first system requesting the first system to perform said instigating of establishment of the communication channel.
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16. A method of establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and a plurality of telephony networks, the method comprising the steps of:
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requesting over said computer network establishment of a communication channel between the first and second systems, said communication channel comprising a connection over one of said telephony networks; sending a data message to a third communication system, said third communication system being connected to said first and second communication systems by said computer network and having stored data related to call tariffs for each of said plurality of telephony networks; receiving said data message at said third communication system; determining using said stored call tariff data, in response to said receiving, which one of the plurality of telephony networks is to route the communication channel; and establishing the communication channel according to a result of said determining step.
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17. A method of establishing a communication channel between first and second communication systems connected by a computer network and a plurality of telephony networks, the method comprising the steps of:
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upon detecting at said first communication system that there is insufficient outgoing channel capacity to establish said communication channel between said first and second communication systems, sending a data message to a third communication system, said third communication system being connected to said first and second communication systems by said computer network and having stored data, wherein said stored data includes information regarding currently available incoming and outgoing channel capacities of said first and second communication systems; receiving said data message at said third communication system; determining, in response to said receiving, whether said second communication system has sufficient outgoing channel capacity to support said communication channel, using said stored data; sending, from said third communication system, a request message to said second communication system when it is established that said second communication system has sufficient outgoing capacity, wherein said request message requests said second communication system to instigate establishment of said communication channel.
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Specification