Telephone system providing personalized telephone features
First Claim
1. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps ofstoring for a subscriber telephone number a plurality of caller identifiers each associated with a specification defining a respective call treatment, answering a first telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number, receiving during said call after it has been answered, a first caller identifier which has been stored for said subscriber telephone number as associated with a first call treatment specification, and processing said call using the call treatment specified by the first call treatment specification.
22 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone control system is disclosed which substantially enhances the accessibility of system subscribers by providing a variety of call-handling modes, and additionally provides various programming means by which those subscribers can tailor the system to suit their individual communications needs. In operation, subscribers are each assigned an individual unique telephone number (ACCESS NUMBER) which can be dialed from any location via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Subscribers then distribute this telephone number to persons who may wish to call them. Calls for a subscriber are routed to the control system via the PSTN. The control system determines which subscriber a call is intended for, and by referring to a database determines the method of call handling which has been preselected by that subscriber. Should the selected call handling method require that the call be delivered to another telephone number, then the control system will cause the call to be switched to that telephone. The switching function may be located in the control system itself, or alternately may be located in the PSTN but under the control of the control system.
In this way, the ACCESS NUMBER may be used as the sole telephone number for a subscriber. Callers need not know the subscribers specific whereabouts, and do not need to know the subscribers various location-specific telephone numbers such as home, office, car phone, and so forth. The ACCESS NUMBER is therefore associated with the subscriber, instead of with a specific telephone instrument or location as are other telephone numbers.
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Citations
119 Claims
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1. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of
storing for a subscriber telephone number a plurality of caller identifiers each associated with a specification defining a respective call treatment, answering a first telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number, receiving during said call after it has been answered, a first caller identifier which has been stored for said subscriber telephone number as associated with a first call treatment specification, and processing said call using the call treatment specified by the first call treatment specification.
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25. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of
storing for a subscriber telephone number a plurality of caller identifiers and associated call treatment specifications including a first caller identifier and a specification of a first call treatment associated with the first identifier, answering a first telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number, receiving a caller identifier during said first call after it has been answered which matches a caller identifier stored for said subscriber telephone number, processing said first call using the call treatment the specification of which is associated with the received caller identifier, answering a second telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number, and processing said second telephone call using a second call treatment in the absence of receipt during said second call of said first caller identifier, wherein said first and second call treatments each comprise forwarding a call to a selected one of a predetermined plurality of destinations.
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31. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing for a subscriber telephone number a plurality of caller identifiers including a first caller identifier having a first specification of call treatment associated with the first caller identifier, answering a first telephone call directed to the subscriber telephone number, receiving, during said first telephone call after it has been answered, a caller identifier previously stored for said subscriber telephone number, processing said call using a call treatment specified by a specification associated with the received caller identifier, answering a second telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number, processing said second telephone call using a second call treatment in the absence of receipt during said second call of said first caller identifier stored for said subscriber telephone number, and indicating to an originator of a particular call a destination that will be used in processing said particular call and/or a handling mode that will be used for that particular call. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
indicating to said originator of said particular call the destination that will be used in processing that particular call, and allowing said originator an option of terminating said call. -
34. The method of claim 32 wherein the handling mode includes billing a call to said subscriber telephone number.
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35. The method of claim 34 wherein a predetermined caller identifier determines which of said handling modes can be included in said first call treatment.
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36. The method of claim 31 wherein a controlling subscriber has said telephone number and said controlling subscriber controls selection of which caller identifiers are stored and controls selection of the specification of call treatments associated with caller identifiers.
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37. The method of claim 31 wherein the subscriber telephone number is an ordinary telephone number representing a particular telephone network address including area code and seven-digit number, and a telephone call may be directed thereto by dialing the seven-digit number along with an international call identifier if needed, a national code if an international call, a long-distance identifier if needed, and the area code if needed.
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38. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of answering a second telephone call occurs while said first call is in progress.
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39. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of
storing for a subscriber telephone number a plurality of caller identifiers including a first caller identifier and a specification of a first call treatment associated with the first caller identifier, answering a first telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number, receiving a caller identifier previously stored for said telephone number during said call after said call has been answered, processing said call using a call treatment associated with the received caller identifier and stored for said subscriber telephone number by connecting said first telephone call with a device at a telephone network address defined by the call treatment associated with the received identifier, answering a second telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number, processing said second telephone call using a second call treatment in the absence of receipt during said second call of said first caller identifier stored for said subscriber telephone number.
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45. An arrangement for providing a personal telecommunications service, said arrangement comprising
means for storing, for a subscriber telephone number, a plurality of caller identifiers each associated with a specification defining a respective call treatment; -
means for answering a first telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number;
means for receiving a caller identifier, and receiving an incoming caller identifier during said first call after it has been answered; and
means for processing said first call using a call treatment which has been stored for said subscriber telephone number as associated with the received incoming caller identifier. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. An arrangement for providing personal communications services comprising
means for associating a subscriber telephone number with a respective group including a plurality of caller identifiers and for specifying at least one of a plurality of specifications of call treatments for each caller identifier of said group, and means, responsive to receipt of a first telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number and receipt during said first call after it has been answered of a caller identifier of the associated group of identifiers, for processing said call in accordance with the specification of call treatment specified for the received caller identifier of the associated group of identifiers.
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82. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of
storing for a subscriber telephone number a plurality of caller identifiers each associated with a specification defining a respective call treatment, answering a first telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number, receiving a caller identifier which matches a caller identifier previously stored for said subscriber telephone number during said first call after it has been answered, and processing said call using the respective call treatment specified by the specification associated with the received caller identifier.
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92. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of
storing for a subscriber a plurality of caller identifiers each associated with a specification of call treatment, including a first caller identifier and a specification of a first call treatment associated with that identifier, answering a first telephone call directed to said subscriber, receiving, during said call after it has been answered, a caller identifier which was previously stored for said subscriber as associated with a specification of call treatment, processing said call according to the specification of call treatment associated with the received caller identifier, answering, while said first call is ongoing, a second telephone call directed to said subscriber, and processing said second telephone call using a second call treatment in the absence of receipt during said second call of said first caller identifier, wherein said first and second call treatments each comprise forwarding a call to a selected one of a predetermined plurality of destinations.
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95. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of
storing for a subscriber at least a first caller identifier and the specification of a first call treatment associated with that identifier, answering a first telephone call directed to said subscriber, receiving a caller identifier during said call after it has been answered, processing said call using the call treatment associated with the received caller identifier stored for said subscriber, answering a second telephone call directed to said subscriber, processing said second telephone call using a second call treatment in the absence of the receipt during said second call of said first caller identifier stored for said subscriber, and indicating to the originator of a call the destination that will be used in processing said call and/or the handling mode for that call.
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102. An arrangement for providing a personal telecommunications service, said arrangement comprising
means for storing for a subscriber a plurality of caller identifiers each associated with a specification defining a respective call treatment, means for answering a first telephone call directed to said subscriber, means for receiving caller identifiers and receiving, during said first call after it has been answered, a caller identifier which was stored for said subscriber, and means for processing said first call in combination with a switch, using the call treatment associated with the received caller identifier, said switch being functional to process a plurality of calls at any given time and being responsive to instructions received from said processing means.
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112. An arrangement for providing personal communications services comprising
means for associating each of a plurality of subscribers with a respective group of caller identifiers and for specifying at least one of a plurality of call treatments for each caller identifier of a group, and means, responsive to receipt of a telephone call directed to a first of said subscribers and to receipt, after the telephone call is answered, of a caller identifier of the group of identifiers associated with said first subscriber, for processing said call in a switch in accordance with the call treatment specified for the received caller identifier of the associated group of identifiers by sending appropriate instructions to said switch, said switch being able to process a plurality of calls concurrently.
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115. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of
storing for a subscriber telephone number a plurality of caller identifiers and a specification of a call treatment associated with each caller identifier, receiving a first telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number and, during said first call after said first call has been answered, receiving a previously stored caller identifier in connection with said call, processing said first call using the call treatment specified by the specification associated with the received caller identifier by connecting said first telephone call with a destination telephone network address defined by the specification associated with the received caller identifier, and while said first call is still in progress answering a second telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number.
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118. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of
storing for a subscriber telephone number a plurality of caller identifiers and a specification of call treatment associated with each caller identifier, receiving a telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number and receiving during said call after said call has been answered a caller identifier in connection with said call, processing said call using a call treatment specified by the specification of call treatment associated with the received identifier and stored for said subscriber telephone number, the call treatment including as a subroutine calling another caller identifier stored and associated with said subscriber telephone number.
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119. A method for providing a personal telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of
storing for a subscriber telephone number a plurality of caller identifiers and a specification of call treatment associated with each caller identifier, receiving a telephone call directed to said subscriber telephone number and receiving during said call after said call has been answered a caller identifier in connection with said call, and processing said call using the specification of call treatment associated with the received caller identifier, the call treatment thus specified including calling another identifier associated with said subscriber telephone number to branch to a call treatment associated with the called identifier.
Specification