Method for detecting and processing information relevant to establishing a telephone connection in a CTI system and corresponding CTI system

• US 6,393,115 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Systems Technologies S.a.r.l. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Krauss, Dietmar, Kruger, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGDEPPA, HECTOR A
• Application Number:
  US09/646,496
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266, 379/265, 379/309, 379/207, 379/216, 379/218
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27 Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method is provided for determining and processing items of information that are relevant for setting up a telephone connection in a CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) system, as well as corresponding CTI system. A user of the CTI system can at will mark character strings shown on a display screen (11) of the computer (4) of the CTI system, which strings can in particular be independent of the programs respectively running on the computer (4). The character string marked by the user is automatically evaluated and is differently processed dependent on its content, that is, dependent on whether it is a string of numerals or a string of letters, so that, for example, given the presence of a string of numerals the call number corresponding to the string of numerals is automatically dialed via the CTI system, and given the presence of a string of letters an entry in a database corresponding to the string of letters can automatically be sought, in order subsequently to read out from the database the call number corresponding to the string of letters, and to dial this number.

Claims

1. A method for determining and processing items of information that are relevant for setting up a telephone connection in a CTI system, comprising the steps:

a) selecting by a user of an arbitrary character string shown on a display of computing apparatus of the CTI system by an arbitrary application program,

b) automatically reading in of the character string selected in said selecting process by a separate application program for the reading in the character string in a manner that is comprehensive with respect to applications of arbitrary character strings shown on said display,

c) checking of said character string by said separate application program with respect to the relevance of said character string for a setting up of a telephone connection, and

d) in case of a positive check result, initiating a telephone connection by said separate application program by said character string.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

in step a) the arbitrary character string is selected by the user by marking the character string.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein

in step b),

automatically checking content of the character string selected in step a) for relevance for a call number dialing in the CTI system, and,

automatically providing a possibility of input of a new character string by the user if a lack of relevance is determined,

performing steps b) and c) on a newly inputted character string instead of the character string originally selected in step a).

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

providing an input window on the display of a computer of the CTI system in which to input a new character string.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein

in step b), determining relevance of the character string for a call number dialing in the CTI system, includes:

given a character string comprising a string of numerals, checking whether the string of numerals can possibly be a call number for the CTI system, and

given a character string comprising a string of letters, checking whether the string of letters can possibly be a name or address for the CTI system.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

in step c), subjecting the selected character string to various processing functions, dependent on content of the character string.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

providing processing functions of the CTI system that can be freely configured by the user.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein

in step d), for a case in which the selected character string comprises a string of numerals, dialing a call number corresponding to said string of numerals via telecommunication apparatus of the CTI system.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

supplying a call number corresponding to the selected string of numerals to a telephone interface of a computer of the CTI system for the dialing of the call number.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein

in step d), for a case in which the selected character string corresponds to an e-mail address, sending a desired communication to said e-mail address via a telecommunication apparatus of the CTI system.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein

in step c), for a case in which the selected character string comprises a string of letters, carrying out a search process initiated by said separate application program in a corresponding storage of the CTI system for one of an entry corresponding to the respective string of letters and a new entry corresponding to the string of letters into the storage is initiated by the separate application program.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein

in step d), given successful execution of the search process in the storage of the CTI system, determining a call number corresponding to the respective string of letters and stored in the storage and dialing said call number via a telecommunication apparatus of the CTI system.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein

in step d), for a case that a plurality of entries matching the string of letters is found in the storage of the CTI system in said search process, providing a selection possibility for selection of one of the determined entries to the user.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein

in step d), given successful execution of the search process in the storage of the CTI system, determining an e-mail address corresponding to the respective string of letters and stored in the storage and sending a communication to said e-mail address via telecommunication apparatus of the CTI system.

15. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

outputting a report concerning the execution of the respective processing function.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein

steps b) and c) are carried out by the computer of the CTI system.

17. A CTI system, comprising:

a telecommunication apparatus for setting up a telecommunication connection, and

a computer coupled with the telecommunication apparatus to control or monitor the telecommunication apparatus, the computer including;

a selector for selection by a user of an arbitrary character string shown on a display of the computer by an arbitrary application program,

a separate application program for automatic reading in of arbitrary character strings shown on the display in a manner that is comprehensive to the applications, and for checking selected character strings with respect to their relevance for setting up a telephone connection, and

a processor to initiate a setting up of a telephone connection by the selected character string given a positive check result.

18. A CTI system according to claim 17, wherein said selector includes a character string marker for marking by the user of the character string to be selected.

19. A CTI system according to claim 17, wherein said controller and said processor are fashioned in such a way as to one of evaluate and process the selected character string by:

a) selecting by a user of an arbitrary character string shown on display means of computing means of the CTI system,

b) automatically evaluating the character string selected in said selecting process, and

c) automatically processing, dependent on a result of the evaluation carried out in step b), of the selected character string, according to a particular processing function of the CTI system.

20. A CTI system according to claim 17, wherein the processor includes a telephone interface for selecting a call number via the telecommunication means.

21. A CTI system according to claim 17, wherein said processor includes:

an interface for accessing said storage of the CTI system, said storage storing a multiplicity of items of information that are relevant for a call number dialing.

22. A CTI system according to claim 17, wherein said processor includes an interface for sending an e-mail to a particular e-mail address via the telecommunication apparatus.