User addressable computer telephony system

• US 6,480,580 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Uyeno, Shelley Lam, Beswick, Antony Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/160,371
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/85, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.04, 379/88.07, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.18, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/93.11, 379/93.12, 379/9.15, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/100.01, 379/142.1, 379/156, 379/170, 379/171, 379/201.07, 379/201.08, 379/201.1, 379/207.12, 379/88.19, 379/88.21, 379/201.6, 379/201.01, 704/270, 704/275, 704/257, 704/260, 704/271
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges

Abstract

Improved methods and arrangements are provided that allow for dynamic mapping of users to devices in a computer telephony system. The computer telephony system is configured to allow users to select any access device therein, regardless of location or type. The user then logs into the computer telephony system through the selected access device by identifying who they are, for example, by stating their name. Within the computer telephony system, the user'"'"'s telephony characteristics are then dynamically assigned to the selected access device. As such, subsequent calls to the user are directed to the selected access device.

Claims

1. An arrangement for use in a communications system, the arrangement comprising

a processor connected to a plurality of user telephonic devices

a dynamic allocation map accessible to the processor and configured to link a select one of a plurality of users with a select one of said plurality of user telephonic devices during a user log-in;

a user interface configured at least partially within the processor to receive user inputs from said select user during said user log-in at said select user telephonic device to dynamically associate said select user with said select user telephonic device within said dynamic allocation map; and

whereby subsequent incoming communications directed to said select user are forwarded to said select user telephonic device based, at least in part, on the dynamic association between said select user and said select user telephonic device within the dynamic allocation map.

2. The arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the dynamic allocation map further comprises at least one user characteristic that is associated with said select user and assigned to said select user telephonic device.

3. The arrangement as recited in claim 2, wherein the user inputs include user voice inputs that identify said select user.

4. The arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein the user interface further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the user voice inputs.

5. The arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein the user interface further comprises a test-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to said select user from said select user telephonic device.

6. The arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said select user moves to another area and logs into the communications system using a different one of the plurality of user telephonic devices, and an update to the dynamic allocation map is conducted to re-assign user characteristics of said select user to the different user telephonic device.

7. The arrangement as recited in claim 6, wherein said user characteristics are previously established and, prior to the update to the dynamic allocation map, are assigned to said select user telephonic device.

8. An apparatus for use in a communications system having a processor connected to a plurality of user telephony devices, the apparatus comprising:

a dynamic allocation map accessible to the processor and configured to link a select one of a plurality of users with a select one of said plurality of user telephony devices during a user log-in;

a user interface configured to receive user inputs from said select user during said user log-in at said select user telephony device to dynamically associate said select user with said select user telephony device within said dynamic allocation map; and

whereby subsequent incoming communications directed to said select user are transferred to said select user telephony device based, at least in part, on the link between said select user and said select user telephony device within the dynamic allocation map.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the dynamic allocation map further comprises at least one user characteristic that is associated with said select user and assigned to said select user telephony device.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the user inputs include user voice inputs that identify said select user.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the user interface further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the user voice inputs.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the user interface further comprises a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to said select user from said select user telephony device.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said select user moves to another area and logs into the communications system using a different one of the plurality of user telephony devices and a new link in the dynamic allocation map is created to re-assign user characteristics of said select user to the different user telephony device.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the user characteristics are previously established and, prior to creation of the new link are assigned to said select user telephony device.

15. A computer readable medium for use with a computer system having a processor connected to a plurality of user telephony devices, the computer readable medium comprising computer instructions that:

establish a dynamic allocation map within the processor to link a select one of a plurality of users with a select one of said plurality of user telephony devices during a user log-in;

invoke a user interface configured to receive user inputs from said select user during said user log-in at said select user telephony device to dynamically associate said select user with said select user telephony device within said dynamic allocation map; and

whereby subsequent incoming communications directed to said select user are transferred to said select user telephony device based, at least in part, on the link between said select user and said select user telephony device within the dynamic allocation map.

16. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the dynamic allocation map further comprises at least one user characteristic that is associated with said select user and assigned to said select user telephony device.

17. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the user inputs include user voice inputs that identify said select user.

18. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the user interface further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the user voice inputs.

19. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the user interface further comprises a text-to-text speech (TTS) engine that is configured to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to said select user from said select user telephony device.

20. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein said select user moves to another area and logs into the communications system using a different one of the plurality of user telephony devices and a new link in the dynamic allocation map is created to re-assign user characteristics of said select user to the different user telephony device.

21. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the user characteristics are previously established and, prior to creation of the new link, are assigned to said select user telephony device.

22. A method for use in communications system, the method comprising:

generating a dynamic allocation map within a processor connected to a plurality of user telephonic devices, wherein the dynamic allocation map links a select one of a plurality of users with a select one of said plurality of user telephonic devices during a user log-in;

receiving user inputs from said select user during said user log-in at said select user telephonic device; and

dynamically associating within the dynamic allocation map said select user with said select user telephonic device in response to the user inputs received via said select user telephonic device;

whereby subsequent incoming communications directed to said select user are forwarded to said select user telephonic device based, at least in part, on the dynamic association between said select user and said select user telephonic device within the dynamic allocation map.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the step of generating the dynamic allocation map further comprises defining at least one user characteristic that is associated with said select user, and the step of dynamically associating further includes dynamically associating the at least one user characteristic with said select user telephonic device.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

logging into the communications system, by said select user using a different one of the plurality of user telephonic devices; and

updating the dynamic allocation map by dynamically associating said select user characteristic with the different user telephonic device.