System and method for providing visual indication of caller and telephony platform information on customer premises equipment

• US 6,483,898 B2
• Filed: 09/11/1998
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Woods, Thomas Steven, Vlasek, Paul H., Lew, Gavin Sueo, Roney, Crystal
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/151,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20020122542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/70, 379/76, 379/88.07, 379/88.08, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.15, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88-9-, 379/88-2-, 379/93.05, 379/93.25, 379/93.35, 379/100.01, 379/100.08, 379/93.24, 379/900, 379/902, 379/905, 379/908, 379/88.2, 379/142.08, 379/201.01, 379/201.04, 379/201.07, 379/201.08, 379/207.01, 379/207.12, 379/207-3-2, 379/215.01
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A system and method for receiving information regarding a telephony platform and for retrieving the object of the services provided by the telephony platform corresponding to the information received. The system includes a customer premises equipment having a display device and a plurality of function keys. The customer premises equipment is connected to the general switched telephone network and to a supplemental service network via a central office switch. A telephony platform is connected to the general switched telephone network for providing accessory services such as voice mail, electronic mail and facsimile services. When calls are made to the customer premises equipment, an event identifier is generated to identify the calling event. The event identifier may be attached to a message having caller identifier information. The event identifier is used if the user of the customer premises equipment does not answer and the caller is transferred to voice mail. If a voice mail message is left, an information indicator is attached to another caller identifier message that is maintained for display on the customer premises equipment to allow the user to determine which callers left messages and which callers did not.

Claims

1. A system for providing telephone service information comprising:

a first customer premises equipment, connected to a general switched telephone network, for communicating with a second customer premises equipment in response to a termination attempt from the second customer premises equipment, the first customer premises equipment having a display for displaying a plurality of entries from a first and second event messages;

a telephony platform connected to the general switched telephone network for providing an accessory telephone service to the first customer premises equipment to support the termination attempt, the telephony platform being operable to generate an accessory event message for facilitating notification of the first customer premises equipment; and

an event processor for receiving the accessory event message;

the event processor generating at least one of the first event message and the second event message based on the accessory event message, the first event message having a calling party identifier consistent with the termination attempt;

the second event message having an information indicator indicating a message type of a stored message awaiting delivery to a called party of the first premises equipment;

the event processor comparing an original event identifier from the termination attempt to a subsequent event identifier associated with a service of the telephony platform to support integration of stored data into the second event message.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephony platform includes a voice mail system and an accessory event, that triggers formation of the accessory event message, comprises the receipt of a voice mail message.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephony platform includes a facsimile service and an accessory event, that triggers formation of the accessory event message, comprises the receipt of a facsimile image.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephony platform includes an electronic mail system and an accessory event, that triggers formation of the accessory event message, comprises the receipt of an electronic mail message.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the second event message includes the calling party identifier and the information indicator is a visual indicator appended to the calling party identifier.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the event processor generates an event identifier in response to the termination attempt;

the event processor being operable to include the event identifier in a telephony platform request; and

wherein

the second event message includes the calling party identifier, a calling party telephone number and the event identifier.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the accessory event message comprises the calling party identifier and an event identifier.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the event processor includes the event identifier in the first event message.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first customer premises equipment further comprises at least one scroll key and a selector, the selector adapted for highlighting individual entries from the plurality of entries on the display, the scroll key adapted for moving the selector from entry to entry.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first customer premises equipment further comprises a retrieve key and an information request processor for formatting a telephony platform retrieve message containing a request for services identified by a highlighted entry on the display.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first customer premises equipment further comprises an enter key for selecting the highlighted entry and for including the highlighted entry in a group of entries, the information request processor being operable to format at least one communication for the group of entries.

12. A system for providing telephone service information comprising:

a first customer premises equipment, connected to a general switched telephone network, for communicating with a second customer premises equipment in response to a termination attempt from the second customer premises equipment, the first customer premises equipment having a display for displaying a plurality of entries from a first and second event messages, the entries including an information identifier;

a telephony platform connected to the general switched telephone network for providing an accessory telephone service to the first customer premises equipment, the telephony platform being operable to generate an accessory event message for facilitating notification of the first customer premises equipment;

an event processor for receiving the accessory event message and for generating an event identifier in response to the termination attempt;

the event processor generating at least one of the first event message and the second event message based on the accessory event message, the first event message having a calling party identifier and the event identifier consistent with the termination attempt;

the second event message comprising an message type indicator as an information identifier for a stored message awaiting delivery to the first customer premises equipment, the event processor generating a third event message in accordance with an accessory service identifier;

wherein the customer premises equipment displays the information identifier on the display when the event identifier of the first event message is the same as the event identifier of the second event message;

the event processor comparing an original event identifier from the termination attempt to a subsequent event identifier associated with a service of the telephony platform to support integration of stored data into the second event message.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the telephony platform includes a voice mail system and an accessory event, that triggers the formation of the accessory event message, comprises the receipt of a voice mail message.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the telephony platform includes a facsimile service and an accessory event, that triggers formation of the accessory event message, comprises the receipt of a facsimile image.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the telephony platform includes an electronic mail system and an accessory event that triggers formation of the accessory event message, comprises the receipt of an electronic mail message.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the second event message includes the calling party identifier and the information identifier is a visual indicator appended to the calling party identifier.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the event processor being operable to include the event identifier in the telephony platform request.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the accessory event message comprises the calling party identifier and an event identifier.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the first customer premises equipment further comprises at least one scroll key and a selector, the selector adapted for highlighting individual entries from the plurality of entries on the display, the scroll key adapted for moving the selector from entry to entry.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first customer premises equipment further comprises a retrieve key and an information request processor for formatting a telephony platform retrieve message containing a request for serves identified by a highlighted entry on the display.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the first customer premises equipment further comprises an enter key for selecting the highlighted entry and for including the highlighted entry in a group of entries, the information request processor being operable to format at least one communication for the group of entries.

22. A method for providing visual indication of caller and telephony platform information in a system, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a termination attempt to a supplementary service network upon a call initiation from a calling party terminal;

identifying an implicated accessory service of a telephony platform with an accessory service identifier to support the termination attempt;

sending a first event message having a calling party identifier for displaying the calling party identifier on a display device associated with a called party terminal;

sending a telephony platform request to the telephony platform consistent with the identified accessory service;

sending an accessory event message to the supplementary service network for notification of the called party terminal in response to an occurrence of an accessory event;

receiving the accessory event message and sending a second event message, the second event message including an information indicator appended to the calling party identifier to form a compound message component when the accessory event message corresponds to the termination attempt; and

displaying an entry including the information indicator and the calling party identifier on the display device of the called party teminal, the information indicator indicating message type of a stored message awaiting delivery to the called party terminal;

comparing an original event identifier from the termination attempt to a subsequent event identifier associated with a service of the telephony platform to support integration of stored data into the second event message.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:

generating an event identifier at the supplementary service network in response to the termination attempt.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of sending the telephony platform request includes sending an event identifier.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of sending the accessory event message includes sending an event identifier.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of sending the first event message includes sending an event identifier, and wherein, the step of sending the second event message includes the step of sending the event identifier.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the sending of the second event message includes the steps of:

comparing a first event identifier in the accessory event message with a second event identifier of the termination attempt; and

when the first event identifier of the accessory event message matches the second event identifier of the termination attempt, appending the information identifier to the calling party identifier.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein the display device includes a plurality of entries, the method further comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one of said plurality of entries; and

retrieving an object of an accessory service from the telephony platform for each of the entries selected.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of retrieving the object includes the step of retrieving a voice mail message left by a caller identified by the calling party identifier and for an event identifier in the entry.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of retrieving the object includes the step of retrieving an e-mail message left by a caller identified by the calling party identifier and for an event identifier in the entry.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of retrieving the object includes the step of retrieving a facsimile left by the caller identified by the caller identifier and for an event identifier in the entry.

32. A method for providing visual indication of caller and telephony platform information, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a termination attempt to a supplementary service network upon a call initiation from a calling party terminal;

generating a first event identifier and sending a response, the response comprising an accessory service identifier for identifying an accessory service of a telephony platform;

sending a first event message having an event identifier and a calling party identifier for displaying a calling party identifier on the called party customer premises equipment;

sending a telephony platform request to the telephony platform in response to the response;

sending an accessory event message having a second event identifier to the supplementary service network in response to an accessory event by transmitting the accessory event message via a first communications path, distinct from a second communications path for transmission of a stored communication of the calling party, the first communications path extending between the telephony platform and the supplementary service network, the second communications path extending between the telephony platform and the first customer premises equipment;

receiving the accessory event message and sending a second event message, the second event message including the second event identifier from the accessory event message; and

comparing the first event identifier associated with the first event message with the second event identifier associated with the second event message and appending an information indicator to the calling party identifier of the second event message for display on the display device of the customer premises equipment.

33. A telecommunications system for supporting a messaging service, the telecommunications system comprising:

a telecommunications network;

a first terminal coupled to the telecommunications network, the first terminal having a display for displaying at least one of a first and second event messages;

a second terminal capable of communication with the first terminal via the telecommunications network, said communication initiated by a termination attempt from the second terminal;

a telephony messaging system associated with the telecommunications network for providing an accessory telephone service to the first terminal in response to a termination attempt implicating the provision of the accessory telephone service, the messaging system generating an accessory event message for notification of the first terminal; and

an event processor for generating at least one of the first event message and the second event message in response to the accessory event message;

the first event message comprising a calling party identifier associated with the termination attempt;

the second event message comprising a message indicator consistent with the termination attempt, the message indicator indicating a message type of a stored message awaiting delivery to a called party of the first terminal;

the event processor comparing an original event identifier from the termination attempt to a subsequent event identifier associated with a service of the telephony platform to support integration of stored data into the second event message.

34. The system according to claim 33 wherein the message indicator is integrated with the calling party identifier to form an compound message component of the second data message.

35. The system according to claim 33 wherein the message indicator comprises a symbol, a mark, or an alphanumeric character appended as a suffix to a calling party indicator.

36. The system according to claim 33 wherein the message indicator comprises a symbol, a mark, or an alphanumeric character appended as a prefix to a calling party indicator.

37. The system according to claim 33 wherein the accessory telephone service comprises at least one of voice mail storage and retrieval, electronic mail storage and retrieval, and facsimile storage and retrieval.

38. The system according to claim 33 wherein the message indicator indicates whether a stored message comprises a voice mail message, an electronic mail message, and a facsimile mail message.

39. A method for supporting a messaging service, the method comprising:

initiating a communication as a termination attempt between a second terminal and a first terminal associated with a telecommunications network;

providing an accessory telephone service to the first terminal in response to a termination attempt implicating the provision of the accessory telephone service;

transmitting an accessory event message for notification of the first terminal of a stored message associated with the termination attempt, and

generating at least one of a first event message and a second event message in response to the transmitted accessory event message;

the first event message comprising a calling party identifier associated with the termination attempt;

the second event message comprising a message indicator consistent with the termination attempt, the message indicator indicating a message type of stored message awaiting delivery to a called party of the first terminal;

an event processor comparing an original event identifier from the termination attempt to a subsequent event identifier associated with the accessory telephone service to support integration of stored data into the second event message.

40. The method according to claim 39 further comprising:

displaying at least one of the first event message and the second event message on a first terminal.

41. The method according to claim 39 further comprising:

displaying the second event message wherein a message indicator is integrated with the calling party identifier to form an compound message component of the second data message.

42. The method according to claim 39 further comprising appending a message indicator as a suffix to a calling party identifier to form a compound message component of the second event message.

43. The method according to claim 39 further comprising appending a message indicator as a prefix to a calling party identifier to form a compound message component of the second event message.