Communications network and method having accessible directory of user profile data
DCFirst Claim
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1. A method of operating a communications network, comprising;
- a) for each of a plurality of users of the network, storing user profile data in a directory, which is accessible to other users of the network, the user profile data including identifiers for one or more of a plurality of different call control protocols, wherein at least one of the identifiers is for a call control protocol which is designated as being non-persistent;
b) prior to establishing a call from a calling party to a called party, determining if the called party is logged into the network and if so making available to the calling party all of said identifiers whereas if the called party is not determined to be logged into the network, making available to the calling party all of the identifiers except the at least one identifier designated as being non-per-sistent; and
c) subsequently establishing the call using a call control protocol by the identifier or identifiers made available to the calling party in step b).
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Abstract
In a communications network, each of a number of users registers user profile data in a directory. The directory is available to other users. The user profile data includes identifiers for one or more of a plurality of call control protocols. Prior to establishing a call, a user retrieves user profile data for the called party from the directory. The call is then established using a call control protocol which was identified in the relevant user profile.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communications network, comprising;
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a) for each of a plurality of users of the network, storing user profile data in a directory, which is accessible to other users of the network, the user profile data including identifiers for one or more of a plurality of different call control protocols, wherein at least one of the identifiers is for a call control protocol which is designated as being non-persistent;
b) prior to establishing a call from a calling party to a called party, determining if the called party is logged into the network and if so making available to the calling party all of said identifiers whereas if the called party is not determined to be logged into the network, making available to the calling party all of the identifiers except the at least one identifier designated as being non-per-sistent; and
c) subsequently establishing the call using a call control protocol by the identifier or identifiers made available to the calling party in step b). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A communications system comprising:
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a) a network;
b) a multiplicity of client terminals connected to the network, and different ones of the multiplicity of client terminals having different call control capabilities; and
c) a directory which is accessible to the multiplicity of client terminals and which is programmed with user profile data for users of the client terminals, which user profile data includes identifiers for one or more of a plurality of different call control protocols, wherein at least one of the identifiers is for a call control protocol which is designated as being non-persistent. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
d) a server computer which determines whether or not a called client terminal is logged into the network and providing respective identifiers of both persistent and non-persistent call control protocols to a calling client terminal based on a determination that the called client terminal is logged into the network and providing only identifiers(s) of persistent call control protocol(s) to the calling client terminal based on a determination that the called client terminal is not logged into the network.
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12. A server computer connectable to a communications network, the server computer being operable to provide a directory service to client devices connected to the network, the server computer comprising:
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a) a data store for storing, for each of a plurality of users of the network, user profile data which is accessible to other users of the network, the user profile data including identifiers for one or more of a plurality of different call control protocols, wherein at least one of the identifiers is for a call control protocol which is designated as being non-persistent; and
b) means for determining, prior to establishing a call from a calling party to a called party, if the called party is logged into the network and for making available to the calling party all of said identifiers if the called party is determined to be logged into the network and for making available to the calling party all of the identifiers except the at least one identifier designated as non-persistent if the called party is not determined to be logged into the network.
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Specification