Method and system for transmitting messages to subscribers during the set-up stage of incoming telephone calls

• US 6,697,482 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sound View Innovations, LLC (Sound View Innovation Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Martinez Acedo, Jose Luis, De Las Heras Diez, Juan Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US09/443,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88-8-, 379/93.01, 379/93-5-, 379/93.09, 379/93.14, 379/93.15, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/93-6-, 379/93.31, 379/93.32, 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/142.07, 379/142.13, 379/142.14, 379/142.15, 379/242, 379/243, 379/251, 379/252, 379/253, 379/257, 379/333-339, 379/345, 379/350, 379/372-374, 379/376.02, 379/177, 379/179, 379/187
• US Class Current: 379/334
• 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: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13199 Modem, modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13206 User-to-user signaling, UUS
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1333 Random systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 Store & forward, messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

Method and system for transmitting messages to subscribers of a telephone network during the set-up stage of incoming calls prior to the off-hook from a local exchange to at least one telephone terminal through an access system. The access system simulates, on one hand, the operation of a telephone terminal towards the local switching exchange such that it receives, from the local switching exchange and by means of an access node located in the access system, a first message preferably modulated and demodulates and stores it for subsequent replication; and, on the other hand, simulates the operation of a local switching exchange towards the telephone terminal such that it generates and transmits to the telephone terminal and by means of a network termination located in the access system, a second message preferably modulated which is a replication of the first message.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting messages to subscribers to a telephone network during a set-up stage of incoming calls prior to the off-hook from a local exchange (9) to at least one telephone terminal (10) through an access system (4), wherein said access system (4) simulates, on one side, the operation of a telephone terminal towards the local switching exchange (9) such that it receives and stores at least a first message sent from said local switching exchange (9);

and, on the other side, it simulates the operation of a local switching exchange towards the telephone terminal (10) such that it generates and sends to said telephone terminal (10) a second message which is a replication of said first message, wherein the access system (4) communicates with the local switching exchange (9) and with one or more associated telephone terminals (10) over respective two-wire telephone lines (8), and

the first message sent from the local switching exchange (9) is modulated, being demodulated in order to be stored in the access system (4) for later replication, the simulation on the part of the access system (4) of the operation of a telephone terminal towards the local switching exchange (9) comprising the steps of;

sending an alert signal from the local switching exchange (9) to a central access node (5) located in the access system (4);

activating in the central access node (5) message detection means for receiving at least one message intended for the associated telephone terminal (10);

allocating resources by the central access node (5) towards a network termination means (6) located in the access system (4) and to which is connected the telephone terminal (10) for which the message is intended;

receiving in the central access node (5) a first modulated message coming from the local switching exchange (9); and

demodulating in the central access node (5) each first modulated message so received, and storing it in a memory (54) for its later forwarding to the telephone terminal (10).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the simulation on the part of the access system (4) of the operation of a local switching exchange (9) towards the telephone terminal (10) comprises the steps of:

ordering the network termination means (6) from the central access node (5) to start the generation and sending of an alert signal to the telephone terminal (10), requesting simultaneously the sending of an indication signal from the network termination (6) to the central access node (5) once the alert signal has been transmitted;

activating in the telephone terminal (10), on receiving the alert signal, the modulated message detection means; and

producing at least one second modulated message in the access system (4) that is a replication of said first modulated message, and sending it to said telephone terminal (10).

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein each second modulated message to be sent to the telephone terminal (10) is generated in the access node (5) from a first message demodulated and stored in its memory (54) that is modulated in an audio frequency band, and is sent over a channel allocated to the network termination means (6), which permits the transfer of said second modulated message in a transparent manner to the telephone terminal (10).

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein each second modulated message to be sent to the telephone terminal (10) is generated in the network termination means (6) from a demodulated message received from the central access node (5) whereby a modulated message is produced, in an audio frequency band, in order to be sent to the telephone terminal (10).

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein once elapsed a guard time after the sending of the message, the central access node (5) sends to the network termination means (6) a signal for starting the transmission of the ringing tone pulses towards the telephone terminal (10) for producing an acoustic warning in the telephone terminal (10) for the purpose of displaying to the user the message received from the local switching exchange (9).

6. An access system for carrying out the, method of claim 1, wherein said access system comprises means (5) for receiving and storing at least one first message coming from a local switching exchange (9) and means (5, 6) for generating a second message which is a replication of said first message and sending it to a destination telephone terminal (10).

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said first message is modulated, and the access system (4) comprises means (52) for demodulating said first modulated message in order to store it in the access system for its later replication.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the access system (4) comprises at least one central access node (5) connected via at least first transmission means (7) to at least one network termination means (6), each central access node (5) being connected to a local switching exchange (9) via second transmission means, and each network termination means (6) being connected to at least one telephone terminal (10) via third transmission means, the central access node (5) serving for receiving, demodulating and storing the modulated messages sent by the local switching exchange (9) as well as signaling sent by it, and the network termination means (6) serving for transmitting the replicated messages towards the telephone terminal (10).

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the second transmission means and the third transmission means are two-wire telephone lines (8).

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the central access node (5) comprises:

two-wire telephone interface means (51) towards the local switching exchange (9), capable of translating telephone signaling into control signaling of the access system (4) and enabling the transfer of signals in an audio frequency band between the local switching exchange (9) and the telephone terminal (10);

detection means for detecting an alert signal, sent from the local switching exchange (9), said detection means being included in the interface means (51);

means for demodulating (52) a received message;

a microprocessor (53) serving for managing the whole operation as well as for storing a demodulated message in storage means (54) and extracting a demodulated message from storage means (54) and producing instructions for the network termination means;

storage means (54) for storing a program that permits the operation of the access system (4), as well as for storing the messages received from the local switching exchange (9); and

message modulation means (55) for replicating a message in the audio frequency band towards the telephone terminal (10).

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the network termination means (6) comprises:

two-wire telephone interface means (61) towards the telephone terminal (10), capable of translating the telephone signaling into the control signaling of the access system (4) and enabling the transfer of the signals in the audio frequency band between the local switching exchange and the telephone terminal (10);

alert signal generation means for sending an alert signal to the telephone terminal (10), said alert signal generation means being included in the interface means (61);

a microprocessor (62) serving for managing the whole operation from commands received from the central access node (5) and interchanged with the telephone terminal (10); and

storage means (63) for storing the program that permits the operation of the network termination means.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the central access node (5) comprises:

two-wire telephone interface means (51) towards the local switching exchange (9), capable of translating telephone signaling into control signaling for the access system (4) and enabling the transfer of signals in an audio frequency band between the local switching exchange (9) and the telephone terminal (10);

detection means for detecting an alert signal sent from the local switching exchange (9), said detection means being included in the interface means (51);

means for demodulating a received message (52);

a microprocessor (53) serving for managing the whole operation as well as for storing a demodulated message in storage means (54) and extracting a demodulated message from storage means (54) and producing instructions for the network termination means; and

storage means (54) for storing a program that permits the operation of the access system (4), as well as for storing the messages received from the local switching exchange (9).

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the network termination means (6) comprises:

two-wire telephone interface means (61) towards the telephone terminal (10), capable of translating the telephone signaling into the control signaling of the access system (4) and enabling the transfer of the signals in the audio frequency band between the local switching exchange and the telephone terminal (10);

alert signal generation means for generating an alert signal to be sent to the telephone terminal (10), said alert signal generation means being included in the interface means (61);

a microprocessor (62) serving for managing the whole operation from commands received from the central access node (5) and interchanged with the telephone terminal (10);

storage means (63) for storing the program that permits the operation of the network termination means (6); and

message modulating means (64) for replicating a message received from the central access node (5) and sending it in the audio frequency band towards the telephone terminal (10).