Electronic call assistants with shared database

• US 8,027,451 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Inventors: Gerritse-Van Bavel, Cornelia Johanna, Arendsen, Jeroen
• Primary Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US11/687,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8813- 8822, 37921801-21802, 37920101-20102
• US Class Current: 379/218.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• 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 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

A telephone exchange (1) arranged to communicate with communication units (2, 3, 4, 5, 7) and to provide a plurality of electronic call assistants to the communication units, a first electronic call assistant (12) being provided to a first communication unit (2) and a second electronic call assistant (14) to a second communication unit (4), the first electronic call assistant (12) having access to a distinct first database (36), the second electronic call assistant (14) having access to a distinct second database (38), wherein the first (12) and second (14) electronic call assistants share a common database (40).

Claims

1. A method of communicating by means of a telephone exchange arranged to communicate with a plurality of communication units comprising at least one set of communication units associated with one or more subscribers, the method including:

providing an electronic call assistant platform to said at least one set of communication units, said electronic call assistant platform comprising at least a first electronic call assistant associated with one subscriber and a second electronic call assistant associated with said one subscriber;

allowing said first electronic call assistant access to a distinct first database;

allowing said second electronic call assistant access to a distinct second database; and

allowing the first and second electronic call assistants access to a shared common database.

2. An electronic call assistant platform comprising:

an access module that provides access to a plurality of electronic call assistants, wherein a first electronic call assistant corresponds to a first telephone and a second electronic call assistant corresponds to a second telephone;

a main menu arranged to communicate with the plurality of electronic call assistants; and

a database in communication with the main menu, the database including;

a first portion accessible to the first electronic call assistant;

a second portion accessible to the second electronic call assistant; and

a third portion accessible to the first and second electronic call assistants.

3. The electronic call assistant platform of claim 2, wherein the first and second telephone each have a distinct calling line identification, and the first and second electronic call assistants have a fixed relation to the first and second telephones through the first and second telephone'"'"'s calling line identifications.

4. The electronic call assistant platform of claim 2, wherein the third portion of the database comprises an address book.

5. The electronic call assistant platform of claim 2, wherein the access module provides access to the plurality of electronic call assistants through use of a personal identification number.

6. The electronic call assistant platform of claim 2, wherein the main menu is operable to receive voice commands.

7. The electronic call assistant platform of claim 2, wherein the electronic call assistant platform is accessible through a predetermined telephone number.

8. The electronic call assistant platform of claim 2, wherein the first and second electronic call assistants are associated with a common subscriber.

9. A method of accessing an electronic call assistant platform comprising:

providing a plurality of electronic call assistants, wherein each electronic call assistant corresponds with a distinct calling unit, and wherein the plurality of electronic call assistants are associated with a common subscriber;

determining whether a calling unit corresponds to any of the plurality of electronic call assistants; and

if so,

authorizing access to an electronic call assistant to which the calling unit corresponds if the calling unit matches with an identification of the common subscriber.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the calling unit corresponds to any of the plurality of electronic call assistants comprises determining a telephone number of the calling unit and determining whether the telephone number matches to any of the plurality of electronic call assistants.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein authorizing access to the electronic call assistant comprises determining whether the telephone number matches the identification of the common subscriber.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the identification of the common subscriber is a personal identification number.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a voice command indicating a selection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selection is indicative of an option selected from the group consisting of play voice mail, set voice mail, turn on call forwarding, turn off call forwarding, place a call, configure settings, turn on call waiting, turn off call waiting, and access customer service.

15. A method of managing incoming calls to an electronic call assistant platform, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of electronic call assistants, wherein each electronic call assistant corresponds with a distinct calling unit, and wherein the plurality of electronic call assistants are associated with a common subscriber;

receiving an incoming call from a calling unit;

determining whether a called telephone number by the calling unit belongs to the common subscriber and thus corresponds to a telephone number of one of the distinct calling units associated with the plurality of electronic call assistants;

if the called telephone number belongs to the common subscriber, determining whether options of an electronic call assistant associated with the one of the distinct calling units are operational, and if so,

based on the options, transferring the incoming call to the electronic call assistant.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the options of the electronic call assistant are selected from the group consisting of call forwarding and voice mail.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising if the options of the electronic call assistant are not operational, ringing the one of the distinct calling units.