WWW-telephony integration

• US 6,097,793 A
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jandel, Magnus
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/104,783
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/389, 370/401, 370/404, 370/427, 379/88.17, 379/93.23, 379/201
• US Class Current: 379/93.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/121 Details of network access arrangements or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A telecommunications system (TS2) comprises a data network (IN1) and a telephone network (PSTN1) to which subscribers (AB1, AB2) are connected. Each subscriber has a telephone (T1, T2) with A-number transfer and a computer terminal (D1, D2) connected through access devices (ACD1, ACD2). A server (SR1) holding the subscribers'"'"' home pages and a directory (DS1) holding different identities (TELO1, TELO2, TELH2, EMAILO1, URL2) of the subscribers is connected to the data network. The directory (DS1) is public, which enables the subscribers to enter their respective identities and obtain the identities of other subscribers. One subscriber (AB1) calls the other (AB2) on his home telephone number (TELH2), which is transferred to the computer terminal (D1) of the caller (AB1). The subscribers (AB1, AB2) can talk, the caller (AB1) can obtain the identities of the called party (POSTS2) through his computer terminal (D1) from the directory (DS1) and use this information, for example, to open the called party'"'"'s home page on the server (SR1). By A-number transfer the called party (AB2) can obtain the identities (POSTS1) of the caller (AB1), in a corresponding way, to his computer terminal (D2) from the directory (DS1). This way of communicating and keeping a directory is possible because the directory (DS1) is public. Advantages are, i.a. that the communication is simplified and the identities of other subscribers can be obtained easily.

Claims

1. An apparatus in a telecommunications system, comprising:

at least one telecommunications network for the transfer of spoken information and data information;

an access device for connecting subscribers to the telecommunications network, each one of the subscribers having a telephone and an apparatus for data communication connected to each other;

a directory comprising different records for the respective subscribers;

wherein a first one of the subscribers has means for establishing a connection to a second one of the subscribers by means of a first one of the records of the second subscriber, and wherein the directory is public;

means for searching, in the public directory, at least a second one of the records of the second subscriber by means of the first record of this subscriber; and

means for transferring the second record to the first subscriber.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the directory includes records that are telephone numbers, and the telephone and the apparatus for data communication of the respective subscriber are arranged to transmit the records that are telephone numbers to and from each other.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a data communication network and a telephone network, and the public directory is connected to the data communication network.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the public directory has a public subdirectory for the respective subscriber.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the respective subscriber has apparatuses for entering predetermined records, associated with the subscriber, in the public directory, through the telecommunications network.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the public directory has at least two records of the same kind for one of the subscribers, and the apparatus further comprises means (DI) through which the subscriber can activate one of the at least two records.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the records in the public directory comprises a URL (Uniform Resource Locater) address and the apparatus comprises means enabling the subscribers to retrieve a home page from a server connected to the telecommunications network, by means of this address.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the telephone is an IP-telephone comprised together with the apparatus for data communication in a computer terminal and connected to the network for data communication.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the directory includes records that are identities for the respective subscribers.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the directory includes records that are addresses for the respective subscribers.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least two records are e-mail addresses.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least two records are telephone numbers.

13. An apparatus in a telecommunications system comprising:

at least one telecommunications network for the transfer of spoken information and data information;

an access device for connecting subscribers to the telecommunications network, each one of the subscribers having a telephone and an apparatus for data communication connected to each other;

a directory comprising different records for the respective subscribers;

wherein a first one of the subscribers has means for establishing a connection to a second one of the subscribers by means of a first one of the records of the second subscriber, and wherein the directory is public;

means for transmitting a first record corresponding to the record of the first subscriber to the second subscriber;

means for searching, in the public directory, at least a second one of the records of the first subscriber by means of the first record (TELH1) of the first subscriber (AB1); and

means for transferring the second record of the first subscriber to the second subscriber.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the directory includes records that are identities for the respective subscribers.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the directory includes records that are addresses for the respective subscribers.

16. A method in a telecommunications system, the system comprising:

at least one telecommunications network for the transfer of spoken information and data information;

an access device for connecting subscribers to the telecommunications network, the subscribers having a telephone and an apparatus for data communication connected to each other;

the method comprising the following steps;

connecting a public directory to the telecommunications network; and

entering records of the subscribers in the public directory, involving some of the subscribers entering predetermined records concerning themselves.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the following steps:

establishing a connection in the telecommunications network from a first one of the subscribers to a second one of the subscribers by means of a first one of the records of the second subscriber;

searching at least a second one of the records of the second subscriber in the public directory by means of the first record of this subscriber; and

transmitting (47) the at least second record to the first subscriber.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a data communication network and a telephone network, and the connection is a telephone connection, the method further comprising the steps of:

establishing the connection by means of a telephone number of the second subscriber;

transmitting this telephone number from the telephone to the apparatus for data communication of the first subscriber; and

transmitting the telephone number to the directory through the data communication network.

19. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the following steps:

establishing a connection in the telecommunications network from a first one of the subscribers to a second one of the subscribers by means of a first one of the records of the second subscriber;

transmitting a first record of the first subscriber corresponding to the first record of the second subscriber to the second subscriber;

searching at least a second one of the records of the first subscriber in the public directory by means of the first record of this subscriber; and

transmitting the second record of the first subscriber to the second subscriber.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a data communication network and a telephone network, and the connection is a telephone connection, the method further comprising the steps of

establishing the connection by means of a telephone number of the second subscriber;

transmitting a telephone number of the first subscriber to the telephone of the second subscriber through the telephone network;

transmitting the telephone number of the first subscriber from the telephone of the second subscriber to his apparatus for data communication; and

transmitting the telephone number of the first subscriber to the public directory through the data communication network.

21. A method according to claim 16, wherein the public directory has at least two records of the same kind for one of the subscribers, the method comprising the step of activating of one of these records.

22. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of connecting a public subdirectory for the respective subscriber in the public directory.

23. A method according to claim 16, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a data communication network and a telephone network, the method comprising the step of connecting the public directory to the data communication network.

24. A method according to claim 16, further comprising:

entering at least two records (TELH1, TELO1) of the same kind for one of the subscribers (AB1) into the public directory (DS,DS1); and

activating one of the records.

25. A method according to claim 16, wherein a server comprises home pages of the subscribers and is connected to the telecommunications network, the method further comprising the steps of:

entering a URL address of one of the subscribers as one of the records in the public directory;

retrieving the home page of this subscriber by means of the URL (Uniform Resource Locater) address.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the records are identities of the subscribers.

27. An apparatus in a telecommunications system comprising:

at least one telecommunications network for the transfer of spoken information and data information;

an access device for connecting subscribers to the telecommunications network, each one of the subscribers having a telephone and an apparatus for data communication connected to each other;

a directory comprising different records for the respective subscribers; and

a server holding home pages for the subscribers,

wherein a first of the subscribers has means for establishing a connection to the server and reading the home page of a second one of the subscribers, and the apparatus further comprises means by which the first subscriber can request, through the home page of the second subscriber, to be called by the second subscriber, upon which request a first one of the records of the first subscriber is transmitted from the directory to the server, wherein;

the directory (DS,DS1) is public;

the server has means for searching, in the public directory, a telephone number of the first subscriber by means of the first record of the first subscriber;

and the apparatus further comprises means for transferring the telephone number of the first subscriber to the second subscriber.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the directory includes records that are identities for the respective subscribers.

29. The The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the directory includes records that are addresses for the respective subscribers.