System and method for providing call-handling services on a data network telephone system
First Claim
1. A system for providing call handling services in a data network telephone system comprising:
- a data network to provide data connectivity for a plurality of data communications channels using data transport protocols;
a data network telephone connected to the data network, the data network telephone operable to communicate a voice signal as voice-over-data packets on a voice-over-data channel, the voice-over-data channel being one of the plurality of data communications channels on the data network, the data network telephones each operable to convert voice-over-data packets communicated on the voice-over-data channel to voice signals; and
a portable information device comprising a data network telephone interface, the portable information device operable to transmit priority information to the data network telephone via the data network telephone interface;
wherein the priority information is received at the data network telephone and wherein the data network telephone accesses the priority information in response to the data network telephone receiving a call request across the data network.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing call handling services on a data network telephony system. A portable information device, such as a PDA, associated with a user contains the user'"'"'s address and/or appointment book information. The address and/or appointment book information includes priority information comprising one or more address/appointment entries having associated priority levels. The priority information is transmitted from the portable information device across a link to a data network telephone or other voice communication device, where it is stored in a call handling database. When an incoming call request is received at the data network telephone, the call is handled according to the priority information contained in the call handling database.
235 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A system for providing call handling services in a data network telephone system comprising:
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a data network to provide data connectivity for a plurality of data communications channels using data transport protocols;
a data network telephone connected to the data network, the data network telephone operable to communicate a voice signal as voice-over-data packets on a voice-over-data channel, the voice-over-data channel being one of the plurality of data communications channels on the data network, the data network telephones each operable to convert voice-over-data packets communicated on the voice-over-data channel to voice signals; and
a portable information device comprising a data network telephone interface, the portable information device operable to transmit priority information to the data network telephone via the data network telephone interface;
wherein the priority information is received at the data network telephone and wherein the data network telephone accesses the priority information in response to the data network telephone receiving a call request across the data network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
a network telephony user database connected to the data network to store a user identifier and a telephone identifier corresponding to the user identifier for each of a plurality of users, wherein;
the user identifier includes a first sequence of alphanumeric elements that identifies a corresponding user;
the telephone identifier includes a second sequence of alphanumeric elements that identifies a corresponding data network telephone; and
a network telephony connection server operable to receive a request message from a second data network telephone to initiate the voice-over-data channel with the first data network telephone, and to send a response message in response to the request message.
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8. The system of claim 7, wherein the response and request messages are communicated by the network telephony connection server in accordance with the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).
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9. The system of claim 7, wherein the response and request messages are communicated by the network telephony connection server in accordance with the H.323 Protocol.
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10. The system of claim 7, wherein the response and request messages are communicated by the network telephony connection server in accordance with the MEGACO Protocol.
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11. The system of claim 7, wherein the response and request messages are communicated by the network telephony connection server in accordance with the MGCP Protocol.
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12. The system of claim 7, wherein:
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the request message includes a callee user identifier; and
wherein the network telephony connection server determines the telephone identifier for callee user identifier and includes the telephone identifier in the response message.
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13. The system of claim 7, wherein:
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the request message includes a callee user identifier; and
wherein the network telephony connection server determines the telephone identifier for the callee identified in the call user identifier and sends the response message to the callee at the telephone identifier.
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14. The system of claim 1, wherein the data network telephone further determines a caller priority level by accessing the priority information, and performs a call handling operation in response to the caller priority level being less than a threshold priority level.
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15. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority information is stored in a call handling database.
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16. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority information includes an address book entry having a priority level specification.
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17. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority information includes an appointment book entry having a priority level specification.
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18. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable information device is a smart card.
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19. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable information device is a personal computer.
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20. A voice communication device comprising:
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an interface to a data network, a plurality of telephony functions operable to communicate a voice signal as voice-over-data packets on a voice-over-data channel, the voice-over-data channel being one of a plurality of data communications channels supported by the data network, the telephony functions operable to convert voice-over-data packets communicated on the voice-over-data channel to voice signals;
a PID interface link to a portable information device to transfer data between the portable information device and the voice communication device; and
a call handling application operable to accept priority information from the portable information device, the call handling application accessing the priority information in response to the data network telephone receiving a call request across the data network. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
identifies a caller identifier within the call request;
determines whether the caller identifier is listed in a call handling database maintained by the call handling application, and if so, determines whether a caller priority level is greater than a threshold priority level; and
performs a high-priority call handling operation in response to determining that the caller priority level is greater than the threshold priority level.
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26. A method for providing call handling services at a data network telephone in a data network telephone system, comprising the steps of:
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accepting priority information transmitted by a portable information device;
modifying a call handling database to include the priority information;
accessing the call handling database responsive to the data network telephone receiving a call request. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for providing call handling services at a data network telephone in a data network telephone system, comprising the steps of:
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accepting priority information from a portable information device;
modifying a call handling database to include the priority information;
receiving a call request including a caller identifier;
determining whether the caller identifier is listed in the call handling database, and if so, determining whether a caller priority level is greater than a threshold priority level; and
performing a high-priority call handling operation in response to determining that the caller priority level is greater than the threshold priority level. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A system for providing call handling services comprising:
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a data network to provide data connectivity for a plurality of data communications channels using data transport protocols;
a data network telephone connected to the data network, the data network telephone operable to communicate a voice signal as voice-over-data packets on a voice-over-data channel, the voice-over-data channel being one of the plurality of data communications channels on the data network, the data network telephones each operable to convert voice-over-data packets communicated on the voice-over-data channel to voice signals; and
a personal computer comprising a data network telephone interface, the personal computer operable to transmit priority information to the data network telephone via the data network telephone interface;
wherein the priority information is received at the data network telephone and wherein the data network telephone accesses the priority information in response to the data network telephone receiving a call request across the data network. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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Specification