Answering service giving different messages depending on user profile selected by called subscriber and/or identity of calling subscriber

• US 7,203,297 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2001
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vitikainen, Timo, Heikkinen, Harri
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US10/240,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20040022369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.22, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/207.02, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/466
• US Class Current: 379/207.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53391 dependent on calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 Store & forward, messaging systems email H04Q2213/13375
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

The present invention relates to a telecommunications system comprising a network element (5′) providing answering service for subscribers, and at least one subscriber terminal (1″) comprising a memory (M1′) for storing parameters associated with selectable profiles, said parameters controlling the functions of the subscriber terminal, and a user interface (2) providing the possibility to select for use one of said selectable profiles with the associated parameters. In order to achieve an improved user-friendliness said parameters stored in the memory (M1′) of the subscriber terminal (1″) include message parameters (MSG1, MSG2, MSG3) which identify messages (A, B, C) that are associated with the respective profiles. A profile selection carried out with the user interface (2) triggers the transmitter (4) to transmit an activation message (ACT) to the network element (5′). The network element is responsive to said activation message (ACT) for activating the message or messages indicated by the activation message such that the activated message or messages (A, B) can be transmitted from the memory means (M2′) to a calling subscriber under predetermined conditions.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a network element; and

at least one subscriber terminal comprising;

a transmitter for transmitting signals;

a memory for storing parameters associated with selectable profiles, said parameters controlling the functions of the subscriber terminal at least in connection with a terminating call; and

a user interface providing the possibility to select for use one of said selectable profiles with the associated parameters, wherein said parameters stored in the memory of the subscriber terminal include message parameters which identify messages that are associated with the respective profiles, whereby a profile selection carried out with the user interface triggers the transmitter to transmit an activation message to the network element; and

said network element comprises a memory means for storing several optional messages for said at least one subscriber terminal, and control means which are responsive to said activation message for activating the message or messages indicated by the activation message, such that the activated message or messages can be transmitted from the memory means to a calling subscriber of the system under predetermined conditions.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said messages stored in said memory means contains data for presenting a menu of available options to the calling subscriber;

and

said telecommunications system comprises means for receiving information indicating the option selected by said calling subscriber among said available options and for serving the calling subscriber according to the selected option.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein one or several of the following options is included in said menu:

rerouting the call to a predetermined number, connecting the call to the subscriber terminal in case of an emergency, and allowing the calling subscriber to leave a message; and

said menu also offers the calling subscriber a possibility to select a connection type among one or several of the following options;

video, voice data, and short message.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein identifiers identifying calling subscribers are with at least some of the messages stored in the memory means;

said network element comprises means for receiving an identifier identifying a calling subscriber attempting to make a call terminating at said at least one subscriber terminal; and

said control means are adapted to compare the received identifier with corresponding identifiers stored in the memory means in connection with the respective activated messages, and if the comparison indicates that the identifiers match for one of the activated messages, to transmit said message to the calling subscriber.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said subscriber terminal comprises means for receiving or recording and for storing in the memory a new message with associated message parameters entered by a user of the subscriber terminal;

said transmitter is arranged to transmit said new message to the network element in connection with an activation message when a profile that is associated with said new message is selected with the user interface; and

said network element is arranged to receive said new message, to store the new message in the memory means, and to activate the new message.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said messages is a text message, a voice message, an image, a video message or a multimedia message.

7. A subscriber terminal of a telecommunications system, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting signals;

a memory for storing parameters associated with selectable profiles, said parameters controlling the functions of the subscriber terminal at least in connection with a terminating call; and

a user interface providing the possibility to select for use one of said selectable profiles with the associated parameters, wherein said parameters stored in the memory include message parameters which identify messages stored in a memory means that are associated with the profiles, whereby a profile selection carried out with the user interface triggers an activation of the message or messages associated with said profile in the memory means such that the activated message or messages can be transmitted from the memory means to a calling subscriber under predetermined conditions.

8. A subscriber terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one of said messages stored in said memory means contains data for presenting a menu of available options to the calling subscriber.

9. A subscriber terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein several optional messages are associated with at least one of said profiles and that the associated message parameters define the predetermined conditions for transmitting the messages.

10. A subscriber terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein said memory means containing messages is arranged in a network element;

and

said transmitter of the subscriber terminal is adapted to transmit an activation message to the network element for activating the message or messages associated with the selected profile as a response to the profile selection carried out with the user interface.

11. A subscriber terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein said subscriber terminal comprises means for receiving or recording a new message entered by a user of the subscriber terminal and for forwarding said new message to the memory means.

12. A subscriber terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein said subscriber terminal comprises means for receiving or recording and for storing in the memory a new message entered by a user of the subscriber terminal;

and

said transmitter is arranged to transmit said new message to the network element in order to store the new message in the memory means when a profile that is associated with said new message is selected with the user interface.

13. A subscriber terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein said memory means containing messages is arranged in said subscriber terminal.

14. A subscriber terminal as claimed in claim 13, wherein identifiers identifying subscribers are with at least some of the messages stored in the memory means;

said subscriber terminal comprises means for receiving an identifier identifying a calling subscriber attempting to make a call terminating at said subscriber terminal; and

said subscriber terminal is adapted to compare the received identifier with corresponding identifiers stored in the memory means with the respective activated messages, and if the comparison indicates that the identifiers match for one of the activated messages, to transmit said message to the calling subscriber.