EP1464156A1

EP1464156A1 - Method of and apparatus for transfering textual information between users in a telephone network

Info

Publication number: EP1464156A1
Application number: EP02712820A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Reinier De Vlaam; Peter Reginald Lewis; Peggy Justina Antoinette Wolters
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Current assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date: 2002-01-09
Filing date: 2002-01-09
Publication date: 2004-10-06
Also published as: WO2003058932A1; AU2002244649A1

Abstract

Users (5, 6) in a telephone network (1) are provided with written information, which information is accessible in the course of a telephone call. The information may be provided from a calling user (5) to a called user (6), and/or from a called user (6) to a calling user (5). The information may be displayed on a display (14, 15) of a telephone terminal of a user (5, 6) and may be provided as a web site or page (16), such as a personal web page (16) of a user (5, 6), particularly pertaining to contact and business information of a user (5).

Description

Title

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANFERING TEXTUAL INFORMATION BETWEEN US_ERS IN A TELEPHONE NETWORK

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to telecommunications systems and, more specifically, to a method of and telephone network access, switching and terminal equipment for accessing information in the course of a telephone call .

Background of the Invention

Today, it is quite common for a telephone user not to be able to get through to his or hers intended destination, but instead to be connected to a voice mail or answering machine.

For business users-, their voice mail often provides alternative contact persons and telephone numbers to call, to ensure that urgent matters are dealt with or business is not lost. However, to the caller, having to remember the numbers and choices whilst listening to the message and then later on having to dial the numbers back, is very cumbersome.

Callers on the move, or in busy/loud environments are not very successful in writing down unexpected telephone numbers in order to call them back. Further, the response message length of answering machines is limited, and it is hard to provide alternative contact information in a usable way to the caller.

Solutions such as call forwarding to a secretary exist, but these are expensive in terms of labour. Further, secretaries are not always knowledgeable in which alternate contact is suitable for different queries, especially when working teams span multiple business line organisations.

Often it also may be the case that a caller only wishes to acquire some simple information and/or leaving a message and is not directly interested in getting into contact with an unknown person.

Summary of the Invention

There is a need to present an alternative manner for providing information, such as contact information, to the users in a telephone network.

In particular there is a need for users to select an alternative contact without having to dial any numbers, and preferably such that a user can overview all possibilities, including the possibility to leave a message in an answering machine or voice mail if present.

These and other objects and advantageous of the present invention are achieved in accordance with the present invention by a novel method of accessing information from users in a telephone network, characterised in that users are provided with written information, which information is accessible in the course of a telephone call.

Written information provides a far better source for informing users of alternative contacts, for example, than spoken information. It will be appreciated that the type and amount of written information can be different from and even exceeding spoken information. Among others, information as to the identity of a user, such as business card information, access information such as telephone numbers, fax numbers, and other information such as advertisements and company information, for example, can be provided in written form to users.

In the framework of the present invention, the term written information should not be construed to be limited to text matters.

Rather, written information in the context of the present invention may include graphics, pictures and other information which can be displayed on a display of a telephone terminal, for example.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the written information is provided from a calling user to a called user. That is, when a user receives an incoming call, in the course of the call he or she can view information such as business card information pertaining to the calling user. This, without the need for having to store information beforehand in the telephone terminal of a called user, because the relevant information is forwarded by the calling user. In a yet further embodiment of the invention, the written information may be provided from a called user to a calling user. For example, if the called user is not personally accessible or otherwise not able to speak to the caller.

If a relative large amount of written information has to be presented to a user, in a still further embodiment of the invention, users are provided with a web page or web site containing the relevant information, which web page or web site is accessible in the course of a telephone call .

A user may set up a personal web page designed especially for answering his phone. On this page details of alternative contacts for varying matters may be provided, along with buttons to automatically set up the calls from the mobile or (wired) desk telephone terminal, for example. The web page may be accessed by setting up a connection to a web server. Additionally, the user then has the possibility to of linking the web page to other web pages or web sites, either on the Internet or an Intranet, for example, as well as including other information.

Following the traditional manner of leaving a voice message, an option for calling an answering machine can still be included. As mobile telephones become WAP (Wireless Application

Protocol) enabled and desk telephones become more intelligent and become more integrated with the office computer, it is becoming practical that additional information can be viewed, digested and acted upon during or after a telephone call.

As such, users may be provided with an option whether to access the written information or not. If a caller selects to view a destination web page, the call may be disconnected and the web page may be is browsed using existing technologies such as WAP or traditional HTTP

(HyperText Transfer Protocol).

Alternatively, the call could be put on hold while the caller views the web page. In a further embodiment, a time out can be set after which the call is automatically routed to the destination web page. In a still further embodiment of the invention, wherein the written information comprises access information, such as telephone numbers and links to other written information, such as other web pages or web sites which, by selecting same, automatically a connection is set up to the telephone number or information, such as a web page or web site.

The invention implies extensions to user interfaces to transfer the new information across the network and adaptation of the telephony switches and access equipment to allow the administration and users to define web page addresses against a subscriber number.

Also required are extensions to access signalling protocols such as DSS1 or SS7 to transmit and deliver the information, as well as new specifications for DT F (Dual Tone Multi -Frequency) or FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) to deliver the information to POTS (Plain Old Telephony

System) and other telephone users, either connected to the wired PSTN

(Public Switched telephone Network), ISDN (Integrated Services Digital

Network) and mobile users, such as GSM (Global System for Mobile

Communication) and others. Accordingly, the invention relates to a telephone network, comprising telephone access and switching equipment, characterised in that the access and switching equipment is arranged for supporting exchange of written information between users of the telephone network in the course of a telephone call.

The invention relates also to telephone network access and switching equipment, arranged for use in such a telephone network, as well as telephone terminal equipment, comprising display means and arranged for retrieving written information in the course of a telephone call .

The written information may be stored with and retrieved from the telephone network. At the option of a receiving user, the received information may be stored in, for example, the user's telephone terminal .

The invention will now be discussed with reference to an exemplary embodiment, shown in the accompanying drawing.

Brief Description of the Figure

Fig. 1 shows, in a schematic and illustrative manner, access signalling for accessing written information in a telephone network comprising telephone access equipment such as switches and terminal equipment in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Embodiment

Fig. 1 shows access signalling in a typical telephone network 1, such as the PSTN, ISDN or GSM, for example.

Between the several switches 2, 3, 4 and fixed or mobile users 5, 6 access signalling is exchanged, for example following the well-known SS7 protocol. In the figure the access signalling is identified by arrows 7 for signalling information from a calling party or user or user 5 towards a destination or called party or user 6, and arrows 8 for signalling information from the called user 6 towards the calling user 5, for example.

Today, it is possible in fixed and mobile telephone networks to transfer the Called (and Calling) Party Line Identity (i.e. telephone number) to the other party's CPE (Customer Premise Equipment, e.g. a telephone). It is also possible in some circumstances to transfer the name of the Called (or Calling) party to the other party.

In accordance with the present invention, the signalling protocol is extended by signalling information relating to the exchange of written information, such as the address of a web page, for example, identified as Calling Line Web Page, or written information to be retrieved from the telephone network 1 or the users 5, 6.

An example of retrieving written information, in accordance with the present invention, from a personal web page containing, among others, information as to the identity of a user, such as business card information, access information of contacts such as telephone numbers, fax numbers, and other information such as advertisements and company information, may include the steps of: 1. User 5 calls user 6; 2. The called user 6 is unavailable (e.g. busy, no reply, do not disturb, etc.);

3. The calling user 6 now is provided the following options:

3.1 Remain connected and wait to leave a message;

3.2 Press a button 9, 10 on the telephone terminal of a user 5, 6 to connect to web page or web site:

3.2.1 Web page is retrieved and displayed on the display 14, 15 of the telephone terminal of a user 5, 6; The calling user 5 now may choose to: 3.2.1.1 Select an appropriate contact and call automatically; 3.2.1.2 Select a personal web page of a contact;

3.2.1.3 Select to automatically call the voice mail of the called user 6;

3.2.1.4 Search for information amongst written information presented at a web page (16);

3.2.1.5 Disconnect. 3.3 Disconnect the call.

The advantage of the solution according to the present invention is that more information can be provided, and that callers having to solve urgent matters can be connected with the relevant contact person as soon as possible, for example. In addition, the caller is more likely to contact alternative people when using a mobile if he does not have to write down telephone numbers and dial them back. This implies greater call minutes to an operator and hence increased revenue. The written information may be stored in the network 1, for example in separate storage means 11, or in storage means available in a switch 2, 3, 4 or any other network access equipment, such as a base station in the case of a mobile telecommunications network. On the other hand, the written information may also be stored in the telephone terminal of a user 5, 6, provided with suitable storage means.

In the case of written information in the form of web pages or web sites 16, a separate web server 12 may be accessed, whether or not via the Internet and/or Intranet 13, connected to telephone network 1, and providing access to the web page or web site 16 of a particular user 5, 6. Through such a web server 12 and the Internet and/or Intranet 13 other links to web pages or web sites can be established, dependent on the information provided, e.g. via the well-known hyperlinks.

Although the invention has been illustrated above with reference to telephone terminals of users 5, 6, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the terminals of the users 5, 6 may include computer integrated telephone terminals and equipment, providing an even more versatile use of the written information in the light of the present invention.

The invention is, of course, not limited to the above examples, but can be modified and enhanced without having to apply inventive skills beyond the subject matter as presented in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of accessing information from users in a telephone network, characterised in that users are provided with written information, which information is accessible in the course of a telephone call .

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information is provided from a calling user to a called user.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information is provided from a called user to a calling user.

4. A method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said information is displayed on a display of a telephone terminal of a user.

5. A method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said information is stored with and retrievable from said telephone network.

6. A method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said information is stored with and retrievable from a user's telephone terminal .

7. A method according to any of the claims 1 - 3, wherein users are provided with a web page containing said information, which web page is accessible in the course of a telephone call.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said web page is presented by setting up a connection to a web server.

9. A method according to any of the previous claims, dependent on claim 3, wherein said written information is provided to a calling user if the called user is not accessible.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information is accessible to the option of a calling user.

11. A method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said written information can be stored in a communication terminal of a user receiving said information.

12. A method according any of the previous claims, wherein said information comprises, among others, information as to the identity of a user, such as business card information, access information such as telephone numbers, fax numbers, and the like, and other information such as advertisements.

13. A method according any of the previous claims, wherein said written information comprises access information, such as telephone numbers and links to other written information, such as other web pages or web sites which, by selecting same, automatically sets up a connection to said telephone number or information, such as a web page or web site.

14. A telephone network, comprising telephone access and switching equipment, characterised in that said access and switching equipment is arranged for supporting exchange of written information between users of the telephone network in the course of a telephone call.

15. Telephone network access and switching equipment, for use in a telephone network, characterised in that said access and switching equipment is arranged for supporting exchange of written information between users of the telephone network in the course of a telephone call.

16. A telephone terminal, comprising display means, characterised in that said telephone terminal is arranged for retrieving written information in the course of a telephone call.