Abstract: A method and system are provided for creating a billing record with a called party's name. Providing the called party's name on the billing record facilitates the calling party's review of the billing record by reducing the amount of time and effort needed to determine the identity of the called parties. In addition to identifying fraudulent and misbilled calls, the called party's name allows a person reviewing the billing record to quickly identify long distance calls, quickly discern business from personal calls, and audit calls made from phone lines with multiple users (e.g., employees or kids). Additionally, the billing record reviewer saves time and money by avoiding the need to call directory assistance or a billing service to identify the calls.

Abstract: An extranet that includes a network which couples a plurality of non-related participants and a server coupled to the network. The server stores a plurality of applications including workgroup applicants, transaction applications, security applications and transport circuits and equipment. The server is programmed to load particular ones of the plurality of applications onto the network for use by the plurality of participants in response to a request by one of the participants for a particular application.

Abstract: The present method and system enable a called party to cancel an unwanted call and send a message to the calling party. The method and system are activated in response to a plurality of inputs provided by the called party. In response to the input provided by the called party, a custom or a standard message can be transmitted to the calling party. A confirmation message can also be transmitted to the called party. The method and system can be implemented in conjunction with other systems that are also activated in response to an input from the called party.

Abstract: A system and method for providing easy access to messaging services in a telecommunications network having office switches that are used by different providers of telephone and messaging services. The system uses a supplementary services database to maintain customer records including whether the customer uses messaging services and whether the customer subscribes to a short dialing sequence service for access to the messaging services. The customer is connected to the central office switch, which analyzes the dialing sequences generated by the customer. When the customer attempts access to the messaging services, the customer dials a short dialing or message sequence, such as *XX. The central office switch triggers a query to the supplementary services database for a call forwarding number to the messaging service used by the customer when the selected short dialing sequence is recognized by the switch.

Abstract: A system and method for providing telephony services, such as caller ID, voice mail, selective call forwarding, and the like, to a remote subscriber, typically located outside the provider's regional territory. The system can include customer premise equipment (CPE) selectively connectable to a remote central office (CO), a packet-switched network gateway, such as an Internet telephony gateway (ITG), for remotely communicating service requests to a local service node. The local service node can be located within the service provider's territory and returns telephony service responses via the packet-switched network gateway to the remote CO, and ultimately the remote CPE.

Abstract: A system (20) for providing a caller identification with name service includes a destination service switching point (22) having a plurality of destination numbers (24). A switching control point (26) has a caller identification with name database (30) and a customer caller identification with name database (32). A signaling system seven link (28) connects the destination service switching point (22) to the switching control point (26).

Abstract: Systems and methods of making and using fine particle materials in pigment blends and for using the aforementioned pigment blends in paint, coating, or coloring compositions are provided. This invention further provides systems and methods of enhancing the visual appearance of a variety of substrates by introducing a paint, coating, or coloring composition to the substrate. The fine particle materials of the present invention have a substantially random geometric shape, a particle size less than about 100 microns, and help provide both functional and visual enhancing properties to compositions and substrates containing these fine particle materials.

Abstract: A method of routing incoming telephone calls and programming routing options and apparatus that allows incoming calls to be routed according to various criteria programmed by a subscriber.

Abstract: The invention uses the advanced intelligent network to provide caller identification for calls placed over the internet (24). A long distance call placed with an internet carrier results in the originating SSP (14) forwarding the call to an originating POP (22) for the internet carrier. The caller ID information is routed through the signaling system 7 network (16) to the SSP (32) in the terminating network. The call is routed to a terminating POP (26) and then to the SSP (32) in the terminating network. The SSP (32) inserts the caller ID information received through the SS7 network (16) and routes the call to the terminating line (30).

Abstract: A structured document browser includes a constant user interface for displaying and viewing sections of a document that is organized according to a pre-defined structure. The structured document browser displays documents that have been marked with embedded codes that specify the structure of the document. The tags are mapped to correspond to a set of icons. When the icon is selected while browsing a document, the browser will display the section of the structure corresponding to the icon selected, while preserving the constant user interface.

Abstract: A system (100) and method deliver audible caller identification information when standard Caller ID information can not be provided, even when a subscriber to the service has per line blocking. A service control point (106) detects the directory number to which a terminating attempt trigger is assigned and places this directory number in a parameter for transmission to a service switching point (102) using a forward_call message (206). The per line blocking function does not interfere with transmission of this parameter so that the called party's directory number can be passed for processing and call completion by the system.

Abstract: A method for providing multiple calling service announcements on a single circuit card within a telephone network. The method reduces the number of stored speech files necessary to generate announcements regarding a calling service such as Automatic Call Back or Enhanced Repeat Dial. By reducing the amount of speech data stored on a circuit card, multiple calling service announcements can be provided on a single circuit card, thereby reducing equipment costs.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for executing a request from a client application. Unlike conventional networks in which a client application transmits several data access transactions to several server applications, the client application of these preferred embodiments merely sends a single request to a gateway application, which converts the request into appropriate data access transactions. The preferred embodiments provide the advantage of allowing a client application to communicate with a plurality of server applications without knowing the server application's format or syntax requirements. Further, unlike environments in which a client application compiles data received from each contacted server application, in the environment of the preferred embodiments, the client application is presented with a single integrated response.

Abstract: A method and system for processing messages in a unified messaging system. In particular, the system enables legacy e-mail, voice mail and facsimile systems to be integrated with a unified messaging system. The system includes a filter or mechanism which enables the user to filter certain message attributes such as the identification of the sender, recipient or the subject header or the message type to enable messages to be processed in accordance with the recipients wishes.

Abstract: A telecommunication system includes a digital switch, a local loop coupling the digital switch to a subscriber location, wherein a segment of the local loop includes copper twisted pair and wherein an asymmetrical digital subscriber line is carried by the local loop, the asymmetrical digital subscriber line including a plurality of data packets capable of carrying a plurality of derived digital telephone lines. The telecommunication system further includes a subscriber unit coupled to the asymmetrical digital subscriber line. The subscriber unit monitors the content of at least one of the plurality of data packets, receives an off-hook signal in response to an action of a user, and initiates a first derived digital telephone line of the plurality of derived digital telephone lines in response to the off-hook signal.

Abstract: An improved videoconferencing system and method are provided for connecting a host to a plurality of participants. Unlike other videoconferencing methods and systems, the videoconferencing system and method of these preferred embodiments allow each of the parties of a videoconference to benefit from the interaction between the host and the selected participant without limiting the number of participants that can join the videoconference. The host and participants can interact with the videoconferencing system by issuing voice commands or DTMF signals to a voice response unit or by using a computer to access the videoconferencing system directly or indirectly though a network such as the World Wide Web.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring remote computer access and associated costs is provided. The system includes a remotely located communication server in communication with multiple host computer networks and in communication with a network access server. First and second memory devices contain a list of authorized users for the host computer networks and a user log for use by a billing computer to generate bills. The method includes the steps of creating starting and ending time stamps for each authorized user accessing a respective one of the multiple host computer networks and creating a user log to generate bills and monitor host computer network usage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing broadband conferencing services is provided. The method includes the steps of establishing a voice channel over a circuit switched telephone network and a virtual data channel over a packet data network between at least two parties. The apparatus includes a telephone line and a digital data line sharing a single subscriber loop in addition to means for establishing a virtual data channel over a packet data network. Further, an advanced intelligent network telephone network having a first database of customer premise equipment and a second database having data addresses associated with the customer premise equipment is disclosed.

Abstract: A method (20) and system (50) is provided that permits a telephone caller to leave a message for a called party that does not have a conventional answering service, such as voice mail, an answering machine, a third-party operator-assisted answering service, or the like. A configurable blocking mechanism is also provided, permitting parties to prevent the message delivery service from being offered to callers attempting to reach them. The method (20) and system (50) can be implemented using an advanced intelligent network (AIN). In an AIN environment, the blocking mechanism can include a switch control point (SCP) (58) configured to access a termination blocking list (60). The termination blocking list (60) can be an SCP database file containing entries representing called parties who have blocked the message delivery service.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing coding gain that alters the backsearch buffer length and/or the input buffer length of a decoder in response to one or more transmission performance characteristics of the system. The performance characteristics are monitored to determine the performance of the system. The measured transmission performance characteristics are used to control the lengths of the backsearch buffer and the input buffer. The measured transmission performance characteristics along with the backsearch length and/or the input buffer length are analyzed and compared with simulated decoding results. In accordance with the simulated results, the system determines the optimal size of the backsearch buffer and the input buffer needed to achieve a desired performance target. The system adjusts the size of the backsearch buffer length and/or the input buffer length to equal the determined optimal lengths.