Abstract: A public switched telephone network utilizing program controlled switching systems controlled by common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) and preferably an advanced intelligent network (AIN) CCIS network is arranged in an architecture to provide a methodology for facilitating telephone use of the Internet by customers on an impromptu basis. Provision is made to permit a caller to set-up and carry out a telephone call over the Internet from telephone station to telephone station without access to computer equipment and without the necessity of maintaining a subscription to any Internet service. Billing may be accomplished on a per call basis. The calls may be inter and intra LATA, region or state and may be nationwide. Usage is made of CCIS signaling to set up the call and establish the necessary Internet connections and addressing. Calls may be made from telephone station to telephone station, from voice capable computer to voice capable computer, or from telephone to computer or computer to telephone.

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: The present invention provides an answering system for a communication device which, when set up with an automatic answering mode because a called party is absent or does not want to answer it, responds to a calling party by outputting automatically an responding message that a telephone of the called party is set up with an automatic answering mode for a predetermined time, whereby an user of the calling party is informed that an automatic answering mode of a telephone of a called party is activated although the communication has not completed yet. Accordingly, an user of the calling party pays no bill which is unnecessary when an automatic answering mode is activated on a telephone of the calling party, and the efficiency of communication system increases since the phone lines are free from the unnecessary phone calls.

Abstract: A wall-hung or shelf situated free-standing voice memorandum system allows an individual to record a message for another member of the household. the system can be used in connection with a household doorbell system so that at the user's choice, the system either operates simply as a doorbell or when the door button is pressed plays at the door a greeting that the user has recorded, invites the visitor to leave voice messages for the household-and-records any messages given.

Abstract: A system (100) that employs media “blending” to notify a multi-media user of the use of one or more default configurations and provides an opportunity to record or reconfigure the item for the future. In particular, a system (100) according to the present invention monitors usage of a default or other predetermined setting and provides a message to the user indicative of its usage. Once the user has been notified of the usage, the user is given the option of reconfiguring from the default setting.

Abstract: A telephony call center has agent workstations having telephones connected to station-side ports of a telephone switching apparatus adapted to receive and switch conventional telephone calls to the telephones, and also computer platforms connected on a local area network (LAN). A processor also connected on the LAN has a wide area network (WAN) port and is adapted to receive and distribute computer-simulated telephone calls from the WAN to computer platforms at the agent stations. At individual agent stations the telephone and computer platform is connected by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge. Status of calls of both types at agent workstations is communicated to a network-level router by the processor having a WAN connection, which may also receive computer-simulated calls. The router may then make routing decisions based on agent status relative to both kinds of calls.

Abstract: In methods and apparatus for originating a voice call between first and second voice terminals, a voice call request is received at a data service node, the voice call request identifying the first voice terminal. A call origination request is transmitted from the data service node to a telecommunication switch, the call origination request identifying the first and second voice terminals. The telecommunications switch originates one call from the telecommunications switch to the second voice terminal and another call front the telecommunications switch to the first voice terminal. The telecommunications switch then connects the one call to the other call to connect the first voice terminal to the second voice terminal. The methods and apparatus are particularly useful in connection with advertising on the World Wide Web and in connection with international calling services.

Abstract: A plurality of motive-procedure sets respectively composed of a motive, a condition and a procedure of a message processing edited according to user's intention are stored in advance for each user. When a message sent for a receiver is received in a message switching apparatus, it is judged whether or not one of the motives corresponding to a plurality of motive-procedure sets for the receiver is fired. When a particular motive is fired, a particular message processing of a particular motive-procedure set corresponding to the particular motive is performed in cases where a particular condition of the particular motive-procedure set is satisfied, so that an incoming call of the message is notified to the receiver or the message is transmitted or forwarded to the receiver according to the particular message processing.

Abstract: A next generation service node (NGSN) for providing advanced interactive voice response (IVR) services within a telecommunications network. The NGSN includes intelligent peripherals implemented as network audio servers, and application servers which execute customer application files to perform IVR services. The NGSN provides reliability through redundancy of application servers, including automatic application server failover within a node, and automatic node failover between NGSNs. The NGSN features include modular software and hardware architecture with internal function encapsulation. This allows multiple vendors products to be used and provides a common signaling interface to be used to any switch network. Other NGSN features include an open systems architecture with improved scaleability and increased application processing capability.

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: An interactive voice response (IVR) system collects data associated with a telephone call, and provides the data to a server. The server transforms the data into a format consistent with a different telephony platform specification implemented by clients attached to the server such that the data can be retrieved by any client to which a telephone call is transferred. Data is also shared between remote servers when calls are transferred. The servers each broadcast their identity when initially connected to a wide area network. In response, each server on the network responds with their identify. Each server updates a table of servers in accordance with the messages exchanged.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement for a handset, neckset and the like having a transmit and a receive end. A regular-shaped cavity is provided at the transmit end for receiving a higher order microphone capsule, having two or more poles. The capsule is symmetrically fixed with the geometrical center substantially corresponding with the geometrical center of the cavity. The transversal size of the capsule is less or equal to the depth of the cavity. In this way, the capsule is embedded into the cavity, and the cavity is covered with an acoustically transparent screen. There is space left between the poles of the microphone and the facing walls of the cavity for fooling the microphone that it is in free space.

Abstract: A messaging system to store and retrieve messages for playback in response to user input commands includes a telephony messaging application responsive to incoming calls. A directory stores addressing information concerning addressable entities within the messaging system. The telephony messaging application accesses the directory in response to caller address queries. A post office stores user messages and includes addressing information concerning addressable entities within the messaging system. A synchronization mechanism synchronizes the addressing information in the directory with addressing information in the post office.

Abstract: An arrived call receiving system including a caller's number automatic recognition unit for extracting and recognizing a phone number included in an arrived call, an automatic answering unit for confirming by the caller whether the recognized phone number is correct and recognizing a reply from the caller, as well as conducting necessary processing according to the contents of the recognized reply, a caller's information storage unit and a caller's information data base for storing the phone number of the caller obtained by the caller's number automatic recognition unit, and a caller automatic call-up unit for reading the phone number of the caller stored in the caller's information data base to automatically call up the caller according to instructions of an operator.

Abstract: A telecommunication network exchange and method of playing an announcement to a call party in a telephone exchange during connection set-up. The invention is based on the idea of totally separating the detection of the need for an announcement from playing the announcement. The need for the announcement is detected in a conventional manner at a given stage of call set-up. However, the exchange does not play the announcement immediately, but delays playing it up to a later stage of call set-up or up to a later event, if necessary. The announcement may be played, for example, not until collection of additional dialing is definitely terminated, the call is confirmed to be successful, the announcement is confirmed to be necessary/correct, and so on. As a consequence of the delayed playing of the announcement, wrong and unnecessary announcements and the failure of the call are thus avoided.

Abstract: In a communication system wherein a communication connection is established between a communication apparatus of a first subscriber and a communication apparatus of a second subscriber, a method of terminating the communication connection by a subscriber placed on hold comprises the steps of displaying to the on hold subscriber a prompt to leave a message; in response to selection of the prompt, recording the message left by the on hold subscriber; transmitting the message to the other subscriber; terminating the communication connection; and providing a visual indication to the other subscriber that the communication connection has been terminated by the on hold subscriber and that the on hold subscriber has sent a message. A method of signifying one of the subscriber's desire to return to a communication connection when the communication connection has been placed on hold is also provided.

Abstract: In a circuit arrangement and method for announcement control, with a processing unit of a call distributor unit, announcements already forwarded to a caller as well as a current status of the announcement are determined and a called party is informed thereof. In response thereto, the called party can intentionally end the announcement.

Abstract: A call processing apparatus comprises a device for answering an incoming call, an interactive voice unit for eliciting information about the call from the customer, a device for analyzing the caller's response according to predetermined criteria to identify callers having certain behavioral characteristics, and a device for routing callers identified as having these characteristics to predetermined attendant stations. The apparatus therefore permits caller's having special needs to be automatically routed to suitably trained attendants.

Abstract: A system for handling incoming media events based on content and state information. An interface which receives events transmitted via a plurality of media forwards such incoming events into an attribute extractor. The attribute extractor extracts one or more attributes from the event and passes those attributes to a characteristic accumulator. The attribute extractor may, for example, read the header of an e-mail event to determine its source or, for example, employ caller ID in conjunction with voice recognition to determine the identity of a caller. The characteristic accumulator creates a characterization of an event on which a decision engine can base a decision of how the event should be handled. The characterization includes all extracted attributes as well as state information deemed relevant to such attributes. The decision engine will typically employ rule-based decision-making using the characterization as a starting point.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and an apparatus for placing a caller into telecommunication with a subscriber. A call from the caller, directed to the subscriber, is detected and, in response thereto, a page is initiated to the subscriber and at the same time a forward leg call is initiated to a stored telephone address. If the call on the forward leg is answered, the party answering that call is placed in telecommunication with the caller. A call from the subscriber is also detected the subscriber is placed in telecommunication with the caller together with any party on a forward leg call.