Abstract: An electronic mail pop-up control system in a dealing system for lightening a burden on a dealer handling a large amount of information at the same time by reducing the number of operations to be done on a dealing talk terminal, said control system lightening a burden on a dealer by displaying an electronic mail which is one of means for exchanging information between talking terminals 1 on a display 1-26 of a called side talking terminal 1 without any operation performed by a dealer at the called side.

Abstract: System and method for deriving call routing information utilizing a network control data base system and voice recognition for matching spoken word sound patterns to routing numbers needed to set up calls. Public access is provided to a common database via a common access number or code. Terminating parties sponsor the call and originating parties need not be pre-subscribed to use the service. The common access number is used to initiate or trigger the service. The system advantageously operates under the direction of a service control point, which combines technologies for switching, interactive voice response, and voice recognition with the data base to automate the processes of assisting callers in making calls for which they do not know the phone number. Usage information is gathered on completed calls to each terminating party for billing. Three alternative deployments in the U.S.

Abstract: A network that establishes a telephone call between a calling party and a called party and alters speech signals generated by the calling party during the telephone call. The network includes a network node that is coupled to the transmit channel of the calling party and the receive channel of the called party. The network node is programmed to receive a request to establish the telephone call from the calling party and receive a selection of a speech signal alteration from the calling party. The network node initiates the telephone call to the called party. Further, the network node alters the speech signal of the calling party based on the speech signal alteration selection.

Abstract: The invention is a method of receiving digital data from a Local Switching Office (LSO) on first party equipment that is communicating, in an off-hook state, via the LSO with second party equipment. The method presumes that the first party equipment has a telephone line interface that interfaces with a telephone line and an acoustic transducer interface with a loudspeaker and a microphone.

Abstract: In an exchange including: a call processing unit for processing a call occuring at any one of plural subscriber lines, a main line, or a private line; a switch unit for establishing the call route determined by the call processing unit; and a plurality of trunks for separately connecting to any one of these lines; wherein the exchange comprises: a single or plural decision units for determining whether an audio frequency signal or line signal which separately indicates a state of change of level of the call signal, is received or not, in the route formed by these lines; and a single or plural variable units separately provided between each of routes and a corresponding port of the switch, and performing the change of the level based on the state indicated by the audio frequency signal or line signal which gives a result of decision by the decision unit, for the level of the call signal transmitted toward the route in which the result of the decision is true.

Abstract: An on-hold activity selection apparatus and method that allows an on-hold party to select an on-hold activity, from a menu of on-hold activities, with which to be entertained and/or informed. The on-hold activity selection apparatus detects the occurrence of an on-hold condition in a communication between a first party terminal and a second party terminal. In response to detecting the on-hold condition, the on-hold activity selection apparatus provides a menu of available on-hold activities to the terminal which is placed on-hold. If a reply is received from the on-hold terminal identifying a selected on-hold activity, the on-hold activity selection apparatus then provides the on-hold terminal with the selected activity. The menu of available on-hold activities may be based on profile information, corresponding to the on-hold terminal, stored in a database.

Abstract: A system (10) and method (40) for providing audible caller information to telephone service subscribers is presented. The system (10) includes a pre-processor (28) that converts textual caller information from a first data format to a second data format suitable for text-to-speech synthesis (TTS). The pre-processor (28) can be incorporated in a service node/intelligent peripheral (SN/IP) (24) in an advanced intelligent network (AIN). In this configuration, the pre-processor (28) can be used to convert caller-ID with name database entries into a predetermined TTS format. The TTS formatted information can be provided to a TTS synthesized (30) included in the SN/IP (24). In conjunction with a switching service point (SSP) (20), the pre-processor (28) can provide a talking call-waiting feature to subscribers with significantly improved intelligibility.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for providing call subject information to a called party. A call subject platform receives a call from a calling party. The call subject platform prompts the calling party to provide call subject information. If call subject information is received at the call subject platform from the calling party, then the call subject platform sends at least part of the call subject information to the called party. The call subject platform then determines if the called party desires to communicate with the calling party.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for transferring a message from a calling party to an unavailable telephonically called party. The method comprises the steps of inititating a call to the called party over a communications channel, identifying that the called party is not available and instructing the calling entity to record the message at the calling entity and after recording to transmit the message to the called entity as a data message via a data channel for reception by the called entity. The system reduces the use of the voice/telephone communications networks by allowing a voice message to be transmitted through data channels, reducing the amount of voice traffic on the voice communication lines. The fact that the original voice message was actually stored with the calling entity after the telephone voice communication had been discontinued is transparent to both the calling party and the called party. Greetings for the called party can be stored at a messaging system of the calling entity.

Abstract: A communications network includes plural intelligent peripherals, a single announcement management system, a service provisioning platform and plural service control points controlled by corresponding application programs. A method of provisioning a service in the network includes recording an announcement at an intelligent peripheral, receiving an ID number associated with the announcement from the announcement management system at the intelligent peripheral, sending the ID number from the intelligent peripheral through a switch to a service control point, distributing the ID number from the service control point to all other service control points, and distributing the announcement and the ID number from the intelligent peripheral to all other intelligent peripherals.

Abstract: A telephone transaction support system includes a customer information registration unit for registering information regarding a customer in a database, the information being obtained in a conversation with the customer over a telephone, a feature analyzing unit for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word obtained in the conversation with the customer over the telephone, and a password information registration unit for registering information-obtained by the feature analyzing unit as password information in the database, the password information corresponding to the customer in the database. The information regarding the customer for which a transaction over the telephone should be allowed and the password information for the customer can be registered over the telephone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for simulating telephony services and providing information about telephony services and products without the use of a public carrier telephone system. The system includes at least one Telephone Interface (TI), connected between a telephone and the simulation system. The emulator receives, decodes and validates a user initiated command signal, converts it into a control signal and activates a playback sequence which emulates telephone services. A plurality of different telephone functions and services can be simulated without connection to external telephone lines or wireless service.

Abstract: Apparatus and processes of operating a telephone answering device (TAD) to record a message from a third party caller who calls when a first telephone line connected to the TAD is busy when the third party calls. After the third party hangs up, the automatic third party callback module calls the third party back based on a telephone number obtained from call related information, e.g., Caller ID information. The TAD may alternatively or additionally automatically answer selected third party callers to a second telephone line of the TAD possibly based on a match between call related information with respect to the third party caller, e.g., Caller ID, and pre-entered telephone numbers of those the user desires to have the TAD automatically answer when busy on the first telephone line.

Abstract: A sender (101) creates a voicemail message that includes a plurality of messaging elements that include embedded instructions that define a structure of the message. Other messaging elements may include textual fragments, audio fragments that refer to audio data files that are associated with the message, and/or references to textual fragments and/or audio fragments that are stored at specified locations. The instructions may define a hierarchical menu structure which, when the message is presented to the recipient (106) by a messaging system (104), offers the recipient different navigational choices from which the recipient may select and thus effect the information content of what is presented.

Abstract: A system and method for provisioning application and data files to a plurality of real-time processing nodes within a telecommunications network. The system comprises a user interface for accepting commands from a user to deactivate, activate, deploy, or delete application and data files, an application database for storing the application and data files, and an interface to monitor the operational state of the plurality of real-time processing nodes. The method includes the steps of using a plurality of state tables to monitor the state of the application and data files and deploying the application and data files to the plurality of real-time processing nodes according to commands received from the user interface, the plurality of state tables, and the operational state of the nodes. The invention is particularly suited to provisioning a network of advanced interactive voice response (IVR) service platforms with customer IVR application and data files.

Abstract: The invention provides a telecommunication relay device that relays communication from a first party to at least one second party. The first party and the second party may use terminals of different types such as telephone stations, text telephones, two-way pagers, personal digital assistants with communication capabilities, data network terminals, etc. The telecommunication relay device converts text received from text terminals into voice for voice terminals and converts voice to text and vice versa. The telecommunication relay device also permits the first party to leave messages for other parties. For example, the first party may send an e-mail message using a telephone station or receive an e-mail using a telephone station. In addition, the telecommunication relay device may open a private chat room to allow communication between data network terminals and telephone stations, for example.

Abstract: A telephone line status notification system including at least one telephone line having a status, a communications network, at least one communications terminal which is connectable to the communications network and which is employable by a seeking user to communicate via the communications network a status request concerning the status of the at least one telephone line, apparatus for processing the status request the apparatus for processing is connectable to the communications network for receiving the status request from the seeking user therethrough and communicating the request, and apparatus for acquiring the status of the at least one telephone line, the apparatus for acquiring is in communication with the apparatus for processing for receiving the status request therefrom, and the apparatus for acquiring is connectable to the communications network for communicating the status via the communications network.

Abstract: A telephone system provides personalized announcements to calling parties in support of branded products and services of the system and others during call processing to called parties. A processor coupled to the system includes a database of designated calling parties receiving personal announcements. Record means stored in the processor for each designated calling party define the parameters for each personalized announcement. Call processing means responsive to the processor initiate a call from the calling party to a called party according to the parameters for the calling party defined in the record means. In one form, audio means under control of the processor play the personalized announcement to the calling party during the pre-answer period of the call or until the call is abandoned or the line is busy.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a telephone system and method that identify and announce the caller and/or the callee of an incoming telephone call. After receiving a telephone call from a caller, the telephone system answers the incoming telephone call. The identity of the caller is then determined. The telephone system prompts the caller to say his/her name. The name is recorded and repeatedly played back through a built-in speaker announcing the name of the caller to the users of the telephone. The telephone system may also ask the caller to say the name of the callee. In that case, the name of the callee is also recorded and repeatedly played back. The name of the caller and the name of the callee are both announced to the users of the telephone.

Abstract: A point-of-presence (POP) call center system capable of answering, servicing, queuing and routing of calls at local points of presence to reduce communications costs and enhance operational efficiency for toll-free inbound call centers. The POP call center system includes a set of point-of-presence call center gateways distributed at points of presence close to the point of call origination that are connected by a virtual private network to premises call center gateways at business locations where the call centers reside.