Abstract: A telephone apparatus for screening calls on the basis of messages containing message data, the messages being transmitted by a central office before a first ring burst is transmitted by the central office. The apparatus includes a message receiver, a decoder, a ringer and a ringer controller. The message receiver is in communication with the central office line and is operable to receive a message while the telephone is on-hook. The decoder decodes the message to extract the message data from the message. The ringer is operable to sound an audible alarm when a telephone call is received and the ringer controller prevents the ringer from sounding in response to the first ring burst, when the message data satisfies a pre-defined condition.

Abstract: A parking manager manages calls to be parked and parking resources on one or more parking platforms, and can be used in a system that combines the functionalities of call parking and intelligent call routing. The parking manager provides management of parking resources and complete control of the call throughout the entire duration of the call. The parking manager makes a common pool of parking resources available to all customers, and thus increases the availability of parking resources at call center ACDs and other customer premise equipment.

Abstract: A method for transferring automatic recall-related information from a switch to a service control point for storage and providing the automatic recall-related information to an external network element, such as a service node, for enhanced services, such as automatic recall telecommunications service. Automatic recall service allows a customer to dial a special feature code and receive an enunciation of the directory number of the last incoming caller. Typically, automatic recall-related information is stored in the called party switch and is not accessible to external network elements that may provide enhanced services with this information. This automatic recall-related information may include information such as the directory number of the last incoming caller, the time stamp of the last incoming call, and/or the privacy indicator of the last incoming call. The method includes transferring the automatic recall-related information to an SCP for storage.

Abstract: A system for processing outbound calls includes a system controller that controls the placement of an outbound call to a called number. The called number placed by the system controller has an associated country. The system includes a storage mechanism that stores multiple sets of call classification parameters. Each set of call classification parameters is associated with a particular country. A call classifier is coupled to the system controller and the storage mechanism. The call classifier can classify the result of the outbound call based on call classification parameters associated with the target country. The call classification parameters can include call progress tones associated with the country to which the outbound call was placed. The call classifier can also classify the answer status of the outbound call.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accessing data stored in a local telephone terminal from a remote terminal and displaying or storing it on the remote terminal. An ADSI or JAVA script or readable message is sent to the local telephone terminal, providing it with instructions about how to transmit and translate the data for use by the remote terminal. The method allows for password protection of the date and non-ringing of the local telephone terminal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a telecommunications service. To request the service, a service request (REQ1) is sent from a terminal (TE) to a service-providing system (SU) including part of a communications network (KN1). On receipt of the service request (REQ1), a service-specific service logic of the service-providing system (SU) is activated and a service-specific control program (PRO) is loaded from the service-providing system (SU) into the requesting terminal (TE). To provide the service, the service-specific service logic in the service-providing system (SU) cooperates with the service-specific control program (PRO) in the terminal (TE).

Abstract: A method of engineering a service in a telecommunications network includes receiving a service package including a series of items. The items each have a plurality of standard information blocks. A request to engineer the service package is received. In response, at least some of the information blocks for at least some of the items are graphically displayed in an array. The information blocks in the array are arranged by item.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sending interswitch mail within a private automatic call distribution system from a first user to a second user of the automatic call distribution system using non-call associated temporary signalling connections. The method includes the steps of receiving a mail request from the first user to the second user of the private automatic call distribution system and determining a switch routing path from the first user to the second user. The method further includes the steps of requesting a private network type connection between the first switch and the second switch and transferring the mail from the first user to the second user using an ISDN protocol over the requested private type connection.

Abstract: A switch for a telephony system in which an automatic conferencing service resides as a software module. To establish a conference call using the automatic conferencing service, an originating party dials a conference call access number. In response, the originating party receives a prompt tone indicating that phone numbers for a series of terminating parties for which participation in the conference call is desired. After entering a first phone number, the originating party selects an end of phone number delimiter. The originating party may then enter a next phone number or select an end of phone numbers entry delimiter. Upon detecting the end of phone numbers entry delimiter, the automatic conferencing service will send a call request for each of the terminating parties for which phone numbers were provided, initiate a countdown a time-out period and apply ringback to the telephone of the originating party.

Abstract: A system for an international telephone redial service is provided for callers who attempt to complete telephone calls to parties via foreign telephone networks. If a call is not completed, the foreign network returns unsuccessful call reason information related to the cause of the call completion failure. Informative messages may be played to the caller to inform the caller of the nature of a given call failure. Unsuccessful call reason information may be organized in groups, so that each group of unsuccessful call reason information is associated with a different informative message. International redial service may be selectively based on unsuccessful call reason information. International redial service may be inhibited when the cause of a call completion failure is due to a semi-permanent condition, such as when a non-existent number is dialed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing a telephone operating company with the ability to rapidly deploy advanced services into a public switched telephone network includes a service control unit (SCU) for externally controlling call processing of a service call received on a port of a switch matrix. Call control processing is achieved through a high-speed communications link between the switch matrix and the SCU. The SCU receives a new call event notification message from the communications link and selects a service application stored within the SCU to control processing of the service call. One or more primitives is generated by the SCU and output to control actions of the switch matrix, thus controlling processing of the service call. The primitives may include a comprehensive set of primitives (instructions) for call manipulation and control at the switch matrix.

Abstract: A service and facility initiation device (10) includes a first relay matrix (12) and a second relay matrix (14) coupled by an initiation bus (16). The first relay matrix (12) includes relays (30) that provide service feeds to primary/redundant and secondary service drops from primary and secondary in-service feeds received at the first relay matrix (12) and additional service feeds from the second relay matrix (14) via the initiation bus (16). The second relay matrix (14) includes relays (34) to place additional service feeds onto the initiation bus (16). The service and facility initiation device (10) includes a modem (28) or other communications interface that receives external control information to remotely operate relay drivers (20) for appropriate configuration of the relays (30 and 34) according to the service needs and requests of local customers.

Abstract: An automatic call-back device notifies a subscriber when a called party's telephone station is no longer busy. When the subscriber calls a called party and the called party's telephone station is busy, the automatic call-back device offers the subscriber call-back options for calling the subscriber when the called party's telephone station is no longer busy. If selected, the automatic call-back device monitors the called party's telephone station for an on-hook signal, for example. When the called party goes on-hook, the automatic call-back device calls the called party and the subscriber and connects the subscriber and the called party in a call. If multiple subscribers call the same called party, the automatic call-back device stores an identifier corresponding to each subscriber in a call-back list based on when each subscriber called the called party. When the called party goes on-hook, the automatic call-back device contacts the first subscriber in the call-back list (i.e.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for call conferencing between multiline subscribers in a telephone exchange system, the multiline subscribers having at least one phone number jointly and at least one common key, each common key representing a corresponding joint phone number. A common key of a corresponding joint phone number is pressed to set up a conference call while a multiline subscriber is communicating with or making a conference call to a subscriber.

Abstract: A method for locating an electronic device such as a stolen portable computer. The method includes initiating a phone call; receiving automatic number identification (ANI) information; and terminating the phone call before the call is answered. The received ANI information may then be provided to law enforcement agencies so that they may retrieve the electronic device. The act of initiating and terminating may be performed by a computer or a modem.

Abstract: A system and method for allowing telephone subscribers to update over the Internet the features which are active on the telephone. A server on the Internet is connected to a profile repository which determines which features are active on each subscriber line. Subscribers with Internet access may access a special home page, and access their feature profile and make additions, deletions etc. to it. This eliminates the need for a human operator to process requests for changing feature profiles.

Abstract: A method for providing access to services during communication between subscribers over a communication path on a switched communication network is provided. In a first step, the injection of a DTMF service request signal by a first subscriber is detected. In a second step, a service is provided to a subscriber that corresponds to the DTMF service request signal from a set of services. The set of services includes a service that terminates the communication path to a second subscriber.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a telephone operating company with the ability to rapidly deploy advanced services into a public switched telephone network includes a programmable service node interacting with a programmable switch matrix. The call processing of a call (associated with one or more ports on the programmable switch matrix) is controlled externally when particular triggering criteria is met (i.e., the call requires or desires external control). When the triggering criteria is met, the service node outputs a new call event notification message over a communications link to an external unit and receives one or more messages over the same link. Call control processing is achieved through this high-speed communications link between the programmable switch matrix and the external unit using a communications protocol defining a comprehensive set of primitives (instructions) for call manipulation and control at the programmable switch matrix which are received by the programmable service node.

Abstract: There is disclosed an incoming call transfer controller for performing control so as to transfer a call incoming to a certain telephone terminal to another terminal.

Abstract: A system and method to provide a busy signal to a communication without a terminating network element providing answer supervision and without the originating caller associated with the communication being charged for the communication. A communication that has been forwarded over an integrated services digital network (ISDN) interface connection from a central office to a terminating network element for further routing of the communication to a terminating unit is accepted at the terminating network element and an ISDN interface connection is made, but answer supervision with respect to the communication is not provided. Upon a determination that the terminating unit to which the communication would otherwise be forwarded is busy, the terminating network element provides an ISDN release complete message with respect to the communication to the central office. The ISDN release complete message instructs the central office to play a busy signal to the communication.