Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing intelligent paging services is disclosed. A server receives a paging request from a customer. The page request may be, for example, a telephone call initiated by the customer from a telephone. The server then determines the identity of the customer who initiated the page request and (if necessary) the condition which prompted the identified customer to initiate the page request. The identity and condition information is then used to identify a predetermined list of one or more parties who should be contacted on behalf of the customer and how they should be contacted. Examples of the contact methods the server may execute include making a telephone call to a designated number via a public switched telephone network (PSTN), sending a page to a designated pager via the PSTN, and/or sending an electronic mail (e-mail) message to an Internet protocol (IP) addressable device via an IP network.

Abstract: Unique, voicemail pages are used to improve communication systems which combine both voicemail and paging devices. A “deletion”, voicemail page is used to automatically delete previously sent voicemail pages in a pager at virtually the same time as a corresponding voicemail message is being deleted in a voicemail system. Other unique voicemail pages make it possible to restrict the notification of a received voicemail page and provide the capability of listening to voicemail messages while viewing a separately sent, corresponding page on a pager.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing intelligent paging services is disclosed. A server receives a paging request from a customer. The page request may be, for example, a telephone call initiated by the customer from a telephone. The server then determines the identity of the customer who initiated the page request and (if necessary) the condition which prompted the identified customer to initiate the page request. The identity and condition information is then used to identify a predetermined list of one or more parties who should be contacted on behalf of the customer and how they should be contacted. Examples of the contact methods the server may execute include making a telephone call to a designated number via a public switched telephone network (PSTN), sending a page to a designated pager via the PSTN, and/or sending an electronic mail (e-mail) message to an Internet protocol (IP) addressable device via an IP network.

Abstract: A technique for bridging the gap between an initial call and a return call by using network capabilities to capture the caller's information and by providing efficacious means for reaching the caller at a later time. The subscribed user, i.e., the called party, is provided with an opportunity to access a self-generating return call list which stores the names and the telephone numbers of the callers who could not speak to the subscribed user e.g., the subscribed user was not available to answer within a predetermined number of rings or was busy with another call. In addition, the system may be configured to create entries in the return call list for all incoming calls to the subscribed user, irrespective of whether the incoming calls were answered or not. The subscribed user may at any time access the return call list, either from his own telephone or some other DTMF telephone set.

Abstract: A technique for monitoring the calls placed to the telephone number associated with the party under surveillance. When a call to the telephone number associated with party under surveillance is placed, the call is routed via an assigned meet-me bridge, and a third party is provided with the unique telephone number of the meet-me bridge via a pager. When the third party places a call to the assigned meet-me bridge, the incoming call to the party under surveillance and the call by the third party are bridged. Thereon, the third party is placed on mute and the third party may silently listen to the conversation between the caller and the called party. When a call (i.e., a page) to a telephone number associated with a pager of the party under surveillance is received, a third party is alerted.

Abstract: Apparatus for linking multiple baseband telephone lines to provide broadband communication. The apparatus comprises a broadband port, a plurality of baseband ports, and a controller. The broadband port provides connection to a broadband device or broadband communication line. The baseband ports provide connection to baseband communication lines. The controller integrates baseband data streams accepted at the baseband ports into a broadband data stream for transmission at the broadband port, and/or demultiplexes a broadband data stream received at the broadband port into baseband streams for transmission at the baseband ports. The baseband data include message data corresponding to the message data of the broadband stream, and control data describing an interrelationship among the message data, for controlling integrating of said baseband message data. The invention allows an individual to use multiple plain old telephone service (POTS) lines in combination to emulate the capability of a broadband line.

Abstract: A secure communication mechanism for communicating credit card or other sensitive information between a user terminal and a server which communicate over a data network (e.g.,Internet). For secure or private communication of sensitive information over a data network, a telephone connection is established between the originating server to which the user is connected for access to the data network and the SP to which the sensitive information is directed. The method and system provide for a secure electronic commercial transaction between a user and a service provider which charges for information and/or services and/or goods, wherein sensitive information includes credit card information transmitted from the user to the service provider, and/or electronic information or services transmitted from the service provider to the user in exchange for payment received from the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for prioritizing telphone calls that enables a caller to specify priority criteria relating to the calls and a recipient to specify priority criteria relating to the treatment of the calls.

Abstract: A method for use in completing a caller's telephone call that is placed to the telephone number of a called party, comprises the steps of receiving the caller's call, in response to which selecting a meet-me system from among a plurality of meet-me systems. The method further comprises the steps of routing the caller's call to the selected meet-me system, and, routing a call originated by said called party to this selected meet-me system so as to connect to the caller's call at the selected meet-me system. Thereafter, the method includes the step of transmitting appropriate instructions associated with a plurality of available features to the called party so as to allow the called party to select at least one of the available features.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed which allow a telecommunications network carrier to apply services and/or features to calls carried by another independent telecommunications network carrier. The method and system enable the receipt of a call, made by a caller to a virtual telephone number, at an MFA switch in a telecommunications network. A determination is made as to whether the call is a special call by way of a Dialed Number Trigger Table. If the call is not a special call it is routed to its destination. Otherwise, a database query identifies from the dialed virtual telephone numbers an actual telephone number representing an end user device corresponding to the virtual telephone number. A determination of whether a service is to be applied to the call is made and, if so, the service is applied. The call is then routed from the MFA switch to a device located outside the telecommunications network for connection to the end user telephone device represented by the actual telephone number.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for prioritizing telephone calls that allow the caller to specify priority criteria relating to a call and the recipient to specify priority criteria relating to the treatment of incoming calls. The caller designates priority of the call based on specified priority criteria. The caller's specified priority criteria is stored in a database in the telephone service provider's network, is retrieved from the database when the caller places a call and is transmittal with the call through the telephone network. The call recipient designates specified priority criteria for incoming calls. The call recipient's specified priority criteria is stored in a database and is retrieved from the database in response to incoming calls. The treatment of a call, i.e. connection, termination or redirection, is based on comparison of the caller's specified priority criteria and the call recipient's specified priority criteria.

Abstract: In providing personal telephone calling capability as a service, for reliability purposes, it is necessary to have available several independent meet-me systems, to provide redundant capability in the event of a failure of any one of them. Each meet-me system has at least 1) one meet-me bridge and 2) its own telephone trunks directly connecting it to the telephone network over which it receives return calls. A problem with doing so is insuring that the return call is properly bridged to the caller's call when a) the telephone number for the return call is a predetermined translatable telephone number and b) the particular one of the meet-me systems to which the caller's call is connected is determined only upon receiving in the network the call placed by the caller.

Abstract: Calls to geographically limited toll-free telephone numbers, when originated from outside the predefined geographic region, are completed, but not at the called party's expense, by a) indicating to the caller that the telephone call, which otherwise will be blocked, will be completed on his behalf if the caller provides for payment of the cost of the call and b) completing the call if a signal is received from the caller indicating that the caller agrees to pay the cost of the call. Advantageously, the caller is not automatically charged for what he believed would be a free telephone call. The caller may pay for the call by charging it to any conventionally available account for charging telephone calls to which the caller is authorized to charge charges. If the account associated with the caller's telephone is selected by the caller for charging the call, a further test is made to determine if the ability to charge the cost of such geographically-limited toll-free calls to the account has been blocked.

Abstract: Telephone calls and corresponding caller identification information are delivered to a multi-line user having a plurality of agent terminals by a plurality of communications lines with one of the communications lines being a common voice-data communications line. All telephone calls and corresponding caller identification information are routed over respective voice and data channels in the common voice-data communications line, if such line is not busy with a previous caller to the multi-line user. If such line is busy, then the caller identification information is routed over the data channel of the common voice-data communications line while the call is routed over one of the other communications lines.

Abstract: We have recognized that in the prior art, to insure that there is at least some communication between the calling and called parties, when the called party is unavailable to take a call, the calling party may be connected to an alternate destination, e.g., a voice messaging system, and the caller's telephone call is considered completed. If the called party thereafter becomes available, the called party is not connected to the caller's telephone call. However, in accordance with the principles of the invention, this problem is overcome by, in response to receipt of an indication that the called party is available for a caller's telephone call after the caller's telephone call has already been connected to an alternate destination, a) disconnecting the caller's telephone call from the alternate destination and, instead, b) connecting it the called party, thus interrupting the connection between the caller and the alternate destination.