Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Kredo

Thomas J. Kredo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7280535
    Abstract: A caller places a telephone call and enters an access code when calling a subscriber. The caller's access code signal is generated by the caller when the caller inputs his or her access code. The call is transmitted over the Public Switched Telephone Network to a subscriber's telephone number. A Call Router Server capable of receiving the caller's telephone call and the caller's access code signal is provided. The Call Router Server detects the caller's access code signal and then directing the caller's telephone call to the subscriber to be completed in a particular manner based upon the caller's access code. An Access Code Server which is Web server is provided that allows a subscriber to input the manner in which incoming telephone calls will be received and completed based upon the access code signal that is received by the Call Router Server. This information is stored on a Database Server, which instructs the Call Router Server on the proper routing pattern of the incoming telephone call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Richard G. Bergman, Stephen D. Knight, Thomas J. Kredo, George Hillenbrand
  • Patent number: 7020262
    Abstract: A personal directory system 10 has a translation server 40 for verifying the identity of a subscriber and recognizing the name of one or more subscribers that are stored on a personal directory of another subscriber. A caller is connected by a public telephone switch to the server 40 that accesses a personal directory computer 60 located on the World Wide Web 50. The requested number and/or speed dial number are converted from text to speech and the public telephone switch automatically dials the requested number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Nortel Networks, Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Stephen Knight
  • Patent number: 6876728
    Abstract: The present invention allows telephony users and on-line users to communicate with one another using an instant messaging (IM) service. The on-line user will provide and receive textual messages, wherein the telephony user will provide and receive corresponding audible messages. These messages may convey emotion using associated emotional indicia, such as emoticons, or other emotional indicia, including the use of capitalization, emphasis, and the like. Emotional indicia provided in the text messages from the on-line user are audibly conveyed to the telephony user. Similarly, emotional indicia provided by the telephony user in the form of actual emotions or commands are provided in text to the on-line user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Margaret Avino, Richard Bergman
  • Patent number: 6823370
    Abstract: An operator assisted system helps a caller browse the World Wide Web without requiring the caller use a computer. The invention enables a caller on a POTS or cellular/wireless telephone connection to connect with an operator to search and select Web-based content. The invention collects desired search results and passes them to an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system for presentation to the POTS/Cellular caller. The invention facilitates high-quality search request interpretation and highly-efficient Web searches by a trained operator, using a visual PC based browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Kenneth J. Kohl, Stephen Knight
  • Patent number: 6816578
    Abstract: The present invention allows telephony users and on line users to communicate with one another using an instant massaging (AIM) service. The on line IM user will provide and receive textual messages, wherein the telephony user will provide and receive corresponding audible messages. To allow more efficient interaction with the telephony user, responses to queries posed to the telephony user are structured with possible answers. The answers are used to define and limit the voice recognition grammar for processing the telephony user's response. Predefining the grammar for responses increases the effectiveness of the speech recognition system and the integrity of the IM session. Further, voice commands may be predefined to facilitate better control of the IM session as well as provide more effective communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Margaret Avino, Richard Bergman
  • Patent number: 6798772
    Abstract: A caller places a telephone call and enters an access code when calling a subscriber. The caller's access code signal is generated by the caller when the caller inputs his or her access code. The call is transmitted over the Public Switched Telephone Network to a subscriber's telephone number. A Call Router Server capable of receiving the caller's telephone call and the caller's access code signal is provided. The Call Router Server detects the caller's access code signal and then directing the caller's telephone call to the subscriber to be completed in a particular manner based upon the caller's access code. An Access Code Server which is Web server is provided that allows a subscriber to input the manner in which incoming telephone calls will be received and completed based upon the access code signal that is received by the Call Router Server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Nortel Network Limited
    Inventors: Richard G. Bergman, Stephen D. Knight, Thomas J. Kredo, George Hillenbrand
  • Publication number: 20040161095
    Abstract: A personal directory system 10 has a translation server 40 for verifying the identity of a subscriber and recognizing the name of one or more subscribers that are stored on a personal directory of another subscriber. A caller is connected by a public telephone switch to the server 40 that accesses a personal directory computer 60 located on the World Wide Web 50. The requested number and/or speed dial number are converted from text to speech and the public telephone switch automatically dials the requested number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Stephen Knight
  • Patent number: 6714637
    Abstract: An audio alerting announcement signals a subscriber 80 during an ongoing call with a distinctive tone to indicate the identity of another party who is trying to call the subscriber. A telephony call-waiting subscriber customizes Call Waiting indicators in order to give immediate recognition of caller or caller classification via audio signaling. The caller or caller classification is based on the calling party's Line Number ID. This capability is not restricted to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) environment, but will function equally well in a voice-over-IP telephony network as well, on a network such as the World Wide Web, or will function in a hybrid system containing elements of both PSTN and voice-over-IP networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventor: Thomas J. Kredo
  • Patent number: 6714641
    Abstract: A personal directory system 10 has a translation server 40 for verifying the identity of a subscriber and recognizing the name of one or more subscribers that are stored on a personal directory of another subscriber. A caller is connected by a public telephone switch to the server 40 that accesses a personal directory computer 60 located on the World Wide Web 50. The requested number and/or speed dial number are converted from text to speech and the public telephone switch automatically dials the requested number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Nortel Networks, Ltd
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Stephen Knight
  • Publication number: 20030128691
    Abstract: A caller places a telephone call and enters an access code when calling a subscriber. The caller's access code signal is generated by the caller when the caller inputs his or her access code. The call is transmitted over the Public Switched Telephone Network to a subscriber's telephone number. A Call Router Server capable of receiving the caller's telephone call and the caller's access code signal is provided. The Call Router Server detects the caller's access code signal and then directing the caller's telephone call to the subscriber to be completed in a particular manner based upon the caller's access code. An Access Code Server which is Web server is provided that allows a subscriber to input the manner in which incoming telephone calls will be received and completed based upon the access code signal that is received by the Call Router Server. This information is stored on a Database Server, which instructs the Call Router Server on the proper routing pattern of the incoming telephone call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 1999
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventors: RICHARD G. BERGMAN, STEPHEN D. KNIGHT, THOMAS J. KREDO, GEORGE HILLENBRAND
  • Publication number: 20030002633
    Abstract: The present invention allows telephony users and on-line users to communicate with one another using an instant messaging (IM) service. The on-line user will provide and receive textual messages, wherein the telephony user will provide and receive corresponding audible messages. These messages may convey emotion using associated emotional indicia, such as emoticons, or other emotional indicia, including the use of capitalization, emphasis, and the like. Emotional indicia provided in the text messages from the on-line user are audibly conveyed to the telephony user. Similarly, emotional indicia provided by the telephony user in the form of actual emotions or commands are provided in text to the on-line user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Margaret Avino, Richard Bergman
  • Patent number: 6449636
    Abstract: The invention marks a reference point at a chosen Internet site such a page on the World Wide Web. It stores the address of the page and a reference location on the page that is proximate to desired data. The program generates and stores a label corresponding to the desired data. When the program is later activated, it automatically searches the Web for the stored pages, accesses the site with the stored site address and marked reference point and retrieves the targeted data at the site corresponding to the stored label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Andrew J. Mitchell
  • Publication number: 20020057783
    Abstract: A personal directory system 10 has a translation server 40 for verifying the identity of a subscriber and recognizing the name of one or more subscribers that are stored on a personal directory of another subscriber. A caller is connected by a public telephone switch to the server 40 that accesses a personal directory computer 60 located on the World Wide Web 50. The requested number and/or speed dial number are converted from text to speech and the public telephone switch automatically dials the requested number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: THOMAS J. KREDO, STEPHEN KNIGHT
  • Patent number: 6332020
    Abstract: The present invention is an ADSI download system. The system 10 has one or more ADSI telephones 12, a telephone network 14, a network application server 16, a download request database file 9, and one or more remote sites 18 located on the WWW or on a proprietary network, such as America On Line or Prodigy. The computer network site location 18 contains an ADSI mergable file 19 that includes information such as local weather, stock quotes, news, announcements or advertisements. In response to a caller initiated or a server initiated download, the server 14 accesses the site 18 and transfers the file 19 to the server 16, where it is merged with an ADSI download template, then the resulting file is transferred to a storage location 22 in the telephone 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Andrew J. Mitchell, Richard G. Bergman, Thomas J. Kredo
  • Patent number: 6259771
    Abstract: A telephone announcement system 10 has a URL computer 30 that accesses announcements stored on Internet sites 41-44. Subscribers may enter the sites 41-44 to create or change announcements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Mike Sutter, Stephen Kane
  • Patent number: 6182045
    Abstract: A network includes an administrative update station and an audio update station that are connected to a computer network, in particular, the World Wide Web. One or more IVR systems and one or more audio servers are likewise connected to the World Wide Web. The audio server holds the master address URL for the audio files. The IVRs access the Web in order to download updates of audio files. The audio files are administered through the Web by the administrative site and are updated through the Web by the audio update site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Stephen Knight
  • Patent number: 6122349
    Abstract: The present invention is an ADSI download system. The system comprises at least one ADSI device, like a screen-display terminal, and one or more remote sites, like computer network site locations, wherein at least one of the remote sites contains ADSI feature files. The ADSI device stores ADSI download feature files in a storage location, receives and stores a downloaded ADSI feature file from the remote site, and uses the ADSI feature. The telephony network connects the ADSI device to the remote site. A network application server connects the remote site comprising of at least one ADSI feature file with the ADSI device. The user of the ADSI device selects the ADSI feature file on the remote site and the ADSI feature file is then retrieved from the remote site and is downloaded into the storage location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kredo, Stephen D. Knight
  • Patent number: 6108406
    Abstract: The present invention is an ADSI download system. The system 10 has one or more ADSI telephones 12, a telephone network 14, a network application server 16, a download request database file 9, and one or more remote sites 18 located on the WWW or on a proprietary network, such as America On Line or Prodigy. The computer network site location 18 contains an ADSI mergable file 19 that includes information such as local weather, stock quotes, news, announcements or advertisements. In response to a caller initiated or a server initiated download, the server 14 accesses the site 18 and transfers the file 19 to the server 16, where it is merged with an ADSI download template, then the resulting file is transferred to a storage location 22 in the telephone 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew J. Mitchell, Richard G. Bergman, Thomas J. Kredo