Abstract: A communications system is designed to present a number of options to a caller who is attempting to reach a call-waiting subscriber already busy on a first call. The options are presented to the caller via an announcement that offers the caller the alternative of either sending immediately a conventional call-waiting alert signal to the subscriber, or leaving a message that is automatically delivered to the subscriber immediately after the subscriber terminates the first call.

Abstract: A method for identifying new customers or recently changed telephone services is disclosed. The methodology discovers systems and methods for capturing telephone numbers that appear on the records of recent telephone calls of a communications network, which can or cannot be a network customer, and categorizing the telephone number as a known telephone number or an unknown telephone number. The methodology includes looking-up a name and address for telephone numbers, which are categorized as unknown telephone numbers, in a current directory service. A comparison can be performed using the looked-up name and address from the current directory service with names and addresses in a historical data source. If the looked-up name and address from the current directory service differ from name and address in the historical data source, the unknown telephone number is identified as a new customer or a recently changed telephone service.

Abstract: A system utilizing a transmitter emitting a unique signal and a base station receiver having a database of household members is used to ascertain the identity of household members who are home at any particular time. Such information is used by the local telephone network to provide specialized telephone services to the household based on the identity of the household members who are home. A manual and emergency services override is provided to permit the completion of telephone calls from emergency services personnel and other persons irrespective of the presence or absence of any household member. The information regarding the presence or absence of household members also may be used to intelligently provide other household services such as heating and cooling or home security depending on the identity of persons who are home.

Abstract: A method utilizing a transmitter emitting a unique signal and a base station receiver having a database of household members is used to ascertain the identity of household members who are home at any particular time. Such information is used by the local telephone network to provide specialized telephone services to the household based on the identity of the household members who are home. A manual and emergency services override is provided to permit the completion of telephone calls from emergency services personnel and other persons irrespective of the presence or absence of any household member. The information regarding the presence or absence of household members also may be used to intelligently provide other household services such as heating and cooling or home security depending on the identity of persons who are home.

Abstract: A system utilizing a transmitter emitting a unique signal and a base station receiver having a database of household members is used to ascertain the identity of household members who are home at any particular time. Such information is used by the local telephone network to provide specialized telephone services to the household based on the identity of the household members who are home. A manual and emergency services override is provided to permit the completion of telephone calls from emergency services personnel and other persons irrespective of the presence or absence of any household member. The information regarding the presence or absence of household members also may be used to intelligently provide other household services such as heating and cooling or home security depending on the identity of persons who are home.

Abstract: A communications system is designed to present a number of options to a caller who is attempting to reach a call-waiting subscriber already busy on a first call. The options are presented to the caller via an announcement that offers the caller the alternative of either sending immediately a conventional call-waiting alert signal to the subscriber, or leaving a message that is automatically delivered to the subscriber immediately after the subscriber terminates the first call.

Abstract: A system utilizing a transmitter emitting a unique signal and a base station receiver having a database of household members is used to ascertain the identity of household members who are home at any particular time. Such information is used by the local telephone network to provide specialized telephone services to the household based on the identity of the household members who are home. A manual and emergency services override is provided to permit the completion of telephone calls from emergency services personnel and other persons irrespective of the presence or absence of any household member. The information regarding the presence or absence of household members also may be used to intelligently provide other household services such as heating and cooling or home security depending on the identity of persons who are home.

Abstract: A method utilizing a transmitter emitting a unique signal and a base station receiver having a database of household members is used to ascertain the identity of household members who are home at any particular time. Such information is used by the local telephone network to provide specialized telephone services to the household based on the identity of the household members who are home. A manual and emergency services override is provided to permit the completion of telephone calls from emergency services personnel and other persons irrespective of the presence or absence of any household member. The information regarding the presence or absence of household members also may be used to intelligently provide other household services such as heating and cooling or home security depending on the identity of persons who are home.

Abstract: A system utilizing a transmitter emitting a unique signal and a base station receiver having a database of household members is used to ascertain the identity of household members who are home at any particular time. Such information is used by the local telephone network to provide specialized telephone services to the household based on the identity of the household members who are home. A manual and emergency services override is provided to permit the completion of telephone calls from emergency services personnel and other persons irrespective of the presence or absence of any household member. The information regarding the presence or absence of household members also may be used to intelligently provide other household service such as heating and cooling or home security depending on the identity of persons who are home.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for setting user communication parameters for a voice communication between a calling party and a called party, whereby at least one of the calling party and the called party include at least a first user and a second user. In the present invention, after a voice communication is established between the parties, a user communication parameter of the first user is set if the first user is determined to be a registered user in accordance with the first user's identification. If the first user passes the communication to the second user, the communication parameter is changed to that of the second user by determining the second user's identification. The present invention also provides a method and apparatus for setting user communication parameters based on priority information of the users if the first and second users are in the communication simultaneously.

Abstract: A communications system is designed to present a number of options to a caller who is attempting to reach a call-waiting subscriber already busy on a first call. The options are presented to the caller via an announcement that offers the caller the alternative of either sending immediately a conventional call-waiting alert signal to the subscriber, or leaving a message that is automatically delivered to the subscriber immediately after the subscriber terminates the first call.

Abstract: A credit card sized universal card that a user may transform at will into a credit card, ATM card, employee access card, and/or any other conventional magnetic-stripe type card. To prevent the card from being used by anyone other than its owner, a security test may be presented each time the user tries to transform the universal card. The security test may involve, for example, electronically comparing the user's fingerprint with the owner's fingerprint. A database may be generated containing the fingerprints of the owners of universal cards.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for setting user communication parameters for a voice communication between a calling party and a called party, whereby at least one of the calling party and the called party include at least a first user and a second user. In the present invention, after a voice communication is established between the parties, a user communication parameter of the first user is set if the first user is determined to be a registered user in accordance with the first user's identification. If the first user passes the communication to the second user, the communication parameter is changed to that of the second user by determining the second user's identification. The present invention also provides a method and apparatus for setting user communication parameters based on priority information of the users if the first and second users are in the communication simultaneously.

Abstract: A communications system is designed to present a number of options to a caller who is attempting to reach a call-waiting subscriber already busy on a first call. The options are presented to the caller via an announcement that offers the caller the alternative of either sending immediately a conventional call-waiting alert signal to the subscriber, or leaving a message that is automatically delivered to the subscriber immediately after the subscriber terminates the first call.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for customized call processing based on voice identification of users. In the present invention, each user is registered as a user of a user device in a user profile database. When a user activates the user device and speaks into the audio receiver of the user device, a voice input message is sent to a customized service processor. The voice input message includes a header that contains an identifier that identifies the user device. The customized service processor searches the user profile database for the entry(s) corresponding to the identity of the user device. Once found, the customized service processor extracts voice pattern features from the received voice input message and compares the extracted voice pattern features against the pre-stored voice pattern features for each of the registered users of the user device.

Abstract: A system and method for remotely answering a phone call involves receiving a call over a first communications link at the home or office of a subscriber. A call recipient at a remote location is alerted of the call. Next, the call recipient is coupled to a bridging element over a second communications link. The bridging element bridges the first communications link and the second communications link together so that remote call recipient is connected to the call. The bridging is done so that the remote call recipient is connected to the calling party seamlessly.