Abstract: A data entry and processing system providing for simple two stroke entry of numerous auxiliary alpha-numeric data in addition to the single stroke entry of numeric data, using conventional data entry keys. The key array includes a set of radial direction indicator keys that are used with the conventional keys to select and enter a given alpha-numeric data item. An LCD display, a pre-programed micro-processor and other electronic components are included to display the data entries, as well as to convert entered data signals to the necessary DTMF tones for telecommunication or ASCII codes for computer data entries. The system is simple for use by ordinary users, and all electronic components are standard, miniscule in size, small in number, low in power need and low in cost. It is particularly adaptable for miniaturized device application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to inform an online computer user of the presence of an incoming telephone call without disturbing an associated modem connection is disclosed. A telephony device is connected to a telephone line, modem and telephone set, and utilizes a Call Waiting service provided by the telephone company. Upon detection of a Call Waiting signal the telephony device generates a four second warbling tone to a piezoelectric sounder alert the user to the presence of an inbound telephone call. The user may answer or ignore the telephone call. Caller identifiers included in incoming calls may be used to alert the user of the origin of the incoming call before the user decides to accept or ignore the call. When the telephony device determines that the user has lifted the telephone set, it places the modem on hold, generates a signal displayed as a colored LED display, connects the telephone to the incoming tip/ring connection, thus establishing a connection to the caller.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating the design and development of automatic response unit (ARU) services and for processing automated response unit (ARU) services. The present invention comprises a compiler and interpreter that facilitate the development of an ARU service encoding. The interpreter is one embodiment of the present invention that may be used for processing an ARU service encoding. The present invention further comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) tool for creating and maintaining an ARU service encoding. An ARU service encoding is a tree structure comprised of service nodes wherein each service node may represent a caller's menu selection from the ARU service. Each service node has multiple components including variable support, message capability, processing capability, and default capability. The present invention parses the ARU service encoding for service nodes.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating the design and development of automatic response unit (ARU) services and for processing automated response unit (ARU) services. The present invention comprises a compiler and interpreter that facilitate the development of an ARU service encoding. The interpreter is one embodiment of the present invention that may be used for processing an ARU service encoding. The present invention further comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) tool for creating and maintaining an ARU service encoding. An ARU service encoding is a tree structure comprised of service nodes wherein each service node may represent a caller's menu selection from the ARU service. Each service node has multiple components including variable support, message capability, processing capability, and default capability. The present invention parses the ARU service encoding for service nodes.

Abstract: A system is described for assisting the hard of hearing in the use of the telephone, the system termed here text enhanced telephony or TET. The hard of hearing user uses a TET device or appliance which permits the user to speak and to hear the words spoken by the other party, the TET device also supplying to the user a text character stream of the words spoken by the other party. The TET system uses the system of voice-to-text relays, already in existence to assist the deaf community communicate with hearing persons over the telephone, to translate the spoken voice into a text stream. The TET relay and TET device are capable of separating voice and digital communications frequencies carrying text so that voice and a text communications stream of the words spoken by the voice can be carried over a common telephone line. The devices can also be capable of automated capabilities such that the devices can automatically configure a three-party relay call without the need for the user's instructions.

Abstract: An interface unit for a telephone receives data from an external source, such as an ISDN switch. Some of the data from the external source can be displayed on a display of the telephone. The interface unit also receives user inputs from various keys on the telephone, including a set of dialog keys. The interface unit includes a user interface that generates menu messages for displaying and operating a set of menus on the telephone display. A user of the telephone can use the dialog keys to navigate through the menus and perform a variety of actions, including executing telephone functions and changing the configuration of the telephone. A display data selector within the interface unit receives the data from the external source and from the interface unit and selects particular data items to be displayed on the telephone display. The selection of data to be displayed is based in part on the operational state of the telephone. The telephone has an active state, a configuration state and an idle state.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous presence conferencing is disclosed having voice-activated quadrant selection. A control processor in a multipoint control unit selects and assigns anchored sites to anchored regions of a composite video image. The control processor further selects a switched site according to a selection process and assigns the switched site to a switched region of the composite video image. The selection process for selecting the switched site includes evaluating audio signals received from the conference sites to determine a dominant audio signal and selecting the site associated with the dominant audio signal. A rotating site is selected and is assignable to any of the regions. A video processor processes the video signals according to the composite video image assignments to provide composite video signals for transmission to sites in the conference.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and a system for selectively delivering information to callers in an AIN environment. In accordance with the method the service switching point to which is connected the terminal equipment of the caller monitors the condition of the telephone line to detect an AIN trigger, such as an off-hook event among other possibilities. When such event occurs, the service switch point formulates a message query. The query is routed to a service control point via one or more service transfer points, that holds knowledge of the service subscribed by the caller and the information to be displayed for this service. The service control point analyzes the request and assembles the appropriate response. That response is then returned to the service switch point that formats it properly and delivers it to the terminal equipment of the caller. In one embodiment the information delivery is effected during call establishment. In a variant, information is delivered while no call is being attempted.

Abstract: An integrated video conference terminal is disclosed which comprises a monitor for displaying video images from other conferees, lights and a video camera for transmitting the conferees image to a server, speakers for emitting audio, and an optional coin/credit card input for allowing for public operation similar to a pay phone.

Abstract: A technique for initiating communications from a web browser to a destination on either a packet-switched data network or a circuit-switched communication network includes a communication utility capable of interacting with a browser utility and responsive to address information obtained from a website for establishing a communication link with the website with the other destination defined by the address information. In one embodiment, the address information may comprise either an Internet protocol address, an E-mail address, or a traditional telephone number. The communication utility further enables sharing of URL data so that once a communication link is established, the parties may examine the same website pages simultaneously while communicating over a point-to-point communication link.

Abstract: A self-routing calling center system provides the caller with a graphical display showing a plurality of resources. The resources may include voice telephone by which the caller talks to an agent, a video device, a voice mail system, an electronic mail system or a wireless electronic communication system. The information may include, for example, the background, capabilities or credentials of the human agents, and the specifications and location of hardware resources. The system allows a customer to select multiple preferred agents and/or resources, and initiate multiple calls. Subsequently, the caller can connect to the first one of the preferred agents to become available, while simultaneously dropping the other calls. The system also provides a customer with information about routing alternatives, if any of the agents can be reached at an alternate telephone.

Abstract: The present invention allows characteristics of individual distributed telephone sets to be controlled by a central telephone switch. In one embodiment, configuration files are stored locally on the phone set, but control of the configuration files is provided by the phone switch. Alternatively, configurations files may be stored on the phone switch. When modifying the configurations of a particular phone set, the phone switch dynamically determines the options that are available based on factors such as phone set model and additional hardware connected to the phone set. The phone switch provides a menu or other means for modifying characteristics of the phone set. The menu provides options only for characteristics available on the phone set. The user of the phone set interacts with the menu to confirm or modify the characteristics of particular phone set.

Abstract: A telephony call center system comprises an Internet connection adapted for receiving data from a WEB server, the data originating from the computer platform of a person browsing the Internet, including data identifying the browsing person, such as a telephone number, and indicating to the WEB server a desire of the browsing person to communicate with an agent at the call center. The communication desired may be (a) a request for an agent at the call center to receive a telephone call from the browsing person, or (b) a request for a call to be placed to the browsing person from the call center. In both (a) and (b) the practical result is a telephone conference between the browsing person and an agent at the call center. In the first instance (a), in response to the data from the WEB server to the call center, the call center provides to the WEB server, for transfer to the browsing person via the Internet, a telephone number of a routing point at the call center.

Abstract: A telephone is made up of a communication control section 50 for performing communication control as a telephone, a telephone number registration section 52 for enabling at least one telephone number to be registered for one registration name according to operation of an operation section 51, a priority information retention section 53 for assigning display priorities to the telephone numbers for each registration name registered in the telephone number registration section 52 according to operation of the operation section 51 and retaining the priority information, a telephone network type determination section 55 for determining the communication network type for a telephone number when the telephone number is registered in the telephone number registration section 52, a telephone number retrieval section 54 for retrieving a telephone number registered in the telephone number registration section 52, and a display section 56 for displaying at least one telephone number and telephone numbers retained for eac

Abstract: A method for dialing a phone number in a smart phone having both PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and mobile phone functions during operation of a PDA function, comprising the steps of loading the OS (Operating System) program for dialing the phone number during operation of the PDA function, selecting a phone number, displaying a dialing icon according to an embodiment of the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and dialing the selected phone number by selecting the dialing icon in response to the user's request of dialing.

Abstract: A videoconferencing arrangement that selectively creates a composite arrangement of videoconferencing data along with video data from a supplemental video source. In one embodiment, a first analog-to-digital converter provides digital videoconferencing data from a camera source, and a second analog-to-digital converter is arranged to provide digital video data from a supplemental analog video signal source, such as a broadcast television signal. Digital video signals from a remote videoconferencing arrangement are decompressed and provided as input, along with the video data from the camera and supplemental video data, to a video processor. Responsive to selection signals, the video processor scales selected video data and overlays the scaled video data on selected other video data. For example, a live television broadcast can be overlaid with remote videoconferencing data.

Abstract: A graphical call status presentation system. A computer implemented method indicates the status of a communication session using graphical user interface elements. The graphical user interface elements are displayed on a toolbar which can be part of a desktop application or the computer operating system. A state persistence agent in conjunction with application-specific macros controls the graphical user interface elements. The system keeps a user informed of the status of various components of a communication session and also prevents the user from trying to activate functions which cannot be used.

Abstract: A portable communications transceiver having a first hollow body, a second hollow body, and a virtual image display that includes a semiconductor array providing a real image and an optical system mounted in the second body to receive the real image and produce a virtual image at a viewing aperture. Electronics are associated with the array to produce real images in accordance with messages and graphical images received by the receiver. The display is sufficiently small enough to mount in a hand held cellular or portable telephone by the operator while using the telephone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a computer to display a multifunction telephone to augment or supplant a regular desktop telephone, said displayed phone having a variable size which may be increased from a minimum size in increments or with a fixed width or length with the other of the two dimensions infinitely variable to a maximum length or width. Each increment displays different virtual buttons which may be virtually pushed using a keyboard or pointing device to carry out various telephone functions such as speed dialing, transfer, speakerphone etc. using the TAPI Windows interface and library of telephone functions or an analogous library and API in other operating systems. As the size of the phone is varied, more virtual buttons become visible and their functions may be invoked. Preferably, the virtual buttons are positioned on the phone display such that they become visible in the order of frequency of use for the typical user.

Abstract: The system and method consistent with the present invention provides a graphical icon identifying the caller and the location of the call for a communication device.

Abstract: A videophone apparatus with an on-screen telephone keypad user-interface. The videophone communicates video and audio data over a plain old telephone service (POTS) line and includes a video source and a communication channel interface circuit coupled to a programmable processor. The programmable processor is configured and arranged to execute a user interface program for user controlled operation of the videophone apparatus, display a first menu on the display, the first menu referencing a first plurality of options for operating the videophone apparatus and having associated therewith respective indicators of telephone keypad buttons, receive from the telephone keypad a first selection signal indicative of a pressed button, and initiate an operation to control the videophone apparatus in response to the first selection signal.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system (10), a wireless subscriber unit (26) contains a function key (52) for performing an operation on a function value (50). The function value (50) is changed based on receipt of a message (38) sent from a transmission source (21).

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a process for initiating a telephone call, comprises the steps, performed by a processor, of: receiving a network request identifying a telephone number and an account number; retrieving from the database a telephone number associated with the account number; and signaling a telephone switch to place a call connecting instruments corresponding to the telephone number from the request and the telephone number retrieved from the database.

Abstract: A personal communication device includes a display for displaying data and video signals; a loudspeaker for generating an audible signal; a microphone for receiving an audio signal; a keypad for entering data; a telecommunications interface for receiving and transmitting information; and an internal multi-position and multi-function reading head for producing an image signal when in a first position using a first lensing and for reading for image conversion using a second lensing when in a second position.