Abstract: The parties (12, 14) to a telephone call can exchange multimedia information by sending each other a URL that identifies the party's information. Each party may communicate its URL to the other party in the form of a caller identification message for receipt by the other party on a caller identification device (18) connected to computer (20). Upon receipt of the URL, the computer will access the Internet to retrieve the multimedia information corresponding to the URL. Rather than communicate its URL in the form of a caller identification message, each party may communicate its URL to the other in a call set-up signaling message in connection with an Internet Protocol telephone call.

Abstract: A system (10) and method (40) are provided permitting cookie files to be used with telephonic customer premises equipment (CPE) (12). The caller CPE (12) can be an intelligent telephone adapted to generate, store, transmit and receive cookie files. The cookie files can include information tokens describing a caller profile. The CPE (12) can provide a template cookie file upon request from a called party during a conversation between the caller and called party. The template file can then be transmitted to the called party and modified. The modified cookie file can then be returned to the caller CPE (12) for future use during subsequent calls to the called party. The cookie file can reduce the processing time of calls placed to automated dial-up service centers and also reduces its computer resources required by the service system.

Abstract: A client is coupled to a modem pool and a server by a communication link in a wide area network. The client allows a user to browse the World Wide Web in response to user inputs entered entirely from a remote control device using a television set as a display device. The communication link to the client is shared by a telephone circuit at the client end of the link. A disruption in communication with the server may occur due to a Call Waiting signal caused by an incoming telephone call. The incoming call includes Caller ID information. In response to such a disruption, communication with the server is terminated. After pausing for a predetermined period of time, the client automatically re-establishes communication with the server if the line is clear. Upon reconnecting to the server, the client accesses a “White Pages” telephone directory Web site on a remote server.

Abstract: A private branch exchange (PBX) capable of transmitting and receiving an E-mail over a network is provided. The PBX includes an interface for communicating with the network, an E-mail server for receiving and storing the E-mail; an extension interface for exchanging a communication signal including an audio signal and control signal with an extension telephone, a database for storing a destination address of an E-mail and an extension number corresponding to the address, an examining unit for examining whether or not an mailing address contained in an E-mail received at the E-mail server from the network is registered in the database, and a controller for sending a notice of the reception of the E-mail the extension telephone of the extension number allocated to the mailing address of the E-mail when the examining unit judges that the mailing address of the E-mail is registered in the database.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ALI information management system which includes an ALI information manager communicatingly connected to one or more regional E-911 Service Centers and to one or more PBX's having ALI information stored therein. The ALI information manager is configured to import ALI information from the PBX's, and possibly also from one or more E-911 Service Centers, and form and/or update an ALI database using the ALI information imported. The ALI information manager is configured to send ALI information which is contained in the ALI database to the one or more regional E-911 Service Centers to continuously maintain a current master ALI database at each regional E-911 Service Center.

Abstract: System for using a telephone or other such audio device to interact with various remote systems. The present invention provides systems which combine the power, flexibility, and access to information and communications of the Internet with the simplicity, reliability and wide avail ability of the existing telephone system. Using conventional phone technology, users of the systems of the invention can browse, search, store, and create information stored on, for example, the Internet in Hypertext Transport Protocol (http) format, communicate using Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) and Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) email formats, and to manage attempts by others to contact them through the telephone system. Additional devices for interacting with these systems are also described.

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.

Abstract: System for using a telephone or other such audio device to interact with various remote systems. The present invention provides systems which combine the power, flexibility, and access to information and communications of the Internet with the simplicity, reliability and wide avail ability of the existing telephone system. Using conventional phone technology, users of the systems of the invention can browse, search, store, and create information stored on, for example, the Internet in Hypertext Transport Protocol (http) format, communicate using Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) and Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) email formats, and to manage attempts by others to contact them through the telephone system. Additional devices for interacting with these systems are also described.

Abstract: A traffic control system selectively interfaces members of plural groups, as buyer groups and vendor groups, for video communication through a dial-up telephone system, for analyzing and compiling data, scheduling appointments, implementing conferences, consummating sales and the like. The traffick-control system comprises a telephonic interface apparatus for interfacing remote telephonic terminals of the dial-up telephone system identified with the members of plural groups, a video recording unit for recording and playing video transcriptions, a storage memory for storing data on the members, including telephonic terminal numbers and area-of-interest codes and a control computer to selectively interconnect the video recording unit with the remote telephone terminals through the telephonic interface apparatus to record and receive video communication.

Abstract: A client is coupled to a modem pool and a server by a communication link in a wide area network. The client allows a user to browse the World Wide Web in response to user inputs entered entirely from a remote control device using a television set as a display device. The communication link to the client is shared by a telephone circuit at the client end of the link. A disruption in communication with the server may occur due to a Call Waiting signal caused by an incoming telephone call. The incoming call includes Caller ID information. In response to such a disruption, communication with the server is terminated. After pausing for a predetermined period of time, the client automatically re-establishes communication with the server if the line is clear. Upon reconnecting to the server, the client accesses a “White Pages” telephone directory Web site on a remote server.

Abstract: This invention provides a telephone-data network access system that permits voice communication device users to access a data network such as the Internet. A telephone-data network access device receives commands from callers and executes the commands on the data network such as send e-mail, search the data network, log on to pages supported by other parties on the data network, etc. A caller profile saves preferences of a caller for interacting with the data network. The telephone-data network access device may supply primitive commands for the caller to use individually or to construct complex command macros so that by a single command, more complex functions may be performed using the data network. By the above described techniques, callers who do not have access to devices such as a personal computer may access the data network and take advantage of the rich resources available through the data network.