Patent EP0692901A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0692901A2
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EP
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Intelligent call waiting
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1995-06-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-06-21
Abstract
Abstract Methods and apparatus are disclosed for using information about a calling party's identity or the importance of a call to control the call waiting signal played to a called party that is busy on another call. Upon determining that a called communication station is busy on another call, information about the identity of the calling party is obtained from the calling station. This information is processed to determine call routing treatment, and particularly to determine whether a call waiting signal is to be played for the call and, if so, what type of call waiting signaling is to be played. The called party can determine information about the identity of the calling party from the call waiting signaling, and thus determine whether to interrupt the call in progress to respond to the call waiting signal. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, information about the calling party's identity is used to provide a distinctive call waiting signal which identifies the caller as being a particular individual or as a member of a particular group of individuals. In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, information about the calling party's identity controls whether a call waiting signal is played to the called party or suppressed.
Inventors
- 👤 Jerry Eisdorfer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 21:54
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0029; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/428; H04M3/4288; H04M3/436; H04M1/00; H04M1/57; H04M2242/00; H04M2242/22; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42034; H04M3/42042; H04M3/42059; H04M7/00; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13256; H04Q2213/13532; H04Q2213/13541; H04Q3/72
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
88 words
A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the called station is busy on a second call; obtaining information about the identity of a caller at the calling communication station when the called communication station is busy; and signaling the called station with a call waiting signal that is selected from a predetermined plurality of call waiting signals, the call wiating signal being selected as a function of the information about the caller's identity.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
88 words
A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the called station is busy on a second call; obtaining information about the identity of a caller at the calling communication station when the called communication station is busy; and signaling the called station with a call waiting signal that is selected from a predetermined plurality of call waiting signals, the call wiating signal being selected as a function of the information about the caller's identity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
2 The method of claim 17 wherein the personal identifier is associated with a particular one of a plurality of call waiting signals to identify the caller.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 wherein a first call waiting signal is delivered to the called station when a personal identifier is not entered at the calling communication station, and a different call waiting signal is delivered to the called station when a predetermined personal identifier is entered at the calling communication station.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the call waiting signal is selected from among the group of call waiting signals consisting of tones of different frequencies and a tone of a predetermined frequency repeated in different patterns.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises an indication that a calling party has recorded a message for delivery to the called communication station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the information about the call further comprises the identity of the calling party.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the call comprises a video telephone call.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the call waiting signal comprises a video symbol.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the video symbol comprises an image of the calling party.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of processing a call placed by a calling party from a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: obtaining from the calling party, when the called station is busy on another call, a personal identifier which provides information about the identity of the calling party; and signaling the called station with a selected one of a plurality of call waiting signals to convey information about the identity of the calling party to the called station.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of processing a call placed by a calling party from a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: obtaining from the calling party, when the called station is busy on another call, a personal identifier which provides information about the identity of the calling party; and signaling the called station with a selected one of a plurality of call waiting signals to convey information about the identity of the calling party to the called station.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the called station is busy on a second call; obtaining information which identifies the calling communication station when the called communication station is busy; and signaling the called station with a call waiting signal that is selected as a function of the information about the identity of the calling communication station.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the called station is busy on a second call; obtaining information which identifies the calling communication station when the called communication station is busy; and signaling the called station with a call waiting signal that is selected as a function of the information about the identity of the calling communication station.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the information which identifies the calling communication station comprises an automatic number identifier (ANI) of the calling communication station.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of processing a call from a calling party at a first communication station to a called party at a second communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the second communication station is busy on another call; obtaining information about the calling party when the second communication station is busy; and suppressing signaling of a call waiting signal to the second communication station as a function of the information about the calling party.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of processing a call from a calling party at a first communication station to a called party at a second communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the second communication station is busy on another call; obtaining information about the calling party when the second communication station is busy; and suppressing signaling of a call waiting signal to the second communication station as a function of the information about the calling party.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of processing a call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the called station is busy on a second call; obtaining information about the importance of the call when the called communication station is busy; and signaling the called station with a call waiting signal that is selected as a function of the information about the importance of the call.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of processing a call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the called station is busy on a second call; obtaining information about the importance of the call when the called communication station is busy; and signaling the called station with a call waiting signal that is selected as a function of the information about the importance of the call.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the information about the importance of the call comprises an indication of the calling party's perception of the importance of the call.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
81 words
16 A method or processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the called station is busy on a second call; obtaining information about the identity of a caller at the calling communication station when the called communication station is busy, the information comprising a personal identifier; and signaling the called station with a call waiting signal that is selected as a function of the information about the caller's identity.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
81 words
16 A method or processing a call from a calling communication station to a called communication station, comprising the steps of: determining whether the called station is busy on a second call; obtaining information about the identity of a caller at the calling communication station when the called communication station is busy, the information comprising a personal identifier; and signaling the called station with a call waiting signal that is selected as a function of the information about the caller's identity.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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