Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A method for providing ANI and/or DNIS information from a network provider's switch to a network provider's user site, in response to an incoming call the method comprising the steps of: returning towards the network provider's switch a signal indicating that the incoming call has been accepted at the network provider's user site; transmitting information with DTMF signals towards a local branch exchange, the information being expressive of ANI and/or DNIS information, the DTMF signals being transmitted in accordance with a predetermined format that includes a predetermined signal indicating a beginning of the information; and receiving at the user site the ANI and/or DNIS information.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
105 words
A method for providing ANI and/or DNIS information from a network provider's switch to a network provider's user site, in response to an incoming call the method comprising the steps of: returning towards the network provider's switch a signal indicating that the incoming call has been accepted at the network provider's user site; transmitting information with DTMF signals towards a local branch exchange, the information being expressive of ANI and/or DNIS information, the DTMF signals being transmitted in accordance with a predetermined format that includes a predetermined signal indicating a beginning of the information; and receiving at the user site the ANI and/or DNIS information.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the predetermined format includes the following sequence: * ANI * DNIS * where ANI are digits expressive of the billing number of the incoming call, where DNIS are digits expressive of the destination number of the incoming call, and wherein * is a phoneset star (*) digit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting is accomplished in part by a network adapter having an ISDN interface coupled to the network provider's switch and a T1 interface coupled to the local branch exchange, the step of transmitting including the steps of: receiving in ISDN format the ANI and/or the DNIS information from the network provider's switch; and transmitting in DTMF format the ANI and/or the DNIS information to the local branch exchange.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of receiving includes the steps of: passing the ANI and/or DNIS information through the local branch exchange; and receiving the ANI and/or DNIS information with a Voice Response Unit coupled to the local branch exchange.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the step of receiving the ANI and/or DNIS information with a Voice Response Unit includes an additional step of providing the ANI and/or DNIS information to a data processing means coupled to the Voice Response Unit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as set forth in claim 5 and further including a step of employing the ANI and/or DNIS information to influence further processing of the incoming call.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in claim 5 and further including a step of employing the ANI and/or DNIS information as a factor in selecting a destination for the incoming call.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting includes the step of transmitting in DTMF format the ANI and/or the DNIS information from the network providers switch to the local branch exchange.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
205 words
A method for providing ANI and/or DNIS information from a network provider's switch to a network provider's customer site, in response to an incoming call the method comprising the steps of: returning towards the network provider's switch a signal indicating that the incoming call has been accepted at the network provider's customer site; transmitting information with DTMF signals in accordance with a predetermined format, the information being expressive of ANI and/or DNIS information, the step of transmitting including an initial step of receiving in ISDN format the ANI and/or the DNIS information from the network provider's switch; and further including a step of transmitting in DTMF format the ANI and/or the DNIS information transparently through a local branch exchange; wherein the predetermined format includes the following sequence: * ANI * DNIS * where ANI are digits expressive of the billing number of the incoming call, where DNIS are digits expressive of the destination number of the incoming call, and wherein * is a phoneset * digit; the method further including the steps of receiving at the network provider's customer site the ANI and/or DNIS information; and providing the ANI and/or DNIS information to a data processing means to influence further processing of the incoming call.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
205 words
A method for providing ANI and/or DNIS information from a network provider's switch to a network provider's customer site, in response to an incoming call the method comprising the steps of: returning towards the network provider's switch a signal indicating that the incoming call has been accepted at the network provider's customer site; transmitting information with DTMF signals in accordance with a predetermined format, the information being expressive of ANI and/or DNIS information, the step of transmitting including an initial step of receiving in ISDN format the ANI and/or the DNIS information from the network provider's switch; and further including a step of transmitting in DTMF format the ANI and/or the DNIS information transparently through a local branch exchange; wherein the predetermined format includes the following sequence: * ANI * DNIS * where ANI are digits expressive of the billing number of the incoming call, where DNIS are digits expressive of the destination number of the incoming call, and wherein * is a phoneset * digit; the method further including the steps of receiving at the network provider's customer site the ANI and/or DNIS information; and providing the ANI and/or DNIS information to a data processing means to influence further processing of the incoming call.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the step of receiving at the network provider's customer site the ANI and/or DNIS information and the step of providing are accomplished by receiving the DTMF signals with a Voice Response Unit, buffering the ANI and/or DNIS information within the Voice Response Unit, and transmitting the ANI and/or DNIS information from the Voice Response Unit to the data processing means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
102 words
Apparatus for providing ANI and/or DNIS information from a network provider's switch to a network provider's user site, comprising: means responsive to an incoming call for returning towards the network provider's switch a delayed signal indicating that the incoming call has been accepted at the network provider's user site; means for transmitting information with DTMF signals through a local branch exchange means, the information being expressive of ANI and/or DNIS information, the DTMF signals being transmitted in accordance with a predetermined format that includes a predetermined signal indicating a beginning of the information; and means for receiving the ANI and/or DNIS information.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
102 words
Apparatus for providing ANI and/or DNIS information from a network provider's switch to a network provider's user site, comprising: means responsive to an incoming call for returning towards the network provider's switch a delayed signal indicating that the incoming call has been accepted at the network provider's user site; means for transmitting information with DTMF signals through a local branch exchange means, the information being expressive of ANI and/or DNIS information, the DTMF signals being transmitted in accordance with a predetermined format that includes a predetermined signal indicating a beginning of the information; and means for receiving the ANI and/or DNIS information.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the predetermined format includes the following sequence: * ANI * DNIS * where ANI are digits expressive of the billing number of the incoming call, where DNIS are digits expressive of the destination number of the incoming call, and wherein * is a phoneset star digit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
81 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the means for transmitting is comprised of a network adapter having ISDN interface means coupled to the network provider's switch and a T1 interface means coupled to a local branch exchange means, the network adapter means further having means for receiving in ISDN format the ANI and/or the DNIS information from the network provider's switch and means for transmitting in DTMF format the ANI and/or the DNIS information to the local branch exchange.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the means for receiving is comprised of a Voice Response Unit coupled to the local branch exchange means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein the local branch exchange means is comprised of a PBX or a CBX.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of providing ANI and/or DNIS information from a network to a user of the network, comprising a step of transmitting a packet of information using DTMF signals in accordance with a predetermined protocol having a formal "* ANI * DNIS * ", wherein ANI and DNIS each define a data field for expressing, when used, information corresponding to a billing number of a call and a number dialed, respectively, and wherein the first phoneset "*" digit indicates the beginning of the packet of information, the second phoneset "*" digit separates the ANI data field from the DNIS data field, and the third phoneset "*" digit terminates the packet of information.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of providing ANI and/or DNIS information from a network to a user of the network, comprising a step of transmitting a packet of information using DTMF signals in accordance with a predetermined protocol having a formal "* ANI * DNIS * ", wherein ANI and DNIS each define a data field for expressing, when used, information corresponding to a billing number of a call and a number dialed, respectively, and wherein the first phoneset "*" digit indicates the beginning of the packet of information, the second phoneset "*" digit separates the ANI data field from the DNIS data field, and the third phoneset "*" digit terminates the packet of information.