US5521964A — Visual message waiting indication in a telephone …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 117 words

A telephone system comprising: a telephone switching network responsive to telephone subscriber locations for providing telephone connections for said telephone subscriber locations including connections to a voice message system; and first means responsive to a message waiting indicator signal associated with a particular subscriber location, said message waiting indicator signal including indicating that said voice message system contains a message, and said first means acting to attempt to establish a suppressed ringing connection through said telephone switching network to the particular subscriber location associated with said message waiting indicator signal and said first means awaiting an acknowledgement signal from the particular subscriber location after said attempted establishment of said suppressed ringing connection to said particular subscriber location.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 117 words

A telephone system comprising: a telephone switching network responsive to telephone subscriber locations for providing telephone connections for said telephone subscriber locations including connections to a voice message system; and first means responsive to a message waiting indicator signal associated with a particular subscriber location, said message waiting indicator signal including indicating that said voice message system contains a message, and said first means acting to attempt to establish a suppressed ringing connection through said telephone switching network to the particular subscriber location associated with said message waiting indicator signal and said first means awaiting an acknowledgement signal from the particular subscriber location after said attempted establishment of said suppressed ringing connection to said particular subscriber location.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 24 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said suppressed ringing connection is such that no ringing occurs at the particular subscriber location.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 25 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said suppressed ringing connection is such that no substantial ringing occurs at the particular subscriber location.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 34 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said first means includes means for transmitting over said established suppressed ringing connection a message for activating a visual indicator at said particular subscriber location.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 26 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 3 further comprising: said voice message system; and said subscriber locations, said particular subscriber location including said visual indicator.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 23 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said first means includes a program driven processor for controlling said telephone switching network.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 42 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising: second means responsive to said message waiting indicator signal for controlling said telephone switching network so that said particular subscriber location receives stutter dial tone when said particular subscriber location goes off-hook.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 40 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said first means comprises: a control computer responsive to said message waiting indicator signal; and control processing means for establishing said suppressed ringing connection based upon messages from said control computer.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 39 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 8 wherein: said telephone system includes a link for conveying said message waiting indicator signal to said first means; and said control computer is a local control computer which monitors said link.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 18 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 9 wherein: said link is a simplified message desk interface link.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 42 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 9 further comprising: second means responsive to said message waiting indicator signal for controlling said telephone switching network so that said particular subscriber location receives stutter dial tone when said particular subscriber location goes off-hook.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 21 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 8 wherein: said control computer is a centralized control computer of said telephone system.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 34 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 12 wherein: said centralized control computer receives said message waiting indicator signal over a data network and provides messages to said control means over a data network.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 58 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 13 wherein: said voice message system generates a further message waiting indicator signal; and said system further includes second means responsive to said further message waiting indicator signal for controlling said telephone switching network so that said particular subscriber location receives stutter dial tone when said particular subscriber location goes off-hook.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 14 further comprising: a telephone link for conveying said further message waiting indicator signal to said first means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 19 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 15 wherein: said telephone link is a simplified message desk interface link.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 26 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 13 wherein: said centralized control computer is a telemetry control computer used for telemetry operations in said telephone system.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 44 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said voice message system generates a completion signal after said particular subscriber location accesses said voice message system; and said first means is responsive to said completion signal for enabling deactivation of said visual indicator.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 71 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said first means includes further means responsive to a busy condition of said particular subscriber location, which busy condition prevents said first means from establishing said suppressed ringing connection to said particular subscriber location, for controlling said telephone switching network to transmit a message over the active connection to said subscriber location for activating a visual indicator at said particular subscriber location.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 24 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said further means is analogous to a means for carrying out a Call Waiting function.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 79 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said first means includes further means responsive to a busy condition of said particular subscriber location, which busy condition prevents said first means from establishing said suppressed ring connection to said particular subscriber location, and which is further responsive to the ending of said busy condition of said particular subscriber location, for automatically attempting to establish a suppressed ring connection through said telephone switching network to said particular subscriber location.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 20 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said acknowledgement signal is an off-hook wink signal of predetermined duration.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 22 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 22 wherein: said predetermined duration is within a range of 500 msec to 1 second.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 41 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: after waiting a predetermined time period for receipt of an acknowledgement signal, said first means reattempts to establish a suppressed ringing connection through said telephone switching network to the particular subscriber location.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 49 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said message waiting indicator signal includes a signal code associated with a loop carrier; and said first means utilizes said signal code in attempting to establish said suppressed ringing connection through said telephone switching network to said particular subscriber location.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 32 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 25 wherein: upon receipt of said acknowledgement signal, said first means updates a database with the signal code utilized to establish the suppressed ringing connection.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 105 words

A telephone system in accordance with claim 26 wherein: after waiting a predetermined time period for receipt of an acknowledgement signal, said first means increments said signal code from a plurality of available signal codes for said subscriber locations and reattempts to establish a suppressed ringing connection through said telephone switching network to the particular subscriber location using the incremented signal code and further awaits a further predetermined time period for receipt of an acknowledgement signal, and said further means repeats said incrementing, reattempting and further waiting until an acknowledgement signal is received or the signal codes in said plurality of signal codes is exhausted.

Claim 29

Independent Claim 118 words

A method for use with a telephone switching network which is responsive to telephone subscriber locations for providing telephone connections for said telephone subscriber locations including connections to a voice message system, comprising: generating a message waiting indicator request signal associated with a particular subscriber location, said message waiting indicator request signal indicating that said voice message system contains a message; based on said message waiting indicator request signal, attempting to establish a suppressed ringing connection through said telephone switching network to the particular subscriber location associated with said message waiting indicator request signal; and awaiting an acknowledgement signal from the particular subscriber location after said attempted establishment of said suppressed ringing connection to said particular subscriber location.

Claim 30

Independent Claim 118 words

A method for use with a telephone switching network which is responsive to telephone subscriber locations for providing telephone connections for said telephone subscriber locations including connections to a voice message system, comprising: generating a message waiting indicator request signal associated with a particular subscriber location, said message waiting indicator request signal indicating that said voice message system contains a message; based on said message waiting indicator request signal, attempting to establish a suppressed ringing connection through said telephone switching network to the particular subscriber location associated with said message waiting indicator request signal; and awaiting an acknowledgement signal from the particular subscriber location after said attempted establishment of said suppressed ringing connection to said particular subscriber location.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 wherein: said suppressed ring connection is such that no ringing occurs at the particular subscriber location.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method in accordance with claim 29 wherein: said suppressed ring connection is such that no substantial ringing occurs at said particular subscriber location.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 32 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 further comprising: transmitting over said established suppressed ringing connection a visual message waiting indicator signal for activating a visual indicator at said particular subscriber location.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 wherein: said establishing of said suppressed ringing connection includes using a program driven processor for controlling said telephone switching network.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 further comprising: based on said message waiting indicator request signal, controlling said telephone switching network so that said particular subscriber location receives stutter dial tone when said particular subscriber location goes off-hook.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 56 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 wherein: said establishing of said suppressed ring connection comprises: using a control computer to receive said message waiting indicator request signal and to generate messages for a control processing means which establishes said suppressed ringing connection through said telephone switching network based upon said messages from said control computer.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method in accordance with claim 34 wherein: said control computer is a local control computer which monitors a link between said voice message system and said switching network.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 17 words

A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein: said link is a simplified message desk interface link.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method in accordance with claim 35 further comprising: based on said message waiting indicator request signal, controlling said telephone switching network so that said particular subscriber location receives stutter dial tone when said particular subscriber location goes off-hook.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method in accordance with claim 34 wherein: said control computer is a centralized control computer of said telephone system.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method in accordance with claim 38 wherein: said message waiting indicator request signal is communicated to said centralized computer over a data network and said centralized computer provides messages to said control processing means over a data network.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 49 words

A method in accordance with claim 39 further comprising: generating a further message waiting indicator request signal; and based on said further message waiting indicator request signal, controlling said telephone switching network so that said particular subscriber location receives stutter dial tone when said particular subscriber location goes off-hook.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method in accordance with claim 40 further comprising: providing a telephone link for conveying said further message waiting indicator request signal.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method in accordance with claim 41 wherein: said telephone link is a simplified message desk interface link.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 25 words

A method in accordance with claim 39 wherein: said centralized control computer is a telemetry control computer used for telemetry operations in said telephone system.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 further comprising: generating a completion signal after said particular subscriber location accesses said voice message system; and based on said completion signal, enabling deactivation of said visual indicator.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 62 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 further comprising: when a busy condition of said particular subscriber location prevents said suppressed ringing connection from being established to said particular subscriber location, further controlling said telephone switching network to transmit a message over the active connection to said particular subscriber location for activating and/or deactivating a visual indicator at said particular subscriber location.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method in accordance with claim 45 wherein: said further controlling is analogous to a Call Waiting message function controlling.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 58 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 wherein: when a busy condition of said particular subscriber location prevents said suppressed ringing connection from being established to said particular subscriber location, automatically attempting to establish said suppressed ring connection through said telephone switching network to said particular subscriber location when the busy condition of said particular subscriber location ends.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 19 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 wherein: said acknowledgement signal is an off-hook wink signal of predetermined duration.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method in accordance with claim 48 wherein: said predetermined duration is within a range of 500 msec to 1 second.

Claim 52

Dependent Claim 38 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 further comprising: after waiting a predetermined time period for receipt of an acknowledgement signal, reattempting to establish a suppressed ringing connection through the telephone switching network to the particular subscriber location.

Claim 53

Dependent Claim 45 words

A method in accordance with claim 28 wherein: said message waiting indicator request signal includes a signal code associated with a loop carrier; and said establishing of said suppressed ringing connection through the telephone switching network to the particular subscriber location utilizes said signal code.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method in accordance with claim 51 further comprising: upon receipt of said acknowledgement signal, updating a database with the signal code utilized to establish the suppressed ringing connection.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 97 words

A method in accordance with claim 52 further comprising: after waiting a predetermined time period for receipt of an acknowledgement signal, incrementing said signal code from a plurality of available signal codes for said subscriber locations; reattempting to establish a suppressed ringing connection through said telephone switching network to the particular subscriber location using the incremented signal code; further awaiting a further predetermined time period for receipt of an acknowledgement signal; and repeating said incrementing, reattempting and further awaiting until an acknowledgement signal is received or the signal codes in said plurality of signal codes is exhausted.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-05-28	1999-11-27	2000-05-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-05-28	2003-11-27	2004-05-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-05-28	2007-11-27	2008-05-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Visual message waiting indication in a telephone voice message system

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