FI111678B - Telephone service and method of establishing a telephone connection - Google Patents

Description

111678

Telephone service and method of establishing a telephone connection

The invention relates to a telephone service product according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a method for establishing a telephone connection according to the preamble of claim 6.

The services and methods of the invention are aimed at providing easy-to-use and secure communication services, for example for security services. In such communication services, it is essential that the connection can be established quickly and that the establishment of the connection requires as little action as possible from the recipient. The groups of users of security services provided over the telephone are, for example, the elderly, the sick and young children.

According to the prior art security services have been implemented, for example, by means of security telephones. An emergency telephone is a system specifically installed for security purposes, in which the telephone dials a designated number immediately after raising the telephone 15 of the emergency telephone or pressing a separate security button. Also known is the emergency telephone service, in which three separate answering points are programmed into the chain for a call opened from the emergency telephone.

The disadvantage of the prior art is that the customer must obtain a separate interface and terminal for the emergency telephone. Of course, this results in reasonably high costs »* 20, and due to the hardware purchases required, the security service may not be tracked even if there is a need for a security service. In addition, the emergency telephone and the telephone interface connected thereto are for security purposes only and may not be used for any other purpose.

It is an object of the invention to provide a completely new type of telephone service by which emergency telephone services can be provided without the purchase of telephone equipment or telephone subscriptions for security purposes only.

The invention is based on the fact that the connection service establishes a connection between a normal telephone subscription and a destination subscription in a predetermined manner. This is accomplished by programming a so-called "subscriber line" attached to the connection service. Hotline function, 2 111678, however, is set to take effect only after a predetermined delay time. The service sets the subscription to respond to at least one availability chain in which, in a defined manner, an attempt is made to establish a call after a delay. In this case, in addition to the service according to the invention, the telephone interface can also be used for ordinary telephone-5 traffic, and on the other hand, by raising the handset alone, a delayed hotline connection can be established to a predefined reach chain. Thus, the invention also relates to the use of an availability chain to control an outgoing call, although in some embodiments of the invention the availability chain may be replaced by a single telephone number. There may be more than one access chain or individual telephone number 10 defined for service selection.

More specifically, the telephone service product according to the invention is characterized in what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. The method for establishing a telephone connection according to the invention, in turn, is characterized by what is disclosed in the characterizing part of claim 6.

The invention provides significant advantages.

Namely, the invention makes it possible to connect, for example, a security telephone-type connection service to a standard telephone connection, so that the telephone connection can still be used for normal telephone communication. In addition, the invention makes it possible to implement a security telephone-type connection service without additional hardware or connection investments.

Thus, the invention can be used advantageously, for example, in communication services for young children, the elderly or the sick. In such a connection service, the customer does not have to dial the number himself when calling his relatives, for example, but the call can be connected directly to a predetermined availability service by means of the delayed hotline function. The call is then routed according to the specifications of the respective availability service 25. The outgoing call routing service determining the outgoing call may also include several different chains. In such a case, in order to define a chain valid at any given time, a very advantageous embodiment can be followed by a user interface, through which other settings of the accessibility service can also be changed. The user interface can be simulated to function 30 e.g. via voice dialing, SMS / NEW messages and / or the web interface.

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Thus, the invention also has inexpensive embodiments that can achieve further significant advantages.

If a plurality of availability chains are included in a connection to a connection using a connection service, the availability of the connection service can in some cases be significantly increased. Especially when it comes to emergency phone service, the best possible reach is important, and such an embodiment can improve customer safety. In such an embodiment, the active access chain that is active can be defined, for example, manually or time-controlled. In principle, other variable and more sophisticated selection algorithms can also be used.

In another preferred embodiment, after a delay following the opening of the telephone line, a menu function is executed to enable the contact person to determine who they wish to contact. In this case, the call is routed according to the active availability chain included in the availability service of the selected choice. The menu function is also preferably set to delay, after which the call is routed anyway according to a predetermined availability chain, even if no selection has been made. Such an embodiment can provide a service where, for example, a child can call a mother, father or grandparents of their choice so that the selected person attempts to reach more than one number with a single call attempt. 20 If, on the other hand, the child fails to make a choice, the call would be routed directly to, for example, the mother's availability chain.

The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates one method of implementing the connection service according to the invention.

Figure 2 illustrates another method of implementing the connection service according to the invention.

Figure 3 illustrates one method for updating access chain and settings related to a connection service via a web-based interface.

In the specification, accessibility chain refers to a predetermined set of sequential telephone numbers stored for access to call control logic, e.g., a service control point (SCP) of a telephone intelligent network or an external database connected via a telephone intelligent network. The availability chain can include, for example, 2-5 consecutive phone numbers. In this case, the call controlled by the availability chain is first connected to the first number in the availability chain, and if the first number is not answered within a predetermined time, the call is connected to the second number in the availability chain. If no other number is answered, the call will continue to be connected in the chain. This is done until the call is connected to the last number in the availability chain, which is usually set to the voicemail or voicemail number. Naturally, the connection of the call in the reach chain is also terminated even if the call is answered or the A-subscriber closes the call. On the other hand, it is also possible to define the reach chain by assigning parallel telephone numbers to the reach chain in addition to or instead of successive numbers, whereby the routed call alerts simultaneously on the parallel telephone numbers.

The availability chain can also be so-called. a multi-link, or adaptive reach chain, 15 which can be flexibly modified by the customer through a suitable interface.

Adaptive availability chain response locations, i.e. telephone numbers included in the accessibility chain, can be set to be edited, for example, via a voice dialing telephone or a web-based interface. Further adaptive accessibility chains are described in patent application FI 981832, the features of which can be applied in connection with the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

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In this application, availability service refers to the routine that controls the operation of accessibility chains. Thus, the availability service logically selects and retrieves a suitable availability chain for call control.

In order to achieve the best possible reachability, several accessibility chains, e.g. two or three, are preferably defined in the accessibility service. The reach chains of the person to be reached in this way can be designed, for example, with one reach chain for working time at the workplace, another for commuting and a third for leisure time. The switching between the accessibility chains 30, i.e. the switching of the active accessibility chain to another accessibility chain, can be done, for example, by dialing a specific service number, which, after a possible password authentication, defines the current accessibility chain from that moment. Switching between reach chains can also be done in a time-controlled manner, whereby the reach chain is always changed at predetermined times. One method useful in connection with the time-controlled embodiments of the present invention 5 is described in patent application FI 981833. In such a method, at least one adaptive control panel is defined for the accessibility service, which can be flexibly modified by the customer himself through a suitable interface. Through the same interface, the customer can also activate the adaptive control panel. The adaptive control panel deactivation 10, in turn, is set to take place automatically without customer intervention when the deactivation condition is met. By control panel is meant a unit that contains information necessary for call control, e.g., the availability chain. The control panel may also be accompanied by conditions defining the validity of the control panel, such as those relating to time of day and / or days of the week.

15 The implementation of the method of Figure 1 involves the following steps: - The customer raises the handset in the telephone interface connected to the connection service. Lifting the handset is detected in the PBX as defined for that telephone interface, and at the same time the delay time calculation is started. The delay time can be, for example, about 5 seconds.

20 - The PBX is waiting for a possible dialing.

- If dialing is initiated or started before the end of the delay time, depending on the embodiment, the call will normally be routed on the telephone network.

If, on the other hand, depending on the embodiment, dialing is not provided or started after a delay time, the availability service determined by the connection service logic is started and the call is routed by the access service according to the availability chain contained in the availability service.

Figure 2 again illustrates a more versatile embodiment of the invention with a delayed menu as an additional function. Using such a menu, the person trying to connect can choose, for example, to whom he / she wants to connect the call, depending on the predefined settings. The implementation of the method of Figure 2 involves the following steps:> - The customer raises the handset in the telephone interface connected to the connection service. The handset lift is detected and the delay time calculation is started.

5 - The PBX is waiting for a possible dialing.

- If dialing is initiated or started before the end of the delay time, depending on the embodiment, the call will normally be routed on the telephone network.

- If dialing has not been entered again or 10 has not been started after the time-out, depending on the embodiment, the shortcut menu function will be started. In the context menu function, the customer is presented with a menu defined in the service logic and asked to select the appropriate accessibility service. For example, a reference to the accessibility service can be defined for each relative in the menu.

- Waiting for the specified selection time.

15 - If an acceptable selection is received from the client during the selection, the call is routed according to the availability service referenced by the client selection.

- If no accepted call is received during the selection time, the call is routed to the service logic according to the availability service defined for such a situation. This availability service, which is intended for emergency purposes, for example, may be one of the accessibility services referred to in the menu or a completely separate accessibility service.

Figure 3, in turn, illustrates one possible method for defining the features of the access service and the accessibility services included in it and its access chains. Referring to Figure 3, updating the time control control panels via a web-based or equivalent user interface can be done in a system comprising a client access terminal 11, a public information network such as the Internet 12 to which the terminal 11 can connect, and , a telephone network SCP device 14 communicating with the server 13, and an inspection database 15 communicating with the SCP device 14.

, In the method of Figure 3, the following steps are performed when updating the connection service configuration via the web user interface 5: 1) The client accesses the connection service control service web page on the terminal 11.

2) The guidance service identifies the customer.

3) Server 13 provides the customer's personal specification pages, such as control tables, access chains, control logic, delay logic and / or menu configuration.

4) The customer will change their definition to their preference.

5) Client sends modified configuration pages to server 13.

6) The server 13 forwards the modified configuration pages to the SCP device 14.

7) The SCP device 14 verifies from the inspection database 15 that changes are allowed and sends the approval to the server 13.

8) Server 13 notifies the client that the change has been activated.

... The technology described above can therefore be used to implement a telephone service product that provides the customer with: - memory locations for storing at least two telephone numbers of the customer 's choice,. a trigger for detecting a call attempt, such as picking up a handset, a call waiting call 25 to wait for a dial time, and - in the absence of a dial call, a dial-up routine to control a call attempt 16 to a selected phone number that can be found, for example, in a customer-defined reach chain.

) In this way, for example, a contact service can be provided to children, which makes it easy for the child to 5 contact an adult and where the reach is remarkably high. In this case, the service can be connected to the family's home phone and, for example, two accessibility chains defined for the service. Table 1 shows an example of such a chain definition. In the example, chain 1 is intended to be used during office hours, e.g., Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm, and chain 2 is set to be active during the other 10 hours.

Chain 1 Chain 2 1.050-5005108 (GSM Dad) 1.09-58534241 (CITYmother) ~ 2.09-6065108 (Dummy) 2.050-5005108 (GSM Dad) 3. 09-6065928 (Daddy of Work) 3. 09-3434343 (Neighbor) 4. 09 -3434343 (neighbor) • · ·

In the case of an example, a child left alone at home can call without dialing by simply lifting the handset. In this case, after the specified delay time, 15 calls are initiated, according to the availability logic, e.g., when chain 1 is active, first attempting to connect the call to the father's handset and if '·) in this number still does not answer the mother's work number. If the mother's job number does not respond within a specified time, the combination will continue with the father's job number and, if necessary, the neighbor's number. By way of example, many different embodiments of the invention 20 can be well imagined which can significantly improve the ability of persons with disabilities to communicate.

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Em. in the example, however, the problem could be a situation where, when chain 1 was in effect, the dad's cell phone number was set to forward to voice mail. In this case, the contact service would not be able to connect to the desired person, but the call would be directed to the answering machine. However, this problem can be solved and the availability of connection-5 service can be further improved, for example, by adding new parameter values to the telephone network signaling, which prohibit the telephone network from forwarding a call. Alternatively, the problem can also be solved by setting the telephone system to use the data transmitted during the call for call control by re-parameterizing the call by using an abnormal combination of two or more signal fields 10. In this way, the re-parameterized call can be redirected in the telephone network in a new way and unwanted connection to e.g. an answering machine is avoided. More specifically, this technique is described in patent application FI980658.

In principle, it would also be possible to monitor the porting status and availability of telephone numbers defined by a routine added to the connection service, and based on this information, 15 override the unfavorable telephone numbers placed in the availability chain for call control.

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Claims (10)

111678 A telephone service product connectable to a telephone interface, comprising: - a detection function connected to the telephone interface for detecting a call attempt; a selection access network comprising at least two consecutive telephone numbers, and a control routine for connecting the attempted call to the stored telephone number. 15 A telephone service product according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises memory locations for storing at least two access chains of choice by the customer, and that the control routine is set to select a valid availability chain based on a predetermined condition, e.g. 20 A telephone service product according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises memory locations for storing at least two customer choice access chains, and that the control routine is configured to receive the customer choice and select a valid access chain based on the customer received selection, and in the absence of choice, to select a valid reach chain based on a predetermined condition. 111678 A telephone service product according to claim 1, characterized in that the control routine 5 is configured to select a telephone number stored in the memory location on the basis of a predetermined condition, e.g., associated with a time, and to connect the attempted call to the selected telephone number. A telephone service product according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a function for preventing a call from being connected to a telephone number of an access chain that has been forwarded further, in particular to voice mail. 6. A method of establishing a telephone connection, the method comprising: 15. detecting an attempt to open a call, such as picking up a handset, at a telephone exchange switching center, - after detecting an attempt to open a call, before connecting the call, ·. waiting at the telephone network switching center for dialing a telephone number for a predetermined delay, and 20. automatically connecting the call to a predetermined telephone number, characterized in that: - the predetermined telephone number is selected by control logic from a predetermined telephone number including at least one access chain comprising 111678 A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the predetermined telephone number is selected from a predetermined telephone number comprising at least two alternative telephone numbers. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the plurality of predetermined telephone numbers include at least two access chains, the first one for controlling outgoing calls under first conditions and the at least one second access chain for routing outgoing calls under other conditions 10 specific to said availability chain. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that, when the predetermined telephone number is selected by the control logic, - an active accessibility chain is selected from among the availability chains stored for the calling telephone number, - telephone numbers are sequentially selected from the availability chain until the call is dialed. • 4 A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the active reachability chain is selected based on the call attempt event time. / 111678