WO1986003644A1

WO1986003644A1 - An arrangement in a telephone exchange

Info

Publication number: WO1986003644A1
Application number: PCT/SE1985/000513
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bror-Lage EKBÄCK
Original assignee: Ekbaeck Bror Lage
Priority date: 1984-12-13
Filing date: 1985-12-10
Publication date: 1986-06-19
Also published as: SE8406359D0; SE8406359L; EP0205543A1; SE445871B

Abstract

An arrangement (13, 15, 17) in a telephone exchange (1) in which the telephone exchange (1) has connected therein a plurality of incoming lines (3), a plurality of extension lines (5) connected to a respective extension telephone set, a central switching means (6, 21) for connecting, via associated switching means (6), a call occurring on respective incoming lines to one of the extension lines and its associated extension telephone-set or to a line (10) intended for use by a telephone operator. The telephone exchange (1) includes means (11) for detecting when an extension line (5) is engaged and adopts the occupied mode. A caller (9) asking for an extension number on the engaged line (5a) desires to wait until the line is no longer engaged, and is able to receive auditive information during this waiting period. Means provided for relaying to the caller (9) on the incoming line (3a) in question a plurality of messages of short duration from a message relaying device (13), these messages being arranged in a time-spaced sequence. A signal, preferably an inaudible signal, is inserted in the time-slot between sequential messages, and one or more means (15) are provided for evaluating the signal. This enables the incoming line (3a) occupied by the caller (9) to be connected to the message relaying device (13) between two messages.

Description

An arrangement in a telephone exchange

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an arrangement in a tele¬ phone exchange having connected therein a plurality of in¬ coming lines and a plurality of extension lines, each connected to a respective extension telephone set, and incorporating a central switching means operative to connect a call on one of the incoming lines to a reques¬ ted extension line and its associated extension telephone set, or to an extension line intended for the use of a telephone operator. In addition hereto, the telephone exchange includes means capable of detecting when an extension line is engaged and adopts an occupied mode.

The present invention has particular application during that time period in which a caller wishing to be connec¬ ted to an engaged extension line elects to wait until the line is no longer engaged. The invention departs from the assumption that during this waiting period the caller is available to receive auditive information transmitted from the exchange to the caller via the incoming line on which the call has been made.

BACKGROUND PRIOR ART

Telephone exchanges provided with facilities and devices of the aforesaid kind are known to the art in various forms .

One example in this respect is a known telephone-exchange system which is manned by one or more telephone operators and which is equipped with means which, when all tele¬ phone operators are engaged, automatically switches all further incoming calls to a waiting station and/or a co-ordinator until a telephone operator is free to assist with the call, during which waiting period auditive infor- mation is relayed to the caller. Normally, the auditive information is relayed in naive and simple monotones.Examples of information or messages which may be relayed are "TAXI-please wait" or the iden¬ tity of the subscriber followed by "There is a call before this one, please wait".

Such telephone-exchange equipment requires additional incoming calls to be connected to the aforesaid separately constructed waiting station, instead of obtaining an enga- ged signal, and calls which have been kept waiting for a long period of time to be connected to a telephone opera¬ tor the momentthat she/he is no longer engaged.

DISCLOSURE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

It will be seen from the present state of the art that a technical problem resides -in the provision of means which in operator-manned telephone exchanges enables the tele¬ phone operator to deliver messages continuously to a daller who when asking for a particular extension number learns that the extension is engaged and elects to wait until it is free, so that the caller feels that he/she is being attended to in a more personal fashion during the waiting period than when no message is given at all, or when the messages are relayed in monotones.

Another technical problem in this regard is one of pro¬ viding conditions in a telephone exchange of the aforesaid kind which will enable the whole of the waiting period to be filled with purposeful and intelligent messages, which may well include an exposition of the various products manufactured or retailed by the company in question and the various services offered thereby, suitably inter¬ spersed with brief musical interludes.

A further technical problem in a telephone exchange of the aforesaid kind is one of providing means which ensure that the caller is connected to the extension requested between, and solely between two consecutive messages, so as to guarantee that all of the auditive information is heard before the connection is made.

Another technical problem is one of providing an arrange¬ ment of the aforesaid kind in which the message relaying means enables the message to be readily changed.

A further technical problem resides in the provision of the aforesaid conditions without needing to subject the operator to additional work, or at least while subjecting the operator to only a negligible amount of additional work.

Finally, another technical problem resides in the provi¬ sion of means which will enable the caller to select one of a number of auditive messages during the waiting period, e.g. messages reciting information concerning the company products, its services etc., or simply musical entertain- ment.

SOLUTION

These technical problems are solved by means of the present invention, which takes as its starting point a telephone- exchange arrangement in which the telephone exchange has connected therein a plurality of incoming lines, a plura¬ lity of extension lines and extension telephone-sets connected thereto, and a central control means for connect¬ ing a call arriving on a respective incoming line to one of said extension lines and its associated extension tele¬ phone set, or to a connection line intended for the use of a telephone operator, through switching means provided in the exchange.

In addition, the telephone exchange includes means for detecting when an extension line is engaged and adopts an engaged mode. The present invention finds particular application when a caller asking for a particular extension number learns that the extension is engaged and elects to wait until the extension is free, and when the caller is available to receive auditive information relayed over the engaged line during this waiting period.

In an arrangement of the aforesaid kind it is proposed, in accordance with the invention, that there is relayed to the caller on the engaged line during said waiting period a plurality of temporarily and sequentially spaced, con¬ secutive messages of short duration. Consecutive messa¬ ges are interspersed with non-audible information which can be detected and evaluated by one or more means, in- strumental in connecting the incoming line on which the call is -made to the message transmitting device between two consecutive messages.

In accordance with one advantageous embodiment of the invention, a given number of messages are arranged in a consecutive sequence and repeated. One or more means are ■ provided for detecting the absence of auditive informa¬ tion in the time space between mutually sequential messa¬ ges, and for enabling the extension line to be connec- ted to the message transmitting device upon detecting the occurrence of such a time space.

The message transmitting device may suitably comprise a taperecorder, programmed to play continuously or, or may comprise a plurality of transmitters arranged to transmit messages with the time-spacing between messages delivered by a first transmitter displaced in relation to the time- spacing between the messages delivered by a second trans¬ mitter.

ADVANTAGES

The advantages primarily a forded by an arrangement accord¬ ing to the invention reside in enabling the time spent by a caller in waiting for an engaged line to become free, to be filled with purposeful, intelligent messages, pre¬ ferably reciting the various products manufactured or retailed by the company and/or the services offered there- by and/or interludes of suitable music.

The main characteristic features of an arrangement according to the invention are set forth in the charac¬ terizing clause of Claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A preferred embodiment exhibiting features characteristic of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which

Figure 1 is a highly schematic illustration of a tele¬ phone exchange with incorporates a telephone- operator facility and which is supplemented with an arrangement according to the invention; and Figure 2 illustrates a sequence of time-spaced, mutually different messages of brief duration which are in consecutive array and which are relayed with the aid of a message transmitting device, or two or more message transmitting devices.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 illustrates highly schematically a telephone exchange 1 which incorporates a telephone-operator facili¬ ty 2.

The illustrated telephone exchange has connected therein a plurality of incoming lines 3, a plurality of extension lines 5 and associated extension telephone-sets 4, and a central control system which is operative to connect, through associated switching means 7,8, a telephone call arriving on an incoming line, e.g. the line 3a, from an external telephone-set 9 used by the caller, to a connect- ing line 10 which serves one of said extension lines and its associated telephone-set 4, or which is intended for use by the telephone operator.

The telephone exchange also includes means for detecting when an extension line 5a is engaged and adopts an engaged mode. This means is referenced 11 in Figure 1.

The present invention is particularly intended for use when a person calling from the external telephone-set 9 wishes to be connected with a person on the extension number represented in the drawing by the telephone-set 4 and associated extension line 5a, and when the means 11 detects that the line 5a is occupied and the caller deci¬ des to wait until the line 5a is 4 free, rather than inter- rupt the call already in progress on the line. In accor¬ dance with the invention, auditive messages are relayed to the caller on the -external telephone-set 9 during this waiting period.

When practising the invention, the telephone operator activates a switch 12 at the beginning of the waiting period and therewith causes a number of time-spaced messa¬ ges of short duration and in sequential sequence to be relayed from a message transmitting device 13 incorpora- ted in the telephone exchange over the relevant incoming line 3a during the whole of the waiting period, as descri¬ bed more f lly hereinafter with reference to Figure 2. Each message is separated from a preceding message by means of a time-slot having inserted therein a signal, preferably an inaudible signal, which can be detected by one or more means 15, through a line 14, therewith establishing conditions for connection of the incoming line 3a to the message-relaying or message-transmitting device 13, via a line 16, a switching means 17 and a line 18.

Thus, the means 15 is constructed in a known manner to detect, through line 14, the time slot between two conse¬ cutive messages and, upon detecting the presence of said time-slot, to activate a switch 17a in the switching means 17, so as to connect the line 16 to the incoming line 3a via one of a number of lines 18. The line 18 connected to the incoming line 3a is selected in the switching means 17 by means of a control device 21 connected there¬ to through a line 20.

In Figure 2 there is shown a given number of different messages in sequence; an advantage is gained when these messages are arranged in a manner which enables them to be repeated. For example, the first message "A" may have a duration of 15 seconds, with a time-slot "B" of five seconds. This time-slot is followed by a second message "C". This second message "C" may also have a duration of 15 seconds, and is' terminated by a time-slot "D" having a duration of 5 seconds.

The first message "A" may advantageously contain informa- tion concerning some of the products manufactured or retailed by the company in question, while the second message "C" may include suitable music, and a third messa¬ ge "E" contain information concerning the services offe¬ red by the company. Suitably, the sequence of messages is arranged to be repeated, preferably in the same order, so that a group of messages "A"-"H" can be repeated.

In accordance with one embodiment, the means 15 is arranged to detect the absence of audible information in the time- slot between two consecutive messages, for example the time-slot "B" and "D", and therewith cause the message relaying device 13 to be connected to the incoming line 3a in question, via the switching means 17, in the afore- described manner. In accordance with the invention, the message relaying device comprises a continuously playing cassette player 13, and it will be understood that a plurality of such casset¬ te playersmay be arranged, one beside the other, as illu- strated by the tape-recorder 13' shown in broken lines. In this latter instance, the time-slots between different messages relayed by the first message-relaying device are suitably displaced in relation to the time-slots between the messages relayed by the second message-relaying devi- ce, and the detecting means 15 is arranged to detect the first occurring time-slot and connect this relaying de¬ vice in particular to the line 3a and the telephone-set 9 from which the call is being made.

The arrangement according to the invention also utilizes the possibility of recording different information on -one or more tapes or cassettes and one or more cassette play¬ ers or recorders, may be incorporated in the telephone exchange.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 the messages A-H relayed by the cassette player 13 are_ repeated after each other. A cassette player 13' can be arranged to repeatedly relay the messages A'-E'. A further cassette player can be arranged to relay additional messages.

Preferably, the cassette players are of the so-called "autoreverse"-type, which can then relay messages conti¬ nuously while the telephone exchange is manned.

Naturally, it also lies within the scope of the invention, to use a relay-controlled cassette player arranged to be stopped and started automatically, depending upon whether a caller is waiting to be connected or not, these starts and stops being effected in the time-slots between sequential messages.

It is thought that the simplest arrangement in this respect would comprise an electronic switch 17 arranged so that when more than one caller waits for an engaged extension line to become free all callers are relayed the same tape or cassette from one and the same cassette player.

In accordance with one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the arrangement includes a first cassette play¬ er which relays recorded music, and a second cassette player which relays recorded messages, this arrangement being such that the caller is initially connected direct¬ ly to the music-relaying cassette player and then, as soon as a time-slot occurs, is transferred to the next cassette player relaying auditive information.

As will be understood, it also lies within the scope of the invention to enable the caller to dispense with the possibi-lity of listening to_the auditive messages, should he/she so desire. It also lies within the scope of the invention to provide means which enable the caller to choose between different auditive messages, such as between music, information relating to the company pro¬ ducts, special offers,and the like.

The messages may also include information concerning the activities of the community in question, such as the location of sports complexes, beach facilities, and the like. The messages may also include information concerning leisure activities and holiday activities, and also in- formation concerning the industrial aspects of the community.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the aforesaid exemplified embodiments, and that modifi- cations can be made within the scope of the following claims .

Claims

1. An arrangement in a telephone exchange having connec¬ ted therein a plurality of incoming lines and a plurality of extension lines connected to respective extension tele¬ phone sets , and incorporating central switching means operative in connecting a call arriving on a respective incoming line to one of the extension lines and an asso¬ ciated extension telephone-set or to an extension line intended for use by a telephone operator, and in which telephone exchange means are provided for detecting when an extension line is engaged and adopts the engaged mode, and in which a caller on the extension line thus established to be engaged desires to wait until said extension line is free and is able to_. receive auditive information during the ensuing waiting period, charac- terized by message relaying means adapted to relay to said caller on said incoming line during said waiting period a sequence of time-spaced, mutually different messages of short duration; in that the time-space between two sequential messages has a signal present therein, this signal preferably being a non-audible signal; in^'that the arrangement comprises at least one means for detecting said signal; and in that means are provided for connecting said incoming line to said message relaying device between two consecutive messages .

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1 , characterized in that a given number of messages are arranged in a conse¬ cutive order and repeated.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized by one or more means arranged to detect the absence of audi¬ tive information in time-spaces between mutually sequen¬ tial messages and to connect the extension line in response thereto.

4. An arrangement according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the message relaying device comprises a continuously playing cassette player or tape recorder.

5. An arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of message relaying devices are arranged to relay messages with the time-spaces between sequential messages of a first message relaying device displaced in relation to the time-spaces between sequential messages of a second message relaying device.