WO99/30473 1 PCT/SE98/02229 TITLE: A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC ANSWERING AND RECORDING OF 5 MESSAGES IN A TELEPHONE SYSTEM Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and system for automatic answering and recording of messages in a 10 telephone system. Description of the Prior Art Modern telephone systems or telecommunication net works consist of three general categories of equipment: 15 termination equipment, transmission equipment and switching equipment. Each of these three categories, in turn, com prises a number of subcategories or technologies. For example, termination equipment includes telephone sets, wiring, and other components, as well as recording, 20 answering, and voice mail equipment. Further, both public and private networks are available. Different kinds of services for the subscribers are provided in telephone systems. These services are applic able to public switched telephone networks as well as 25 mobile telephone networks, such as GSM systems. An avail able service called "Call Waiting" (CW) permits a sub scriber to be notified of an incoming call, as per basic call procedures, while the traffic channel is not available for the incoming call; the subscriber is thus already busy. 30 Subsequently, the subscriber can either accept, reject, or ignore the incoming call. This service operates when the traffic channel at a subscriber B is not available, that is B is talking to a subscriber A. When a third party, call subscriber C, attempts to call subscriber B, the latter is 35 given an appropriate indication of the waiting call. Further, a notification that the call is waiting will be WO99/30473 2 PCT/SE98/02229 sent back towards the calling subscriber C. Usually a maximum number of waiting calls at the same time is one. Consequently, no further calls are offered to the sub scriber B while a call is waiting. If either subscriber A 5 or subscriber B requests for termination of the call it will be terminated as a basic call. Subscriber B shall then be given the normal notification that there is a new call, and the network provides the subscriber C with an indi cation, such as a ring tone, as for a normal call. B can 10 accept the call from C before the expiry of a timeout set between 0.5 and 2 minutes. However, subscriber B can also use another service called "Call Hold", wherein subscriber B can accept the waiting call from subscriber C before the expiry of the timeout. 15 In another situation subscriber B requests release or hold of the connection to subscriber A and accepts the waiting call from subscriber C. The call hold service allows the subscriber B to interrupt a communication on an existing call and then 20 subsequently, if desired, re-establish the communication. If a call is on hold the subscriber can retrieve the held call, set up another call, or disconnect the held call. If the subscriber is connected to an active call and has another call on hold, the subscriber can alternate from one 25 call to the other, disconnect the held call, or disconnect both calls. However, none of these services are suitable in a situation where a subscriber is called up during an ongoing meeting or a similar activity, when the subscriber cannot 30 or does not want to answer the call at the moment, but desires to leave a message to the calling subscriber. In this situation it is possible to make use of a conventional answering machine. However, only a general message can be left for every caller whoever it may be.
WO99/30473 3 PCT/SE98/02229 Another service is available in prior art systems, wherein the subscriber can enter a key on the phone causing a busy tone directed to the calling subscriber. In many situations, these solutions is not sufficient 5 and the subscriber may be dissatisfied. Summary of the Invention The present invention is directed to an new service 10 to satisfy the subscriber in the situation described above or in similar situations. This is accomplished with a service, wherein a calling subscriber receives a suitable voice message activated by the called subscriber or the subscriber terminal itself. 15 Another object of the invention is to provide for dedicated messages for different persons. This is accomp lished by identifying the telephone number of the calling subscriber and, depending on the number, the system plays a particular voice message, a general message, or the tele 20 phone continues to indicate that there is an incoming call. Still another object of the invention is to provide a mode where the calling subscriber receives a voice message comprising the information that the called subscriber is busy, but that it is still possible to reach the called 25 subscriber by entering an identification code. An additional object of the invention is to provide an hierarchy of codes for pre-programmed telephone numbers. For example level 1. all subscribers may pass, 2. col leagues and family, 3. the superior, the secretary and the 30 family, 4. the family. Another alternative object of the invention is to provide two different numbers with different hierarchies, for example a private number where a first level corre sponds to all friends, a second level the family as well as WO99/30473 4 PCT/SE98/02229 the superior and the secretary, and a third level only the family, and a work number as described above. Still an alternative object of the invention is to provide a voice message recording function in combination 5 with other functions of the invention. An advantage of the present invention appears when the subscriber is busy in a meeting and does not have the possibility or desire to answer the incoming call and nevertheless would like to leave a message for the calling 10 subscriber. According to the invention the subscriber can control who can reach him or not in a suitable and polite manner. Brief Description of the Drawings 15 In order to explain the invention in more detail and the advantages and features of the invention a preferred embodiment will be described in detail below, reference be ing made to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG 1 is a schematical view of a telecommunication 20 network, FIG 2 is a flow chart of a general embodiment of the voice answering service according to the present invention, FIG 3 is a flow chart of a first specific embodiment of the voice answering service according to the present 25 invention, FIG 4 is a flow chart of a second specific embodiment of the voice answering service according to the present invention, and FIG 5 is a flow chart of a third specific embodiment 30 of the voice answering service according to the present invention. 35 WO99/30473 5 PCT/SE98/02229 Detailed Description of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for automa tic answering in a telephone system, allowing a subscriber to answer an incoming call and recording of messages left 5 by the calling subscriber. FIG 1 is a schematical view of a telecommunication network or telephone system. A conventional telecommunica tion network consists of three general categories of equip ment: termination equipment, such as conventional telephone 10 sets A, B, C and D and/or mobile telephones E and F, trans mission equipment represented by physical links 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as a network cloud 5, and switching equipment, such as a switch 6. In the following description the mobile telecommuni 15 cation network or telephone system is used as an example of a network and is not intended to be a limitation of the concept. Consequently, the network can be provided with other termination equipment: computer terminals, facsimile machines, video conferencing devices etc, switching equip 20 ment: PBXs, and transmission equipment: radio network, such as a cellular network, satellite network, local area network, etc. The telephone system and the switching equipment in particular provides for different kinds of services. In 25 order to support the new service according to the invention the system has to support for conventional telephone services such as establishing regular phone calls and disconnecting them etc and a prior art service, called hold service for particular embodiments. 30 Furhter, the system according to the invention comprises means for playing a voice message, means for putting an incoming call on hold, means for detecting a telephone number of a call subscriber terminal, means for checking if the current number is entitled to pass, means 35 for playing a certain voice message depending on the WO99/30473 6 PCT/SE98/02229 detected telephone number, means for detecting a certain key sequence entered on an answer subscriber terminal, means for detecting a code entered on a call subscriber terminal, means for establishing a connection between a 5 call subscriber terminal and an answer subscriber terminal, means for disconnecting a connection, and/or means for recording a voice message, all of which means are included in the network or in the termination equipment. However, not all of said means have to be available in the system at 10 the same time. In a method according to the present invention a subscriber A makes a phone call to a subscriber B, who is busy in a meeting and does not have the possibility or desire to answer the incoming call and nevertheless would 15 like to leave a message for the calling subscriber. The relevant steps of the method according to the invention is described by the flow chart voice answering 200 in FIG 2. In a first step 201 the subscriber B observes an incoming call by means of a ring signal or a light signal on the 20 phone. Depending on some conditions, described later, a voice message is played at step 202, wherein the subscriber A gets a particular message such as "please wait or leave a message after the tone". If a message is not recorded in step 202' the call from subscriber A is put on hold in step 25 203. Then, it is possible for the subscriber B to establish a connection with the subscriber A within a predetermined time, controlled by a timeout, at step 204. Finally, the connection is disconnected in a conventional manner at step 205, and the sequence ends up at step 206. However, if a 30 message is recorded in step 202' the phone call is completed at step 206 by an on hook action from subscriber A. A first specific embodiment of the method according to the present invention is shown in FIG 3. The method of 35 this embodiment, voice answering 300, starts at step 301 by WO99/30473 7 PCT/SE98/02229 detecting an incoming call at the subscriber B. The sub scriber B observes the incoming call, and if he, for example, is busy in a meeting and does not want to answer the call he enters a key sequence at step 302. As a result, 5 a pre-recorded voice message, such as "please wait or leave a message after the tone", is played at step 303. If a message is not recorded in step 303' the call from sub scriber A is put on hold in a next step 304. The subscriber B leaves the meeting and retrieves the call (off hook) at 10 step 305, and a connection is established between A and B. When the conversation comes to an end both subscribers A and B hang up and the connection is disconnected at step 306, and the method is completed at step 307. FIG 4 shows a flow chart illustrating a second 15 specific embodiment of the voice answering service according to the present invention. In this embodiment dedicated messages are provided for different persons. This is accomplished by identifying the telephone number of the calling subscriber and, depending on the number, the system 20 plays a particular voice message, a general message, or the telephone continues to indicate that there is an incoming call. The method of this embodiment, voice answering 400, starts at step 401 by detecting an incoming call at the 25 subscriber B. The telephone number of the calling sub scriber A is identified at step 402, and if the current number is entitled to pass or not is checked at step 403. If the answer is yes the telephone of subscriber B con tinues to indicate an incoming call at step 404. The sub 30 scriber B leaves the meeting and retrieves the call at step 405, and a connection is established between A and B. When the conversation comes to an end both subscribers A and B hang up and the connection is disconnected at step 406, and the method is completed at step 407, as described above.
WO99/30473 8 PCT/SE98/02229 If the current number is determined not to be entitled to pass, step 403, the number is compared to a list of numbers at step 408, wherein each number is associated with a particular voice message. If the number 5 exists in the list, the system plays the particular voice message associated with the current number at step 409, and if it is not represented in the list a general voice message is played at step 410. Both voice messages played at step 409 och 410 may comprise a message about leaving a 10 message. Therefore, proceeding from step 409 or 410, a check is performed determining if the answer message is left, and if so the answer message is recorded (410') followed by a an on hook action from subscriber A. If no message is left the incoming call is put on hold in step 15 411. As described, the subscriber B retrieves the call at step 405, and a connection is established between A and B, the connection is disconnected at step 406, and the method is completed at step 407. The operation in step 402 can be done manually by the 20 subscriber B himself through a "number indicator". Furhter, the check in step 403 as well as the comparison in step 408 can be performed manually. Consequently, by entering a particular key sequence an associated voice message is played. 25 In another alternative embodiment of the embodiment described in FIG 4 a hierarchy of telephone numbers are provided: 1. all subscribers can pass, 2. colleagues and family can pass, 3. the superior, the secretary and the family can pass, and 4. the family can pass. 30 In a third specific embodiment of the method accord ing to the present invention the subscriber A makes a phone call to the subscriber B, and the method proceeds according to the flow chart voice answering 500 in FIG 5. In a first step 501 the subscriber B observes an incoming call by 35 means of a ring signal or a light signal on the phone, and WO99/30473 9 PCT/SE98/02229 a voice message is played at step 502, wherein the sub scriber A gets a particular message such as "Please wait, I am busy at the moment, or enter your identification code". In step 503 the code entered by the subscriber A is de 5 tected. The code is compared to a list of authorized codes at step 504, and if the code is accepted a message can be left at step 504', followed by an on hook action from subscriber A, or the call can pass to step 505. The latter is followed by establishing of a connection between the 10 subscriber B and the subscriber A within a predetermined time, controlled by a timeout, at step 506. Finally, the connection is disconnected in a conventional manner at step 507, and the sequence ends up at step 508. Of course the message recording function can be incorporated in the step 15 502. If the code is not accepted, the call from subscriber A is put on hold at step 509. Then, the method continues with step 506, 507, and is concluded at step 508. Hence, the subscriber A is not necessarily put on 20 hold in any of the embodiments of the invention. Further, at any time during the proceeding of the method of the present invention a subscriber can force termination of the method by an on hook action. It should be apparent that the present invention 25 provides a new method and system for automatic answering in a telephone system that fully satisfies the aims and advan tages set forth above. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, this invention is susceptible of embodiments in different 30 forms, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. In another alternative embodiment of the embodiment 35 described in FIG 5 a hierarchy of codes for pre-programmed WO99/30473 10 PCT/SE98/02229 telephone numbers are provided: 1. all subscribers can pass, 2. colleagues and family can pass, 3. the superior, the secretary and the family can pass, and 4. the family can pass. 5 In still another alternative embodiment of the invention, a telephone is provided with two different telephone numbers with separate hierarchies, for example a private number where a first level corresponds to all friends, a second level family as well as the superior and 10 the secretary, and a third level only the family, and a work related telephone number as described above. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. 15