AU5945999A

AU5945999A - Improvements related to telephones

Info

Publication number: AU5945999A
Application number: AU59459/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Martyn Butterworth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-11-18
Filing date: 1999-11-16
Publication date: 2000-05-25
Also published as: GB9927239D0; GB9825172D0; GB2344020A

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "IMPROVEMENTS RELATED TO TELEPHONES" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: IMPROVEMENTS RELATED TO TELEPHONES The invention relates to improvements to telephone systems. In particular, the invention relates to method and apparatus for enabling effective advertising or the passing on of supplementary information using the telephone system.

Up until now, conventional advertising has been achieved by means of radio, TV, or other conventional media such as newspapers, magazines, etc. Increasingly, cold calling has gone ahead by representatives of companies using the telephone system. However, such cold calling by individuals is often un-appreciated by the recipient of the phone call and, often, the person receiving the calls will resort to any excuse to try and, reasonably politely, make their excuses to end the telephone conversation. Also, from the advertising company's point of view, it is often a thankless task cold calling since it is necessary to employ telesales staff S"who run the risk of frequently being verbally abused by S"house holders.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is 25 provided a method for transmitting pre-recorded messages using a telephone network, whereby when telephone call apparatus is used, a message is conveyed from messaging equipment to a telephone user. The message is conveyed to a caller in place of a conventional ringing tone and/or to a call recipient upon picking up a ringing telephone prior to a connection between caller and recipient being effected.

The message may be audibly or visually transmitted to a caller during a predetermined time period.

The message may be transmitted to the caller to replace a convention ringing tone during said predetermined time period.

2 The telephone call apparatus may comprise a telephone receiver or computer or other device referred to simply as telecom apparatus.

The telecom apparatus may be a domestic or commercial telephone.

Preferably, if, during transmission of the message, the telecom apparatus is answered, then the message S 10 terminates.

The predetermined time period, in a preferred embodiment, is five seconds. However, it will be appreciated that alternative time durations may be 15 possible or desirable.

In preferred embodiments, the message contains some advertising content. Alternatively/additionally the message may contain factual, topical or otherwise useful information such as a weather forecast or travel information.

In preferred embodiments, the predetermined time period may be selected by an advertising organisation.

The advertising organisation may pay a messaging service provider according to the length of the predetermined time period or other criteria such as the particular time during the day in which a particular message is to be transmitted when an incoming call is detected.

Preferably, the message is used in conjunction with traditional telephone ringing signals so that if the telecom apparatus is not answered during the predetermined time period, the message which the caller hears is replaced by the traditional ringing signal.

A recipient of the telephone call is preferably arranged to hear a message upon picking up a ringing telephone, the message being relayed, prior to connection between caller and recipient being effected. The message heard by the recipient may be the same message or a different message to that heard by the caller.

The system may be utilised to provide important statistical feedback to advertisers using the system 10 detailing the number of times a given message was transmitted and, more importantly, the number of times the telephone was answered following transmission of a message. Data concerning the number of times the telephone was answered following transmission of a message S' 15 provides the advertiser or information provider with important information regarding how often the telephone user has received the message.

Apparatus for implementing the method includes: means S: 20 for detecting a signal on a telephone line indicating that there is an incoming telephone call; and means for responding to this detection for replacing a traditional telephone ringing tone with the message.

The apparatus may include timer means for terminating the message after a predetermined time period and substituting therefor the telephone ringing tone.

The apparatus preferably also includes means for terminating the message subsequent to a user picking up a telephone receiver at a call receiving end.

The apparatus is preferably embodied within a telephone exchange apparatus. The telephone exchange may be configured so as to only convey such messages to 4 telephone system users who have indicated a willingness to receive such messages. To do this, a subscriber system may be utilised. To encourage telephone system users to utilise the system/apparatus, the domestic apparatus implementing the method or the cost of telephone calls may be provided at a subsidised price to users. The costs of providing the subsidy preferably would be borne by providers of the messaging service.

10 Users of the system may be provided with the capability-of choosing the type of messages that they wish to receive. For instance, users may be able to choose local weather forecasts or travel information and such types of received messages may be accompanied by 15 sponsorship messages.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing how a system in accordance with the principles of the present invention may be implemented. Referring now to the Figure, there is shown schematically caller equipment 1, recipient's equipment 2, a telephone exchange 3 and add on equipment 4.

The caller equipment 1 and recipient equipment 2 are standard existing equipments (at least in the preferred embodiment). In other words, they represent conventional telephone call transmitting/receiving equipment (hereinafter referred to as telephones). Also, the exchange equipment 3 is basically standard but interfaces with add on equipment 4. The add on equipment 4 is triggered by an originating caller 1 dialling a number corresponding to the telephone number of the recipient caller equipment 2. When detecting a call from equipment 1 to equipment 2, the add on equipment 4 is arranged to transmit a message to the originator caller prior to the ringing tone. In other words, while the caller using equipment 1 is making a telephone call to recipient equipment 2, instead of hearing the ringing tone, the first few seconds of the ringing tone are replaced with a 10 message which the caller will hear. The recipient, when answering the telephone call using the recipient telephone apparatus 2, will, instead of being connected straight away to the originating caller initially hear the message from add on equipment 4. In this manner, messages of an informative and/or advertising nature may be passed using the telephone network.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly 6 stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any 10 novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

o* S **o *o*o*

Claims

2. A method according to claim i, wherein if, during 1 0 transmission of the message, the telephone call apparatus o° a o a. a ":is answered by the recipient then the message is arranged to terminate. a. ae
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the message is 15 used in conjunction with traditional telephone ringing tones relayed to the caller so that if the telephone call apparatus is not answered by the recipient during a predetermined time period, the message which the caller hears is replaced by the conventional ringing tone.
4. A method for transmitting pre-recorded messages using a telephone network, in which a recipient of the telephone call hears a pre-recorded message upon picking up a ringing telephone, the message being conveyed, prior to connection between caller and recipient being effected. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a message is heard by a person making a 8 telephone call prior to connection between caller and recipient being established.
6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the message heard by the recipient is the same message as that heard by the caller.
7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the message has an advertising and/or 10 information content.
8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: statistical feed back concerning the number of times 15 a given message was transmitted and, more importantly, the ooeoe number of times a telephone was answered following transmission of a message is provided to an information ooooe provider.
9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein messages are conveyed only to telephone system users who have indicated a willingness to receive such messages.
10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which telephone users accepting such messaging are provided with telephone calls at subsidised prices.
11. A method according to claim 10, in which the subsidy is borne by providers of the messaging service.
12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a user is provided with the capability of choosing the type of messages they wish to receive.
13. Apparatus for implementing a method according to any one of the preceding claims, said apparatus including: means for detecting a signal on a telephone line indicating that there is an incoming telephone call; and means for responding to this detecting for replacing a traditional telephone ringing tone with the message.
14. An apparatus according to claim 13, in which timer means are provided for terminating the message after a predetermined time period and substituting therefor the telephone ringing tone.
15. Apparatus according to either claim 13 or 14, in which the apparatus further includes means for terminating the message subsequent to a user picking up a telephone receiver at a call receiving end.
16. Apparatus according to any one of claims 13, 14 or in which said apparatus comprises telephone exchange apparatus.
18. Apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 17, in which telephone system users are provided with telephone calls at subsidised prices.
19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the subsidy is borne by providers of the messaging service. Apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 19, in which a system user is provided with the capability of 10 choosing the type of messages they wish to receive.
21. A method for transmitting pre-recorded messages substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
22. Apparatus for implementing transmission of pre- recorded messages substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing. DATED this Sixteenth day of November 1999. MARTYN BUTTERWORTH By his Patent Attorneys FISHER ADAMS KELLY