GB2301262A

GB2301262A - Caller identification

Info

Publication number: GB2301262A
Application number: GB9610628A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yong-Sang Lee
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 1995-05-24
Filing date: 1996-05-21
Publication date: 1996-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 2016-05-21
Also published as: BR9602389A; CN1090417C; GB2301262B; KR960043941A; GB9610628D0; CN1140372A

Abstract

Caller identification is presented in a telephone exchange system provided with a memory for storing caller identification presentation information. A method comprises the steps of: checking whether a call is lead-in from a certain central office line; accessing the memory for storing the caller identification presentation information of a subscriber to be connected, in the case that the call is lead-in from the central office line, thereby to check whether the subscriber is desiring caller identification presentation; checking whether the lead-in central office line call is able to present caller identification in the case that the subscriber is desiring caller identification presentation; and presenting the caller identification in the case that the lead-in central office line call is able to present caller identification.

Description

CALLER IDENTIFICATION The present invention relates to caller identification in a telephone system.

Generally, a pager has a function of presenting a telephone number of a calling party, or a password arranged between the parties. However, in a relation of telephone to telephone, in the case that a called party has an automatic answering phone, the calling party can record the password arranged between the parties and his own telephone number as a voice message, but there is no way of knowing the telephone number of the calling party, i.e. a counterpart, before the called party directly answers the telephone. So, the following often happens.

It may be very ineffective in several respects that several persons share one telephone, because they cannot identify an incoming call as being for a particular one of themselves, and this may cause inconvenience as they answer the telephone by turns in the middle of their busy work. Also, in the case of being troubled by an unnecessary or undesired call, it is very difficult to find out the telephone number of the counterpart without relying on an external means. As a result, it can be difficult to cope adequately with undesired calls.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of presenting a caller identification on a called party's telephone.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of presenting a caller identification in an exchange system provided with a memory for storing caller identification presentation information, comprising the steps of: checking whether a call is connected on a certain central office line; accessing said memory in the case that said call is connected on said central office line, thereby to check whether the called subscriber desires caller identification presentation; checking whether said connected central office line call is able to present caller identification in the case that the called subscriber desires caller identification presentation; and presenting said caller identification in the case that said connected central office line able to present caller identification.

A method as above may further comprise the step of presenting a central office line identification in the case that said connected central office line call is not able to present said caller identification.

Preferably, said exchange system comprises a key-phone system connected to an office exchange via a plurality of central office lines, said key-phone system having a plurality of extensions and a caller identification presentation indicating buffer which stores, for each respective said extension, data representing whether the subscriber at that extension desires caller identification presentation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a telephone system adapted to perform a method according to any of the preceding aspects of the invention.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a telephone system comprising a plurality of extensions, a store for storing respective caller display data for each of said extensions, and a central processor which is arranged to handle calls to and from said extensions, and is arranged to enable or inhibit display of incoming caller data at each of said extensions, in dependence upon the respective said caller display data for that extension.

A telephone system as above may further comprise any one or more of the features disclosed in the accompanying specification, claims, abstract and/or drawings, in any combination.

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 drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view illustrating a conventional construction of a key-phone system, an office exchange and an extension subscriber telephone connected to the keyphone system; Figure 2 is a view illustrating a construction of a caller identification presentation indicating buffer for a plurality of extension lines, according to one example of the present invention; Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure of indicating a caller identification presentation for a plurality of extension lines, according to one example of the present invention; and Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure of presenting a caller identification for a plurality of extension lines, according to one example of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a view illustrating a conventional construction of a key-phone system, an office exchange and an extension subscriber telephone connected to the keyphone system. The general mode of operation of such an arrangement will be well known to those skilled in the art, and in the interests of clarity, is not described in detail herein.

Figure 2 is a view illustrating a construction of a caller identification presentation indicating buffer for a plurality of extension lines according to one example of the present invention. Since some subscribers may desire to present caller identification and other subscribers may not desire to present caller identification, '0' means that the caller identification is not presented and '1' means that the caller identification is presented. Such indicating is achieved by a flow chart illustrated in Figure 3, which will be described in the following.

Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure of indicating a caller identification presentation for a plurality of extension lines according to one example of the present invention. The above procedure is performed in a main controller (not shown) of a key-phone system 100. In the main controller of the key-phone system 100, it is checked whether a program key is input thereto from a certain extension subscriber telephone sub X illustrated in Figure 1 (step 3a). In the case that the program key is input to the main controller, it is checked whether an extension identification is input to the main controller (step 3b). At this time, if the extension identification is input, a corresponding extension state is displayed through a displayer 301 (step 3k). And then, it is checked whether the program key is again input to the main controller (step 3c).At this time, if a move key is input in the place of the program key, a cursor is moved to a position of indicating whether the caller identification is to be presented (steps 3d and 3e). In this state, it is checked whether a volume up key VOL UP or a volume down key VOL DOWN is input to the main controller (steps 3f and 3h). According to a result of checking as above, a state of caller indication for the respective extension is toggled. In other words, it is toggled whether the caller identification is presented.

Such toggling is stored in the buffer illustrated in Figure 2. The buffer is allotted one byte for each respective extension. If the volume up or volume down key is input and then the program key is again input, the routine is terminated, considering that the caller indication status for as many extensions as desired has being completed (step 3i).

On the one hand, if the move key is input in step 3j in place of the step 3i for inputting the program key, the step 3b is again returned for indicating the next extension identification.

On the other hand, in the case that the move key is not input in the step 3j, the step 3f is returned for again checking whether the extension indicating state is to be changed (state 3g).

Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure of presenting a caller identification for a plurality of extension lines according to one example of the present invention. Once an entry has been made for each extension in the caller identification presentation indicating buffer of Figure 2, as has been discussed above with reference to Figure 3, if a call is connected on a central office line (step 4a), the key-phone system 100 checks the caller identification presentation indicating buffer of the extension to be called, thereby to check whether the extension is one desiring caller identification presentation (step 4b). And then, it is checked whether the connected central office line call is for an central office line being able to present the calling line identification (step 4c).At this time, if it is checked that the connected central office line call is for the central office line being able to present the caller identification, the caller identification is presented through a displayer 301 (step 4d). Otherwise, the central office line identification (C.Ox) is presented through the displayer 301 (step 4e). And then, a general central office line incoming routine is performed such that the corresponding extension is rung.

As discussed above, there is an advantage in which the caller identification is presented thereby to make it possible to previously identify a counterpart before answering the telephone. As a result, it is possible for the correct person to directly answer the telephone of the calling party himself, without the need for several persons to answer the telephone by turn in the middle of their busy work, in the case that several persons share one telephone. If the telephone number or other identification of the counterpart being presented through the displayer is previously known, one may cope adequately with undesired calls.

While there have been illustrated and described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the present invention.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

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 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 novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of presenting a caller identification in an exchange system provided with a memory for storing caller identification presentation information, comprising the steps of: checking whether a call is connected on a certain central office line; accessing said memory in the case that said call is connected on said central office line, thereby to check whether the called subscriber desires caller identification presentation; checking whether said connected central office line call is able to present caller identification in the case that the called subscriber desires caller identification presentation; and presenting said caller identification in the case that said connected central office line able to present caller identification.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting a central office line identification in the case that said connected central office line call is not able to present said caller identification.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said exchange system comprises a key-phone system connected to an office exchange via a plurality of central office lines, said key-phone system having a plurality of extensions and a caller identification presentation indicating buffer which stores, for each respective said extension, data representing whether the subscriber at that extension desires caller identification presentation.

4. A method of presenting caller information in a telephone system, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A telephone system adapted to perform a method according to any of the preceding claims.

6. A telephone system comprising a plurality of extensions, a store for storing respective caller display data for each of said extensions, and a central processor which is arranged to handle calls to and from said extensions, and is arranged to enable or inhibit display of incoming caller data at each of said extensions, in dependence upon the respective said caller display data for that extension.

7. A telephone system according to claim 6, further comprising any one or more of the features disclosed in the accompanying specification, claims, abstract and/or drawings, in any combination.

8. A telephone system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.