JPH10336349A - Telephone calling method using distributed information retrieval means and computer readable recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain telephone calling by a simple operation, to operate the origin of calling telephone number change only by the definition description change of HTML or the like, and to simplify maintenance by clicking a button on a WWW browser instead of a telephone at the time of calling for merchandise inquiry or ordering or the like during Internet reading. SOLUTION: At the time of calling for merchandise inquiry or ordering or the like during browser reading while a PC 10 is connected through the Internet 40 with a WWW server 20, a user clicks a button for telephone calling displayed on a broker screen. Then, the WWW server 20 side CGI is activated from the PC 10, the PC 10 display is retrieved, and the telephone number is called by the WWW server 20 from the PC 10 through an MODEM 12. The user is allowed to off-hook a telephone set 11, and to wait for an answer from an other telephone set 21 so that voice communication between the user and an operator can be attained after the response. Thus, it is not necessary for either the user side or the operator side to provide any special device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a hypertext structure distributed information system constructed on a network,
For example, the present invention relates to a method for making a telephone call using distributed information search means for searching for distributed information such as a WWW browser on a WWW (World Wide Web) on the Internet, and a computer-readable recording medium for implementing the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when making a telephone call on the Internet, Internet telephone software is used to communicate with the I
There was a means for performing voice communication by inputting a P address, but there was no means for calling a specific destination simply by clicking a button on a WWW browser.

[0003] In addition, when making a telephone call while browsing the Internet, for example, when browsing the Internet, there has been no choice but to make and receive calls using a telephone separate from the computer on which the browser operates.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a button on the WWW browser when browsing the Internet and wishing to make a call for a product inquiry or order without having to call the corresponding telephone number from the telephone. This is to make it possible to make a telephone call with a simple operation of clicking. When the operator wants to change the telephone number of the destination, HTML, which is a description language for using WWW, is used.
(Hypertext Markup Language) is to change the telephone number only by changing the definition description, and to facilitate maintenance.

[0005]

According to the present invention, as a means for solving the problem, a method using tags in the description of distributed information having a hypertext structure such as HTML, or a telephone call object (such as a telephone call or call origination or reception object) is used. Button in which an incoming call or the like is attached to distributed information in an object format).

[0006] The former method of using a tag such as HTML is based on a method in which a telephone call request is issued from a processing device having distributed information search means such as a WWW browser when a telephone number is included in the distributed information described in HTML or the like. Searches for the tag extended to, and obtains the phone number described in that tag. Calls are sent and received from the processing device or the modem based on the telephone number.

As a method of using the latter call originating / receiving object, an event is issued to the telephone originating / receiving object by clicking a button in the shared information displayed by the shared information search means such as a WWW browser.
Make and receive calls based on the telephone number described in the object or the telephone number entered in the object.

[0008] As a mode of making and receiving a telephone call, a mode in which the modem notified of the telephone number makes a telephone call, and a voice communication is performed by the telephone, a mode in which the modem notified of the telephone number makes a telephone call, and W
There is a form in which data is communicated by a processing apparatus equipped with a WW browser or the like, or a form in which a telephone call is made from the processing apparatus and voice communication is performed using a headset or handset connected to the processing apparatus.

A program for realizing the above method by a computer of a processing device having a distributed information search means can be stored in an appropriate recording medium such as a computer-readable portable medium memory, a semiconductor memory, and a hard disk. it can. In addition, the tag including the telephone number information used in the above method or the information of the hypertext structure to which the telephone call object is attached is also stored in an appropriate recording medium such as a computer-readable portable medium memory, a semiconductor memory, and a hard disk. can do.

[0010]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a device on the user side includes a personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a PC) 10 equipped with a browser, a telephone 11,
The device on the operator side is composed of a modem 12 and a WWW server 20 and a telephone (or PC) 21.
The equipment at the user side and the equipment at the operator side are
It is connected to the public line network 30 such as SDN and the Internet 40. The modem 12 is a telephone line interface having a telephone transmission function and a connection switching function between the public line network 30 and the PC 10 or the telephone 11 in addition to the data modulation / demodulation function.

First, a method for making a telephone call using a tag in HTML will be described. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram of a method using a tag in HTML. The user is PC1
0 is connected to the WWW server 20 on the Internet 40, and while browsing with a browser, it is assumed that the user encounters a situation where he wants to make a telephone call for a product inquiry order. At this time, the user clicks the call button displayed on the browser screen.

By this operation, the PC 10 notifies the WWW server 20 that the call button has been clicked, the CGI is activated on the WWW server 20 side, and the extension tag for the telephone is displayed from the HTML of the page displayed on the PC 10. Search for. The WWW server 20 notifies the PC 10 of the telephone number obtained as a search result. The PC 10 transmits the telephone number to the modem 12, and makes a telephone call from the modem 12.

The user goes off-hook on the telephone 11 and waits for a response from the telephone 21 of the other party. After the other party answers, voice communication between the user and the operator becomes possible. In this method, when it is desired to make a call to a different telephone number, the name of the extension tag is distinguished and handled.

In the example of FIG. 2, the PC 10 notifies the WWW server 20 of the click of the telephone call button, and the WWW server 20 searches for the telephone number and notifies the PC 10 of the click, but the telephone number is described in HTML beforehand. If the search has been performed, instead of searching on the WWW server 20 side,
The PC 10 can also obtain a telephone number in HTML. In this case, for example, an extension tag for a telephone number is described as follows.

<TELNO> xx-xxx-xxxx </ TELNO> Here, xx-xxx-xxxx is the destination telephone number. FIG.
Shows an example of an operation procedure when a tag on HTML is used. The operation procedure of steps S31 to S36 is performed by the PC 10
The operation procedure from steps S37 to S39 is an operation procedure from the telephone set 11.

In step S31, a connection is made to a provider that provides a function of an information access service via the Internet 40 via a telephone line (public line network 30). In step S32, a desired site of the WWW server 20 is accessed via a provider of the Internet 40,
The user browses necessary information from the homepage of the WWW server 20.

Access is made to a page where calls can be made and received (step S33), and if a call is required, the call button on the page is clicked with a pointing device such as a mouse (step S34).

Thus, the fact that the call button has been clicked is notified to the WWW server 20, and the WWW server 2 is notified.
0 searches for the destination telephone number from the HTML using the telephone extension tag (step S35). The search result is notified to the PC 10. Alternatively, when a telephone number is described in HTML, the PC 10 does not request the WWW server 20 to search for the telephone number, and
The telephone number described on the ML is extracted as a destination telephone number.

In step S36, a telephone call is made from the modem 12 to the searched telephone number. In step S37, the telephone 11 is off-hook and the connection of the telephone line is switched from the PC 10. This will make it possible to talk.
A call is made (step S38). In step S39,
When the call is over, disconnect the phone.

Next, a method of using the call originating / receiving object will be described. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of a method of using a call originating / receiving object. When the user encounters a situation where he or she wants to make a telephone call as in FIG. 2, the user clicks the telephone call button of the telephone call object displayed on the browser screen.

Here, as a method of designating a telephone number of a call destination, a method of embedding a telephone number in a telephone calling / receiving object in advance or a method of inputting a telephone number from an input device of the PC 10 can be used.

In the method of embedding the telephone number of the call destination in the call originating / receiving object, it is possible to make a call only by a click operation. On the other hand, in the method of inputting a telephone number, a call can be made to an arbitrary telephone number.
When specifying a telephone number, the user inputs the telephone number from the browser screen and then clicks the call button. Thereby, the PC 10 transmits the telephone number to the modem 12 to make a telephone call.

As a result, the user can make and receive a call on the telephone 11 through the call originating and receiving object. The user goes off-hook on the telephone 11 and waits for the other party to answer. After the other party answers, voice communication between the user and the operator becomes possible.

FIG. 5 shows an example of an operation procedure in the case of using a call originating / receiving object. In FIG. 5, step S50
S56 is an operation procedure from the PC 10, steps S57 to S56.
S59 is an operation procedure from the telephone 11.

In step S50, a connection is made to a provider providing an information access service function via the Internet 40 via a telephone line (public line network 30). In step S51, a desired site of the WWW server 20 is accessed via a provider of the Internet 40,
The user browses necessary information from the homepage of the WWW server 20.

In step S52, a page accessible for making and receiving calls is accessed. In step S53, when a telephone call is required, a telephone number is input using the input device of the PC 10. Step S53 is executed only when the user specifies a telephone number.

In step S54, a telephone call button of a telephone call object attached to HTML displayed on the browser screen is clicked. In step S55, a telephone number fixedly embedded in the telephone transmission / reception object or a telephone number input from the browser is searched. In step S56, a telephone call is made from the modem 12 to the searched telephone number.

In step S57, the telephone 11 is off-hook and the connection of the telephone line is switched from the PC 10. As a result, a call is made possible, and a call is made (step S58). In step S59, when the call is completed, the telephone is disconnected.

The processing configuration of the PC 10 in the present embodiment will be described in more detail. Fig. 6 is a block diagram when the destination telephone number is embedded in the telephone call object.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram when a destination telephone number is input via a browser.

The HTML file 14 is a file described in a syntax of a hypertext structure capable of directly controlling the browser 13,
This is the shared information sent from the WW server 20. Here, a telephone transmission / reception object (hereinafter referred to as a TELM object) is attached to the information of the HTML file 14.

The ALX file 15 is a program control file that describes objects displayed on the browser 13. This ALX file 15
It is possible to control the program (OCX program 16) only by the HTML file 14 without using the HTML file 14. However, by using the ALX file 15, it is easy to change a GUI object such as a telephone screen.

The OCX program 16 is a program for issuing and receiving events such as a telephone call and a telephone call to the TAPI interface 17. HTML file 14, ALX file 15 to OCX program 16
By starting up, the telephone function can be controlled. The configuration of the OCX program 16 can be a single program for all telephone functions, or can be a separate program for each function such as calling and receiving.

TEL stored in ALX file 15
The M object is an object called based on the description in HTML, and exists for each telephone function such as outgoing call, incoming call, disconnection, and the like. When an event such as transmission or disconnection is issued from the user side, the respective processing is executed by transferring the TELM object to the OCX program 16. In response to an event such as disconnection from the network side, a disconnect TELM object is called from the OCX program 16 to execute disconnection notification to the screen, line release processing for the OCX program 16, and the like.

TAPI (Telephony Application Progra)
mming Interface) interface 17 is a standard interface for telephone control. In the case of the destination telephone number embedded type shown in FIG. 6, the following operation is performed. When the call button is pressed on the screen of the browser 13, the HTM
The calling TELM object described in the ALX file 15 is called by the event issuance processing of the L file 14, and the TELM object extracts the telephone number embedded in advance, designates the telephone number to the OCX program 16, and transmits the call. Make instructions. OCX program 1
6 is a modem 12 through a TAPI interface 17.
Outgoing call.

When there is an incoming response from the network side,
The OCX program 16 sends the incoming call to the ALX file 1
5 is notified to the incoming TELM object, an event analysis process is performed by the TELM object, and the browser 13 is executed in accordance with the description of the HTML file 14.
To display the incoming call.

On the other hand, when the destination telephone number shown in FIG. 7 is input, the following operation is performed. When a telephone number is input on the screen of the browser 13 and a telephone call button is pressed, a call TELM described in the ALX file 15 is executed by an event issuing process of the HTML file 14.
The object is invoked and its TELM object is notified of the telephone number. The TELM object designates the notified telephone number and instructs the OCX program 16 to make a call. Subsequent processing is the same as in FIG.

In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the modem 12 makes a telephone call to the notified telephone number, and then performs voice communication with the telephone 11, but instead of performing voice communication with the telephone 11 after making the telephone call, It is also possible for the PC 10 to perform data communication with a computer of the destination telephone number. Instead of performing voice communication with the telephone 11, voice communication can be performed using a headset or handset connected to the PC 10.

FIG. 8 shows an H having a tag including telephone number information.
The example of the content of a TML file is shown. HTML shown in FIG.
In the text, for example, the description <TELNO> 0120-123-1234 </ TELNO> indicates an extension tag for the telephone number, and by clicking the telephone mark (button) corresponding to this tag,
A call is made to the telephone number 0120-123-1234.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the contents of an HTML file having a telephone transmission / reception object. HT shown in FIG.
In the ML text, for example, Sub tel1-OnClick () TelmMdm1.TelmMtDial "0120-123-1234", "" End Sub represents a description relating to an object for making and receiving a telephone call. By clicking, telephone number 0120-123-1234 is Telm
Passed to a procedure named Mdm1.TelmMtDial,
A call is made to this telephone number.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a home page having a telephone mark (button) for making a telephone call. The telephone mark on the homepage shown in FIG. 10 is associated with, for example, an extension tag for a telephone number in an HTML text as shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 or a telephone transmission / reception object.
Alternatively, a call is made to the predetermined telephone number described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a process performed when making a telephone call. P1 and P2 in FIG. 11 are browsers 1 shown in FIG.
3, P3 to P7 are processes by ALX software control based on the ALX file 15 shown in FIG. 6, and P8 to P1
5 is a process by the OCX software control of the OCX program 16 shown in FIG.

When the browser 13 displays a homepage as shown in FIG. 10 (P1) and inputs a click on the telephone mark on the homepage (P2), the ALX software control monitors a telephone click event from HTML (FIG. 10). P3), a telephone call event by telephone mark click is received (P4). Thus, the extension tag for the telephone number in the HTML text is searched (P5), and the telephone number is detected (P6). This phone number and calling identifier are
It is transmitted to the CX program 16 (P7).

In the OCX software control, the state of the telephone call port is checked (P8), and it is checked whether the port is empty (P8).
9). If the port is not empty, an error is displayed and the outgoing call is stopped (P10). If the port is empty, it is checked whether there is an incoming call (P11), and if there is an incoming call, an incoming call process is performed (P12). If it is confirmed that there is no incoming call, the telephone number is transmitted (P13), and the response is monitored (P14). A message is displayed according to the response from the other party (P15), and the call is enabled.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a process when a call is received. P20 to P23 in FIG. 12 are OCX shown in FIG.
Processing by OCX software control of program 16, P2
4, P25 is A based on ALX file 15 shown in FIG.
The process by the LX software control, P26 is the process by the browser 13 shown in FIG.

In the OCX software control, an incoming call event is monitored (P20). If an incoming call event is received (P21), the caller number is obtained (P2).
2), and send the incoming event to the ALX side (P2
3). At this time, the caller number is notified by an argument.

In the ALX software control, an incoming event is received, an incoming screen number is selected according to a pre-registered caller number or the like (P24), and the incoming screen is transmitted to the browser 13 (P25). In browser 13, ALX
Receives the incoming screen sent from the software control and displays it on the display. This allows telephone calls.

[0047]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A call can be made by a simple operation from a distributed information search means such as a WWW browser. In addition, the user and the operator can use the telephone calling method of the present invention without requiring any special device. In addition, if you change your phone number,
Since maintenance can be performed simply by changing descriptions in HTML or the like, maintenance is easy.

The device on the user side is not limited to a personal computer (PC), and any device equipped with a browser for information via a network, such as an Internet TV or a game machine, can be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration for describing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram of a method using a tag in HTML.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation procedure when a tag in HTML is used.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of a method of using a call originating / receiving object.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an operation procedure when using a call originating / receiving object.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram when a call destination telephone number is embedded in a call transmission / reception object.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram when a destination telephone number is input via a browser.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of an HTML file.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of an HTML file.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a homepage.

FIG. 11 is a processing flowchart when making a telephone call.

FIG. 12 is a processing flowchart when a call is received.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Personal computer (PC) 11 Telephone 12 Modem 20 WWW server 21 Telephone (or PC) 30 Public line network 40 Internet

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Keiko Yokoyama, Inventor, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, 3-19-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A method for making a telephone call from a processing device having a distributed information search means for searching for distributed information in a distributed information system having a hypertext structure constructed on a network, wherein the distributed information search means makes a call. Searching the shared information of the text structure via the network, displaying the searched shared information, and associating with the telephone number from the information of the hypertext structure corresponding to the position indicated in the displayed shared information. A method of making a call using a distributed information search means, comprising: a step of identifying a given tag; and a step of making a call to the telephone number by identifying a tag associated with the telephone number. 2. A method for making a telephone call from a processing device having a distributed information search means for searching for distributed information in a distributed information system having a hypertext structure constructed on a network, wherein the distributed information search means makes a telephone call. Searching through a network for distributed information of a hypertext structure to which calling and called objects are attached;
Displaying the retrieved shared information, and, when the telephone call object is designated in the displayed shared information, a telephone number predetermined in the telephone call object or a telephone number input from the processing device. A method of making a telephone call using a distributed information search means. 3. A telephone calling method using the distributed information search means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the form of the telephone call in the step of making the telephone call is to notify the telephone number to a telephone line interface, The telephone line interface makes a call to the notified telephone number and performs voice communication by telephone, or the telephone line interface to which the telephone number is notified makes a telephone call and communicates data with the processing device or calls from the processing device. A method for making a telephone call using distributed information search means, wherein a call is transmitted and voice communication is performed using a headset or handset connected to the processing device. 4. A method for making a telephone call from a processing device having a distributed information search means for searching for distributed information in a distributed information system having a hypertext structure constructed on a network by a computer of the processing device. A recording medium storing a program, the tag including telephone number information or the tag or the telephone call object displayed based on information of a hypertext structure to be searched having a description of the telephone call object. Detecting a command for a mark or a character string to be performed, and detecting a phone number based on the tag or the phone call object included in information of a corresponding hypertext structure when the command is detected; Steps to make a call to the detected phone number A computer-readable recording medium on which a program to be executed by a computer is recorded. 5. A recording medium for recording information of a hypertext structure used for realizing a method of making a telephone call from a processing device having a distributed information search means, wherein telephone number information for making a telephone call is stored. A tag or a telephone number for displaying a call or call object to make a call to a predetermined telephone number or an input telephone number, and a mark or character string corresponding to the tag or the telephone call object. A computer-readable recording medium on which information of a hypertext structure including information and information is recorded.