NL1005982C2 - Telecommunication sytsem, comprising traffic network and signalling network - Google Patents

Abstract

The system provides for multi-media terminals (2), which exchange traffic with each other via a multi-media network (4). The multi-media network is connected with a telecommunication control server (8), which is further connected with the signalling network. The multi-media terminals via the multi-media network and the multi-media service can install parameters in the signalling network and modify them with regard to the telecommunication traffic between the terminals. The telecommunication terminals (3), together with the multi-media terminals, form part of local subscriber stations (1).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a telecommunication system, comprising a telecommunication traffic network and a telecommunication signaling network for the control of that traffic network, wherein 5 telecommunication terminals can exchange traffic with each other via the traffic network, under the control of the signaling network.

Today, telephone subscribers can activate certain options in the telephone system themselves. For example, in the control of the telephone system it can be set that a call is to be routed to another number ("* 21 service"). Such options are set by means of the subscriber's telephone in network controllers. However, the limited, "non-intelligent" capabilities of the phone may hinder the implementation of more advanced services.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For (conventional) telephone networks, the telephone set, together with the fax machine, is the most commonly used user terminal. On the other hand, more "intelligent" terminals, such as PCs, have found a place in both the offices and factories and in the households. The popularity of multimedia networks such as the Internet contributes in many cases to providing the intelligent terminals with modems, ISDN cards, etc. Hereafter, "intelligent terminals" will be referred to as PCs.

The invention is based on the insight that PCs and the like, using the internet, offer good possibilities for advanced telephone-related services. To this end, according to the invention, a telecommunication control server which can be accessed via the internet is arranged for exchanging control signals between the internet and the telecommunication network. Subscribers can be enabled to change parameters in the telephony network by means of that control server. In other words, the control server proposed by the invention allows remote control of the operating system of the telephony network 35, but not, as hitherto, via the telecommunications network, but indirectly via the internet. On the side of the users, use is made of (standard) "client software" such as internet browsers, etc. On the side of the 100 5 8 82 2 control server, use can be made of control scripts, such as PERL scripts.

IMPLEMENTATION EXAMPLE

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the invention. The figure shows a number of user workstations 1, each comprising a PC 2 and a telephone set 3. Via a communication port and interface such as a modem, ISDN or ADSL card, the PCs can connect to 10 a multimedia network such as the Internet via number exchanges 5 and Internet access providers 9. The PCs use, for example, an HTML-based client. software, commonly called browser.

The telephones can also connect to the public telephone network via the number exchanges 5. The number exchanges are connected to each other by means of a signaling network 6 and a traffic network 7. The signaling network 6 serves to control the traffic network.

As is known, various types of servers or hosts can be accessed via the Internet, including for requesting information and software. Subscriptions, etc. can also be closed or parameters such as the email address of the user and selection parameters, based on which the user is regularly provided by email with information selected on the basis of the selection parameters.

In the present exemplary embodiment, an IT server 8 is connected to the internet, which on the one hand is connected to the internet 4 and on the other hand to the signaling network 6.

So far, telephone subscribers, in or through the number exchanges, can only set parameters using their telephone.

For example, it can be set that incoming calls to a specific subscriber A are to be routed to a subscriber B or to a voicemail server.

The present invention enables users to set telephone traffic parameters via their PC via the Internet. In addition to information from the PCs to the signaling network, information can also be transferred from the signaling network to the PCs via the Internet. This offers several interesting 100 5 9 82 3 possibilities, of which a number will be given as an example below.

A simple service that is possible with the proposed system is to display the name of the person for whom the call is intended on the screen of the PC 5 during an incoming phone call. The calling party's name and / or number can also be displayed, even without the telephone operator making the calling line identifier available.

Suppose a subscriber A (Cees Vanderwaal, 0596-573086) calls a subscriber C (Robert Meijer, 0598-322372). A looks up the telephone number of C in his PC, with the help of an electronic telephone clapper / dialer. The A / T telephone dialer / dialer says: "Robert" (-Robert Meijer 0598-322372). A clicks with his mouse on "Robert", after which his PC connects to server 8 and transfers the data stored in the clapper-dialer 15, "Robert Meijer, 0598-322372". Server 8 then causes the signaling network 6 to establish a connection between A (0596-573086) and C (0598-322372). If C is logged in via the internet (or by means of "push" technology, from server 8) on server 8, it will notify C that a telephone call is coming: on the screen 20 a ("pop-up ") notification message" <BEEP>

A telephone call comes in from Cees Vanderwaal, intended for Robert Meijer ".

If Cees does not want to call Robert but Ali, Cees' wife wants to call Robert's wife, Anita, it goes as follows.

25 Suppose Ali has its own phone topper on the family PC.

On it appears: "Anita". When Ali clicks "Anita", the PC connects to server 8 and transfers the calling telephone number, 0596-573086 and the number to be called, 0598-322372. The server initiates a connection between the two numbers in the signaling network 6. In addition, the server 8 transmits to the PC of C, one

notification message "<BEEP> A telephone call comes in from Ali Vanderwaal, intended for Anita Meijer". In this way, information about telephone calls is thus exchanged that would not be possible without the use of server 8. In addition to the name of A, if desired, other attributes can also be shown to C, for example an image of A. In a more business situation, business data can also be transferred, such as the policy number of A when he calls his insurance company. Within the PC of C

100 5 9 82 4 the policy sun can then be coupled with further data about A stored in the PC of C. This is then displayed on the screen during the telephone conversation with A.

A second service enabled by the present system is the following:

When a subscriber A calls a subscriber B, as explained above, this can be notified by means of a screen message. This screen message preferably takes the form of a ("pop-up") window that is opened. In addition to a field for displaying the notification message, this window may also contain a field in which the B subscriber can type in a number of things. In particular, this can be useful in case B's telephone is temporarily unavailable. If B's extension is busy, B can still inform A 15 by typing a message in the notification window, for example that B A will call back as soon as possible. In that case it is very useful to provide the notification window with a multiple-choice field, where you can select from the standard messages with the mouse, such as "Please call back in 10 minutes", "You will be Called back asap "or, for example, if 20 appears (see above)" ... intended for Robert Meijer "," Robert Meijer is not there ". If nobody is at B's home and the phone is not answered, a standard message can be sent to callers who call in vain. Preferably, however, if the callers are on a list of reliable relationships in B's PC, thus preventing any (unknown) caller from being notified that B is not (and until when) at home. The message thus entered intended for A is transferred via the internet to the PC of A. Another possibility is to place such anger in the e-mail box of A.

It is noted that the multimedia server 8 can use 30 control scripts such as PERL scripts which are either loaded and interpreted into the server 8 via a CGI interface, or directly, without CGI, via an Object Request Broker, as in a previous application of applicant is introduced.

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Claims (3)

Telecommunications system, comprising a telecommunications traffic network (7) and a telecommunications signaling network (6), for controlling that traffic network, wherein 5 telecommunication terminals (3) can exchange traffic with each other via the traffic network, under the control of the signaling network, characterized by multimedia terminals (2) capable of exchanging multimedia traffic with one another via multimedia (4); 10 which multimedia network is connected to a telecommunication control server (8), which is further connected to said telecommunication signaling network; wherein the multimedia terminals can set and change parameters related to the telecommunications traffic between the telecommunication terminals via the multimedia network and the multimedia server in the telecommunications signaling network. Telecommunication system according to claim 1, characterized in that the telecommunication terminals (3) together with the multimedia terminals form part of local subscriber stations (1). Telecommunication system according to claim 1, characterized in that the multimedia server uses control scripts such as PERL scripts to control the telecommunication network. 100 5 9 82