Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to telecommunication sys
tems in which an electronic digital signal processor
will receive, store and deliver audio messages.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
:
The modern day telsphone network spans distance
well, but a conversation requires the involvement of
both parties at the same time. Tradi~ional telephone
calls as we now know them require both the calling and
called parties to participate simultaneously and gen-
erally at the same time the calling party wishes to con-
verse. This requires that the called party must suspend
his activity to handle the call and in some cases wait
for the telephone call to arrive. The calling party has
the problem of not reaching the intended party on the
initial try a high perc~entage of the time either because
the recipient is not at his telephone station or because
his telephone is in use. Subsequent calls eventually
connect the parties but only after frustating rounds of
"telephone tag".
To some extent, at least in the residential com-
munity, telephone answering machines help minimize
missed calls and telephone tag. But, these machines do
not have the technology, features and flexibility to
meet the needs and requirements of today' 5 business com-
munity.
Allternatively, telephone systems have begun to
enhance their equipment with features that try to reduce
the wasted time and expense of "telephone tag". Camp-on
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is one such feature I~ allows the calling party to re-
main on the called party's line when the phone is busy.
The called party is signalled with a "beep" that a call
is waiting. When the called party hangs up from the
previous call the calling party will then be connected.
Another feature is "automatic dial with redial". This
~eature allows the calling party to preprogram his phone
with frequently called telephone numbers so that when he
encounters a busy line or no-answer condition, the tele
phone line will automatically redial. However, both of
these enhancements have the disadvantage that both the
caller and called party must be available at their tele-
phones to communicate. Also, only the newer telephone
systems have these enhancements.
In other words, today's telephone systems still
require that both parties participate simultaneously if
they wish to converse. Such situations result in an in-
efficient use of time and resources (telephone equip-
ment) by the caller.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an obj~ct of the present invention to pro-
vide a telecommunications system that will overco~e the
above disadvantages; a system that will enable people to
communicate with each other in their own voices across
time and distance without the requirement for the cal-
ling party and the called party to be in direct contact
with each other.
It is a further object of this invention to pro-
vide a portable message announcer indicator that at-
taches to the User's telephone. This device will indi-
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cate that the User has telephone messages waiting for
him which he can retrieve at his convenience.
It is not the intent of this invention to re-
place normal telephone communications since many calls
require interaction. However, it should minimize the
disruption caused by trivial calls, one-way information
calls, and eliminate the occurence of "telephone tag".
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention can be understood
and readily carried into effect, and so that the afore-
mentioned and other objects will become apparent, a
telecommunication system in accordance with the inven-
tion will now be described, by way of example only, in
which
Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a voice
and data digital messaging system
connected to a private telephone
exchange and off-premises suscribers
who can access the messaging system
through a central office,
., 25 Figure 2 is a block diagram of the voice store
and forward system,
Figure 3 is a block diagram of the call pro-
cessor sub-system shown in Figure 2,
Figure ~ i5 a block diagram of the housekeeper
sub-system shown in Figure 2,
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Figure 5 is a block diagram of the data storage
sub-system shown in Figure 2,
Figure 6 is a flow chart of the system access
process,
Figure 7 is a flow chart of the message deposi~
process,
Figure 8 is a flow chart of the retrieval pro-
cess,
Figure 9 is a flow chart of the message transfer
process, and
Figure 10 is a flow chart of the message deliv-
ery process.
DESCRIPTIQN OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
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Referring to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, a
Voice and Data Digital Messaging System (hsreinafter re-
ferred to as "VDS") is indicated a~ ~hich is connect-
ed through a tie line la to a Voice Connecting Arrange-
ment 2 (hereinafter referred to as "VCA") which in ~urn
is connected to a private Branch Exchange 3 (hereinafter
referred to as "PBX") by a tie line 2a, the whole
forming a first communication system (hereinaf~er re-
ferred to as "Syst0m 1") D
Although such a VDS w~uld normally be connected
to a PBX, it can be used in conjonction with a VCA to
form a second communication system (hereinafter referred
to as "System 2).
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The VCA 2 is supplied by a telephone company
pursuant to Go~ernmental regulations to provide a line
of demarcation between a private user's equipment and
the telephone company's equipment.
As will be seen from Figure 1 of the drawinys,
telephones connected to the PBX 3 have dirPct access to
the VDS 1 via the VCA 2 and are referred to as being "on
net" or PBX subscribers.
However, in addition to the subscribers connect
ed directly to the PBX 3, subscribers may be connected
to the PBX 3 through a central office 4 cf the telephone
cornpany via a tie line 4a, whereby access can be gained
to the VDS 1. Telephone company subscribers who have
direct connection to central office 4, who are not sub-
scribers of VDS 1 can access VDS 1 system to deposit
messages in the VDS 1 subscribers' mailboxes. All the
subscribers including those with rotary dial telephone
instruments can leave messages to the system.
The subscribers to the VDS 1 via the central of-
fice 4 are often referred to as off-premises extension
subscribers, or "off-net".
As can be seen from Figure 2 of the drawings,
the VDSl comprises 2 housekeeper sub-system 5, a data
storage sub system 6, and a series of call processor
sub-systems 7; depending upon the number of telephone
lines interfacing with or connected ~o the VDS 1. The
sub-systems 5, 6 and 7 communicate with each other
through a multi-bus system interface, which include data
storage buses 5a, 6a and 7a which interconnect the sub-
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systems 5, 6 and 7, whereby the housekeeping sub-system
5 and call processor sub-systems 7 have access to the
data storage system 6, and with each oth r.
Each call processor sub-system 7 comprises, as
shown in Figure 3 of th0 drawings, a central processing
unit 8 such as INTEL's 86/30 board which contains their
8086 microprocessor (hereinafter referred to as "CP~ 8")
and a central processor ~emory 9 for the CPU 8, which
memory 9 has multiple ports to permit transfer of data
between the memory 9 and the CPU 8 via a data storage
bus 9a~ and to the data storage sub-system 6 via a data
storage bus 9b and the multibus system interface. In
addition, depending upon the number of telephone lines
served by the VDS 1, each call processor sub-system 7
will include a line control module 10 for each telephone
line, which module 10 is separately connected to the
memory 9, and the multibus interface system, by data
buses lOa and lOb respectively. The CPU 8 is also con-
nected to the multlbus system interface by a data bus
8a.
Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, the
housekeeper sub-system 5 comprises a CPU 8 connected to
a memory 9, both being connected to the multibus system
interface by data buses 8b and 9c and to e~ch other by a
data bus 8c. In addition, the CPU 8 is connected by se-
rial interface lines 8d and 8e to a printer 59 and a
system console 11 respectively.
The data storage sub-system 6 is illustrated in
Figure 5 of the drawings and comprises at least two disc
st~rage units i3, each having an associated controller
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12 which interface with the housekeeping sub-system 5
and the call processor sub-systems 7 via data buses 12a,
which communicate with the multibus system interface.
It will be seen that all data i5 stored on the disc
units 13.
When a user wants to deposit a message to be
transmitted later by telephone, the procedure to be fol-
lowed is illustrated in the 10w chart shown in Figure 6
of the drawings (system 20).
The procedure starts when a user dials into the
VDS 1 (step 30) whereby the greeting system will ac-
knowledge the call (step 40). The caller then inputs
his personal identification code (step 50) by use of the
touchtone ~eys on his telephone. The system indicates
to the user that he may dictate, deposit a message, re-
trieve a message, access the password or gree-t.ing's sub-
systems The user then depresses a predetermined key on
his telephone to access the message deposit sub-system
(step 62). The caller is requested to enter the tele-
phone number or group number to which his messa~e is to
be transmitted (step 210).
The caller then enters that his message is for
immediate delivery or fu~ure delivery (step 220). If
the message is for future delivery, the system asks the
call.er to input the date and time of the delivery re-
quired (step 225).
On completion of steps 220 or 225, the system
asks if there are more numbers to which the message is
to be sent (step 230). If the answer is no, then the
message is recorded (step 240).
~owever, if further telephone numbers to which
the message i5 to be transmitted are to be put into the
system, after entry of the first number together with
its date and time of delivery, the user returns to step
210, and the above described steps 210, 220, 225 and 230
are repeated, the message finally being recorded at step
240.
~hen the message has been recorded (step 240),
the user can decide (step 250) whether to save the mes-
sage (step 251) or to archive the message (step 261~.
If the message is to be saved, then it is input into the
user's mailbox (step 252~. If the message is to be
archived it is input in a fille on an appxopriate storage
medium such as a floppy disk for off-line storage (step
26~).
Alternatively, if the user wishes to continue
using the system (step 270), then the system reverts to
step 60.
If the user hangs up or dials a predetermined
key such as the "#" key, the system will terminate com-
munication between the user and the system ~step 290).
If the user fails to take any action during ten
seconds the system requests further action. If the user
fails to take any such further action in the next ten
seconds, th~ system will automatically terminate the
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communication between the user and the system (steps
280, 281 and 283).
Referring now to Figures 6 and 8 of the draw-
ings, if a user has a message in his mailbox, such is
indicated by a message announcer 18 which may be at-
tached to the user's telephone. Such an announcer 18
may comprise a lamp which is illuminated if a message is
in the user's mailbox.
When such a message is present, he accesses the
VDS 1 system (step 20) as described above. The system's
greeting will include an announcement advising the user
of the number and types of messages in his mailbox tstep
40). The user then inputs his identification code ~step
50) into the system. If the code is valid, the user
then depresses a predetermined key to access the re-
trieval sub-system (step 63). The system will then play
the message (step 310).
Similarly, when the message delivery system 400
calls a recipient ~step 410), if the recipient's tele-
phone is unanswered (step 420), the message announcer
will illuminate ~step 425), and the above described
functions will op~rate. The system is so design~d that
the call will not be repeated when not answered. Fur-
thermore, if this user's mailbox receives any more mes-
sages, the telephone will not ring again. ~owever, i
someone calls the user's number, his telephone will
ring.
If the telephone is answered ~ St8p 420), then as
with the retrieval process, the recipient must input his
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identification code (step 430), which if correct will
result in the message being played (step 310). Messages
for non-users will be automatically delivered by the VDS
1 system.
When the message has b~en played (step 310), the
user or recipient has ~everal choices available to him
(step 320). He can decide to erase the message (step
330), archive it (step 340), reply (step 350) or trans-
fer it to another telephone (step 360). Ul~imately, he
may decide to hang up without carrying out any of func-
tions 330, 340, 350 or 360 (step 380) in which case the
system will save the message.
If the message is to be erased, this occurs on
user's command (step 331). Archiving in a special file
i5 also possible on command (step 341), whilst a reply
(step 351) may be recorded if desired.
If the user does not perform any of these func-
tions and doe not hang up, after delivery of the mes-
sage, the system waits for ten seconds (step 371), and
if it does not receive a signal from a predetermined key
such as the "#" key, it will automatically terminate the
call and save the message if there are no further mes-
sages (step 373).
However, if more messages are ready for deli-
very to the user ~step 372), the system reverts to step
310.
In order to transfer a call (step 360) ~system
52), the user puts the number or numbers to which the
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call is to be transferred into the system (steps 53 and
54) followed by step 56 if he is to add anything to the
message. The VDS 1 then records any addition to the
message (step 55) and the transfer is completed (step
57). The system then reverts to step 320.
The system may also be used to dictate a memo,
letter, message, etc... by making the appropriate choice
after step 60 (step 61). The user may then insert, add,
remove or delete as required. When he has terminated,
the system reverts to step 250.
It will be appreciated that the term PBX is to
be understood as including, but not limited to, private
automatic branch exchanges (PABX), electronic private
automatic branch exchanges (EPABX) and computerized
branch exchanges (CBX) in addition to off-premise
switching systems. In additon to the above, VDS 1 may
be interfaced with portable touchtone key pads and rota-
ry dial telephone instruments via central offices.
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