FI97509B - Telephone answering machine arranged in a telephone network and telephone answering system - Google Patents

Description

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The present invention relates to an answering machine arranged in a telecommunications network and to an answering system arranged in a telecommunications network for providing a answering service to subscriber subscriptions in a network.

Traditionally, answering machines have been implemented as separate devices and the subscriber has been able to purchase 10 such separate answering machines and connect it to their telephone. The answering machine has, for example, a magnetic tape cassette on which the user may have left an initial greeting message. When the user does not intend to be present to answer the telephone, he turns on the answering machine, whereby when calling the subscriber's number, an initial greeting message from the answering machine's magnetic tape is heard. The caller can also leave a message for the subscriber, and will the answering machine record? on magnetic tape so that the subscriber can later listen to the message. Such answering machines are also connected to a telephone device as a single device, thus saving space.

Today, so-called mobile phone networks are also known. answering service. This works in such a way that the mobile subscriber purchases the answering service from the mobile network operator, 20 whereby the mobile subscriber receives a number by which he can activate the answering machine. Each mobile subscriber has to place a voicemail service order separately and each mobile subscriber receives his or her own number, which can be used to connect to his or her own answering machine. Such a voicemail service is also known to operate in such a way that when the mobile telephone is switched off, the numbers dialed to the mobile subscriber's number are transferred directly to the answering machine. However, each subscriber has his or her own number to access the respondent, so if he or she forgets this number, he or she cannot use the respondent. From the point of view of the voicemail service, this is reflected in the fact that each answering machine has its own subscriber number, i.e. one subscriber subscription (subscriber number) is required for each mobile subscriber's voicemail, to which the mobile subscriber calls the answering machine 30. Thus, the operator has to separately arrange a separate answering machine for each person who wants a answering service.

A service has recently been launched in Finland, with which a subscriber now connected to the public telephone network can use an answering machine without the need for an answering machine at home. The telephone-35 answering service is thus provided by the telephone network operator. The applicant does not have more detailed information on the implementation of this service, but in order to make the answering machine available through this service, the subscriber must enter into a separate agreement with the service provider. From this it can be concluded that for each subscriber's answering machine, the service provider has to make installations in the telephone exchange which require measures such as the installation of a subscriber line. This is a very cumbersome way to implement a universal answering machine for subscriber lines and requires a large amount of space consuming hardware proportional to the number of answering machines. In addition, it causes inconvenience to the subscriber, who has to enter into a separate agreement with the service provider in order to make the defendant available to him. The service is thus implemented in a similar way as for mobile phone subscribers.

The object of the invention is to provide a new answering machine and answering system arranged in a telecommunication network, which eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages by providing answering machine service to all subscribers automatically connected to at least a predetermined telecommunication network (e.g. public voice network, long distance network, local area network, mobile network) or at least in a predetermined area. simply.

The answering machine tracked in the telecommunications network according to the invention is characterized by what is set forth in the characterizing part of claim 1. According to the invention, a answering machine arranged in a telecommunication network is arranged for use, such as provisioning, initialization, activation and decryption, to a common number for all subscribers of a telecommunication network, such as public telephone network, long distance network, local area network and / or mobile telephone network, that the answering machine is connected to substantially all subscribers. is automatically available to subscribers 20.

The answering system arranged in the telecommunication network according to the invention is characterized by what is set forth in the characterizing part of claim 15. According to the invention, a answering system arranged in a telecommunications network for providing answering service 25 to network subscribers comprises at least one answering machine serving at least a predetermined area of the network, at least all answering machines serving the same area are arranged for use automatically available to the said 30 subscribers.

In the answering machine or answering machine system according to the invention, these functions are arranged behind a common subscription independent of the subscription number, whereby each subscriber of the network subscription can automatically activate the answering machine from his or her own subscription without any prior agreement. The answering machine is available to the subscriber subscriptions of different telecommunications networks, ie to the subscriber subscriptions of both the landline network and the mobile telephone network. The respondent has been made intelligent by utilizing signaling in the telephone network, preferably the voice user part of the common channel signaling (YKM), i.e. the so-called TUP (Telephone User Part) signaling, which provides the answering machine with the necessary information about callers and callers. Based on the signal received from the network to the answering machine, the answering machine automatically initializes itself for the subscriber's use in response to the activation performed from the subscription (creates a subscriber-specific voice mailbox for the answering machine). The answering machine stores information on at least the subscriber number, the possible location of the initial greeting message of the subscriber and the location of any message left by the caller. There is a link between this information so that the respondent can read the correct message based on the subscriber number and find the messages left by potential callers and can read them when the subscriber wants to listen to the messages left in the respondent. The answering machine and the answering system according to the invention are hereinafter also referred to as a television answering machine.

10

The answering machines can be connected to a telecommunications network, e.g. to the public telephone network, several, e.g. to different areas, in which case the call is always transferred to the nearest answering machine. Different areas may also comprise different telecommunications networks. The public telephone network as a whole can be, for example, public telephone networks in one country, different areas in different parts of the country 15 (eg counties, cities or otherwise formed parts of the network). The global telephone network can also be considered to be a worldwide network, and areas can be, for example, different countries. Respondents serving different areas (or telecommunications networks) can be arranged in such a way that each area (telecommunications network) has a different telephone number for the respondent or preferably the answering service is always arranged so that all respondents have the same telephone number and a data connection between different respondents. available to respondents. Respondents serving different areas do not necessarily have to be located in different areas, but respondents in different areas may well be located in one central location, from where there is naturally a connection to the area along the public telephone network. It is also possible that the same area is served by several respondents, but it is important for the invention that the same telephone number is provided for each respondent. Thus, if there are multiple answering machines, they form an answering system here which, however, operates according to the same principle of the present invention (i.e., multiple answering machines in the system serving a predetermined area can all be deployed from the same telephone number), i.e., operates as described herein. one answering machine. The user sees the answering service implemented according to the invention as one answering machine, be it an answering system formed by several devices to be considered as answering machines or only one answering machine, as the answering machine (answering service) is available to each subscriber subscription from a common telephone number.

By means of the invention, subscribers no longer have to acquire separate answering machines or voice-linkone answering machine combinations, but the subscriber has access to the answering machine's telephone network with a standard telephone set. Furthermore, the subscriber does not have to bother to enter into a pre-agreement with 35 4 97509 service providers in order to have access to the respondent, but the subscriber exists in the network for each subscriber subscription located at least in a predetermined area or connected to a predetermined telecommunications network and is available to each subscriber. The respondent is implemented in such a way that it has its own subscriber number to which the subscriber makes a transfer if he wishes to use the respondent. The transfer takes place in the same way as the transfer to another telephone number, ie the subscriber number. If he wants to listen to the messages left on the answering machine, the subscriber also calls a common number, preferably the same number, from his own subscriber number. The subscriber can also unpack, ie listen to the messages left in the answering machine, from other than 10 of his own subscriptions.

The answering machine according to the invention, i.e. the television answering machine, is thus a virtual telephone answering machine, which can be used by anyone without a separate agreement. In one embodiment, it can be used in all space-15 interfaces connected to digital exchanges. The use of a TV tuner requires no user other than a phone with an audio frequency selector. The telephone may be a landline telephone connected to the public telephone network or it may be a mobile telephone connected to the mobile telephone network. All the necessary logic and hardware is in the telephone network and the so-called. In the APJ platform (Automatic Telephone Service System). The idea of the service is to utilize the features of the telephone network, ie the information flowing in the network (TUP signaling) so that the answering service can be reserved and messages can be routed and listened to from the same number. Only listening to messages from outside your own subscriber interface, ie your own telephone number, is done by calling a different number. In addition, the user of the service gets to know the telephone numbers from which he has been called, if no message has been left - the number will not be disclosed if the subscription number of the 25 called subscribers is secret, in which case its display is prohibited.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the structure of a known telephone network, Figure 2 shows the location of characters in the signaling channel in a signaling channel, Figure 3 shows a block diagram of an answering machine according to the invention, Figure 4 shows an example of an answering machine and 5b show a flow chart of an example of the use and operation of a answering machine / answering system (answering service) in a service reservation, Fig. 6 shows a flow chart of an example of the use and operation of a answering machine / answering system (answering service) in message transmission, Fig. 7 shows a flow chart / voicemail system (voicemail service) for listening to messages from its own interface, and Figure 8 shows the as an example of the use and operation of a answering machine / answering system (answering machine) according to the invention in the remote retrieval of messages.

10 Figure 1 shows the structure of the Finnish public telephone network in general with its various exchanges. The figure below shows the subscriber subscriptions T1, which are connected to the terminal exchanges K2, which were still 3590 in Finland in the 1980s. Of the terminal exchanges, the network is connected to the node exchanges K3 (425) and further to the network group exchanges K4 (78).

The above-mentioned exchanges are network group network exchanges, which are connected to the long-distance network, which includes terminal remote exchanges K5 (69), transit remote exchanges K6 (8), upper transit remote exchanges K7 (9) and finally international traffic center K8 (1). Intercity wires, interconnect wires, are long-distance wires, network group wires, or shortcuts. The interconnectors can be baseband, carrier, or PCM.

20

The telephone / telecommunications network is a network of transmission lines and switching centers, the construction and extension of which require the establishment of routing, numbering, transmission, charging and network control systems. The successive transmission paths used by the telephone communication connection form the bus along which the call, telex message, etc. is routed. The route is used to find a suitable connection route.

In order to control calls and messages correctly, a large number of different signals (signals) must be exchanged between the exchanges, which can be divided into three groups: connection control signals, connection establishment signals, and jr 1 downlink signals.

30 Monitoring tokens are required at the beginning of a call and to monitor a connection • when the connection is established. These signs may include booking, cancellation, response, acknowledgment, and blocking. In the connection establishment phase, a large number of so-called register signs.

9. Today, relay systems in centers are increasingly controlled by computers, with ·. separate high-speed signals are used between the centers (computers). Such known signaling is YKM, or Common Channel Signaling, which is used in CCITT No. 7 signaling system. This system uses a 64 kbit / s data pole, which can handle 2048 line signaling and where the line and register signals consist of 28-bit packets. Signaling is usually transmitted in the same way as speech, which is not necessary, but a separate signaling network can also be used for signaling. However, the advantage of nv kining related to voice channels is that the signaling system automatically checks the transmission path.

The present invention preferably utilizes the Telephone User Part (TUP) as defined in CCITT Recommendations Q.721 to Q.725 of the YKM signaling. The telephone user section (TUP) is described in detail in the above-mentioned 10 recommendations and in the publication "National common channel signaling system telephone user section TUP" published by the Finnish Post and Telecommunications Board and the Finnish Telephone Institutions Association in 1988, which are referred to here for a closer look at the TUP. TUP signaling is well known to those skilled in the art. Thus, only the main features of the telephone user section will now be described with reference to Fig. 2, which shows the hierarchy of the MSU structure up to the levels required in the invention, with each level depicting the first bits to be transmitted from right to left in each structure. Figure 2 does not show exactly all the fields of different levels, and they are not described here, but here the aim is to explain the signs necessary for the invention and their location in different keu.

20

The telephone user section is usually used to control the voice lines of the exchange and defines the content, format and order of the signaling information to be transmitted between the telephone exchanges. The signal sent by the telephone to the exchange does not include TUP signaling, but usually the TUP signaling is generated by the telephone exchange (e.g. at the local exchange) which sends the TUP signaling to the next exchange on the bus, i.e. usually the TUP signaling is sent only between exchanges.

The TUP messages of the telephone user section are transmitted in the signaling channel so-called. as Message Signal Unit (MSU) comprising various fields. The telephone user information TUP is mainly located in the so-called In the Signaling Information Field (SIF), which contains a 40-bit address (label) used to select the signaling bus and to identify the object to which the message relates, two 4-bit heading codes centering the message group 35 and the message type. , and one or more characters and / or pointers. The characters required in the present invention are located in the character and address field of the SIF field, which contains e.g. address messages and connection establishment messages, and for the purpose of the invention, the so-called Initial Address message with additional Information (IAI).

The start address message IAI is the first message to be sent when establishing a call, which usually contains all the information needed for call control at the next exchange, such as the subscriber number, the network group number and the country number. The start address message may also contain various information related to the implementation of the subscriber functions. The CCITT recommendations define a large number of characters that can be transmitted in the start address message IAI. The fields of the IAI 10 relevant to the invention are the message pointers A-L (12 bits in total), the Calling Line Identity (CLI) field, and the Original Called Address (OCA) field.

The message indicators A-L in the ΙΑΙ field provide different information about the incoming call, such as whether the call is an international call (H-bit) and whether the incoming call is a transferred call (I-bit). The identity of the calling subscription CLI indicates the subscriber number of the calling subscription and always contains the network group number and the subscriber number of the calling subscription, if necessary a remote code is added to it. The CLI field also contains its own message pointers (4 bits: ABCD), which provide information on whether the address detection of the calling subscription 20 is restricted, i.e. whether the telephone number of the subscription is secret. The original address OCA indicates the address of the subscription to which the call was originally intended, but redirected as a result of, for example, subscriber activity, and always includes the network group number and subscriber number of the destination subscription, if necessary a remote code is added.

25

Usually, therefore, the TUP signaling is generated in the exchanges and transmitted only between different exchanges, whereby the necessary information can be registered from the calls on the basis of the information contained in the TUP signaling. TUP signaling is not normally sent to subscribers. In the present invention, the answering machine is implemented behind a common telephone number, whereby calls can be transferred to the answering machine by transferring the calls to that number (by entering the transfer code and the telephone number of the answering machine). However, the answering machine according to the invention is connected to the exchange in such a way that it receives signals moving in the network, on the basis of which the necessary analyzes of the calls can be performed in order to perform the various functions of the answering machine.

Preferably, a TUP signaling is added to the subscription, in which case it is possible to deduce, for example, where the call is coming from and to which number it was called, on the basis of information normally flowing in the telephone network. Utilizing this information, messages from different subscriptions (both messages left by the subscriber and messages from callers) can be shared according to the invention. ___ - ... - i. —_ * · τ ~ - · - **> —- · T- -λ 97509 g to the same answering machine and pick up from the answering machine if necessary (if you want to listen to the messages). In practice, the answering machine interface is connected to the so-called 2 Mbit / s PCM line (with a time division PCM signal) to receive the necessary signals along the line to the answering machine and also has the capacity for a large number of simultaneous 5 calls. The European standard for Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) covers 30-, 120-, 480-, 1920- and 7680-channel systems. Digital exchanges usually process, e.g., 30-channel PCM line signals directly without the need for analog / digital conversion at the line interface. In such a line, the so-called R2 signaling, which also provides 10 information on the address of both the calling subscription and the destination subscription. In contrast, {^ signaling does not provide information about the secret of the address or whether the call has been transferred. Consequently, the answering machine according to the invention is preferably implemented using TUP signaling. Another possibility is also to take advantage of the so-called. ISUP (Integrated Service User Part) signaling if the telephone network is an ISDN network. ISUP-15 signaling is not discussed in more detail here, but is known to those skilled in the art.

In the following, the implementation of the answering machine will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and the location of the answering machine in the telephone network with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 3 shows the implementation of the answering machine 10 according to the invention in block diagram form. The answering machine 10 is divided into two main parts, a data storage memory 11, which may be a memory in a computer (e.g. a computer hard disk), and a voice recording device 12, which may be ... also e.g. a computer hard disk (same or different computer than the one in which the memory 11 on).

In practice, these can thus be combined into a single device, i.e. the answering machine can be implemented in a computer. Such a similar machine is already known from other types of telephone services, in which case the machine is called a so-called äänipalvelukoneeksi.

: Such a voice server is already known as a so-called The Automatic Telephone Service System (APJ) and such has been used in the telephone network for various telephone services, e.g. wake-up services, in which case when the subscriber activates the wake-up service, a wake-up message (e.g. "Morning, seven o'clock") comes from the voice-30 service machine. Thus, the voice server machine is known per se to a person skilled in the art, but here the necessary functions are added to implement the defendant according to the invention. The voice server has not previously been able to interpret the TUP signaling. It is not necessary to use a voice service machine in the invention, but it can also be implemented with another device comprising a memory 11 and a voice recording device 35, for which any device can record sounds, such as speech, and which can record information about the recorded Thus, the voice recording device 12 may be, for example, a magnetic tape drive to which intelligence is connected for marking and locating messages. In addition, there must be a data connection 13 between the memory 11 and the voice recording device 12, which combines information about the calling subscriptions, the destination interface and the location of the messages in the voice recording device 12. Such a data connection 13 can be implemented, for example, by a microprocessor or other logic processing data from the memory 11 and the voice-5 storage device. and controls and correlates this information with each other. Preferably, the set of blocks 11, 12 and 13 forms a so-called sound server 10.

The answering machine 10 according to the invention is thus preferably implemented by a computer, i.e. the so-called a voice server machine comprising, for the purposes of the invention, a voice mail database 11 (implemented in memory 10) for implementing voicemail mailboxes and a conventional voice server machine which may include blocks 12 (voice storage device and memory) and 13 (central processor for managing stored messages). For the purposes of the invention, the answering machine 10 is also provided with the ability to receive and interpret signaling from the network, preferably TUP signaling. Since the entity formed by blocks 11, 12 and 13 can be implemented in a voice server machine, the entity formed by the voice storage memory 12 and the associated CPU 13 is hereinafter referred to as a voice server component, referred to by reference 12 '. In practice, both the voice mail database 11 and the voice server machine part 12 'are preferably implemented on the same computer, but they can also be implemented on separate computers. One well-known computer that functions as a voice-20 service machine (i.e., without the voice mail database used for the invention) is the IBM DT-6000. Four 30-channel PCM cables can be connected to such a voice server machine, allowing the machine to handle 120 calls simultaneously. If more channels are needed, several machines can be connected together.

The voicemail database 11 according to the invention contains, for example, information on the subscriber subscriber's subscriber number, the calling subscriber's number and the voice segment numbers of messages related to the destination subscription (i.e. the subscription used by the answering machine), indicating: the location of messages related to the destination subscription in the voice server. The answering machine 10 is connected to the telephone network, whereby on the basis of signaling, preferably TUP-mer-30, the computer 10 maintains information about incoming calls in the voice mail database 11 and maintains the left messages in the voice server section 12 '(computer hard disk) and data searches and database searches between the voice mail database and the voice server. .when the subscriber wishes to listen to the messages left on the answering machine.

·! 35 "Figure 4 shows the connection of the answering machine 10 to the telephone network and the connection to the subscriber line 20. The call from the subscriber line 20 is transferred to the local exchange 21 and • possibly further to the remote exchange 22 to which the answering machine 10 φ ...... 97509 ΙΟ is connected. The answering machine according to the invention can be connected to any level of exchange, which provides the necessary signaling for the answering machine, and the answering machine 10 receives signals related to the incoming call, preferably TUP signaling related to the incoming call, from the exchange to which the answering machine analyzes the incoming call. and performing the desired operations, i.e. storing in the memory 11 (database) information about the call and storing the message in the voice recording device 12.

Different telecommunication networks, such as local area networks, mobile telephone networks, etc. ^ are interconnected. The answering machine according to the invention is preferably in a common telephone number 10 for substantially all subscriptions of one telecommunications network. If the telecommunications network is extensive, it can also be divided into smaller areas, where in each area the answering machine is in a common telephone number (the answering machine can be, for example, in a common telephone number for subscriber subscriptions connected to the same exchange). The answering machine can also be arranged for subscriber subscriptions of several telecommunication networks to a common telephone number.

15

The answering machines 10 can thus be connected to the network in several different areas, whereby the call is always transferred to the nearest answering machine (not shown in the figure). The telephone network as a whole can be networks located in one country in different areas of different parts of the country (e.g. counties, cities or otherwise limited areas). As interconnected telephone networks, it is also possible to consider, for example, the telephone networks of two countries, or the network covering the whole world, and the regions may be, for example, different countries. In this case, for subscriber subscriptions in two countries or even in the whole world, an answering machine I can be arranged on a common telephone number, or a different number can be arranged for different countries. Respondents serving different areas can be arranged so that each area has a different telephone number for 25 respondents or preferably the answering service is always arranged so that all respondents 10 have the same telephone number and also between different respondents 10: * there is a data connection so that all respondents have information on all respondents available: available. Respondents serving different areas (or telecommunications networks) do not necessarily have to be located in different areas, but respondents in different areas (or telecommunications networks) may well be located in one central location from which there is naturally a connection to the area via the public telephone network. It is also conceivable that the same area (or the same telecommunication network) is served by several answering machines 10, in which case it is important for the invention that each answering machine is provided with the same telephone number, so that users of different subscriptions 20 virtually see only one answering machine 10.

* ·! 35 * “The television set 10 is thus, from the subscriber's point of view, a virtual answering machine which he can 'at any time', if he so wishes, without any separate agreements. When utilizing TUP signaling, the • · 10 TV set can be used on all subscriber interfaces connected to digital exchanges. A telephone with an audio frequency selector is sufficient to use the TV tuner. Thus, a digital telephone may not be needed.

The following describes the use and operation of the answering machine according to the invention, i.e. the various characteristics of the answering machine (service reservation, i.e. making a answering machine message, leaving messages to the answering machine and listening to messages) and describes their implementation using network signaling. In support of the following description, an example of the use and operation of a responder is shown in flowcharts in Figures 5a, 5b, 6, 7 and 8, of which Figures 5a and 5b show operations in connection with a service reservation, Figure 6 uses operation in message submission, Figure 7 uses operation in message In listening, the service has reserved the service from its own subscriber interface, and in Figure 8 the operations in remote unloading, i.e. in listening to messages from other than the service provider's own subscriber interface. Measures for understanding the diagrams have been written directly in the above figures. In the figures, the nume-15 rot marked inside the circles show the continuation of the chart to (or from; the arrow indicates the direction) with the same number inside the circle.

Use of the defendant

The TV set is initialized for use by reserving it from a predetermined subscriber number, e.g., 020280. Thus, the subscriber dials this predetermined number to perform the initialization and this number is the same for all subscribers in the entire network or at least for all subscribers in a certain area of the network. In this case, the caller can, if they wish, set their password for remote decryption (i.e. listen to messages from outside the phone of their own subscription) and dictate a personal initial greeting.

25 If the person ordering the service does not dictate a personal greeting, the respondent shall call: 1 a standard greeting stating the telephone number. This standard greeting is generated from the answering machine's voice server 12.

When the answering machine is then to be activated, calls are routed by forwarding 30 to the answering machine number with a predetermined code in addition to the telephone number of the answering machine, as is known, e.g. * 21 * 020280 #, and when the answering machine is not used, the forwarding is canceled (with another predetermined code). Activation of the answering machine, ie pre-transfer to the answering machine subscription after it has first been • initialized from its own subscription, can also take place elsewhere than from its own subscription, but in this case the user must also enter the phone numbers of his subscription (his password prevents misuse by someone). possibly activated: pre-transfer to join without the subscriber's knowledge and permission). The forwarding to the answering machine subscription can also be a delayed forwarding (ie the call is transferred to the answering machine if the own subscription does not answer within a predetermined ringing signal, e.g. three) and forwarding in busy cases (where the call is transferred to the answering machine subscription if the own subscription is busy). The latter two transfers can be activated continuously if desired. Leaving a message pays for the use of the service again, e.g. local telephone fee (ppm).

The answering machine can also be activated directly without first initializing it simply by pre-routing calls to it from its own subscriber interface, which can be done because each subscriber connected to the (digital) exchange already automatically has a virtual voicemail. In this case, the answering machine reads the above-mentioned standard greeting to the caller, in which the telephone number of the destination subscription is mentioned. In this case, the reservation of the service to the answering machine, in which case the subscriber enabling the service is registered with the answering machine, i.e. the answering machine is initialized for the subscriber's use, takes place at the same time as the first message is received and executed automatically by the answering machine.

15

Messages can be decrypted from your own number by calling 020280 on the answering machine and remotely decoding from any phone with voice dialing using a passcode. Remote unloading can also be implemented in such a way that when remote unloading, messages from outside the home are called to a different number than the respondent's subscription number, i.e. 92064, and an access code is used so that the respondent knows which subscription's messages are to be listened to. The remote landing number (92064) is also common to all subscribers in the network. ' (or subscribers in a specific area of the network) for remote unloading. The aforementioned remote unloading interface is also connected to the answering machine. If the subscriber wishes to unpack the responses of the message left in the answering machine, the caller first informs the caller of the number of new messages, after which the caller hears the messages. If the caller does not want to listen to the message, he can start the next message by pressing a predefined key, eg key 9. To start the same message, press another predetermined key, eg key 7. At the beginning of each message the date of receipt-30 and time. The answering machine then lists the telephone numbers from which the message was dialed but not left (which the answering machine can determine based on the length of the message, e.g., the length of the message is 0-2 seconds).

• When new messages have been listened to or did not exist, the caller has the option. 35 listen to the listened messages again, change the password («.i create it) or change the initial greeting. Listening to messages costs the user, for example, FIM 1.06 / call + ppm if new messages are listened to. If there are no new messages, the call will be charged at the local call rate.

97509 13

Defendant 's actions

The answering machine 10 operates in such a way that when a call arrives there, it checks for incoming characters, preferably a TUP message, whether the call has been transferred. If the incoming call is not transferred, the machine performs a database search of its database 11 based on the identifier 5 ANI (A-Number Identification) found in the CLI field. If the number in question is not in the database of the memory 11, the respondent knows that it is a manual reservation of the service, in which case the call is routed to the service reservation. If the number ANI can be found in the database, the defendant knows that it is listening to messages. If the incoming call to the answering machine is a transferred call, the answering machine knows that it is a message failure.

When calling a long distance number (92064), the call is routed to listening to messages after the caller is identified. The caller is identified by asking him to dial his own telephone number with area code and the corresponding identification number (e.g.

15 4-digit). Alternatively, the long-distance can be implemented by calling the answering machine's access number (020280) followed by an access code, in which case the respondent knows it is a long-distance, after which the respondent still identifies the caller by asking him to redial his own phone number and area code. In this case, the respondent knows which subscription 20 messages you want to listen to, even if two callers have randomly selected the same code.

Service reservation

The reservation of the service takes place in such a way that the caller is introduced to the operation of the answering machine and is asked to confirm the reservation of the service by pressing a predetermined key, e.g. a square key. An ANI is then sent to the database in memory 11, on which your voicemail activity is created. The database returns the internal ID of the box so that the respondent can later correlate the messages correctly. The caller is then asked if he wants a personal initial greeting. If 30 wishes, the caller is asked to dictate their greeting after the beep. If the customer accepts their greeting, a mailbox is created in the database for the greeting. The database returns the name of the voice directory and the number of the voice segment in which the greeting is stored so that the respondent can later find the voice service of the message. from machine 12. Next, the customer is asked if he wants to listen to messages • 35 from outside his own number. If desired, the customer is asked to enter a passcode. After hearing the code, the customer will be asked to accept it *: or redial it. Once the customer has accepted his PIN, it will be stored in a database.

14 97509

caller message

When a message is left on the answering machine 10, the address of the mailbox is sent to the database in the memory 11, i.e. the so-called B-number obtained from the original address field of the TUP message, i.e. the OCA field. The database returns (to the answering machine's CPU 13) 5 parameters. the name of the voice directory of the initial greeting of the mailbox and the number of the voice segment, on the basis of which the respondent finds the correct greeting from the voice server machine 12. If there is no personal initial greeting, the caller will hear a standard greeting. After the initial greeting, after hearing the beep, the caller can leave their message. The respondent analyzes the message on the basis of, for example, its length, whereby if the length of the message exceeds a predetermined minimum length (more than 2 s), the respondent knows that the message has been left. In this case, at least the address of the mailbox, i.e. the B-number and the so-called A-nuinero, i.e. the caller's number obtained from the identity field of the calling subscription of the TUP message, i.e. the CLI field. In addition, the secret information of the A-number and the status N (New) of the message are preferably also stored in the database, which indicates that the message is a new message that has not yet been listened to. The status of the message changes to L (Listened) when the service subscriber has listened to the message. The database returns the name and number of the voice segment to which the message is stored on the voice server 12. If the message is shorter than the predetermined minimum length or the phone is closed after the answering machine answers, the same information is stored in the database as 20 messages exceed the minimum length, but the message status is E (Empty). indicates that the message is empty, ie the message was not left. A limit can also be set on the maximum length of messages and the maximum number of messages if the respondent's administrator so wishes.

25 Listening to messages from your own subscription / remote unloading • When the answering machine is enabled to contact the answering machine (either from its own subscription or as remote unloading as described above) to listen to the messages left there, an A-number or ANI is sent to the database from the CLI field. from the second subscription, i.e. when listening to the messages as a remote demolition, the answering machine receives this information (and code) as entered by the user (see Figures 7 and 8). The database returns to the CPU 13 the parameters of the mailbox: the internal ID of the box, the associated PIN, the initial greeting! the name and number of the document on the basis of which the defendant seeks the correlation of the data. new messages from the database based on the mailbox internal ID and the status of the message * 35 (ie messages with a status of N, ie new ones, are retrieved from the database). The number of new messages is then obtained from the database as parameters, • the ID of the first message, the date and time the message was recorded and the name and number of the audio segment of the message. The above-mentioned searches are performed immediately after the answering machine's service machine answers the caller's message unloading call. The answering machine first tells the caller the number of new messages, then the answering machine repeats the messages stored in the voice server (which it retrieves from the voice server 12 based on the name and number of the 12 voice segments) in order so that the caller first hears the first 5 messages. In this case, the respondent changes the status of the message to listened to, i.e. sets the status L of the message to the database and returns the parameters of the next message from the database and repeats the second message with its corresponding data as for the first message. The respondent performs the above operation as many times as there are unheard messages.

10

After the new messages, the answering machine (CPU 13) retrieves from the database the number of Calls for which no message was left based on the mailbox's internal ID and status, retrieving from the database those messages with status E, i.e., which are empty. The database returns the number of these Calls (calls made from secret numbers 15 are not included in this chapter and are not disclosed to the service user), initially the parameters of the first call as described above, the date and time each call was received, the caller's phone number area code and the caller's number secret. The user of the service then hears the time of receipt of the first call and the number from which the call was made, after which the call data is deleted from the database. The database returns the corresponding information for the next call, etc., until the service user has heard all the numbers from which he was called but no message was left.

• · ··; ** When all messages have been heard or informed, the service user ends up in a menu size where you can listen to the listened-to messages, change the initial greeting ·: or the passcode. If the caller selects the listened messages, i.e. wants to listen to the previously listened messages again, the answering machine calculates the number of these messages from the database based on the status L (listened message). The parameters are the number of messages listened to from the database to the CPU and the information of the first 30 messages. After the service user has listened to the message, the answering machine (central processor) retrieves from the database the parameters of the next listened message, etc. When all the messages have been listened to, the above menu is returned. Listened messages can be stored for a predetermined period of time, e.g., one day. When the caller selects the code change 9 \. he will be asked to enter a new passcode. When the caller accepts the new PIN, the answering machine sends the internal address of the mailbox and the new ID to the database (ie stores the PIN in connection with the address) and returns to the menu.

· When the caller chooses to change the opening greeting, he is asked to dictate his greeting after the beep. If the customer accepts his greeting, 16 97509 is stored in the voice segment, the number of which is stored in the database. The answering machine then returns to the menu until the caller ends the call.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but is applicable according to the skills of a person skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims. The invention is also not limited to the use of TUP signaling, but the invention can also be applied in a telephone network using other types of signaling, in which, however, information passes at least about the caller's subscription number and the destination subscription number. Thus, the signaling can also be R2 (which, although it is not possible to implement an equally versatile answering machine) or ISUP. However, the following is a summary of the utilization of YKM marking in the invention, which thus mainly uses the so-called pu-user section TUP and more closely the fields CLI and OCA in its start address message ΪΑΙ.

15 In a service reservation, the answering machine determines, based on the IAI message indicator (based on its I-bit), whether the incoming call has been transferred. When the I-bit is 0 (indicating that the call has not been transferred), it is a service reservation if the number corresponding to the CLI (Calling Line Identity) address characters in the identity field of the calling interface of the IAI message cannot be found in the database of the service machine. The CLI information of the reserving caller-20 is stored in the respondent's (service machine's) database, after which the the caller has a voicemail service available.

* ·

When a message is dropped, the signaling is utilized so that when the I-bit of the incoming call IAI of the incoming call is 1 (indicating that the call is a transferred call) and the corresponding "OCA (Original Called Address) address characters of the original address field" 25 The number is in the answering machine's reservation database, the answering machine receives the call to leave a message, the message is pasted into the mailbox based on the address characters in the OCA field, and the address information of the call's CL1 address (phone number of the caller) is stored in the memory. , mi-30 if no message was left and if the C-bit of the message pointer of the CLI field (address free preference) is 0. If the C-bit is 1, the number is not indicated, because it means that the number is secret.

»· · · ··· • · m

When listening to messages, the basic! «Cl i responder of the IAI message pointer I determines:.’ *? 5 whether the incoming call has been transferred. When the I-bit is 0 (the call is not a hedgehog) and the number corresponding to the address characters of the CLI field is found in the database of the service machine (the number in question has an answering machine), the call is routed to the decryption. • · · 1 .. ’mailbox corresponding to the number.

• * · 17 97509

The present invention makes it possible to implement a very versatile answering machine in a telecommunication network which is automatically available to each subscriber in the network (or at least available to each subscriber in a certain area of the network) and which can be automatically activated by each subscriber. Thus, the user does not have to bother to enter into a pre-agreement with the answering service provider in order to have access to the respondent, but the user can access it from his own subscription at any time. Also, the answering service provider does not have to perform separate operations for each person requesting the answering service to block the answering machine for each person requesting the answering service, but the intelligent answering machine according to the invention performs these operations automatically using signaling in the telephone network. The answering service provider only needs to make sure that the answering machine is not faulty and that the answering machine's memory (eg the computer's hard disk) is large enough, ie that it has space for all the information and messages that want to be served. Naturally, the answering machine can be implemented with a feature by which it automatically notifies itself in time when memory is needed. In addition, the service provider can monitor the memory capacity. In addition, since the answering machine is located behind a common subscription for all subscriptions in the network (or at least for each subscription in a certain area of the network), the user's help-20 po remembers the answering service number that the user can activate on the answering machine, as such a common number can be entered in the phonebook, from which the user can check it if he forgets the number, or the number can be asked from another user because everyone has the same respondent’s phone number. The responder according to the invention thus achieves significant advantages over the prior art.

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Claims (18)

97509 A answering machine arranged in a telecommunications network, characterized in that the answering machine is arranged for use, such as provisioning, initialization, activation and decryption, on a common call number for all subscriber lines (20) in a telecommunications network, such as public telephone network, long distance network, 5 local area network and / or mobile network. , that the answering machine has a connection to substantially all subscriber lines (20), and that the answering machine is automatically available to the subscriber lines (20). 2. Telefonsvarare enligt patentkrav 1, kännetecknad av att telefonsvararen är 30 anordnad att användas t.ex. for driftreservering, driftinitiering, driftaktivering ocd decodning av meddelanden pä ett gemensamt telefonnummer för alla abonnentanslutningar (20) i flera telenät säsom allmänna telefonnät, fjärmät, lokalnät och / eller. mobiltelefonnät, att telefonsvararen har förbindelse account väsentligt alla abonnentan slutningar (20) och att that telephonsvararen stär automatiskt account abonnentanslutningamas 35 (20) förfogande. A answering machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the answering machine is arranged for use, such as provisioning, initialization, activation and decryption, for all subscriber subscriptions of several different telecommunications networks, such as public telephone networks, long distance networks, local area networks and / or mobile networks. ) to a common call number, that the answering machine has a connection to essentially all subscriber lines (20) and that the answering machine is automatically available to 15 subscriber lines (20). 3. Telefonsvarare enligt patentkrav 1, kännetecknad av att den kan kan reserveras and aktiveras frän ätminstone var och en av nämnda abonnentanslutningar (20) för JU? to allow the release of the release (20) and the release of the organ (11, 12 ") to the start of the release (20) automatically with the reservation or activation of the transfer. Answering machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it can be reserved and activated for use by at least each of said subscriber lines (20) and comprises means (11, 12 ') for automatically initializing the answering machine 20 for the subscriber line (20) in response to a reservation or activation made from the subscriber interface. 4. Telefonsvarare enligt patentkrav 3, kännetecknad av att driftsaktivering av nämnda telefonsvarare innebär överföring av abonnentanslutningens (20) samtal account telefonsvararen. An answering machine according to claim 3, characterized in that said activation of the answering machine means that calls from the subscriber line (20) are routed to the answering machine. 5. A telephone set according to claim 4, which can be used for initiating a telephone-10 connection to an account (20) at the same time as the activation means automatically from the same time as the device connection (10). An answering machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the initialization of the answering machine to the subscriber interface (20) on the basis of said activation takes place automatically when the first incoming call for said subscriber line arrives at the answering machine (10). 6. Telephones may be shown in patents 1-3, the number of which is shown in Figure 15 for the purpose of providing a fixed telephone number for use in connection with the coding process. Answering machine according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is further arranged on a second telephone number common to the subscriber subscriptions for the remote unloading of messages. 35 7. A telecommunication device according to claims 1-3, which can be connected to an omfattar organ (11, 12 ') for the purpose and for interpreting the signal. 20. 8. Telefonsvarare enligt patentkrav 7, kännetecknad av att nämnda signalering är; Telefiltration (TUP) of the channel signaling circuit. • * 9. Telefonsvarare enligt patentkrav 7 eller 8, kännetecknad av att den omfattar 25 ett minne (11) för lagring av data frät nätet. • 9 9 9 Answering machine according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises means (11, 12 ') for receiving and interpreting mobile signaling in the network. y / BU9 An answering machine according to claim 7, characterized in that said signaling is a telephone channel part (TUP) of common channel signaling. Answering machine according to Claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it comprises a memory (11) for storing information obtained from the network. 10. Telephones according to claim 9, which are intended for initiation and activation of the same type of information and the same information as the same information and the information on the other 30 and the corresponding information. * ;; 11. Telefonsvarare enligt patentkrav 10, kännetecknad av att den omfattar en '. Databases in minnet (10) for data and correlation information. • · A answering machine according to claim 9, characterized in that for initialization and commissioning and for leaving messages, the answering machine reads information about the call from the characters associated with the incoming call and stores the information and left messages in memory and correlates the information with related calls. An answering machine according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises in the memory (10) a database for storing and correlating said information. 12. A telephone number according to claim 11, which provides information on the data of the * and * the number of b-ids and the code of the two-way telephone number (B-number). , address to account A-subscriber dvs. phone numbers (A-number dvs. A-97509 Id), information to the addressee for the other information, numbers for the different segments of the medium and the sample to the B-subscriber and the same information to the same information . An answering machine according to claim 11, characterized in that the information maintained in said database is the address of the destination subscription, i.e. telephone number (B-number or B-Id) and the identification number for long-distance unloading, the address of the subscriber calling the destination subscription, i.e. telephone number (A-number or A-Id), information about the secret of the address of the calling subscription, the audio segment number and voice directory name of the 20 messages associated with the destination subscription, and information about the status of the message. . A answering machine according to claim 3, characterized in that initializing the answering machine * · y for the subscriber subscription means creating a voice mailbox for the answering machine at the subscription point. An answering machine according to claim 11 and 12, characterized in that it comprises said voice mailbox in said database. • 13. A telephone set according to claim 3, which can be used to initiate the weighing of the weighing box without the use of a weighing box. 14. A telephone set according to claims 11 and 12, which can be used as an image 10 in a mailbox and in a database. 15. Telefonsvararsystem anordnat i ett telenät för att erbjuda svararservice at abonnentanslutningama i nätet, kännetecknat av att det omfattar ätminstone en telefonsvarare (10) for the purpose of servicing a telephone number, these telephone numbers (10) are used for the purpose of reducing the number of telephone numbers (20), and for the same number of persons (10) of the automatic telephone number (10) ). 20 15. A telephone answering system arranged in a telecommunications network for providing a voicemail service to the subscribers of the network, characterized in that it comprises at least one at least ·. an answering machine (10) serving a predetermined area of the network, at least all answering machines (10) serving the same area are arranged to use a voicemail service on a common telephone number, said answering machines (10) communicating with substantially all subscriber lines (20) in said predetermined area, and that . 35 said respondents (10) are automatically used by said subscriber lines (20). over them. • »· 97509 16. A telephone weighing system according to claim 15, which comprises the use of a fixed telephone number and the weight of a fixed telephone to a fixed telephone number. An answering machine system according to claim 15, characterized in that it comprises answering machines serving different areas of the network and also answering machines serving different areas are arranged in one common telephone number for the use of the answering service. 5 17. A telephone weighing system according to claim 15, which can be used to display telephone scales (10) in the same way as a telephone set with a corresponding telephone number, the telephone scales (10) having a fixed weight (20) 10) star automatiskt account nämnda abonnentanslutningars (20) förfogande. 30 An answering machine system according to claim 15, characterized in that all answering machines (10) serving the same telecommunications network are arranged for use with a common telephone number, said answering machines (10) are connected to substantially all subscriber subscriptions (20) of said telecommunications network and 10) are automatically available to said subscriber lines (20). An answering machine system according to claim 15, characterized in that a plurality of answering machines (10) serving telecommunications networks are arranged for a common telephone number for use by the answering service, said answering machines (10) are connected to substantially all subscriber subscriptions (20) of said telecommunications networks and ) are automatically available to said subscribers (20). 20 Patentkrav 1. 1 ett telefonnät anordnad telefonsvarare, kännetecknad av att telefonsvararen anordnats för att användas t.ex. for driftreservering, driftinitiering, driftaktivering ocd decodning av meddelanden pä and gemensamt telefonnummer för alla abon-nentanslutningar (20) i ett telenät säsom ett allmänt telefonnät, fjärmät, lokalnät 25 och / eller mobilt and in the case of telephone facilities, the account is automatically subscribed (20). 18. A telephone numbering system according to claim 15, which comprises a telephone number (10) which is intended to be connected to a fixed telephone number, the number telephone number (10). 10) star automatiskt account 35 nämnda abonnentanslutningars (20) förfogande.