METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOTELY ACCESSING CALL ORIGIN INFORMATION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to methods and apparatus for obtaining telephone call origin information from incoming telephone calls, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for obtaining telephone call origin information from a telephone. incoming phone call, remotely. At present, the calling subscriber identification systems are currently relatively ubiquitous. While these systems are inherently useful, current caller ID systems require the user to access the information from the caller's identification system site. For example, upon receiving a telephone call at home, the calling subscriber identification system registers the caller's telephone number in its memory, which can be retrieved locally from the caller's identification system. But, if the user is not at home, the user does not know about the phone call attempt. The present invention therefore addresses the problem of developing a method and apparatus for accessing REF: 32577
remotely a user caller identification system of the user, using the calling subscriber identification systems and existing standard telephony systems. COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves this problem by capturing telephone call origin information from a telephone call, storing the originating information in a computer network file system, transmitting the originating information over a communications network such as the Internet, and display the source information to a user through a graphical user interface. In accordance with the present invention, a particular advantageous implementation of the above method includes displaying the source information to the user through a World Wide Web site and providing editing tools of the network site, to allow the user administer the contents of the World Wide Web site. For example, CGI scripts (scripts) that allow a user to open a network page, review the contents and modify the contents of the network page, by selecting by oppression of the mouse button in selected items. According to another aspect of the present invention, the source information is transmitted to the
e-mail account of the user, in this way automatically informing the user of an incoming call. A particularly advantageous result of the implementation is that if the user is online when the call goes to the user's house, the user can almost instantaneously receive an email from home, indicating the reception of a telephone call and the number of originating telephone, in this way allowing the user to immediately return the call, if desired. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the source information is available to the user by a telephone interface device that responds to user power either by tone selection or voice commands. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 illustrates yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a network-based system / service, allows
users access their call log using a network viewer. The system captures telephone call origin information (calling subscriber ID) for a user, stores the telephone call origin information in a computer file system, transmits the originating information to a designated network site on the Internet (or alternatively to a particular email account) and allows the user to display and manage the contents of the user's call log, using a network viewer. The end result is that users are able to see their phone activity records in the office, from any part that can access the network using a network viewer. In the alternate mode of the present invention discussed (above), the telephone call origin information is formatted and transmitted to a particular e-mail account (designated by the user during a configuration operation). In this mode, if the calling party is online when the telephone call arrives at the remote site, the system can almost immediately inform the user. This modality presents several possibilities. First, the user can then immediately call the calling party by telephone.
Second, the user can activate a call sending device that intercepts the call and sends the call to the current site, before the call is removed (considering that the email was fast enough). Third, the user can activate a callback feature from their current site. In this mode, the source information would be automatically downloaded to a telephone in the current site and by providing a sequence of designated keys, the telephone in the current site will place the return call. Fourth, the telephony network can receive a copy of the email, causing the network to update the contents of the callback record for the telephone at the user's current site
(under the consideration that the user wants to selectively activate the callback feature, as if the user were at home). In this case, if the user presses the sequence of designated keys on the telephone at his current site, the telephone will currently dial the number represented in the telephone call origin information, as if the user were at the remote site. According to another aspect of the present invention, access is now possible for call registration
remote in general to these records by the World Wide Web. In addition, the present invention provides that one's call record appears in that person's email account. Users will be able to obtain individual call record events as they occur, or they can request that the entire call record be sent to them by email as a single message. In addition, the present invention also provides a device and service that allows a telephony service consumer to access their call registration information remotely using any telephone. It is often convenient to know who has called independently whether the call is answered or not. Current call ID services do this for the telephony client currently. They allow - for users to discriminate calls and give a user a record of most incoming calls. The present invention increases the utility of these systems by allowing clients to remotely access the call record information presented by their calling subscriber ID service. The end result is that users are able to see their phone activity records in the office or home, from anywhere they have access to the network, using a
network viewer or any email reader. For example, working from home, a user can use the system to instantly "explore" calls (for example to his office phone) using the user's network viewer. The present invention includes several subsystems. First there is the unit for remotely accessible calling subscriber ID (RAC = accessible remotely caller-id unit). The RAC is a telephony addition device that performs calling subscriber ID display with some additional capacity. The RAC allows you to dial in, then browse within, listen and manage your caller ID / caller ID records remotely over the phone, using a tone selection interface. The entries to the current call record are presented to the remote user over the telephone using a built-in text-to-speech converter (TTS = Te'xt-to-Speech). A second sub-system is the remotely accessible subscriber ID unit + RACA answering machine. This capability is integrated into the current answering machines. In accordance with the present invention, a unit takes messages, performs caller ID with call registration and allows
remote recovery and manages messages and call log information. Exemplary Operation
When the user is outside the home, the user calls the "RACA" device of the user's home. When the RACA responds, the user uses a tone selection keypad to authenticate by providing an access code, such as "1234". The user then uses tone selection to navigate a verbal menu, allowing the user to retrieve and manage any voice messages that are left to the user, and allowing the user to hear call information captured and recorded by the calling subscriber ID interconstructed These voice menu systems that respond to tone selection 'are well known to those with skill in the specialty. Alternatively, the user receives an email indicating that a call was received at home, and the telephone number of the calling party. Or, the user accesses a designated site of the network that displays the user's phone call record. In accordance with the present invention, the network-based call registration service is now possible with remote dial-in access. In this service, the telephony service provider configures services in
where customer call records are stored and maintained in the telephony provider network, for a fee. The telephony service that is provided then provides central dialing numbers, where subscribers to the service call authenticate, then listen and manage their call records (with text-to-speech playback) just as they do their mail. voice that is provided by the telephone company (telco). This call log provides a very simple, attractive, innovative and differentiating service for a regional or local telco provider to implement, since they already capture / generate calling subscriber ID information calls in their networks. It should be noted that this service may be available to all customers regardless of whether or not they use the subscriber ID service called "at home". In fact, a subscriber ID device calling from the client remains useful for call classification and local review of call recording activity. With reference to Figure 1, which illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the user's office telephone 1 is connected to a processor (for example a PC / workstation) 2 by a cable 3 (for example a serial cable) ). When a call arrives, a client process (P-client) 4 on the user machine
12, captures the calling subscriber ID information and sends it to a server process P-server (P-server) (5) running on a network server machine 6 coupled to network 8 (eg Internet) . The data is stored in a database file 7 on the network server 6. This storage of files 7 is accessible to both the process of the P-server 5 and any network server (CGI) processes 10 running on the machine network server 6. When a user on his PC 2 using a network browser 9 goes to the call manager URL that activates a CGI program), the CGI of the network server 10 retrieves the user's call log information , it formats it on a network page and sends it to a user display 9, which is displayed on the user's PC. The PC of the user can be located remotely or even in the same place as the PC 12. The CGI programs allow the user to download a web page, review the contents and modify the contents when pointing with a pointer. mouse and select by oppression of the mouse the selected items. For example, the user can choose a particular call in the call record, check the telephone number, copy the telephone number to a telephone directory or return the call directly from the user's personal computer by selecting by pressing the button in the
selection and use a routine of marking by mouse button selection. With reference to Figure 2, the system operates similarly to that described with reference to Figure 1, except that the system interconnects with an email server 20 and uses an email viewer 29 instead of a network server 10 and a network browser 9. As illustrated in Figure 2, a telephone 1 is coupled to a processor, such as a personal computer / workstation 12, by a serial cable 3. A client process 24 running on the processor 12 captures the origin information subscriber, formats the information as an email and transmits it to the server process 25 running on the email server 20. The email server 20 then stores the email in the appropriate email account in the database 27. The e-mail server process transmits the e-mail to the user's PC 2, which is reviewed by the user through a mail viewer. ctronic, such as Eudora LightTM. With reference to Figure 3, a third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. There is shown, a telephone 1 receiving a telephone call, whose calling subscriber identification information is
capture by the process 34 running on the processor 32. The calling subscriber identification information is stored in the store 11 as a network file. The telephone 31 is stored to the processor 32 by a local exchange (LEC) 33 and communication network 38. Upon receiving a call from an external telephone, the processor 32 signals the calling subscriber by requesting a password, which can be provided either by a tone or voice selection sequence using speech recognition. Once properly identified, the system then successively points to the user through a menu of selections, including reproduction of the subscriber identification information that is called, similar to that of a voice answering machine. It is noted that with respect to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.