Patent ID: 6381320
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
In an intelligent peripheral network in a telephone system, said network being responsible for delivering telephone service to users of said telephone system and operating in conformance with requirements of AIN (Advanced Intelligent Network) architecture, a system for delivering extended telephone services to said users; said extended services being applicable to individual telephone lines subscribed to said services, and enabling a user having an associated telephone line subscribed to said service to control interception and redirection of telephone calls directed to said associated line while the respective user is connected to said telephone system through a telephone line other than said associated line; said extended services being subject to delivery to said respective user while said associated line is in both idle and active states of uses; signal communications exchanged directly between said users and said telephone system being arranged in a first predetermined signal format, said system comprising switching apparatus through which telephone communication connections are established relative to said subscribed lines, said system further comprising:a server interfacing to a data communication network external to said telephone system; said users obtaining delivery of said extended services by establishing connections to said external network and establishing further connections to said server through said external network; said extended services being deliverable both while said established connections to said external network include respective subscribed telephone lines to which the services apply and also while said established connections exclude respective subscribed telephone lines to which the services apply; signal communications in said external network being conducted in a predetermined second signal format different from said first signal format; and processing elements interfacing between said server and said switching apparatus; said processing elements being adapted to administer and deliver said extended telephone services to said users only while said users are connected to said server through said external network; delivery of said extended services requiring said processing elements to be able to intercept and selectively redirect telephone calls directed to said subscribed lines while said lines are idle and respective said users are connected to said processing elements via said external network and said server; said processing elements also controlling transfers of signals bidirectionally through said switching apparatus in said first format, transfers of signals between said telephone system and said external network in said second format and conversions of said transferred signals between said first and second formats.