Abstract:
A method is provided for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunication network, a receiving terminal for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunication network, and a transmitting terminal. According to the inventive method, the identification of the first subscriber is carried out in such a manner that information of at least one type of information for identifying the first subscriber is output to at least one receiving terminal, whereby the output of information of the information type text is excluded on the at least one receiving terminal. This method enables identification capabilities to be integrated in a more diverse manner; in particular, multimedia representations are integrated during the identification of the first subscriber of the telecommunications network.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a method for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network, a reception terminal for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network and a transmission terminal. It is known that in various telecommunications networks the called subscriber of a telecommunications network is already informed of who the calling subscriber of the telecommunications network is during the connection set-up through a communication on a display unit of the reception terminal which is assigned to him/her. The performance feature of the telecommunications network which is known by the term “caller identification” is offered, for example, within the mobile radio network known as Global System for Mobile Communications GSM.  
         [0002]     The communication of the terminal identifier of the calling subscriber to the called subscriber is also offered as a performance feature of the line-bound Euro-ISDN telecommunications network. It is also known by the name Calling Line Identification Presentation CLIP. However, the calling subscriber can suppress the transmission of his/her terminal identifier to the called subscriber within the Euro-ISDN telecommunications network. This performance feature is known by the name Calling Line Identification Restriction CLIR. The call number and the name of the calling subscriber can be presented on the display unit of the called subscriber. Furthermore, there is a display there indicating whether the connection is an internal telephone connection of an enclosed telecommunications network; for example, a company network, or an external telephone connection.  
         [0003]     On the other hand, printed visitor&#39;s cards for identifying a person to other persons are handed over when people meet.  
         [0004]     During the setting up of the telephone connection (i.e., in the signaling phase), a ringing tone generally sounds at the called subscriber of a telecommunications network. The type or form of expression of the ringing tone cannot be influenced by the calling subscriber.  
         [0005]     The present invention is therefore directed to a technical solution for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network, which solution entails a greater variety of identification possibilities.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     According to the present invention, in a method for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network, the first subscriber is identified in such a way that information of at least one information type for identifying the first subscriber is output at at least one reception terminal, with only the output of information of the text information type at the at least one reception terminal being excluded.  
         [0007]     One advantage of the present invention is that the calling subscriber of a telecommunications network is identified more quickly by the called subscribers of the telecommunications network if, for example, when the telephone connection is set up, a photo of the calling subscriber is on the display unit of the reception terminals of the called subscribers.  
         [0008]     A further advantage of the present invention is that, by virtue of the possibility of connecting information of one or more information types, such as via a video or music, it is possible for the calling subscriber to present himself/herself to the called subscribers in a particularly advantageous and comprehensive fashion. Companies could, for example, make it obligatory for the company logo to appear on the display unit of the reception terminals of the called customers when a telephone connection from their employees is set up.  
         [0009]     It is also advantageous for the information of at least one type of information, such as of a multimedia visitor&#39;s card, for identifying subscribers of the telecommunications network to be integrated both when setting up a voice connection and during an existing voice connection.  
         [0010]     Furthermore, the inclusion of voice or music makes it possible that blind persons to whom a call is to be set up already can recognize the calling subscriber of the telecommunications network during the signaling phase.  
         [0011]     It is also advantageous for the calling subscriber of the telecommunications network to assign a priority to the call when the telephone connection is set up. This priority, such as a particular urgency, is indicated to the called subscriber by a particular expression of the ringing tone. The called subscriber then decides whether he/she will accept the call.  
         [0012]     Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the Figures. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a telecommunications network in which a first subscriber having a transmission terminal which is operated by him/her sets up or maintains a telephone connection to one or more further subscribers, each of the one or more further subscribers operating a reception terminal. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Within a telecommunications network TKN there are a number of subscribers T 1 , . . . , Tn. The subscriber T 1  is operating a transmission terminal SEE 1 . Each of the subscribers T 2 , . . . , Tn is operating a reception terminal EEE 1 . The transmission terminal SEE 1  and reception terminal EEE 1  also may be embodied, for example, as a telephone terminal for line-bound or mobile communication. Furthermore, the transmission terminal SEE 1  and the reception terminal EEE 1  can be embodied as a computer with a telephone function or as a further terminal device for transmitting and receiving data.  
         [0015]     The first subscriber T 1  sets up a call to the second subscriber T 2  within the telecommunications network TKN. Since the first subscriber T 1  has a particularly important and urgent request for the second subscriber T 2 , the first subscriber T 1  selects a high priority for his/her call. This is done by the first subscriber T 1  pressing a “priority key” on the transmission terminal SEE 1  or selecting the “high priority” feature from a memory of the transmission terminal SEE 1  after he/she has input the call number of the second subscriber T 2 . The first subscriber T 1  then presses the start key on the transmission terminal SEE 1  so that the call set-up starts. The fact that the call has a high priority for the first subscriber T 1  is indicated to the second subscriber T 2  by the type or expression of the ringing tone during the signaling phase. As a result, in the case of this call the ringing tone is expressed as a SOS tone. The called second subscriber T 2  can take into account the expression of the ringing tone in such a way that he/she accepts the call or records a message on an answering machine which is connected to the reception terminal EEE 1 .  
         [0016]     The first subscriber T 1 , in turn sets up a call to the second subscriber T 2 . The first subscriber Ti would like the second subscriber T 2  to be able to identify him/her unambiguously during the setting up of the connection. The first subscriber T 1  selects a photo of the first subscriber T 1  from the memory of the transmission terminal SEE 1 , includes this photo in the call set-up after inputting the call number of the second subscriber T 2  and triggers the setting up of the connection to the second subscriber T 2  by pressing the start key on the transmission terminal SEE  1 . The photo of the first subscriber T 1  already appears on a display unit of the reception terminal EEE 1  of the second subscriber T 2  during the signaling phase. The second subscriber T 2  identifies the first subscriber T 1  directly from the displayed photo.  
         [0017]     The first subscriber T 1  has a series of photos stored in the transmission terminal SEE 1  for different moods in which he/she could be. The first subscriber T 1  has just passed an exam and includes in the call set-up a photo in which he/she looks joyful. The called second subscriber T 2  sees the joyful first subscriber T 1  on the display unit of the reception terminal EEE 1  and can prepare himself/herself for the mood of the first subscriber T 1  before he/she accepts the call. If the first subscriber T 1  had failed the exam, he/she would have included in the call set-up a photo in which he/she looks sad, and the second subscriber T 2  would have been prewarned.  
         [0018]     The first subscriber T 1  also may include in the call set-up a title of a current piece of music which is stored in the transmission terminal SEE 1 , other stored images, moving images (videos) or lines of text. If the first subscriber T 1  is a colleague in a company, the company logo which is stored in the transmission terminal SEE 1  could be included in the call set-up. If the second subscriber T 2  is a customer of the company of the first subscriber T 1 , the second subscriber T 2  could unambiguously identify the first subscriber as a colleague of this company by reference to the company logo which appears on a display unit of the reception terminal EEE 1  during the signaling phase. The company can present itself to its customers in a particularly advantageous way by including company logos.  
         [0019]     The information which is already communicated from the first subscriber T 1  to the second subscriber T 2  during the setting up of a telephone connection, and which appears on the display unit of the reception terminal EEE 1  of the second subscriber T 2 , can be of different information types. Information types may include, for example, text, audio information types such as music, voice and ringing, and visual information types such as photos, images, graphics, moving images and videos. Text information is composed of alphanumeric characters; that is to say, numbers, letters and special characters. These information types also may be included in the call set-up in combination with one another. For example, when a connection is set up between the first subscriber T 1  and the second subscriber T 2 , a multimedia visitor&#39;s card, on which text information, a photo and a music video are integrated, is selected by the first subscriber T 1  and is signaled to the second subscriber T 2  during the connection set-up. The second subscriber T 2  also can be simultaneously presented with the call number of the calling first subscriber T 1 , a photo of the first subscriber T 1  and a ringing tone which is intended to indicate high priority of the call.  
         [0020]     If the second subscriber T 2  is a blind person, the first subscriber T 1  can include a voice message or a piece of music in the call set-up so that the second subscriber T 2  already knows who is calling him/her before accepting the call.  
         [0021]     The information which may include one or more information types and which is used to identify the first subscriber T 1  to the second subscriber T 2  is generally stored in a memory of the transmission terminal SEE 1  and can be selected in a known fashion; for example, through a selection using keys. This information, however, also can be stored in a memory of a telecommunications network TKN of a telecommunications provider. The first subscriber T 1  sets up a connection to the memory of the telecommunications network TKN before a connection to the second subscriber T 2  is set up, the first subscriber T 1  selects the desired stored information and includes this information in the setting up of the connection to the second subscriber T 2 .  
         [0022]     Furthermore, the information for identifying the first subscriber T 1  also can be stored in a memory of the reception terminal EEE 1  of the second subscriber T 2 . If the reception terminal EEE 1  recognizes the first subscriber T 1  in the signaling phase by reference to his/her call number, the reception terminal EEE 1  assigns a photo of the first subscriber T 1  to the call number and causes a photo to be displayed on the display unit of the reception terminal EEE 1 .  
         [0023]     Information of one or more information types can be stored at the transmission terminal SEE 1  or the reception terminal EEE 1  in multimedia telephone directories or can be created and selected by the subscribers T 1 , . . . , Tn who operate the respective transmission terminal SEE 1  and reception terminal EEE 1 .  
         [0024]     It is also possible to include multimedia visitor&#39;s cards of the first subscriber T 1  in the short message service known as SMS, to transmit them to the second subscriber T 2  in order to identify the first subscriber T 1  and to display them on the reception terminal EEE 1 .  
         [0025]     Of course, the called second subscriber T 2  can also determine which of the information of one or more information types, which is included in order to identify the first subscriber T 1  is to be output at the reception terminal EEE 1 . Thus, he/she can, for example, suppress the outputting of photos on a display unit of the reception terminal EEE 1  or limit the outputting of information on the display unit of the reception terminal EEE 1  to one information type for example, voice information. The second subscriber T 2  can also set the reception terminal EEE 1  in such a way that the second subscriber T 2  predefines the mode of expression with which incoming calls with high importance are to be signaled. The first subscriber T 1 , who sets up a call to the second subscriber T 2 , includes a ringing tone SOS as a high priority character in the call set-up so that the called second subscriber T 2  can ensure, by inputs into the reception terminal EEE 1 , that this call is output with high priority as a permanent ringing tone.  
         [0026]     The possibility of including information of one or more information types is not restricted to the phase of the setting up of a telephone connection. It is also possible that, during an already-existing voice connection between the first subscriber T 1  and the second subscriber T 2 , the first subscriber T 1  includes a multimedia visitor&#39;s card with the identification data of the first subscriber T 1  to the second subscriber T 2  in the existing voice connection in order to permit the first subscriber T 1  to be comprehensively identified by the second subscriber T 2 .  
         [0027]     The method of including information of one or more information types can also be implemented if a voice connection is set up, or already exists, between the first subscriber T 1  and a number of further subscribers T 2 , . . . , Tn.  
         [0028]     If a group call to the members of the group, specifically to the number of further subscribers T 2 , . . . , Tn is set up by a first subscriber T 1 , information of one or more information types for permitting the first subscriber T 1  to be identified by the number of further subscribers T 2 , . . . , Tn can be included in the call set-up. When there is an existing voice connection (telephone conference) between the first subscriber T 1  and a number of further subscribers T 2 , . . . , Tn, the first subscriber T 1  can include a multimedia visitor&#39;s card in the existing voice connection to the number of further subscribers T 2 , . . . , Tn. The subscriber T 1  can determine whether he/she communicates the multimedia visitor&#39;s card to all the other subscribers T 2 , . . . , Tn or only to selected further subscribers; for example, the further subscribers T 2  and T 3 . Both the calling first subscriber T 1  and the called number of further subscribers T 2 , . . . , Tn have the possibility of communicating a multimedia visitor&#39;s card to any other desired subscribers T 1 , . . . , Tn during an existing voice connection.  
         [0029]     Furthermore, the first subscriber T 1  can define which information of one or more information types for identifying the first subscriber T 1  is to be communicated to individual further subscribers T 2 , . . . , Tn which are participating in an existing voice connection. If there is a voice connection between the subscribers T 1 , T 2 , T 3  and T 4 , the first subscriber T 1  can communicate a multimedia visitor&#39;s card to the second subscriber T 2 , a ringing tone to the third subscriber T 3  and a music video to the fourth subscriber T 4 .  
         [0030]     The present invention thus permits varied and comprehensive inclusion of information of one or more information types for identifying subscribers T 1 , . . . , Tn of a telecommunications network TKN into calls which are to be set up and into existing voice connections. In this way, the present invention enriches the communication between parties to a call within a telecommunications network TKN.  
         [0031]     Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those of skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the hereafter appended claims.