AUTOMATIC CONNECTING SERVICE FOR A TELEPHONE CONNECTION

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling and managing several direct connection service lines, in which method the customer's direct connection service operations are recorded in separate control tables that the customer can alter with the aid of a Web-based interface, a tone-frequency telephone, or a short text message of a mobile telephone.

Description: AUTOMATIC CONNECTING SERVICE FOR A TELEPHONE CONNECTION The present invention relates to a method, according to the preamble of Claim 1, for providing direct connection services for a subscriber connection. The invention also relates to a telephone service product, according to the preamble of Claim 6, that can be connected to a subscriber connection. The method to which the present invention relates is intended to be used to provide diverse easy-to-use and reliable direct connection services (hotline services), for example, for safety services and telephone answering services. According to the state of the art, a customer has been able to connect a single direct connection service, typically a telephone answering service or a safety service, to a single subscriber connection. This direct connection service operates on the principle that, when the customer lifts the telephone's handset and waits for a moment, the call initiated by the customer is connected directly according to the settings of the direct connection service, without the number being actually dialled. The call can then be connected, for example, to the control menu of a direct connection service line. Alternatively, a direct com ection service without the aforesaid delay can also be used. However, such a direct comiection service without a delay interferes with the normal operation of the subscriber connection. A drawback in the state of the art is that it is not possible to connect several direct connection services to the same subscriber connection. If the customer already has access to an answering service, for example, it is not possible to connect the customer to a safety service as a parallel direct connection service. Correspondingly, security services have been implemented by using, for instance, safety telephones. A safety telephone is a system specially installed for a safety service, in which the telephone contacts a predefined number immediately the handset is lifted, or after a separate safety button is pressed. A safety telephone service is also known, in which a call opened from a safety telephone is programmed to a chain of three separate response locations. A drawback in the safety telephone system is that the customer must acquire a separate connection and terminal device for the safety telephone. This naturally leads to relatively high costs, so that the need to purchase the necessary equipment may prevent a safety service being arranged, even though such a service would be needed. In addition, the safety telephone and the subscriber connection connected to it will operate only in the safety service, and cannot be used for any other purpose. The invention is intended to create an entirely new type of method for providing direct connection services to a subscriber connection, with the aid of which method several direct connection services can be connected to a single subscriber connection. The invention is based on connecting two or more direct connection lines to the same subscriber connection, only one of the lines being defined to be active and ready for operation at any moment. The other direct comiection services then remain passively in the background, hi the method according to the invention, the possibility is also arranged for the customer to determine which direct connection service will be activated when a direct connection service request arrives in the system. If the customer so wishes, the change of the active direct connection service can be set to operate automatically, according to a certain predetermined sequence. In connection with the invention, it is also possible to use a contactability service that operates in connection with an outgoing call, for example, as the direct connection service. In a contactability service of this kind, the call being initiated is routed to a target address according to a predefined contactability chain. The call is thus formed, after a certain delay following the handset being lifted, as a direct connection service to a predefined telephone number. If that number does not respond, or the call cannot be connected to the number in question, the call formation attempt moves automatically to the next telephone number defined in the contactability chain. Such a contactability service is disclosed in greater detail in international patent application number PCT/FI00/00500. More specifically, the method according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing portion of Claim 1. The telephone service product according to the invention is, in turn, characterized by what is stated in the characterizing portion of Claim 6. Considerable advantages are gained with the aid of the invention. It is extremely simple to form a connection to a service according to the service routines of the direct connection service. When the customer lifts the handset, the lifting of the handset is registered in the switching centre and the counting of the delay time begins. The delay can be, for example, five seconds. If a number is not dialled within the delay time, the call is formed, according to the settings of the direct connection line, to that number or function that has been set to be active at the time. The function according to the direct connection service is recorded in a control database, for example, in an SCP (Service Control Point) of the intelligent telephone network or in a database, which contains the necessary routing logic, connected by means of a telecommunications connection to the switching centre. A check is made in the SCP or database to determine which direct connection service has been set to be active for the subscriber connection in question and the call is routed according to the active direct connection service routine. The functions of the other inactivated direct connection service lines are located physically in the same control database as the active service routine. A customer with several direct connection service lines can define one direct connection service line to be active at a time, so that when a service request arrives, the active direct connection service is selected and the customer is served in the manner specific to the service in question. The customer controls the selection of the direct connection service lines, for example, by means of a tone-frequency telephone, UUS messages, mobile telephone short messages, the communications functions of a third-generation mobile telephone, or a Web interface. It is also possible to use the WAP data transfer protocol in an implementation according to the invention. In this case, the customer controls the functions of their direct connection service lines by means of a mobile telephone supporting the WAP data transfer protocol, through a WAP-compatible Web interface. Each customer is also issued with an individual user name and password, which is requested when the customer wishes to change the settings of their direct connection service lines. A customer who wishes to alter the direct connection service settings contacts the control menu of the direct connection service lines in one of the aforementioned manners. After recognition of the customer's identity, the customer is directed to the control menu of the direct connection service lines, in which the customer determines which direct connection service line they wish to be active. Other operations, for instance changing the password, can also be performed in the control menu. The direct connection service settings of each customer are recorded in the control database in separate control tables, which the customer always updates when changing the settings. hi the control menu, it is also possible to define a time-controlled form of operation for a direct connection service. In this form of operation, the active direct connection service changes automatically according to the time of day, in a manner defined by the customer. This form of operation is particularly suitable for families with children, in which both parents are at work. The customer can, for instance, define the active direct connection service function to change in such a way that during the workday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. calls are connected to the father's work number and after that according to the contactability chain, if the number does not answer. Outside working time, the direct connection service connects the call to the home answering service. The direct connection line can be defined to operate either so that the direct connection service function connects immediately the handset is lifted, or so that the direct connection service line is connected after a certain delay when the handset is lifted. In the following, the invention is examined with the aid of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows one method according to the invention for updating the settings of the direct connection service lines with the aid of a Web-based interface. Figure 2 shows one implementation according to the invention for changing the settings of a direct connection service line, with the aid of a tone-frequency telephone. Figure 1 shows one possible method for determining the settings of several direct connection service lines. According to Figure 1, the control table can be updated to determine which direct connection service is to be active by means of a Web-based or similar interface in a system that includes the terminal device 11 at the disposal of the customer, a public telecommunications network, such as the Internet 12, to which the terminal device 11 can be connected, the server 13, of a direct connection service provider, connected to the public telecommunications network 12, the telephone network SCP device 14 connected to the server 13, and a checking database 15 connected to the SCP device 14. When using the Web interface in the method according to Figure 1 to update the definitions of the direct connection service, the following operations are carried out: 1) The customer uses the terminal device 11 to contact the website of the control service of the connection service. 2) The control service identifies the customer with the aid of a user name and password. 3) The server 13 provides the customer with personal definition pages, e.g., control tables, delay logic, etc. 4) The customer alters their definitions as desired. 5) The customer sends the altered definition pages to the server 13. 6) The server 13 forwards the altered definition pages to the SCP device 14. 7) The SCP device 14 checks from the checking database 15 that the alterations are permitted and sends the approval to the server 13. 8) The server 13 notifies the customer that the alternation has been activated. Figure 2, in turn, shows the updating of the direct connection service described above with the aid of a tone-frequency telephone. According to Figure 2, the customer can, if they desire, alter the settings of their direct connection service by calling the control number of the direct connection service, in which the alteration operations are carried out in a controlled manner to the customer's control tables. The following operations relate to the implementation of the method according to Figure 2: 31) The customer calls the service number defined by the service provider. 32) The control service requests the customer's user name and password. 33) The control service checks the identifiers by comparing the passwords and the called number. 34) If the identifiers are wrong, the control service breaks the connection. 35) If the identifiers are correct, the customer is notified of the valid service. 36) The control service asks if the customer wishes to alter the state of the service. 37) If the customer does not wish to alter the state of the service, the connection can be broken or transferred to a password changing menu or similar. 38) If the customer wishes to alter the state of the service, the control service retrieves the customer's control tables and guides the customer in the change of the active direct connection service line to another. 39) The notification device connected to the control service states that the alteration of the service settings has succeeded and the connection can be broken or transferred to a password changing menu or similar. The operations control menu described above can be implemented in any environment whatever that is suitable for the operation, not only in an SCP of the telephone network, but also, for example, in an IP (Intelligent Peripheral), in an external server, or in any similar environment. An operation similar to the method described above can be implemented, for instance, with the aid of short messages, in which case when the customer wishes to change the settings of their service menu a short text message according to predefined syntax is sent to a number defined by the service provider. Short messages arriving at this number are interpreted into a form understood by the control server and the control operations desired by the customer are carried out. A short text message is then sent to the customer concerning the successful activation of the control or the possible failure of the control. When using a mobile telephone supporting the WAP protocol, the Web-based control operation described previously can be performed using the mobile telephone. The technique described above can be used to implement a method for providing a direct connection service for a subscriber connection, in which method: At least one second direct connection service is connected to the subscriber connection, in addition to the first direct connection service. - A selection condition is set for selecting one active direct connection service from a group of direct connection services connected to the subscriber connection. A service request is detected. The service request is typically a call attempt, which is detected from the operating of the subscriber connection with the aid of, e.g., a trigger. A wait is made for a predetermined delay, which can be, for example, from 2 to 6 seconds. The delay operation can also be eliminated or the delay can be set to zero. The direct connection service is selected according to the set selection condition. - The call is connected to the selected direct connection service. In this way it is possible to provide various forms of direct connection services for many different requirements, such as facilitating telephone use by families with children or providing safety and emergency telephones for the elderly. The method can also be used to provide customers with a telephone service product, which includes memory locations for recording definitions of at least two direct connection services concerning the same connection in separate control tables, for example, in the system of the telephone operator, a control service definable by the customer for setting one direct connection service to be ready for operation for serving a direct connection service request, and a control menu, wliich provides the customer with a possibility to alter the direct connection service operations' control tables and the settings of the control service to activate a desired direct connection service and to implement in a manner selected by the customer.

Claims: Claims: 1. A method for providing direct connection services to a subscriber connection, in which method a first direct connection service is connected to the subscriber connection, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that - at least one second direct connection service is connected to the subscriber connection, - a selection condition is set for selecting one active direct connection service from the group of direct connection services connected to the subscriber connection, - a service request originating from the subscriber connection is detected on the basis of the opening of a telephone connection, a direct connection service is selected according to the set alternative, and the call is connected to the selected direct connection service. 2. A method according to Claim 1, in which the direct connection service is selected immediately after the detection of a service request. 3. A method according to Claim 1, in which a wait is made for a predefined delay after the detection of a service request, before the call is connected to the direct connection service. 4. A method according to one of Claims 1 - 3, in which the direct connection service selection condition is set to change according to a predefined sequence under time control. 5. A method according to one of Claims 1 - 4, in which at least one direct connection service is a contactability service that operates in connection with an outgoing call. 6. A telephone service product connectable to a subscriber connection, which includes a direct connection service operation for formation of a connection from the subscriber connection to a number according to the definitions of the direct connection service after the detection of the opening of a telephone connection, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it includes - memory locations for recording the definitions of at least two direct connection service operations concerning the same connection in separate control tables, - a customer definable control service for setting one direct connection service to be ready for operation for serving a direct connection service request, and - a control interface, which provides the customer with an opportunity to alter the control tables of the direct connection service operations and/or the settings of the control service, for activating the desired direct connection service and implementing it in the manner selected by the customer. 7. A telephone service product according to Claim 6, in which the control tables are recorded in an SCP of the telephone network. 8. A telephone service product according to Claim 6 or 7, in which the control tables are recorded in an external server, which is connected to the telephone intelligent network by means of a telecommunications connection. 9. A telephone service product according to one of Claims 6 - 8, in which the control interface is a Web-based interface. 10. A telephone service product according to one of Claims 6 - 8, in which the control interface is an interface based on the short messages of a mobile telephone network. 11. A telephone service product according to one of Claims 6 - 8, in which the control interface is an interface available for use with a mobile telephone supporting the WAP protocol. 12. A telephone service product according to one of Claims 6 - 8, in which the control interface is an interface to be used through a service menu with the aid of a tone- frequency telephone. 13. A telephone service product according to one of Claims 6 - 12, in which a time- controlled form of operation can be set in the control tables, which changes the active direct connection service according to a specific, predefined time of day and/or date. 14. A telephone service product according to one of Claims 6 - 13, in which at least one direct connection service operation is a contactability service operation operating in connection with an outgoing call.

Inventors: JAUHIAINEN JUHA-PEKKA, JAUHIAINEN, JUHA-PEKKA
Applicants: ELISA COMM OYJ, JAUHIAINEN JUHA PEKKA, ELISA COMMUNICATIONS OYJ, JAUHIAINEN, JUHA-PEKKA
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H04M3
IPC codes: H04M3