Abstract:
An easy to use (easy-reach) dialing system that connects a calling party with a called party based on data received over a first communication channel and a second communication channel. A calling party calls an easy-reach device and sends data to the easy-reach device over a second communication channel. The easy-reach device calls the called party based on data received over the second communication channel and connects the calling party with the called party.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to telecommunication systems. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Various methods for dialing a telephone number are currently available. These include speed dialing, automatic redialing, or speaking a telephone number for example. However, many times these methods cannot be used, such as when calling from a pay phone, for example. In these situations, a calling party must either remember and dial the telephone number, or if voice recognition is available, be in a low noise environment. Accordingly, new technology is needed to provide a more convenient way for dialing a telephone number without special environments. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An easy-reach system provides a method and apparatus for a calling party (e.g., a subscriber) to establish communication with a called party (i.e., desired destination terminal) without memorizing numbers, or requiring complex procedures or special environments. The calling party establishes communication with an easy-reach device using a first communication channel (e.g., a telephone call) and sends data identifying the called party (e.g., the called party number) to the easy-reach device using a second communication channel (e.g., a 2-way pager transmission). The easy-reach device uses the data received over the second communication channel to identify the called party, and then connects the calling party with the called party. 
     For example, the calling party selects the data transmitted through the second communication channel by scrolling through names and/or numbers stored in a pager to identify or choose a called party. The calling party calls the easy-reach device and transmits a pager data message including called party information that identifies the called party number (or includes the called party number itself) by activating a transmit function on the pager. The pager transmits the called party information to the easy-reach device and the easy-reach device dials the called party number and connects the called party with the calling party. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is described in detail with reference to the following drawings, wherein like numerals represent like elements, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an easy-reach system; 
     FIG. 2 is an example pager display; 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an easy-reach device; 
     FIG. 4 shows an example format for a database used by the easy-reach device; 
     FIG. 5 is a flow chart for processing information received over a first communication channel in a first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart for processing information received over a second communication channel in the first embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 7 is a flow chart for processing information received over the first communication channel in a second embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An exemplary embodiment of an easy-reach system  100  is shown in FIG.  1 . The easy-reach system includes terminals  108 ,  110 , local exchange carriers (LEC)  104 ,  106 , a network  102 , an easy-reach device  112 , a transceiver  114 , and a personal communication device such as a pager  116 . The following discussion uses the pager  116  as an example, but any device that performs similar functions may be used. For example, a cellular phone or a personal computer with communication capabilities may be used. 
     When a calling party at the terminal  108  desires to call a called party at the terminal  110 , the calling party calls the easy-reach device  112  and also transmits a pager data message from the pager  116  to identify the called party number. The calling party may be returning a prior page, for example. When the calling party&#39;s call and the pager data message is received, the easy-reach device  112  dials the called party and connects the calling party with the called party. 
     The calling party determines the called party by scrolling through a directory on the pager  116 , for example, and selecting a directory entry. FIG. 2 shows an example of a pager display  302  of the pager  116 . The display  302  may display names, telephone numbers, or other called party identifiers. These may have been programmed earlier by the calling party, or could have been entered automatically by a paging system as pages are received by the pager  116 . An up button  306  and a down button  308  can be used to scroll the names and telephone numbers on the display and to move a cursor  304  that points to the name and/or telephone number of the called party (the called party number). When the cursor  304  is pointing to the name and telephone number of the called party, the calling party may push the transmit button  310  to transmit a pager data message to the easy-reach device  112 . 
     When the transmitted pager data message is received by the easy-reach device  112  via the transceiver  114 , for example, the easy-reach device  112  dials the called party at the terminal  110  based on the transmitted pager data message, and connects the calling party with the called party by connecting the terminal  108  with the terminal  110 . 
     FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the easy-reach device  112  that includes a bridge  206 , a memory  204 , a controller  202 , a network interface  210 , and a transceiver  208 . The above components are all coupled together by a signal bus  212 . While FIGS. 1 and 3 show a centralized easy-reach device  112 , the easy-reach device  112  may be distributed throughout the network  102 . 
     The easy-reach device  112  processes calling party calls and pager data messages using a database  400  in the memory  204 , as shown in FIG.  4 . The database  400  may be in one location or distributed across the network  102 . The database  400  contains an entry  401  for each calling party. Each entry  401  in the database  400  includes a calling party field  402  that identifies a calling party, and a called party field  404 . When no activity associated with the calling party is taking place (i.e., the calling party is not logged in and no current pager data message from the pager  116  has been received), the called party field  404  is clear (i.e., contains a value of zero, for example). 
     In the exemplary embodiment, the calling party may first call the easy reach device  112  from the terminal  108  and then transmit the pager data message, or vise-versa. The order in which the above two events occur does not matter. When the calling party transmits a pager data message from the pager  116 , the controller  202  receives the pager data message via the transceiver  114  and the transceiver interface  208 . After receiving the pager data message, the controller  202  identifies the calling party based on the pager identification number (a pager capcode) included in the pager data message; locates a entry  401  in the database  400  associated with the calling party; and stores the called party information included with the pager data message in the called party field  404  of the entry  401 . 
     When the calling party calls the easy-reach device  112  from the terminal  108 , the call arrives at the controller  202  via the LEC  104  and the network interface  210 . The controller  202  identifies the calling party based on the call, for example by information such as which telephone number the calling party has dialed to reach the easy-reach device  112 , or from Caller-ID supplied by Automatic Name Identification (ANI). 
     Having identified the calling party, the controller  202  locates the entry  401  in the database  400  associated with the calling party, and determines whether the called party information is stored in the called party field  404  of the database entry  401 . If the calling party has transmitted the pager data message before calling the easy reach device  112 , the called party information will already be stored in the called party field  404 . 
     However, if the calling party called the easy reach device  112  before transmitting the pager data message, the called party field  404  will be empty. In that case the controller  202  holds the calling party&#39;s call and waits for the pager data message to arrive. If the pager data message is not received after a predetermined time interval, then an error message is output to the calling party and the calling party is disconnected. 
     When the pager data message finally arrives, the controller  202  determines the called party number from the pager data message; dials the called party number via the network interface  210 ; and connects the calling party with the called party via the bridge  206 . 
     FIG. 5 shows a process performed by the controller  202  of the easy-reach device  112  in the exemplary embodiment. At step S 1002 , the controller  202  receives the calling party&#39;s call and then advances to step S 1004 . At step S 1004 , the controller  202  determines the identity of the calling party based on the calling party&#39;s call and advances to step S 1006 . 
     At step S 1006 , the controller  202  locates the entry  401  associated with the calling party from the memory  204  and advances to step S 1008 . At step S 1008 , the controller  202  checks whether the pager data message has been received by checking the called party field  404  of the entry  401  for example. If the pager data message has not been received (i.e., the called party information is not found in the called party field  404 ), the controller  202  advances to step S 1012  and increments a timer. Then the controller  202  advances to step S 1014 . At step S 1014 , the controller  202  checks whether the timer has exceeded a maximum value. If the timer has not exceeded a maximum value, the controller  202  returns to step S 1008 ; otherwise the controller  202  advances to step S 1016 . At step S 1016 , the controller  202  outputs an appropriate “time out” ending message to the calling party, and ends the process. 
     At step S 1008 , if the pager data message has been received or the called party information is found in the called party field  404 , the controller  202  advances to step S 1010 . At step S 1010 , the controller  202  determines the called party number from the called party information and advances to step S 1011 . At step S 1011 , the controller  202  dials the called party number and advances to step S 1017 . At step S 1017  the controller  202  checks for a busy or out-of-service signal. If a busy or out-of-service signal is received, the controller  202  advances to step S 1024 . 
     At step S 1017 , if no busy or out-of-service signal is received, the controller  202  advances to step S 1018 . At step S 1018 , the controller  202  checks whether the called party has responded (i.e., answered the phone). If the called party has not yet responded, the controller  202  advances to step S 1020 . At step S 1020 , another timer is incremented and the controller  202  advances to step S 1022 . At step S 1022  the controller  202  checks whether the timer has exceeded a maximum value. If at step S 1022  the timer has not exceeded the maximum value, the controller  202  returns to step S 1018 ; otherwise the controller  202  advances to step S 1024 . 
     At step S 1018 , if the called party has responded, the controller  202  advances to step S 1026 . At step S 1026 , the controller  202  connects the calling party with the called party, and ends the process. At step S 1024 , the controller  202  outputs an appropriate ending message to the calling party and ends the process. Step S 1024  may be implemented in other, optional ways, such as having the easy-reach device  112  repeatedly dial the called party at predetermined intervals. Then, upon establishing communication with the called party, the easy-reach device  112  outputs a “please hold” message to the called party, and pages the calling party so that the calling party may dial the easy-reach device  112  and be connected with the called party. 
     FIG. 6 shows the process of the controller  202  when a pager data message from the pager  116  is received by the easy-reach device  112 . This process works the same way regardless of whether the pager data message arrives at the easy-reach device  112  before or after the calling party&#39;s call. Its purpose is to store the called party information in the called party field  404  of the database entry  401  associated with the calling party. 
     At step S 2002 , the controller  202  receives a pager data message from the pager  116  that includes the pager&#39;s capcode and the called party information, and advances to step S 2005 . At step S 2005 , the controller  202  identifies the calling party and advances to step S 2008 . At step S 2008 , the controller  202  locates the entry  401  associated with the calling party in the database  400 , and advances to step S 2012 . At step S 2012 , the controller  202  stores the called party information in the called party field  404  of the entry  401 . Then the controller  202  advances to step S 2014 . 
     At step S 2014 , a timer is incremented and the controller  202  advances to step S 2016 . At step S 2016  the controller  202  checks whether the timer has exceeded a maximum value. The maximum value should give the calling party enough time to call the easy-reach device  112  from the terminal  108  after transmitting the pager data message. If at step S 2016  the timer has not exceeded the maximum value, the controller  202  returns to step S 2014 ; otherwise the controller  202  clears the called party field  404  of the entry  401 , and ends the process. 
     FIG. 7 shows a process of the easy-reach device  112  performed by the controller  202  in another embodiment of the invention. At step S 3002 , the controller  202  receives the calling party&#39;s call and then advances to step S 3004 . At step S 3004 , the controller  202  determines the identity of the calling party based on the calling party&#39;s call. Then the controller  202  advances to step S 3006 . 
     At step S 3006 , the controller  202  locates the entry  401  associated with the calling party from the memory  204  and then advances to step S 3008 . At step S 3008 , the controller  202  checks the called party field  404  of the entry  401 . If no called party information is found in the called party field  404 , the expected pager data message has not yet arrived, so a timer is incremented at step S 3012  and the controller  202  advances to step S 3014 . 
     At step S 3014 , the controller  202  checks whether the timer has exceeded a maximum value. If the timer has not exceeded a maximum value, the controller  202  returns to step S 3008 ; otherwise the controller  202  advances to step S 3016 . At step S 3016 , the controller  202  outputs an appropriate “time out” ending message to the calling party, and ends the process. 
     At step S 3008 , if the called party information is found in the called party field  404 , the controller  202  advances to step S 3010 . At step S 3010 , the controller  202  determines the called party number from the called party information and advances to step S 3011 . At step S 3011 , the controller  202  dials the called party number and advances to step S 3026 . At step S 3026 , the controller  202  connects the calling party with the called party via the bridge  206 , and end the process. 
     Thus, in this embodiment, once the controller  202  has dialed the called party number at step S 3011 , the calling party is immediately connected to the outgoing call. The calling party hears the result of the call (telephone ringing signal, busy signal, etc.) and can hang up when he pleases, or signal the easy-reach device  112  for other options. These options can include having the easy-reach device  112  repeatedly dial the called party at predetermined intervals. Then, upon establishing communication with the called party, the easy-reach device  112  can output a “please hold” message to the called party, and can page the calling party so that the calling party may dial the easy-reach device  112  and be connected with the called party. Many other alternatives are also possible. 
     While this invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the transmitting functions of a transceiver (which comprises a transmitter and a receiver) may be accomplished by a transmitter, the receiving functions of a transceiver may be accomplished by a receiver. 
     Additionally, while in the disclosed embodiment the database  400  contains an entry  401  for each calling party, a much smaller dynamic database could be used. For example, the controller  202  could create a new entry  401  for a calling party when either the pager data message or the call from the calling party first arrives and the calling party is identified, and then discard the entry  401  once the calling party is connected with the called party. 
     Further, the various terminals used by the calling and called parties may include fixed telephones, cellular telephones, computers, pagers, and other data terminals. The types of communication that can be established between the calling and the called parties may include voice communication, computer or other data transmissions, video signals, or other types of communication. 
     Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.