Abstract:
A video camera and microphone associated with a telecommunications terminal are used to gather information about the environment in the vicinity of the telecommunications terminal. Such information includes, but is not limited to: (i) how many people are in the environment, (ii) which specific people are in the environment, (iii) if the environment is dark, (iv) if the environment is quiet, and (v) if the environment comprises human speech. When a specific person is associated with the telecommunications terminal and a request arrives to establish a telephone call with that person, then the information about the environment can be used to decide whether: (1) to transmit the call to the telecommunications terminal, or (2) forward the call away from the telecommunications terminal.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to telecommunications in general, and, more particularly, to criteria for determining how telephone calls are handled. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Telecommunications systems are increasingly complex and therefore the need exists for systems that are capable of intelligently handling telephone calls. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a technique for handling telephone calls that avoids some of the costs and disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. 
     In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a video camera and microphone associated with a telecommunications terminal are used to gather information about the environment in the vicinity of the telecommunications terminal. Such information includes, but is not limited to:
         i. how many people are in the environment, and   ii. which specific people are in the environment, and   iii. if the environment is dark—which suggests that there is no one in the environment or that if there are people in the environment that they are sleeping and do not want to be disturbed, and   v. if the environment is quiet, and   vi. if the environment comprises human speech.       

     When a specific person is associated with the telecommunications terminal and a request arrives to establish a telephone call with that person, then the information about the environment can be used to decide whether:
         i. to transmit the call to the telecommunications terminal, or   ii. forward the call away from the telecommunications terminal, or   iii. to ask the user how to handle the call.
 
For example, if the information gathered from the video camera and microphone indicate that the person to whom the call is directed is in the environment alone and that the environment does not comprise human speech, then it suggests that the person is likely to be receptive to a telephone call, and, therefore, the telephone call is transmitted to the telecommunications terminal.
       

     As an alternative example, if the information gathered from the video camera and microphone indicate that the environment is comprises no people, then the telephone call is forwarded away from the telecommunications terminal because no one is there to answer it. 
     As yet another alternative example, if the information gathered from the video camera and microphone indicate that the environment comprises two or more people and that the environment comprises human speech, then it suggests that the people do not want to be disturbed, and, therefore, the telephone call is forwarded away from the telecommunications terminal. 
     Furthermore, in all of these cases, the information gathered from the video camera and microphone affect what message is delivered to the caller. For example, “I am away from my office” versus “I am busy in a meeting.” 
     The illustrative embodiment comprises: receiving: (i) a request to establish a telephone call to a person, wherein the person is associated with a telecommunications terminal, and (ii) a visual image of the environment in the vicinity of the telecommunications terminal; transmitting the call to the telecommunications terminal when the visual image indicates the presence of exactly one person in the environment; and forwarding the call away from the telecommunications terminal when the visual image indicates the presence of no people in the environment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the salient components of telecommunications system  100  in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with the operation of the illustrative embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with the operation of task  201 —updating the presence status for person  105 - 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with the operation of task  202 —affecting calls associated with telecommunications terminal  104 - 1  based on the presence status of person  105 - 1  determined in task  201 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the salient components of telecommunications system  100  in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. Telecommunications system  100  comprises: Public Switched Telephone Network  101 , private branch exchange  102 , voice mail system  103 , telecommunications terminals  104 - 1  through  103 - 4 , video camera  111 , microphone  112 , speaker  113 , and people  105 - 1  and  105 - 2 , interrelated as shown. Telecommunications terminal  104 - 1 , video camera  111 , microphone  112 , speaker  113 , and people  105 - 1  and  105 - 2  are co-located within environment  121 . 
     Although the illustrative embodiment comprises the Public Switched Telephone Network, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that use any telecommunications network (e.g., the Internet, an internet protocol or “IP” network, etc.) or combination of telecommunications networks. 
     Although the illustrative embodiment comprises three telecommunications terminals, it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that use any number of telecommunications terminals. 
     Although the illustrative embodiment uses one video camera and one microphone to detect the presence or absence of people with environment  121 , it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that comprise any number of video cameras and any number of microphones. 
     Public Switched Telephone Network  101  is the ubiquitous circuit-switched telephone system deployed throughout the World. It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use equipment that interfaces with Public Switched Telephone Network  101 . 
     Private branch exchange  102  is a machine that sets-up, conducts, and tears-down telephone calls, as described below and in the accompanying figures. For example, private branch exchange  102  is capable of receiving a request to set-up a telephone call from telecommunications terminal  104 - 1 ,  104 - 2 , and  104 - 3  to any other terminal or voice mail system  103 , as described below and in the accompanying figures. 
     Voice mail system  103  is a machine for recording voice mail messages, in well-known fashion. 
     Telecommunications terminals  104 - 1 ,  104 - 2 , and  104 - 3  are capable of enabling one or more people to communicate using voice and video via Public Switched Telephone Network  101  and private branch exchange  102 . Each of telecommunications terminals  104 - 1 ,  104 - 2 , and  104 - 3  has associated with it:
         i. a video camera (e.g., video camera  111 , etc.) for capturing one or more images in the vicinity of its terminal, and   ii. a microphone (e.g., microphone  112 , etc.) for capturing one or more audio samples in the vicinity of its terminal, and   iii. a speaker (e.g., speaker  113 , etc.) for transmitting audio—for both alerts and communication.       

     It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use telecommunications terminals  104 - 1 ,  104 - 2 , and  104 - 3 . 
     People  105 - 1  and  105 - 2  are natural persons in the vicinity of telecommunications terminal  104 - 1 . Person  105 - 1  is associated with—and is a user of—telecommunication terminal  104 - 1 . 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with the operation of the illustrative embodiment. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, tasks  201  and  202  run concurrently, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which tasks  201  and  202  have a different temporal relationship (e.g., occur sequentially, etc.). 
     At task  201 , private branch exchange  102  continually updates the presence status for person  105 - 1  based on visual images and audio samples of the environment in the vicinity of telecommunications terminal  104 - 1 . Task  201  is described in detail below and in  FIG. 3 . 
     At task  202 , private branch exchange  102  affects the treatment of telephone calls associated with person  105 - 1  based on visual images and audio samples of the environment in the vicinity of telecommunications terminal  104 - 1 . Task  202  is described in detail below and in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with the operation of task  201 —updating the presence status for person  105 - 1 . In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, tasks  301 ,  302 ,  303 , and  304  run continually and concurrently, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which tasks  301 ,  302 ,  303 , and  304  have a different temporal relationship (e.g., occur sequentially, etc.). 
     At task  301 , video camera  111  captures a temporal succession of visual images of environment  121  and transmits them to private branch exchange  102 , where they are received. 
     At task  302 , microphone  112  captures a succession of audio samples of environment  121  and transmits them to private branch exchange  102 , wherein they are received. 
     At task  303 , private branch exchange  102  analyzes:
         i. the succession of visual images received in task  301 , and   ii. the succession of audio samples received in task  302  in well-known fashion to determine:   i. how many people are in environment  121 , and   ii. if person  105 - 1  is in environment  121 , and   iii. if any person other than person  105 - 1  is in environment  121 , and   iv. if environment  121  is dark, and   v. if environment  121  is quiet, and   vi. if environment  121  comprises human speech.       

     At task  304 , private branch exchange  102  updates the presence status of person  105 - 1  with respect to telecommunications terminal  104 - 1  to record:
         i. how many people are in environment  121 , and   ii. if person  105 - 1  is in environment  121 , and   iii. if any person other than person  105 - 1  is in environment  121 , and   iv. if environment  121  is dark, and   v. if environment  121  is quiet, and   vi. if environment  121  comprises human speech.       

       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of the salient tasks associated with the operation of task  202 —affecting calls associated with telecommunications terminal  104 - 1  based on the presence status of person  105 - 1  determined in task  201 . 
     At task  401 , when a request to establish a telephone call with person  105 - 1  arrives at private branch exchange  102 , and the presence status of person  105 - 1  indicates that environment  121 :
         i. comprises no people, or   ii. is dark, or   iii. comprises two or more people and comprises human speech,
 
then private branch exchange  102  forwards the call away from telecommunications terminal  104 - 1  to voice mail system  103 . It will be clear to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which private branch exchange  102  forwards the call to another telecommunications terminal, system, or telephone number.
       

     Furthermore, when the presence status of person  105 - 1  indicates that there are no people in environment  121 , telecommunications terminal  104 - 1  is directed by private branch exchange  102  to execute maintenance tasks that would interfere with the use of telecommunications terminal  104 - 1  by a person. 
     At task  402 , when a request to establish a telephone call with person  105 - 1  arrives at private branch exchange  102 , and the presence status of person  105 - 1  indicates that environment  121 :
         i. comprises exactly one person, or   ii. comprises two or more people, comprises person  105 - 1 , and does not comprise human speech,
 
then private branch exchange  102  transmits the call to telecommunications terminal  104 - 1 .
       

     Furthermore, when the presence status of person  105 - 1  indicates that there is exactly one person in environment  121  and that telecommunications terminal  104 - 1  is muted, then private branch exchange  102  directs telecommunications terminal  104 - 1  to issue a visual and audible un-mute signal to the person to remind them to un-mute the terminal. 
     It is to be understood that the disclosure teaches just one example of the illustrative embodiment and that many variations of the invention can easily be devised by those skilled in the art after reading this disclosure and that the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the following claims.