Adjunct controller for a telephone system

An adjunct control system for connection to a telephone network, said network including at least one switch which is capable of changing communication paths of a plurality of intelligence streams to and from a plurality of communication ports, the control system comprising:

• (a) communications means for communicating via said ports to receive intelligence from and to transmit intelligence to said network via one of said communication ports in said at least one switch, said intelligence including voice intelligence;
• (b) switch control means for transmitting switching commands to said at least one switch to change at least one of said paths to redirect an established intelligence stream between said network and said system to at least another one of said communication ports;
• and
• (c) processing means for determining changes to one or more of said communication paths in accordance with at least two enabled modes and for effecting said changes by sending switch control commands to said switch, one of said modes comprising a message center mode wherein the processing means further includes means for storing a control signal representing that a user is not available and, upon recalling a user mode signal in processing an incoming call from a caller, transmitting a courtesy message and recording a message sent by the caller.

An adjunct control system for connection to a telephone network, said network including at least one switch which is capable of changing communication paths of a plurality of intelligence streams to and from a plurality of communication ports, the control system comprising:

• (a) communications means for communicating via said ports to receive intelligence from and to transmit intelligence to said network via one of said communication ports in said at least one switch, said intelligence including voice intelligence;
• (b) switch control means for transmitting switching commands to said at least one switch to change at least one of said paths to redirect an established intelligence stream between said network and said system to at least another one of said communication ports;
• and
• (c) processing means for determining changes to one or more of said communication paths in accordance with at least two enabled modes and for effecting said changes by sending switch control commands to said switch, one of said modes comprising a screening mode, wherein a courtesy message indicating that the caller can leave a message is transmitted to a caller, and, in response to said caller not entering said code, recording a message sent by the caller, and allowing a specific user to call the system and access said message.

An adjunct control system for a telephone network for receiving and processing telecommunication information, said network including at least one controllable switch which can process a plurality of calls at the same time on communication facilities of said switch, said switch being responsive to control signals for switching a call on one facility to a different facility, said adjunct control system comprising:

• (a) communication means for connection to said communication facilities of said network, said communication means receiving telephone calls for a user directed to a telephone network address associated with said adjunct;
• (b) switch control means for controlling said switch to transfer a communication on said one facility to said different facility;
• and
• (c) electronic processing means for processing said telephone calls received by said communication means, said processing means including a communication processing mode wherein the processing means responds to an incoming communication from a caller to the user by transmitting a signal indicating to the caller that said incoming communication can be branched to any one of a plurality of options and, responsive to the caller transmitting a command, causing said switch control means to issue switch instructions to said switch to branch said incoming communication to the option corresponding to the command transmitted by said caller.

An adjunct control system for connection to a telephone network, said network including at least one switch which is capable of changing communication paths of a plurality of intelligence streams to and from a plurality of communication ports, the control system comprising:

• (a) communications means for communicating via said ports to receive intelligence from and to transmit intelligence to said network via one of said communication ports in said at least one switch, said intelligence including voice intelligence;
• (b) switch control means for transmitting switching commands to said at least one switch to change at least one of said paths to redirect an established intelligence stream between said network and said system to at least another one of said communication ports;
• and
• (c) processing means for determining changes to one or more of said communication paths in accordance with at least two enabled modes and for effect lug said changes by sending switch control commands to said switch, the processing means further including means for identifying a call to said system from a specific user requesting a present mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to said specific user, recalling from a memory the present mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to said specific user, transmitting courtesy messages which indicate said current mode and inform the user as to how to enter a mode command to change said mode, and responding to said user transmitting a specific mode command to appropriately change the mode by which the system processes subsequent incoming calls directed to said user.

An adjunct control system for connection to a telephone network, said network including at least one switch which is capable of changing communication paths of a plurality of intelligence streams to and from a plurality of communication ports, the control system comprising:

• (a) communications means for communicating via said ports to receive intelligence from and to transmit intelligence to said network via one of said communication ports in said at least one switch, said intelligence including voice intelligence;
• (b) switch control means for transmitting switching commands to said at least one switch to change at least one of said paths to redirect an established intelligence stream between said network and said system to at least another one of said communication ports;
• and
• (c) processing means for determining changes to one or more of said communication paths in accordance with at least two enabled modes and for effect lug said changes by sending switch control commands to said switch, the processing means further including means for identifying a present call processing mode of a user and transmitting a courtesy message to said user setting forth said user's present call processing mode.

An adjunct control system connected to a telephone network, said network including at least one telephone switch which is capable of connecting a plurality of telephone lines such that a plurality of telephone users can simultaneously be in telephone contact with one another via said switch and wherein each user of the adjunct control system is assigned a unique telephone number, said control system routing a call to a user controlled number, the adjunct control system comprising:

• input/output means for connection to telephone network lines to input and output telephone calls;
• switch control means for controllably connecting a call on one line to a different line in said switch by transmitting commands to said switch;
• memory means for storing and recalling electronic signals;
• and
• electronic processing means for accessing said memory means, said switch control means and said input/output means to direct a flow of calls to said switch, for receiving an incoming call switched to said adjunct control system by said at least one telephone switch from a caller to a user and transmitting a courtesy message indicating to a caller that the call can be branched to any one of a plurality of options responsive to the caller transmitting an appropriate command corresponding to a desired option, and, responsive to the caller transmitting said command, implementing the desired option by causing said control means to route said incoming call to a selected one of a plurality of telephone network addresses stored in said memory means, the selected address corresponding to the command transmitted by the caller.

A telephone system for providing enhanced telephone services, said system comprising:

• (a) a telephone switching system including a switch servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers via communication facilities of said switch and a switch controller for controlling said switch, said switch controller being responsive to call processing functions, said call processing functions being of themselves inadequate to completely process a call, said communication facilities handling both voice and data communications;
• (b) an adjunct controller coupled to said switching system, said adjunct controller controlling said switching system to provide an enhanced service not otherwise available in said switching system, said adjunct controller communicating with said switching system by means of data in the form of call processing functions directed to said switch controller, said adjunct controller including a memory for storing a sequence of call processing functions, said sequence defining said enhanced service, said adjunct controller receiving a call placed by a caller to a telephone number associated with a subscriber, said telephone number being a number normally accessible via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), said adjunct controller receiving said telephone call with no need for said caller to provide a special access code and communicating said sequence of call processing functions stored in said memory to said switching system in response to a command received from said caller to provide said enhanced service.

A telephone system for providing enhanced telephone services, said system comprising:

• (a) a telephone switching system including a switch servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers via communication facilities of said switch and a switch controller for controlling said switch, said switch controller being responsive to call processing functions, said communication facilities handling both voice and data communications, said switching system forming part of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), said subscribers having telephone numbers accessible via the PSTN;
• (b) an adjunct controller coupled to said switching system via said communication facilities, said adjunct controller controlling said switching system to provide an entranced service not otherwise available in said switching system, said adjunct controller including a memory for storing a sequence of call processing functions, said sequence defining said enhanced service, said adjunct controller receiving a call from a caller directed to a subscriber's PSTN telephone number without the need for the caller to enter a special access number and communicating said sequence of call processing functions stored in said memory to said switching system in response to a command received from a caller to provide said enhanced service, and wherein said adjunct controller, during a telephone call from a subscriber placed via the PSTN to said adjunct controller, is responsive to commands from said subscriber for modifying the sequence of call processing functions stored in said memory.

A telephone system for providing enhanced telephone services, said system comprising:

• (a) a telephone switch servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers via communication facilities of said switch, said communication facilities handling both voice and data communications;
• (b) a telephone switch controller coupled to said switch via said communication facilities, said controller controlling said switch and only one said switch to provide an enhanced service not otherwise available in said switch, said controller communicating with said switch via said communication facilities by means of data in the form of switch functions, said controller including a memory for storing a sequence of switch functions, said sequence defining said enhanced service, said controller communicating a voice prompt via said communication facilities to a caller in response to a telephone call placed by said caller to a predetermined telephone address associated with a subscriber, and communicating said sequence of switch functions stored in said memory to said switching system in response to a command received from said caller to provide said enhanced service, said controller including a notification system which has a plurality of notification states for providing different notices to said user and wherein said controller includes a meet-me mode of operation wherein, during the telephone call, said controller controls said notification system to provide a specific notice to the subscriber indicating that the subscriber has a call waiting, said controller notifying the subscriber by recalling a predetermined signal and transmitting said signal to the subscriber when the caller does not wait on the line for the subscriber.

A telephone system for providing enhanced telephone services, said system comprising:

• (a) a telephone switch servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers via communication facilities of said switch, said communication facilities handling both voice and data communications;
• (b) a telephone switch controller coupled to said switch via said communication facilities, said controller controlling said switch and only one said switch to provide an enhanced service not otherwise available in said switch, said controller communicating with said switch via said communication facilities by means of data in the form of switch functions, said controller including a memory for storing a sequence of switch functions, said sequence defining said enhanced service, said controller communicating a voice prompt via said communication facilities to a caller in response to a telephone call placed by said caller to a predetermined telephone address associated with a subscriber, and communicating said sequence of switch functions stored in said memory to said switching system in response to a command received from said caller to provide said enhanced service, said memory storing a present mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to said subscriber and wherein said controller identifies a call to said system from said subscriber requesting the present mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to said subscriber, recalls from said memory means the current mode by which the system processes incoming calls directed to said subscriber, and transmits information to said subscriber which advises said subscriber of the present mode.

A telephone system for providing enhanced telephone services, said system comprising:

• (a) a telephone switch servicing a plurality of telephone subscribers via communication facilities of said switch, said communication facilities handling both voice and data communications;
• (b) a telephone switch controller coupled to said switch via said communication facilities, said controller controlling said switch to provide an enhanced service not otherwise available in said switch, said controller communicating with said switch via said communication facilities by means of data in the form of switch functions, said controller including a memory for storing a sequence of switch functions, said sequence defining said enhanced service, said controller communicating a prompt via said communication facilities to a caller in response to a telephone call placed by said caller to a telephone number associated with a subscriber, said telephone number being a number normally accessible via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), said adjunct controller receiving said telephone call without the need for said caller to provide a special access code and communicating said sequence of switch functions stored in said memory to said switching system in response to a command received from said caller to provide said enhanced service, and wherein said controller changes a call processing mode by which the system processes subsequent incoming calls directed to said subscriber in response to said subscriber transmitting a specific mode command at any telephone connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

A method of controlling a telecommunication switch from an adjunct control device, said switch being of the type which provides communication services to a plurality of telephone subscribers, the communication services including a plurality of subscriber controllable features controlled on telephone communication facilities coupling subscriber telephone equipment to said switch, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) responding to a telephone call received via said telecommunication switch with a prompt, said telephone call being directed to a telephone number associated with a subscriber, said telephone number being any number normally accessible via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), said telephone call being received without the need for a calling party to provide a special access code;
• (b) communicating with said switch via facilities coupling the adjunct control device to said switch by transmitting switch instructions to said switch;
• and
• (c) providing at least one additional communication service to the calling party during the telephone call received by said adjunct control device, which additional communication service is not available in said switch, by transmitting data representative of a plurality of functions to said switch whereupon said switch responds to said data to provide said additional communication service by performing said functions.

A control system for connection to a telephone network, said control system comprising:

• (a) communication facilities for processing telephone calls via said network;
• (b) control means for controllably routing a call placed to one telephone network address to another telephone address of said network;
• (c) memory means for storing signals including signals representative of telephone network addresses;
• and
• (d) electronic processing means for answering a telephone call received via said network, said telephone call being directed to a telephone number associated with a subscriber, said telephone number being any number normally accessible via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), said telephone call being received without the need for a calling party to provide a special access code, said processing means including a call processing mode wherein the electronic processing means answers an incoming call with a prompt indicating to a caller that said incoming call can be connected to any one of a plurality of locations, each location having a telephone network address represented in said memory means and, responsive to the caller transmitting a command identifying one of said locations, causing said control means to transmit a command to said network to connect said incoming call to the telephone network address corresponding to said one of said locations identified by said caller, said call being thereby connected in said network and externally of said control system with the telephone network address corresponding to said one of said locations identified by said caller.

A method of receiving and processing incoming telephone calls directed to a telephone network address, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing in a memory electronic signals including signals representative of telephone network addresses;
• and
• (b) processing an incoming telephone call from a caller directed to said network address, including answering the call and communicating information to said caller indicating that said incoming call can be branch routed to any one of at least two telephone network addresses, said incoming telephone call being directed to a network address associated with a subscriber, said network address being a number normally accessible via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), said telephone call being received without the need for the caller to provide a special access code, sensing transmission by the caller of a command corresponding to a desired telephone network address and, responsive thereto, transmitting a command from an adjunct control system to said telephone network to route said incoming call (i) via the network, without the need for said network to recognize that branch routing is provided by said adjunct controller, and (ii) externally of said adjunct control system to the telephone network address corresponding to the command transmitted by said caller a user not being available except for predetermined calls and, upon recalling said screening mode signal in processing said incoming call, transmitting a prompt to said caller indicating that the caller should transmit a specific command and, responsive to said caller transmitting said specific command, causing said control means to route said incoming call to a telephone network address represented in said memory means.

An adjunct control system for a telephone switch and switch controller of the type which can handle a plurality of calls placed by a plurality of callers at the same time, the adjunct control system receiving and processing telephone calls and comprising:

• (a) control means for issuing control signals to said switch and switch controller to controllably connect a call on one communication facility in said switch to a different communication facility in said switch in response thereto;
• (b) memory means for controllably storing electronic signals including signals representative of at least two telephone network addresses for a subscriber of said control system;
• and
• (c) electronic processing means for responding to an incoming call made by a caller to said subscriber with a signal indicating to the caller that said incoming call can be branch routed to any one of a plurality of options in response to the caller transmitting an appropriate command corresponding to a desired option without the need for said telephone switch and switch controller to recognize that branch routing is provided by said adjunct controller and without the need for the caller to enter a special code before said electronic processing means responds to said incoming call, and responsive to the caller transmitting said command, causing said control means to route said incoming call to a telephone network address for said subscriber represented in said memory means corresponding to the option commanded by said caller.

An adjunct control system for connection to a telephone network for receiving and processing telephone calls, said network including at least one telephone switch which is capable of connecting a plurality of telephone lines such that a plurality of telephone subscribers can simultaneously be in telephone contact with one another via said switch, said adjunct control system comprising:

• (a) communication means for connection to communication facilities of said network for receiving telephone calls on said facilities from a caller to a user of said system;
• (b) memory means for controllably storing electronic signals including signals representative of at least two telephone network addresses for a subscriber of said control system;
• (c) switch control means for instructing said switch to connect a call on one facility in said switch to a different facility in said switch;
• and (d) electronic processing means for processing a telephone call received via said communication means, and, in a branch routing mode, the electronic processing means responding to an incoming call to said user without the need for the caller to enter a special code to recall from said memory signal indicating to the caller that said incoming call can be transferred to any one of a plurality of options responsive to the caller transmitting an appropriate command corresponding to the desired option without the need for said network to recognize that branch routing is provided by said adjunct control system, transmitting said signal to said caller and responsive to the caller transmitting said command, causing said switch control means to instruct said at least one telephone switch to re-route said incoming call externally of said adjunct control system to a telephone network address represented in said memory corresponding to said command.

An adjunct control system for connection to at least one communications port of a telephone network, said network including at least one telephone switch which is capable of connecting a plurality of telephone lines such that a plurality of telephone subscribers can simultaneously be in telephone contact with one another via said switch, said adjunct control system comprising:

• (a) a communication path for connection to at least said port, said path communicating both audio and data information, the data information including switch instructions for controlling said switch;
• (b) a memory for storing signals representative of a plurality of telephone network addresses;
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• (c) a call processing apparatus for processing a telephone call directed to said a telephone number associated with a subscriber, said telephone number being a number normally accessible via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), said telephone call being received without the need for a calling party to provide a special access code to gain access thereto, said call processing apparatus having a call processing mode in which said call processing apparatus responds to a selection signal associated with an incoming call from a calling station by instructing said switch to redirect said incoming call externally of said adjunct control system to a particular one of said plurality-of telephone network addresses represented in said memory, said particular one corresponding to said selection signal.

A switch control system for connection to a telephone switch, said switch being of a type which is capable of connecting a plurality of telephone lines such that a plurality of telephone subscribers can simultaneously be in telephone contact with one another via said switch, said switch control system comprising:

• (a) a communication path for connection to said switch;
• (b) a memory for storing signals representative of a plurality of telephone addresses, said addresses being accessible via said switch;
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• (c) a call processing apparatus for processing a telephone call received via said switch and said communication path, said telephone call being directed to a telephone number associated with a subscriber, said telephone number being any number normally accessible via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), said telephone call being received without the need for a calling party to provide a special access code to gain access to said call processing apparatus, said call processing apparatus having a call processing mode in which said call processing apparatus transmits an audio prompt to a calling station via said communication path and responds to a selection signal from the calling station by sending commands via said communication path to said switch to connect said incoming call externally of said call processing apparatus to a particular one of said plurality of telephone addresses represented in said memory, said particular one corresponding to said selection signal.