US 6,104,800 A · Method for providing call waiting notification to a party engaged in a data call

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for providing a first party, engaged in a data call, i.e. a data transmission or communication between machines, call waiting notification without interrupting the data call the first party is engaged in. One embodiment of the present invention includes a central office adjunct which detects a third party call to a first party already engaged in a data call, generates a call waiting data portion compatible with the data call, when said third party call is detected, and merges the call waiting data portion with the data call. One aspect of the present invention includes the first party's computer, loaded with appropriate software, detecting the call waiting data portion and using the computer's output devices to notify the first party of the presence of the third party call. Another aspect of the present invention includes allowing the first party the options of taking the third party call and holding the data call, or redirecting the third party call, or ignoring the third party call.

Claims16

Dependent claims

In a telephone system, a method for providing call-waiting notification to remotely located subscribers from a central office, where at least one of the subscribers is engaged in a data call when a third party seeks to communicate with the subscriber, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of telephone lines which allow the subscribers to engage in either a voice call or a data call, but not both simultaneously;
automatically determining when a third party seeks to communicate with one of the subscribers via one of the telephone lines which is engaged;
polling the engaged telephone line and detecting whether the engaged telephone line is carrying a data call, wherein said data call includes a first data signal;
generating at the central office a call-waiting data signal portion corresponding to information indicating that the third party seeks to communicate with the subscriber;
and
merging said call-waiting data signal portion with the first data signal occurring as a result of the data call without disrupting the data call.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for providing call waiting notification to a party engaged in a data call

Life of this patent

Method for providing call waiting notification to a party engaged in a data call

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16