Methods and apparatus for facilitating the interaction between multiple telephone and computer users

A method of providing a communications service in a system including a calling party, a first receiving party having a first computer and a first telephone device;

• and a second receiving party having a second computer and a second telephone device, the method comprising:
• detecting a hook flash, said step of detecting a hook flash including detecting activation of an AIN hook flash mid call trigger at a telephone switch;
• and
• in response to detecting a hook flash,
• transmitting call related data including sales information, at least some of which was previously provided to the first computer, to the second computer;
• and
• establishing a voice connection between the calling party and the second telephone device.

A method of providing a communications service in a system including a calling party, a first receiving party having a first computer and a first telephone device;

• and a second receiving party having a second computer and a second telephone device, the method comprising:
• operating a telephone switch coupling the calling party to the first telephone device by a telephone line to monitor the telephone line for a hook flash;
• detecting a hook flash;
• in response to detecting a hook flash,
• transmitting call related data, at least some of which was previously provided to the first computer, to the second computer;
• and
• establishing a voice connection between the calling party and the second telephone device;
• and
• wherein the step of transmitting call related data to the second computer includes:
• i) operating the telephone switch in response to activation of a mid-call trigger to send a message to a service control point;
• ii) operating the service control point to send a message to a server;
• and
• iv) operating the server to transmit said call related data to the second computer.

A method of providing a communications service in a system including a calling party, a first receiving party having a first computer and a first telephone device;

• and a second receiving party having a second computer and a second telephone device, the method comprising:
• detecting a hook flash, the step of detecting a hook flash including operating a telephone switch coupling the calling party to the first telephone device by a telephone line to monitor the telephone line for a hook flash;
• in response to detecting a hook flash,
• a) transmitting call related data, at least some of which was previously provided to the first computer, to the second computer;
• and
• b) establishing a voice connection between the calling party and the second telephone device;
• wherein the step of transmitting call related data to the second computer includes:
• i) operating the telephone switch in response to activation of a mid-call trigger to send a message to a service control point;
• ii) operating the service control point to send a message to a server;
• and
• iii) operating the server to transmit said call related data to the second computer;
• and
• wherein the telephone switch sends a telephone number received from the first receiving party with the message sent to the service control point, the method further comprising:
• operating the service control point to determine the status of the telephone line identified by the telephone number.

A communications method, the communications method comprising:

• setting a hook flash mid-call trigger at a telephone switch on a telephone line;
• receiving a first telephone number over said telephone line;
• and
• in response to the hook flash mid-call trigger being activated, sending the first telephone number to a service control point;
• operating the service control point to transmit a monitor for change message including said first telephone number to the telephone switch, the monitor for change message including a first telephone number;
• operating the telephone switch to determine the status of a telephone line corresponding to the first telephone number;
• and
• controlling the telephone switch to perform a call routing operation as a function of the determined telephone line status.

A communications system, comprising:

• a service control point including instructions to transmit a monitor for change message to a telephone switch, the monitor for change message including a first telephone number and including instructions to control initiation of a call as a function of telephone line status information received in response to the monitor for change message;
• and
• a telephone switch including:
• i) an AIN hook flash mid-call trigger set on a telephone line;
• and
• ii) means for transmitting a telephone number received by the switch to the service control point in response to activation of the hook flash mid-call trigger;
• and
• iii) means for processing monitor for change messages, said means operating to control the telephone switch to determine the status of a telephone line corresponding to the first telephone number.

A communications system including:

• a server including information on a plurality of telephone service subscribers, the information for each of the plurality of telephone service subscribers including a telephone number associated with the telephone service subscriber and a communications address corresponding to a computer used by the telephone service subscriber;
• a service control point including a call processing record for each of at least some of the plurality of telephone service subscribers for which information is stored in the server, the service control point being coupled to the server by a first communications network;
• and
• a telephone switch coupled to the service control point and to at least one telephone device associated with a telephone service subscriber, the telephone switch having a hook flash mid-call trigger set on at least one telephone line associated with a telephone service subscriber for which information is stored in said server.