AU700503B2

AU700503B2 - Voice mail arrangement

Info

Publication number: AU700503B2
Application number: AU20178/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Arpad Hegedus
Original assignee: Alcatel NV
Current assignee: Alcatel Lucent NV
Priority date: 1994-06-01
Filing date: 1995-05-22
Publication date: 1999-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-22
Also published as: NZ272198A; EP0685956A3; EP0685956A2; AU2017895A; CA2150619A1

Description

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Pit0/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3,2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT r a a a ci a a o a a oOb I a a a a

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a a D a I a a a L a a C a Invention Title: "VOICE MAIL ARRANGEMENT" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:j This invention relates to a telephone exchange with speech storage equipment, which is connected to the calling subscriber if ringing takes place by the calling subscriber and the called subscriber does not answer the call after a 1 5 predetermined time, and also relates to a procedure for storing voice messages in I such an exchange, in which speech storage equipment is capable of storing voice messages arriving from the calling subscriber and intended for the called subscriber, and to send them to the called subscriber on his request.

Telephone exchanges with speech storage equipment are already known and are mostly described in technical terminology as voice mail devices.

The known devices have the disadvantage in that each new call is first passed to the subscribers' station and then is connected afterwards to the speech storage equipment only if the subscriber's handset has not been picked up within a predetermined time. For the most part, other people in the room at the same time find this bothersome. In addition, the preset period of time passes by uselessly before the I call is transferred j It is am object of the present invention to eliminate this disadvantage, in i particular to keep the waiting period until access to the speech storage equipment as S short as possible.

.2Q According to the invention, there is provided a telephone exchange with speech store equipment which, if ringing takes place by the calling subscriber and the called subscriber does not answer the call, is connected to the calling subscriber after a predetermined rime, whereby the speech store equipment is abler to store voice messages arriving from the calling subscriber and intended for the called subscriber, and to send them to the called subscriber on his request, wherein the telephone exchange includes switching means which will also conned all further calls for the called subscriber to the speech store equipment as soon as one switch-over of the called subscriber to the speech store equipment has been carried out.

Preferably, the switching means conned all further incoming calls for the called subscriber again with that subbcriber's teiephone after the activation procedure has cccurred at the called subscriber's station, for example by picking up the handset.

Another preferable embodiment of the invention provides that the switching means conned all further incoming calls for the called subscriber again with that L I IFRWM 30*ww Xi.11- M 111 111 subscriber's telephone only after the interrogation request has been initiated by the called subscriber. This measure avoids switch-over to the called subscriber also then occurring, if that subscriber's telephone was being used by a third party or if the called subscriber is in fact making an outgoing call, though is not ready to speak for an incoming call.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, an embodiment thereof will now be described in relation to the single figure of the drawing.

At the telephone exchange 1, subscriber terminal equipment is connected via the ports In this example, the ports are provided for connection of telephones 2, 3 and voice mail equipment is connected to the ports x, y and z.

Therefore 3 voice mail devices can be engaged simultaneously.

The telephone exchange 1 contains a coupling panel 4 via which the terminal equipment 2,3 7 are connected to each other in a known way, and is controlled by a control program Subscriber 2 now calls, for example, subscriber 3, who is not however ready to rt SQ speak at the moment. After a predetermined call time has gone by, an automatic S switch-over of voice communication to the voice mail device 7 occurs via the control program 5 in a known way. If the call of subscriber 2 is now diverted to the voice mail N device 7, then the typical communication exchange for voice mail equipment takes place. The voice mail equipment is represented to subscriber 2 by means of a stored message and invites the latter to record his message for subscriber 3. This process as o a rule is ended by subscriber 2 hanging up or by a predetermined recording time Scoming to an end, After completing the conversation of the calling subscriber 2 with the voice mail equipment 7 of the called subscriber 3, the voice mail equipment for the called subscriber according to the invention remains activated. Each additional incoming call is now automatically passed on to the voice mail equipment until the called subscriber 3 actually picks up his telephone, for example. The control program 5 now recognises that subscriber 3 is again ready to speak and again switches all further incoming call Ifor subscriber 3 directly through to '.ubscriber 3.

j Deactivation of the voice mail equipment also can only occur through the 4 interrogation request by subscriber 3. In this way, deactivation by a third party, who is I using the telephone of subscriber 3, is prevented.

If a message is left for subscriber 3 in the voice mail equipment, then a signal device 8, for example a light-emitting diode, is activated in the subscriber's equipment of subscriber 3, the said signal device 8 indicating to the subscriber on his return that a message is waiting for him in the voice mail equipment.

Claims

24-NOV-98 TUE 11:42 P I The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A telephone exchange with speech store equipment which, if ringing takes place by the calling subscriber and the called subscriber does not answer the call, is connected to the calling subscriber after a predetermined time, whereby the speech store equipment is able to store voice messages arriving from the calling subscriber and intended for the called subscriber, and to send them to the called subscriber on his request, wherein the telephone exchange includes switching means which will also .o 'oo° connect all further calls for the called subscriber to the speech store equipment as soon as one switch-over of the called subscriber to the speech store equipment has been 10 carried out. 2. A telephone exchange as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching means will connect again all further calls arriving for the called subscriber to the called O* subscriber's subset, after activation procedure has been executed at the called e subscriber's subset, by picking up the telephone handset. S0O 3. A telephone exchange as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching means will 0°oo connect again all further calls arriving for the called subscriber to his subset, after an interrogation request has been initiated by the called subscriber. 4. A method of storing voice messages in a telephone exchange having speech store equipment which is connected to the calling subscriber after a predetermined time, if ringing takes place by the calling subscriber and the called subscriber does not answer the call, whereby the speech store equipment is able to store voice messages arriving from the calling subscriber and intended for the called subscriber, and to send them to the called subscriber on his request, wherein all further calls for the called subscriber will also be connected to the speech store equipment, as soon as one switch-over of the called subscriber to the speech store equipment has been carried out. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein all further calls arriving for the called subscriber will be connected again to the called subscriber's subset after the activation procedure has been executed at the called subscriber's subset, e.g. by picking up the telephone handset. 6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein all further calls arriving for the called subscriber will be connected again to his subset after the interrogation request has 1 k? '-pen initiated by the called subscriber. 6 7. A'-lephone exchange and method substantially as herein described with reference to the Figure of the drawing. DATED THIS FIFTEENTH DAY OF MAY 1995 ALCATEL N.Y r__l 1 1 ABSTRACT A telephone exchange with speech storage equipment which is connected to the calling subscriber when thle called subscriber does not answer the call after a predetermined time, as well as a method for storing voice messages in such an exchange, in which speech storage equipment is capable of storing voice messages arriving from the calling subscriber and intended for the called subscriber, and to send them to the called subscriber on his request. The telephone exchange contains switching means, which also connect all subsequent calls for the called subscriber to the speech storage equipment after one switch-over of the called subscriber has occurred. The telephone exchange thus recognises that the called subscriber is not ready to speak and switches all further incoming calls to the speech storage equipment. I 0.0, 0 a, 0 a S4 a. a. a 1 a. 4 I