Changing the user interface at a telecommunications terminal

Abstract

A technique is disclosed that changes one or more properties of a user interface at a telecommunications terminal based on an incoming call. When a first caller calls the telephone number of the terminal directly and the terminal answers the call, the terminal presents the direct call to the user through a first user interface. When a second caller calls a telephone number that is associated with a data-processing system and the call is then redirected to the terminal, the terminal presents the redirected call to the user through a second user interface. The telecommunications terminal can be a cell phone that belongs to a user, and the data-processing system can be a private branch exchange that serves an office enterprise network that the user belongs to, wherein the private branch exchange extends the call to the user's cell phone when the user is out of the office.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to telecommunications in general, and, more particularly, to changing the user interface at a telecommunications terminal. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of a telecommunications system in the prior art. Telecommunications system 100 comprises: [0003] i. the Public Switched Telephone Network, [0004] ii. private branch exchange 102, [0005] iii. telecommunications terminals 103-1 and 103-2, [0006] iv. telecommunications terminals 110-1 and 110-2, and [0007] v.; telecommunications terminal 111; all of which are interconnected as shown. [0008] The Public Switched Telephone Network (i.e., element 101) is a complex of telecommunications equipment that is owned and operated by different entities throughout the World. In the United States of America, for example, the Public Switched Telephone Network (or “PSTN”) comprises an address space that is defined by ten digits, and, therefore, comprises ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is about changing the user interface of a telecommunications terminal based on the incoming call. This can be done based on the characteristics of the call, such as the caller's identity and the type of system they are connected to. By doing this, the terminal can provide the user with the proper context and features for handling the call. This enhances the user's experience and makes it easier for them to handle calls that are redirected or not directly directed to the terminal. The invention involves transmitting a call to the terminal and then sending a notification that the call was not originally directed to the terminal.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, the user might receive only minimal information for establishing the context of the call, which presents additional challenges to the user because the redirected calls that arrive from the private branch exchange are mainly from people (e.g., customers calling tech support, etc.) who are strangers to the user.

In using the outside phone, the user's ability to respond to the caller is potentially diminished, compared to using the office phone.

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