Enhanced telephony computer user interface allowing user interaction and control of a telephone using a personal computer

Abstract

An enhanced telephony (ET) computer user interface that seamlessly integrates features of a personal computer (PC) and a telephone into a coherent user interface. The user is provided with a rich variety of functionality that leverages the fact that the PC has considerably more processing power and greater access to variety of data than the ordinary telephone. This processing power and data access is used to the user's advantage as the telephone's capabilities and functionality are greatly expanded. In general, the ET user interface includes a plurality of environments for the user to choose. These environments include a My Contacts environment, a communication preferences environment, and a Call History environment. Each of these environments contains certain available processes and features for controlling and managing telephones.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This invention relates in general to integrated computer telephony and in particular to an enhanced telephony computer user interface that allows a user to control and manage a telephone from a personal computer while seamlessly integrating telephone and personal computer features to provide a rich user-controlled telephone management system and method.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Personal computers and telephones are two indispensable devices in modern life. Personal computers (PCs) and telephones both provide the ability to communicate instantaneously with others virtually anywhere in the world. In addition, PCs have revolutionized modern society with their ability to process information and data and to provide a user interaction with this information and data. PCs also have the capability to control other devices. This capability, for example, allows a user to remotely control the peripheral device through a user interface, often graphical user interfaces...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The invention disclosed herein includes a computer user interface that integrates features of a personal computer (PC) and a telephone into a coherent enhanced telephony (ET) user interface. The ET user interface resides on a personal computer and facilitates user control of all telephone functions using the processing power of a personal computer. More than this, however, the ET user interface includes features that are only made possible by the use of a PC merged into a telecommunications environment.

[0009]The ET user interface overcomes problems with prior attempts to integrate the PC and the telephone. Specifically, the user is provided with a rich variety of functionality that leverages the fact that the PC has considerably more processing power and greater access to variety of data than the ordinary telephone. This processing power and data access is used to the user's advantage as the telephone's capabilities and functionality are greatly expanded. Moreover, the ET user interface provides a tight coupling between the personal computer and the telephone such that a user is unaware of any division between the two. This seamless integration, along with enhanced functionality, greatly simplifies and improves the user experience.

[0015]The My Contacts environment includes features to enhance placing a call. In particular, when a call is placed the user receives both visual and audio cues that keep the user informed of the progress of the call. Once in the call, a call window appears containing detailed information about the person at the other end of the line and links to previous information associated with that person. For example, any documents opened during previous conversations with the person or e-mails received from him are listed in the call window such that the user can retrieve them by clicking. An advanced call camp feature allows the ET user interface to notify the user when a person becomes available if the person was previously unavailable (such as when the person's line was initially busy). Moreover, the advanced call camp feature can be integrated with the person's calendar to provide the user with the best time to call the person.

[0020]While in a call, several features enable the user to have a richer user experience with the telephone and PC combination. A screen sharing feature allows the user to share the contents of the user's computer screen with a caller. A PC audio feature adjusts parameters on the PC based on telephone usage. For example, if the user is listening to a sound file on the PC and receives an incoming call, the sound on the PC is automatically muted or slowly lowered and the sound file is paused. Upon termination of the call, the parameters are returned to their previous settings.

Problems solved by technology

Even though the PC and telephone often exist in the same room, however, there currently exist few attempts to provide a useful integration of the two devices that takes full advantage of their strengths.

There have been many attempts at integrating the telephone with the personal computer, but with little market success.

These failures are due to in part to problems with the product design including, for example, poor user interface design, the need for expensive additional hardware, and unrealistic user expectations.

In addition, these products do not allow a user to access a telephone from a location different from the physical location of the telephone.

The Microsoft® Phone, however, required that the computer always be on (which was an unrealistic expectation in the Windows® 95 era) and was an expensive added feature to Windows® 95 because it required additional hardware.

Moreover, the Microsoft® Phone has limited functionality.

One problem, however, is that the advantageous synergies of the telephone and the computer are not merged.

However, this type of interface is difficult, laborious and time-consuming for a user.

These software applications are designed for the customer service audience, however, and there is little or no attempt to meet the need of the private user or provide a user-friendly integration of the physical telephone and the software interface.

Moreover, telephony applications for the call center environment lack functionality and control features needed by an end-user that are critical for a high-quality user experience.

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