Telephone System Caller State Notification via Intermediary Server
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In conventional telephone systems, including VoIP, callers are typically only provided with a busy signal or voice mail when the called party is unavailable, without any additional information about the call in progress, limiting the caller's knowledge and options.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows the called party to control and provide additional information to the calling party through soft keys or other mechanisms, such as whether they are on a conference call, the number and name of the party they are speaking with, and expected busy time, which can be pre-established in a profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a busy signal or voice mail is provided to the calling party, then the called party's unavailability is indicated, but no additional information about the call in progress is provided to the caller
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a call information server as an intermediary component that mediates between the called party's telephone system and the calling party. This server receives call status information from the called party's system and provides selected information to the calling party, thereby resolving the contradiction by adding an intermediary element that enables information flow without requiring direct complex interaction between the calling and called party systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the telephone system into distinct functional components: the called party's telephone system, the call information server, and the calling party's interface. By dividing the system into separate modules with defined interfaces, information can be provided to callers without requiring the entire system to be complex, as each segment handles specific tasks independently
2Ease of operation
If the called party provides detailed information about their current call to the calling party, then the caller can make informed decisions, but the called party's privacy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control over information disclosure by allowing the called party to select which information is provided to the calling party in real-time. The system can dynamically adjust the level of information shared based on the called party's current preferences and context, enabling privacy protection while still providing useful information to callers when appropriate
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different levels of information disclosure for different types of information or different calling parties. The called party can specify which aspects of their current call status should be disclosed and to whom, enabling selective information sharing that protects privacy while maintaining operational ease for legitimate callers
Data Source
AI summary
A telephone system that has the ability to provide a caller with additional information (beyond a busy signal or a ring tone) concerning the called party when the called party's line is busy: The called party can control the amount and type of additional information provided to the calling party. In one embodiment, when the called party is notified that someone is trying to place a call (by a mechanism such as by conventional caller ID) the called party has the option of providing the calling party with a variety of different information, such as whether or not the called party is on a conference call and the number (and name if available) of the party to whom the called party is speaking.