US5872841A — Apparatus and method for scheduling a telephone c…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 126 words

A telephone system comprising: an interface means for receiving a call placed by a calling party to a called party, and if the called party is unavailable, receiving a scheduling request for a future telephone call with the called party from the calling party; calendar data stored in a computer readable medium which includes calendars of the called party and the calling party; and an agent means, coupled to the interface means and to the computer readable medium, for, in response to the scheduling request, searching the calendars to determine a common available slot for the future telephone call, and after confirming that the common available slot is acceptable to the calling party, scheduling the future telephone call in the common available slot of the calendars.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 126 words

A telephone system comprising: an interface means for receiving a call placed by a calling party to a called party, and if the called party is unavailable, receiving a scheduling request for a future telephone call with the called party from the calling party; calendar data stored in a computer readable medium which includes calendars of the called party and the calling party; and an agent means, coupled to the interface means and to the computer readable medium, for, in response to the scheduling request, searching the calendars to determine a common available slot for the future telephone call, and after confirming that the common available slot is acceptable to the calling party, scheduling the future telephone call in the common available slot of the calendars.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 43 words

A telephone system as in claim 1 wherein the interface means includes: keypad recognition means for recognizing input from the calling party when the calling party utilizes a telephone keypad; and, speech synthesis means for communicating with the calling party using speech synthesis.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 29 words

A telephone system as in claim 1 wherein the interface means includes: speech recognition means for recognizing input from the calling party when the calling party communicates by speech.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 21 words

A telephone system as in claim 1 additionally comprising: an electronic mail system interface for interfacing with an electronic mail system.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 18 words

A telephone system as in claim 1 additionally comprising: a database for storing information identifying the called party.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 17 words

A telephone system as in claim 5 wherein the database also stores information identifying the calling party.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 25 words

A telephone system as in claim 1 wherein the request from the calling party to schedule the future telephone call is received via electronic mail.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 122 words

A computer implemented method for scheduling a future telephone call comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a call placed by a calling party to a called party, and if the called party is unavailable, receiving a scheduling request for a future telephone call with the called party from the calling party, said scheduling request including data indicating an estimated duration of the future telephone call; (b) searching calendars of the called party and the calling party to determine a common available slot for the future telephone call; and, (c) confirming that the common available slot is acceptable to the calling party, and when confirmed, performing the following substep: (c1) scheduling the future telephone call in the common available slot of the calendars.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 122 words

A computer implemented method for scheduling a future telephone call comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a call placed by a calling party to a called party, and if the called party is unavailable, receiving a scheduling request for a future telephone call with the called party from the calling party, said scheduling request including data indicating an estimated duration of the future telephone call; (b) searching calendars of the called party and the calling party to determine a common available slot for the future telephone call; and, (c) confirming that the common available slot is acceptable to the calling party, and when confirmed, performing the following substep: (c1) scheduling the future telephone call in the common available slot of the calendars.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 43 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 8 wherein step (a) includes the following substeps: (a.1) requesting the calling party to indicate the estimated duration of the telephone call; and, (a.2) receiving from the calling party the estimated duration of the telephone call.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 9 wherein substep (a.2) includes receiving the estimated duration of the telephone call as input from the calling party using a telephone keypad.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 33 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 9 wherein substep (a.2) includes receiving the estimated duration of the telephone call as input spoken by the calling party and recognized using speech recognition technology.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 43 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 8 wherein the confirming in step (c) is done by checking a calendar for the calling party to determine whether the available slot for the telephone call is available in the calendar for the calling party.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 43 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 12 wherein step (c) additionally comprises the following substep performed when the available slot for the telephone call is acceptable to the calling party: (c.2) scheduling the telephone call in the calendar of the calling party.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 37 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 8 wherein the confirming in step (c) is done by querying the calling party as to whether the available slot for the telephone call is acceptable to the calling party.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 50 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 8 wherein step (c) additionally comprises the following substep performed when the available slot for the telephone call is acceptable to the calling party: (c.2) sending electronic mail to the called party indicating that the telephone call has been scheduled in the calendar.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 47 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 8 wherein: step (b) includes finding a plurality of available slots for the telephone call; and, step (c) includes querying the calling party as to whether any of the plurality of available time slots are acceptable to the calling party.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 62 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 8 additionally comprising the following step: (d) when performance of steps (b) and (c) do not result in any available slot for the telephone call that is acceptable to the calling party, re-performing steps (b) and (c) additionally accessing special time segments within the calendar of the called party which are not marked as available.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 24 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 17 wherein in step (d) the special time segments are marked as an equivalent of "urgent only".

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 52 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 17 additionally comprising the following step: (e) when performance of step (d) does not result in any available slot for the telephone call that is acceptable to the calling party, notifying the called party of the attempt by the calling party to schedule a call.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 25 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 17 wherein step (d) is only performed when the calling party is within a special class of callers.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 23 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 8 wherein step (c) is accomplished using a remote software agent which represents the calling party.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 16 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 8 wherein the telephone call is a conference call.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 54 words

A computer implemented method as in claim 8 additionally comprising the following step: (d) when performance of steps (b) and (c) do not result in any available slot for the telephone call that is acceptable to the calling party, notifying the called party of the attempt by the calling party to schedule a call.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 139 words

Storage media which stores software which, when executed on a computing system within a telephone system, performs a method for scheduling a future telephone call, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a call placed by a calling party to a called party, and if the called party is unavailable, receiving a scheduling request for a future telephone call with the called party from the calling party, said scheduling request including data indicating an estimated duration of the future telephone call; (b) searching calendars of the called party and the calling party to determine a common available slot for the future telephone call; and, (c) confirming that the common available slot is acceptable to the calling party, and when confirmed, performing the following substep: (c1) scheduling the future telephone call in the common available slot of the calendars.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 139 words

Storage media which stores software which, when executed on a computing system within a telephone system, performs a method for scheduling a future telephone call, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a call placed by a calling party to a called party, and if the called party is unavailable, receiving a scheduling request for a future telephone call with the called party from the calling party, said scheduling request including data indicating an estimated duration of the future telephone call; (b) searching calendars of the called party and the calling party to determine a common available slot for the future telephone call; and, (c) confirming that the common available slot is acceptable to the calling party, and when confirmed, performing the following substep: (c1) scheduling the future telephone call in the common available slot of the calendars.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 41 words

Storage media as in claim 24 wherein step (a) includes the following substeps: (a.1) requesting the calling party to indicate the estimated duration of the telephone call; and, (a.2) receiving from the calling party the estimated duration of the telephone call.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 28 words

Storage media as in claim 25 wherein substep (a.2) includes receiving the estimated duration of the telephone call as input from the calling party using a telephone keypad.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 31 words

Storage media as in claim 25 wherein substep (a.2) includes receiving the estimated duration of the telephone call as input spoken by the calling party and recognized using speech recognition technology.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 41 words

Storage media as in claim 24 wherein the confirming in step (c) is done by checking a calendar for the calling party to determine whether the available slot for the telephone call is available in the calendar for the calling party.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 41 words

Storage media as in claim 28 wherein step (c) additionally comprises the following substep performed when the available slot for the telephone call is acceptable to the calling party: (c.2) scheduling the telephone call in the calendar of the calling party.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 35 words

Storage media as in claim 24 wherein the confirming in step (c) is done by querying the calling party as to whether the available slot for the telephone call is acceptable to the calling party.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 48 words

Storage media as in claim 24 wherein step (c) additionally comprises the following substep performed when the available slot for the telephone call is acceptable to the calling party: (c.2) sending electronic mail to the called party indicating that the telephone call has been scheduled in the calendar.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 62 words

Storage media as in claim 24, wherein the method additionally comprises the following step: (d) when performance of steps (b) and (c) do not result in any available slot for the telephone call is acceptable to the calling party, re-performing steps (b) and (c) additionally accessing special time segments within the calendar of the called party which are not marked as available.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 22 words

Storage media as in claim 32 wherein in step (d) the special time segments are marked as an equivalent of "urgent only".

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 23 words

Storage media as in claim 32 wherein step (d) is only performed when the calling party is within a special class of callers.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 53 words

Storage media as in claim 32, wherein the method additionally comprises the following step: (e) when performance of step (d) does not result in any available slot for the telephone call that is acceptable to the calling party, notifying the called party of the attempt by the calling party to schedule a call.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 21 words

Storage media as in claim 34 wherein step (c) is accomplished using a remote software agent which represents the calling party.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 14 words

Storage media as in claim 24 wherein the telephone call is a conference call.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 55 words

Storage media as in claim 24, wherein the method additionally comprises the following step: (d) when performance of steps (b) and (c) do not result in any available slot for the telephone call that is acceptable to the calling party, notifying the called party of the attempt by the calling party to schedule a call.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-02-15	2002-08-17	2003-02-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-02-15	2006-08-17	2007-02-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-02-15	2010-08-17	2011-02-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus and method for scheduling a telephone call

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag