Technical Field This invention relates to techniques for signaling to a telephone user the condition of a telephone network, and more particularly relates to such techniques for signaling the time period during which the telephone network is ready for dialing.

Background of the Invention

Telephone networks use various types of signal tones in order to indicate to a telephone user the condition of a telephone network and the condition of a telephone handset. For example, a typical telephone network detects when a telephone handset goes off-hook and transmits a dial tone to the handset. The dial tone merely indicates that the network is ready for dialing. Although a dial tone contains additional characteristics discernible to a human (e.g., pitch, volume level and continuity), it provides no additional message and no additional information of interest to the user of the handset. In spite of the fact that sophisticated electronic circuitry has been used in connection with the generation of dial tone for many years, no known person has discovered any method of providing such an additional message or information while at the same time indicating that the network is ready for dialing. The present invention addresses this deficiency in known prior methods.

Telephone systems which are capable of generating both selected tones and voice announcements stored in a message memory are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,127,004 assigned to Rockwell International Corporation. Devices also are known for identifying call progress tones on telephone lines and converting such tones to visual indications, primarily for use by the deaf. Such a device is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,327,493 assigned to Active Voice Inc. A device for generating an audible logo for identifying a common carrier is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,056,134 assigned to AT&T Bell Laboratories.

In spite of the use of voice announcements for various purposes via telephone networks, none of the known systems provides a technique for indicating the status of the telephone network by an audible message or

information, such as speech or music. This invention is directed to the solution of this problem.

Summary of the Invention The invention enables a telephone user to be told in a new and informative manner that a telephone network is ready for dialing. According to one mode of the invention, one or more audible messages, such as news, weather reports, market conditions or music, are provided by the network in accordance with the subscriber's choosing. When the telephone handset receiver is raised, a message is selected and transmitted to the telephone handset. The user hears the message while, concurrently, the presence of the message indicates to the user that the telephone network is ready for dialing.

According to another aspect of the invention, techniques are provided for the user to change the message that is heard when the telephone receiver is lifted. Thus, the user can receive the message that is most important for his circumstances at the time of telephone use. This includes receiving different messages with different attempts to engage with the telephone network.

Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 presents a flow chart illustrating a method for specifying enhanced dial tone service; and

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment for providing the enhanced dial tone service.

Detailed Description

In the context of this invention I consider three types of information: explicit information, implicit information, and incidental information. Explicit information is information that represents the content of the communication. In speech, it's the words that are sent or received. This information is understood by anyone who knows the spoken language. Hence, speech represents explicit information. Music is also explicit information. It communicates to the listener the music itself. Implicit information is implied, or coded, information that is contained in the communication. A dial tone is a good example of implicit information. While a dial tone carries certain musical characteristics, a person who is familiar with telephony takes away from the dial tone the information that the network is ready to accept dialing information. That is the prearranged,

coded, implied, and implicit information in the dial tone. Incidental information is the information contained in the means for conveying the explicit or implicit information. For example, the tone or cadence of the dial tone signal can be considered "information" but it is not the information that is sought to be communicated; it is just incidental to the communicated information and, in a sense, it is merely related to the mechanism of communicating information.

In the context of this disclosure, therefore, the dial tone represents implicit information. Another signal that contains implicit information is the "stutter" dial tone that users get when they subscribe to a "message waiting" service, and a message is waiting.

As disclosed herein, an advance in the art is achieved by providing telephone user with a mechanism for obtaining information of his choosing concurrently with the information that the network is ready to accept dialing signals. That is, the telephone subscriber can select the information that the user receives, and can alter the selection at any time.

As shown in Figure 1 , the user begins the selection process by placing a call to a predetermined number which connects the user to a database via a conventional voice response unit (step 101). The voice response unit (VRU) welcomes the user in step 102 and enters the primary selection subprocess of step 103. In step 103, the VRU determines the variability of the messages that the user may desire. For example, the user may select having the same message be presented at all times, have messages be time sensitive (e.g., "in the morning I want weather"), have the messages alternate with each new request for dial tone, etc. Following step 103, the process enters step 104, which prompts the user for the specific message selections. Illustratively the secondary subselection process of step 104 may present the user with a menu that includes:

1. Music;

2. A current weather flash; 3. A message recorded by the user;

4. Personalized variable messages about a selected topic (e.g., sports, weather or market conditions, such as stock or bond quotations);

5. Personalized targeted messages about a portion of one of the topics identified under item 4 (e.g., a specific sport, weather for a particular local or the price of a specific stock or bond); and

6. A commercial message entitling the user to a reduction in the user s phone bill or a free phone call.

Once the selection is made by the user, control passes to block 105, which is a branch point in the process. If the user picks choice 1, 2 or 6, the VRU system plays a sample message corresponding to the selected choice (step 106). For example, if the choice is number 1, the VRU plays music; if the choice is number 2, the VRU plays a current weather flash; if the choice is number 6, the VRU plays a typical commercial of the type for which the user will receive a discount from his telephone bill. If the user picks choice 4 or 5, the VRU enters a tertiary selection subprocess in step 107, where it asks the user to select a topic or portion of a topic through the tertiary menu of selections. For example, if the user picks number 4, the VRU asks the user to select a general topic, such as sports, weather or market conditions. If the user picks number 5, the VRU asks the user to select a portion of one of the topics selectable for number 4, such as a specific sport, weather in a particular local or the price of a particular stock. If the user picks choice 3, the process enters step 108 where the VRU asks the user to begin recording a message which the network will use in place of the conventional dial tone. It may be noted that the first selection subprocess does not have to specify a varying "dial tone" provisioning. When variations are desired, it is also not necessary that all choices be other than the conventional dial tone. It is quite likely, for example, that some users would specify the weather for morning times, and conventional dial tone for all other times. In situations where the user does wish to have variability in the provided dial tone, results of the first selection subprocess are analyzed in step 109 to determine whether additional secondary selections need to be made. When that is the case, control passes from step 109 to step 104. Otherwise, control passes to step 1 10 where, through interaction with the user, the user's selections are confirmed. When it is determined that some of the selections need to be altered, control return to step 103. Otherwise, control passes to step 1 1 1 whereupon the

customer's telephone number (from the ANI information made available to the VRU) and the message selections are entered into the database, and the process terminates.

By using the foregoing method, a subscriber can select the type of message desired, so that the next time the subscriber uses his telephone, the message is played automatically. This is an important feature which enables the type of message most useful to the user to be played as soon as the handset is operated.

FIG. 2 presents one embodiment for implementing the principles disclosed herein. The embodiment is described for the situation where a user does not have an enhanced dial tone service, establishes such a service, and then uses the network with the enhanced dial tone service.

A user's telephone 200 is connected to the network via line interface unit 201. Unit 201 detects whenever telephone 200 goes off hook and so informs controller 206. Unit 201 also detects digits dialed by telephone 200 and provides this information to controller 206. Controller 206 is aware of the telephone number assigned to telephone 200 and accesses database 202 to determine whether telephone 200 receives enhanced dial tone service. When it does not, controller 206 directs switch 220 to couple telephone 200, via line interface unit 201 , to dial tone input 207. Dial tone input 207 is coupled to a generator (not shown) that provides the conventional dial tone signal. When the customer who uses telephone 200 wishes to establish enhanced dial tone service, as indicated above, the user dials a predetermined number which is ascertained by the digit detector within unit 201. As soon as the first digit is detected, controller 206 is informed of same and it disconnects line interface unit 201 from the dial tone input 207. When all of the dialed digits are communicated to controller 206, it connects telephone 200, through unit 201, switch 220 and network 204, to VRU 205. As described in connection with FIG. 1, VRU 205 develops data and, in some circumstances, recorded information. The data regarding the selections

made by the user are stored by VRU 205 in database 202. The recorded information is stored in store 203.

Subsequently, when the customer places telephone 200 "off hook", line interface unit 201 again detects the off hook condition and so informs controller 206. A reference to database 202 informs the controller of the enhanced dial tone selection made for telephone 200 and, accordingly, controller 206 directs switch 220 to couple telephone 200 to the appropriate dial tone service. In FIG. 2, for example, weather, advertisements, and a signal path to store 203 are shown to be provided to switch 220. When it is determined from the data supplied by database 202 that the desired dial tone is weather, for example, then controller 206 directs switch 220 to couple telephone 200 to the weather input. As before, as soon as the first digit is dialed, controller 206 (pursuant to information from the digit detection circuitry in line interface unit 201) disconnects telephone 200 from weather input 208. A similar sequence is followed when the selection is to advertisements that are supplied on input 209.

Input 210 supplies information to switch 220 under influence of controller 206. More specifically, database 202 provides controller 206 with information that informs controller 206 of the fact that stored data needs to be supplied in lieu of conventional dial tone, and the location of that stored data in store 203. The information stored in store 203 can be of the type described in connection with FIG. 1 where a user records some information. It can also be information of the type presented on inputs 208 and 209. That is, weather, advertisements, stock quotations, sport event results, etc. can all be pre-stored in store 203 and delivered to the user via input 210. Such information would be updated as appropriate. Rapidly changing information, such as time of day, would probably not be stored in element 203, but even that may be done.