USOO8045681 B2

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,045,681 B2 Hertel et al. (45) Date of Patent: Oct. 25, 2011

(54) METHOD OF OPERATING A (56) References Cited LINK BETWEEN TWO TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICES U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS WHICH TRANSMITS DISPLAY CONTROL 5,003,577 A * 3/1991 Ertz et al...... 379.88.13 COMMANDS IN A SEPARATE DATA 6,157,705. A * 12/2000 Perrone ...... 379.88.01 CHANNEL 6, 192,057 B1 2/2001 Duecket al. 6,252,944 B1* 6/2001 Hansen et al...... 379 (67.1 (75) Inventors: Andreas Hertel, Barendorf (DE); 2002/0055350 A1* 5/2002 Gupte et al...... 455,412 2002fOO73142 A1* 6, 2002 Moran ...... TO9,203 H.-Dieter Kröger, Wakendord II (DE) 2002fO154745 A1 * 10, 2002 Shtivelman ...... 379.88.12 (73) Assignee: Aastra Deutschland GmbH, Berlin 2008/0317235 A1 12/2008 Hansen et al...... 379,211.02 (DE) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS DE 1963O45.6 A1 1, 1998 *) NotOt1Ce: Subjubject to anyy d1Sclaimer,disclai theh term off thithis EP O 590,862 A2 4f1994 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 EP 1381,212 A1 1, 2004 U.S.C. 154(b) by 1395 days. OTHER PUBLICATIONS (21) Appl. No.: 11/583,478 Janusz Klink: “Remote data transfer in distributed measurement, diagnostics and control systems'. In IEEE International Symposium (22) Filed: Oct. 19, 2006 on Intelligent Signal Processing, Sep. 4-6, 2003, p. 231-235. (65) Prior Publication Data * cited by examiner US 2007/O127633 A1 Jun. 7, 2007 Primary Examiner — Fan Tsang Related U.S. Application Data Assistant Examiner — Solomon Bezuayehu (63) Continuation of application No. (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Laurence A. Greenberg; PCT/DE2005/000671, filed on Apr. 14, 2005. Werner H. Stemer; Ralph E. Locher (30) Foreign Application Priority Data (57) ABSTRACT A method for operating a communications link between two Apr. 19, 2004 (DE) ...... 10 2004 O19584 telecommunications device requires that speech information be transmitted in a speech channel and data signals are trans (51) Int. Cl. mitted in a data channel that is separate from the speech H04M I/64 (2006.01) channel. This provides a particularly user-friendly, conve HO4M II/IO (2006.01) nient method for operating a . To HO4M II/OO (2006.01) achieve this, display control commands are transmitted in the (52) U.S. Cl...... 379/88.11:455/413: 379/88.13; data channel as data signals, the display control commands 379/93.17 triggering a display on a screen of the telecommunications (58) Field of Classification Search ...... 379/88.11, device that receives the display control commands. 379/88.13, 88.18, 142.17 See application file for complete search history. 22 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet

U.S. Patent Oct. 25, 2011 US 8,045,681 B2

US 8,045,681 B2 1. 2 METHOD OF OPERATINGA above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art methods and TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINK BETWEEN devices of this general type, which is particularly user TWO TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICES friendly and convenient. WHICH TRANSMITS DISPLAY CONTROL With the foregoing and other objects in view there is pro COMMANDS IN A SEPARATE DATA 5 vided, in accordance with the invention, a method for oper CHANNEL ating a communications link between an answering device and a telecommunications terminal. The method includes CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED establishing a communications link to a caller of the answer APPLICATIONS ing device by setting up a connection of a Voice channel and 10 a data channel, transmitting Voice information in the Voice This is a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. S 120, of copending channel, transmitting display control commands in the data international application PCT/DE2005/000671, filed Apr. 14, channel separate from the Voice channel as data signals for 2005, which designated the United States; this application triggering a display on a screen of the telecommunications also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. S 119, of German 15 terminal receiving the display control commands. The trans patent application 10 2004019584.6, filed Apr. 19, 2004; the mitting of the display control commands further includes the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in steps of transmitting, via the answering device, a command to their entirety. the telecommunications terminal resulting in a triggering of an automatic response of the telecommunications terminal to BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION request a predetermined display content from the answering device; and transmitting, via the answering device, the pre Field of the Invention determined display content to the telecommunications termi nal after receiving the request for the predetermined display The invention relates to a method for operating a commu content in the answering machine. nications link between an answering device and a telecom 25 Accordingly, it is provided, according to the invention, that munications terminal. In the method, display control com between two telecommunications devices, Voice information mands are transmitted in a data channel separate from the is transmitted in a voice channel (preferably D channel) and Voice channel as data signals for triggering a display on a display control commands which trigger a screen display on screen of the telecommunications terminal receiving the dis a screen of the telecommunications device receiving the play control commands. 30 respective display control commands are transmitted in a data It is known that telecommunications terminals digitize channel (preferably D channel) separate from the voice chan audio signals in accordance with the Consultative Committee nel. for International and (CCITT) stan An advantage of the method according to the invention dard G.711 and transmit the voice information formed in this relates in that it ensures particularly high convenience of use manner in a so-called B channel in the case of an integrated 35 because display control commands can also be transmitted in services digital network (ISDN) connection. In parallel, the addition to voice information. For example, the name of the telecommunications terminals additionally transmit data Sig caller can be transmitted. nals with information which is used for managing the com A further significant advantage of the method according to munications link in a separate data channel briefly called a D the invention relates in that the voice channel is not affected channel. 40 by the additional data transmission. This ensures that the In addition, it is known that telecommunications devices voice information can be transmitted undisturbed in the nor can enter into data links with one another. For this purpose, mal manner—that is to say with the entire available audio the telecommunications devices transmit digital values rep . resenting a data coding instead of digitally coded audio sig A third significant advantage of the method according to nals in the voice channel (B channel). The information trans 45 the invention relates in that no IP addresses need to be known mitted in the separate data channel (D channel) basically does for transmitting the display control commands since the dis not differ from the “telephony case”, that is to say the case of play control commands are transmitted in the separate data a “normal transmission of audio signals. channel after the connection has been set up in the normal In addition, there is in global system for mobile commu a. nications (GSM) networks the so-called general packet 50 The method according to the invention can be used, for service (GPRS) method in which data links are based on example, in a communications link in which one of the two protocols “TCP/IP” known from the Internet. In this telecommunications devices involved is an answering device connection, the “ Markup Language” (WML), by or by a telecommunications device handling an answering which image data are transmitted by the known “Wireless device function. The answering device function can also be Application Protocol (WAP) has become successful for rep 55 provided, for example, by a network operator (“mailbox'). resenting screen contents or display contents. A correspond The telecommunications device operating as an answering ing requires so-called WAP-capable telecommuni device canthus transmit, in addition to the Voice information, cations terminals; the telecommunications terminals involved other information as display data to the caller, for example, must always know the respective IP address of the telecom the name of the owner of the answering device or of the munication partner for establishing a data link. 60 “mailbox', the respective time of day, the date and in the case where audio signals are recorded on the answering device or SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION on the “mailbox”, the residual recording time available in each case can be displayed. The caller thus knows that he is It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a connected to the correct answering device or to the correct method of operating a telecommunications link between two 65 mailbox, respectively, and how much time is still available to telecommunications devices that transmits display control him for recording his voice message on the answering device commands in a separate data channel which overcome the or the mailbox, respectively. US 8,045,681 B2 3 4 The answering device or the mailbox can also be interro For the rest, it is considered to be advantageous if first the gated correspondingly: if the owner of the mailbox interro characteristics of the telecommunications devices involved gates his mailbox for the purpose of interrogating audio mes are determined during the performance of the method. For sages received, the date, the time of day and the name of the example, one of the telecommunications devices involved caller, for example, is displayed to him on the screen of the can trigger an automatic response from the partner telecom telecommunications terminal used for the interrogation, in munications device by transmitting the control commands addition to the stored audio information. “on-enter-forward” or “on-timer'; if the receiver of this The display control commands are preferably transmitted instruction is a telecommunications device with a screen, it in the separate data channel in a screen-oriented access lan will return a defined URL request as immediate answer so that guage. For example, the WML (Wireless Markup Language) 10 the transmitting telecommunications device recognizes that or the HTML (Hyper-TextMarkup Language) can be used as the display contents transmitted by it can be displayed on the access language. partner telecommunications device. The WML standard represents a subset of the HTML stan For the rest, the method described is suitable not only for dard. typical 'voicemail” applications but for all applications in The WML standard offers the advantage that it is very 15 which, in addition to the unchanged audio signals, additional sparing with respect to the amount of data required for defin information is to be displayed on the display of the partner ing screen contents which is why the WML standard can also telecommunications device: for example, music titles or be used for operating telecommunications terminals with interpreters of music can be displayed in the cases of music on restricted data capacity. In the case of telecommunications hold when in a queue. terminals having large data capacities, particularly large The invention also relates to devices. memory capacities, the HTML screen language is to be rec In this respect, the invention has the object of specifying ommended. telecommunication devices by which a particularly user In a particularly simple and thus advantageous manner, the friendly and convenient telecommunications link can be display control commands can be transmitted as user-to-user operated. messages in the data channel (e.g. D channel), preferably in 25 With respect to the advantages of the telecommunications accordance with the ETSI rule ETS 300 102-1, chapter 4, p. devices according to the invention, reference is made to the 29, with a protocol discriminator “Ouser specific'. above statements in conjunction with the method according to In addition, it is considered to be advantageous if, in addi the invention. tion to the display control commands, URL (Uniform Other features which are considered as characteristic for Resource Locator) information is transmitted in the separate 30 the invention are set forth in the appended claims. data channel. URL information is used for requesting the next Although the invention is illustrated and described herein screen page selected in each case by the user or the respective as embodied in a method of operating a telecommunications next desired display content at the “partner device' with a link between two telecommunications devices which trans screen setup according to the Internet standard. mits display control commands in a separate data channel, it URL information can be marked with the tag"' or the tag 60 interface 40 and 50. Via the interfaces 40 and 50, two voice “'' in the first user-to-user message and by the tag channels B1 and B2—called B channels in the text which “'' in the last user-to-user message. When display follows—and a data channel separate from the two voice contents are transmitted by the HTML language, the begin channels B1 and B2—briefly called D channel in the text ning of an HTML display page is defined either with the tag which follows—are transmitted. “” or with the tag “''. The end of the HTML 65 After the connection has been set up, Voice information or page or the completeness of the HTML page is indicated with audio signals, respectively, are transmitted via one of the two the tag “”. B channels, for example via B channel B1. Via the D channel, US 8,045,681 B2 5 6 the management data required for setting up the connection transmitting the display control commands without a and maintaining the connection are transmitted in a manner dependency on network addresses or internet protocol known perse. addresses as the display control commands are trans In addition, display control commands which trigger a mitted in the separate data channel after the commu display on a screen 60 or 70 of the telecommunications device nication link has been established. 10 or 20, respectively, receiving the respective display control 2. The method according to claim 1, which further com commands are transmitted in the D channel. The display prises: control commands are transmitted as user-to-user messages transmitting with the command for triggering the auto according to ETSI rule ETS 300 102/1 chapter 4 p. 29 with a matic response, an information item designating a dis protocol discriminator “Ouser specific'. The display control 10 play page of the answering device which the telecom commands are preferably transmitted in a screen-oriented munications terminal is to call up; and acccess language, for example in the WML or the HTML transmitting, via the communications terminal, back to the standard. answering machine the information item along with the In the text which follows it is assumed as an example that request for the predetermined display content. the telecommunications device 10 is an answering device and 15 3. The method according to claim 1, which further com the telecommunications device 20 is a telecommunications prises displaying on the display of the telecommunications terminal 20 which calls the answering device 10. terminal calling the answering device a remaining recording After the connection has been set up the answering device time available in each case which is still available to the caller 10 first sends to the telecommunications device 20 the com for recording an audio message. mand “on-to-forward' or “on-timer' which triggers an auto 4. The method according to claim 1, which further com matic response by the telecommunications terminal 20. prises forming the answering device as a mailbox function For this purpose, the telecommunications terminal 20 is provided by a network operator. arranged in Such a manner that, after receiving the command 5. The method according to claim 1, which further com “on-to-forward” or “on-timer, it sends a return message to prises transmitting the display control commands in the data the answering device 10 which indicates that it has a display 25 channel in a screen-oriented access language. device or a screen namely a screen 70 for displaying dis 6. The method according to claim 5, which further com play contents. The return message can be made, for example, prising using a wireless markup language (WML) as the in that the telecommunications terminal 20 sends back a Screen-oriented access language. predetermined URL information which accompanies, for 7. The method according to claim 5, which further com example, the command of the telecommunications terminal 30 prises using hypertext markup language (HTML) as the 10. Screen-oriented access language. After receiving the return message of the telecommunica 8. The method according to claim 1, which further com tions terminal 20, the answering device 10 will transmit the prises transmitting the display control commands as user-to display content requested with the URL information to the user messages according to European Telecommunications telecommunications terminal 20. For example, the answering 35 Standards Institute (ETSI) rule European Telecommunica device 10 can display the name of the owner of the answering tions Standard (ETS)300 102/1 chapter 4 p. 29 with protocol device, the respective time of day, the date and, in the case discriminator “O= user specific'. where audio signals are recorded on the answering device 10, 9. The method according to claim 1, which further com the remaining recording time available in each case. prises Subdividing the display control commands into mes If the display control commands are too extensive to be 40 sage blocks; and transmitting the message blocks separately. transmitted in a single user-to-user message, the display con 10. The method according to claim 9, which further com trol commands are Subdivided into message blocks and the prises transmitting the message blocks in separate user-to message blocks are transmitted separately as user-to-user user messages. messages. 11. The method according to claim 2, which further com 45 prises transmitting Uniform Resource Locator information as We claim: the information item. 1. A method for operating a communications link between 12. Ananswering device for transmitting in a data channel, an answering device and a telecommunications terminal, separate from a voice channel, display control commands for which comprises the steps of: triggering a display on a screen of a telecommunications establishing a communications link to a caller of the 50 terminal receiving the display control commands, the answer answering device by setting up a connection of a Voice ing device comprising: channel and a data channel; the answering device programmed to: transmitting Voice information in the Voice channel; transmit Voice information in the Voice channel and data transmitting display control commands in the data channel signals in the data channel separate from the Voice separate from the Voice channel as data signals for trig 55 channel after a communications link between a caller gering a display on a screen of the telecommunications of the answering device has been established: terminal receiving the display control commands, by the transmit to the telecommunications terminal via the steps of: separate data channel a command Suitable for trigger transmitting, via the answering device, a command to ing a request of a display content as an automatic the telecommunications terminal resulting in a trig 60 response of the telecommunications terminal; and gering of an automatic response of the telecommuni transmit the display control commands without a depen cations terminal to request a predetermined display dency on network addresses or internet protocol content from the answering device; addresses as the display control commands are trans transmitting, via the answering device, the predeter mitted in the separate data channel after the commu mined display content to the telecommunications ter 65 nication link has been established. minal after receiving the request for the predeter 13. The answering device according to claim 12, wherein mined display content in the answering machine; and the answering device is further programmed to transmit with US 8,045,681 B2 7 8 the command triggering the automatic response an informa 18. The answering device according to claim 16, wherein tion item which designates a display page of the answering the screen-oriented access language is a hypertext markup device which the telecommunications terminal is to call up. language (HTML). 19. The answering device according to claim 12, wherein 14. The answering device according to claim 12, wherein the answering device is further programmed to transmit or the answering device is further programmed to display on the receive the display control commands as user-to-user mes display of the telecommunications terminal calling the sages according to European Telecommunications Standards answering device a remaining recording time available in Institute (ETSI) rule European Telecommunications Stan each case which is still available to the caller for recording an dard (ETS) 300 102/1 chapter 4 p. 29 with protocol discrimi audio message. nator “O = user specific'. 10 20. The answering device according to claim 12, wherein 15. The answering device according to claim 12, wherein the answering device is further programmed to subdivide the the answering device is further programmed to function as a display control commands into message blocks and transmits mailbox of a network operator. the message blocks separately. 16. The answering device according to claim 12, wherein 21. The answering device according to claim 20, wherein the answering device is further programmed to transmit the 15 the answering device is further programmed to allocated the display control commands in the data channel in a screen message blocks to separate user-to-user messages. oriented access language. 22. The answering device according to claim 13, wherein 17. The answering device according to claim 16, wherein the information item is uniform resource location (URL) the screen-oriented access language is a wireless markup information. language (WML).