At&t Bell Laboratories

Other

Gary L Dorst

Francis J Pope

A position indication device, e.g., for controlling the position of a cursor or other object on the screen of a display monitor of an information processing system, includes a position plate that is translationally movable by a user to indicate a corresponding change in position on the display screen and a retention system that restricts the plate movement to the plane of the plate and retains the position plate in its new position notwithstanding a non-horizontal orientation of the position indication device or inadvertent jostling of the device. In alternative embodiments, the position indication device includes an adapter to receive a conventional computer mouse, and the position plate can be of a flexible material in order to fold underneath itself and thereby permit a more compact construction. A hand- or finger- conforming grip for the position indication device is also disclosed.

Device incorporating a mouse, for indicating position on a display screen

Manually operable device for indicating position on a display screen

An operator assistance call handling arrangement is disclosed featuring the use of an intelligent telecommunications station (intelligent phone) for the collection and transmission of call data to an operator assistance system for setting up a call without the intervention of an operator. The intelligent phone is equipped to handle CCITT (International Consulative Committee for Telephone and Telegraph) standard Layer 3 (Q.931) call control messages defined for message associated user-to-user information (MA-UUI). The operator assistance system is part of a central telephone office switching system, and is connected to the intelligent phone via an integrated services digital network (ISDN) basic rate interface (BRI). For station-to-station (station) collect calls, person-to-person (person) calls including collect and calling card calls, and bill-to-third party calls, a calling (back) party enters information identifying the class of charge (COC) and other call data at the intelligent phone, which formats the information into a user-to-user information element (UUIE). The intelligent phone then places the UUIE comprising the call information into a Q.931 SETUP message and sends the SETUP message over a ISDN D-channel to the switching system system comprising the operator assistance system to set up an ISDN B-channel call between the back party and a called (forward) party. By utilizing the COC information, connections for collect, person and bill-to-third party calls are set up without the intervention of an operator. Later, when the operator assistance system seizes an operator position to service the call after the call has been answered by the forward party, the call data is automatically displayed for the operator.

Semi-automated operator assistance telecommunication calls

A time and charges information delivery arrangement is disclosed utilizing an intelligent telecommunications station (intelligent phone) for displaying that information after a termination of a call. The intelligent phone is equipped to handle CCITT (International Consultative Committee for Telephone and Telegraph) standard Layer 3 (Q.931) call control messages defined for message associated user-to-user information (MA-UUI), and is connected to a central telephone office switching system via an integrated services digital network (ISDN) basic rate interface (BRI). After an operator assistance call is terminated, the operator assistance system that processed the call sends a Q.931 SETUP message to the intelligent phone over an ISDN signaling channel (D-channel). The message includes a data block, comprising time and charges information. When the intelligent phone receives the message, it ignores the call setup request, and simply displays the information sent in the message. Thus, without any action by an operator, a public telephone customer receives time and charges information for the terminated call, without establishing a new call (B-channel call) between the operator assistance system and the intelligent phone.

Time and charges information delivery for operator assistance

An automatic call booking arrangement is disclosed for establishing a booked call between a back party and a forward party. A booked call is reserved by storing call booking ticket data regarding the call in a call booking database. A call booking scanning (CBS) process system continually scans call booking ticket data to determine whether it is time to establish a booked call. At the time a booked call is to be established, the CBS process sends the call booking ticket data to an automatic call booking (ACB) process. In response to receipt of the call booking ticket data, the ACB process uses the data to establish automatically a call between the back party and the forward party.

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Brookfield, IL, United States of America

Gary L Dorst