Northern Telecom Limited

Nortel Networks Corporation

Russell A Edwards

Cecil H Bannister

Rangaprasad Govindarajan

Richard C Mo

Bradley A Fink

Cecil Henry Bannister

In methods and apparatus for originating a voice call between first and second voice terminals, a voice call request is received at a data service node, the voice call request identifying the first voice terminal. A call origination request is transmitted from the data service node to a telecommunication switch, the call origination request identifying the first and second voice terminals. The telecommunications switch originates one call from the telecommunications switch to the second voice terminal and another call front the telecommunications switch to the first voice terminal. The telecommunications switch then connects the one call to the other call to connect the first voice terminal to the second voice terminal. The methods and apparatus are particularly useful in connection with advertising on the World Wide Web and in connection with international calling services.

Methods and apparatus for originating voice calls

In methods and apparatus for providing communications to a telecommunications terminal, a request for a page of data is received at a data service node, the request specifying at least one particular terminal. A terminal status request is sent from the data service node to a communications system which serves the particular terminal, the terminal status request specifying the particular terminal. The data service node receives from the communications system a terminal status message containing information indicating a current status of the particular terminal. The data service node sends to the data terminal a page of data indicating the current status of the particular terminal. The page of data comprises a communications request icon when the particular terminal is in a state in which it can communications. Upon selection of the communications request icon at the data terminal, the data service node receives a communications request specifying another telecommunications terminal, and sends to the communications system a communications origination request to originate communications between the particular terminal and the other terminal. The particular terminal may be a mobile voice terminal having a display and being served by a wireless communications system. The page of data may include both a voice call request icon for initiating a voice call to the particular terminal, and a short message request icon for sending a short message to be displayed at the particular terminal.

Methods and apparatus for providing communications to telecommunications

A synchronous voice/data messaging system allows parties to communicate both voice and graphic information or other data interactively or to retrieve such information synchronously in the exact sequence in which it was created. Voice information and data information are transmitted on a voice channel and a data channel. Time stamps are generated to synchronize the voice and data information. The time stamps can be generated either in a user device or in a multimedia messaging system. In either case, the voice and graphic or other data is played back to the called party in the exact sequence and at a rate corresponding to the rate at which it was received. Such a system can also be used to provide other services such as synchronous voice/data messaging while on hold or as part of a multimedia greeting.

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Russell A Edwards