Nortel Networks Corporation

Rockstar Consortium US LP

William Allan

Larry John David

Kenneth J Liang

Peter L Blatherwick

Robert Star

Robert S Morley

Kris W Kramer

Paul Provencal

Robert Joly

Kenneth M Orford

Dariusz Otreba

Timothy Augustus Kuechler

A packetised data network includes IP telephones (ITs) and a network intelligence (NI). All of the keys of each IT are 'soft' keys (i.e., they have no fixed function). The NI associates a configuration data structure with the IT which correlates the keys with functions, and, based on this, may control the display of the IT to indicate the current function of certain of the soft keys. Some of the functions are requests for data services at the telephone (e.g., video or programmed audio over the internet). When a user requests such a service with a key press, the NI sets up the service between the data source and the telephone. This may require associating a new configuration data structure with the keys of the IT. The IT user may activate multiple data services through the NI.

Telephony and data network services at a telephone

A circuit and method is described enabling a telephone having two or more lines to have the capability of initiating two simultaneous calls, where there is two-way communication on one of the calls (the collaborating call'), and active monitoring of the second call (the 'teleconference'). A router is used so that the outbound audio signal of the user can easily be switched between the teleconference and the collaborating call. At all times, the transmit path of one of the calls is muted to ensure privacy of the other call.

Collaborative conferencing circuit

Growing community of inventors

Ottawa, Canada

William Allan