Method for controlling access to information stored in a storage medium via a terminal connected to a communication system

0001The invention relates to a method for controlling access to the information stored in a storage medium, to which a communication relationship can be established from a terminal connected to it via a communication system. wherein this communication system has a system memory for storing program modules and data and at least one system processor with an operating system for processing the program modules and in which user-interface-controlled inputs can be made by means of a telephone device connected thereto and the terminal device preferably has a display device, for which output information is displayed for display as a result of the stimulus information transmitted by the terminals, and the functional components or interfaces of the communication system are connected to an internal bus system.

0002In addition to the procedure sequences to be assigned to a connection establishment and termination between a communication terminal and the communication system, further procedure sequences, such as those that require the use of subscriber performance features, are also controlled with the aid of a specific signaling procedure. In modernly designed digital communication systems, efforts are made not only to provide a large number of performance features - which also depend on the type and range of functions of the end devices used - but also to simplify the procedures to be carried out by the users. In such a communication system, procedures can also be implemented within the framework of the user interface, when activated, menus, texts and guidance are made available in order to enable entries in the data memory of the system, for example in the customer data memory. It is also possible to add information such as B. to provide call numbers either locally in a terminal or in the system. In the former case, the entries are only accessible from the respective terminal, while in the second case z. B. a corresponding memory in the system is necessary to carry out a central speed dial. It is also known, by a data processing device individually assigned to a terminal, which, for. B. is implemented in the form of a personal computer to initiate election processes.

0003It is the object of the invention to improve the operating mode in connection with the provision of information.

0004This object is achieved on the basis of the features specified in the preamble of claim 1 by its characterizing features.

0005The essence of the invention is that a terminal, in particular a system telephone, is enabled by a special user interface stored in the system to search interactively, ie using a protocol, in an internal or external storage medium. In this division of tasks, the user interface is the interface that interprets and implements a user's input. So there are z. B. Key presses interpreted and formulated logical orders. The components for executing these jobs are in the storage medium. From this, e.g. B. realized as a server storage medium messages are issued that the component "user interface" of the system recognizes, prepares and offers the user in a corresponding form. This can be done in the form of display ads, for example, or a specific function, for example an optional function, can also be initiated directly from these messages for the user.

0006It is achieved with the aid of the logical orders transmitted in the sense of standardized messages from the system-side interface via which the storage medium can be reached that these orders can be initiated independently of the type of the communicating terminal. According to a further development, the interactive query of the storage medium can be carried out in the form of a dialog by system-compliant entries, preferably made via an alphanumeric keyboard of the terminal, based on the information displayed on the display device of the telephone device in question. It is therefore possible to press the known confirmation or continue button, etc. to search interactively for the desired memory content in the storage medium. The system reacts dynamically to these inputs. Access is then controlled by the user interface running in the system.

0007The memory contents which can be read out on the basis of a corresponding search string can represent a subscriber number and / or subscriber-specific entries additionally characterizing the associated subscriber or also a specially sorted list.

0008A further development of the method provides that the processing initiated by the respective subscriber consists in that information read from the respective storage medium represents a telephone number used as selection information or other information displayed on the display device and, if necessary, fed to a printing device for expression becomes. This information is transferred regardless of the device in the form of logical or of standardized messages.

0009Further advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the remaining subclaims.

0010A central component of the communication system KS, which represents a so-called extension communication system, is a central switching matrix KF, ​​via which terminal devices, of which the telephone terminals FE1 and FEx are indicated schematically, can be connected to one another or to lines AL leading to a public communication system ÖN. The central switching network KF is under the control influence of a central system control AST which, in addition to the central processor CPU, contains a storage device SPE and a clock unit TG. The central processor controls all switching processes and takes care of the preparation and allocation of the tax data. These tasks can also be split across multiple processors.

0011Line connection devices, symbolized by the line connection device LT, are arranged in the communication system KS. These each contain subscriber line modules SLM. These subscriber line modules are each connected to terminal equipment via subscriber line lines ASL. These are, for example, the communication terminals FE1 to FEx and other terminals, such as a server unit SRE. In principle, different subscriber line modules can be provided. These are, on the one hand, subscriber line modules for connecting analog communication terminals and, on the other hand, subscriber line modules for connecting differently structured digital communication terminals. Such a digital subscriber line module is provided for connecting a very specific number of digital communication terminals. The message transmission takes place z. B. via message channels N and the signaling is transmitted via an additional channel S. The digital voice information transmitted from the communication terminal, for example to the terminal FE1, is also forwarded to the switching matrix KF via a multiplex device MUX. The line connection devices LT are controlled in terms of switching technology by the system control AST. Each line connection device is connected to the system control via a signaling channel SK. The information is exchanged via this signaling channel SK using the known HDLC transmission procedure. The clock signals formed in the system controller are distributed to the line connection devices LT via a clock line TL. The unit TG indicates that these provide clock signals.

0012Access to an exchange line AL, via which the communication system KS, for example, is connected to the public network ÖN, if necessary as one of several, is via the interface LS. This interface includes, for example, an ISDN part, which, for. B. can be designed as a standardized SO interface. The periphery of the communication system is supplemented by a signaling unit SE, which serves to supply the communication system with characters. The central processor CPU of the system control has access to the data stored in the storage device SPE. It basically consists of the PROM and RAM memory sections. The system operating program and the programs belonging to it with regard to peripheral technology, operating technology, security technology and switching technology are stored in the program memory part PROM. With regard to the switching technology, this is indicated by the module VT.

0013The memory area KD is indicated in the memory section RAM as a subunit of the database. The customer data, such as the authorizations assigned to the individual end devices FE1 to FEx and the system configuration are stored in this. The system-related data should be contained in the SYS sub-area. The memory section RAM is used, among other things, to hold temporary data for program sequence control. It also accepts data that is queried while a connection is being initiated by a communication terminal or when a service or feature is used. For example, in the memory area FD, a memory section should be assigned to each terminal or each terminal device, in which all terminal-related data are stored. Information is stored therein that relates to the features to be used or the features already claimed. They are therefore to be viewed as a dynamic database for the individual devices. This memory area FD contains terminals or terminal equipment-related, among other things, also identifiers for the menu requested by the switching-related processes. Such a menu bar is then on the display device, the z. B. in the form of an alphanumeric display DL on the relevant terminal, z. B. FE1 is realized, offered. The menu to be displayed contains a set of options, these individual options being prepared for display on the display by the "user interface" component BOF. The user has the option, for example, of pressing the next key FT to display the next option or activating a displayed option by pressing a confirmation key BT. A storage medium is available in the communication system KS, through which certain information can be made available to the subscribers connected to the system. This is done e.g. B. in connection with a menu display via an interactive query of this storage medium to be initiated by any telephone device. The server unit SRE is provided as such a storage medium, for example. It is now possible to search from a terminal device via a protocol in the memory content of this server as in a database. The intelligence, the user interface required for this lies in the system and the intelligence to execute the recorded orders lies in this server. The interface SN, which is used to access this server SRE, is, for example, an SO interface. A data processing device such. B. in the form of a personal computer, which then serves as such a storage medium. If the server is equipped with an Upn protocol, this interface could also be a corresponding Upn interface. In principle, it would also be possible to design it as a normal line interface, ie as an a / b interface, which exchanges data with multifrequency code characters and issues commands.

0014The storage medium used in each case could also be connected to another system interface, e.g. BV24 interface must be connected.

0015A system telephone with local number memories, which can be queried by the system via a signaling channel, can also be used as the storage medium, in particular for an interactive query of telephone numbers. Such a number memory is z. B. for the telephone terminal FE1 indicated by the integrated unit Sp. In principle, it is also possible to use such a storage medium, e.g. B. in the form of a server not to be connected directly to the communication system, but to reach this server via an external line AL. In the exemplary embodiment, this is indicated by the presence of the server SRF, which can be queried in the manner described via the public network ÖN.

0016It is assumed in the following as an example that the server unit SRE is connected to the communication system KS as the storage medium. Software is stored in this system which represents the surface for the corresponding database application when this server is used as such a database. Each participant is now able to access this server by means of the terminal device assigned to him. B. fetch information from this server with an interactive user interface controlled by this partner terminal. In the case of phone number information, these phone numbers can also be selected as dialing information. In principle, there is also the option of only displaying these phone numbers or to have a printout of these determined phone numbers and other related information.

0017The server unit SRE, which can be connected to the system via one of the existing subscriber interfaces, is to contain call number information as an example. In addition to such numbers, subscriber-specific information can also be stored. In addition to these customer-specific entries, basically any type of information can be stored in this server and queried interactively. The access to the query of the memory content of the server unit SRE takes place via a special procedure entered by the user. Another option is to select a corresponding menu item for a. B. on the display device DL of the relevant terminal FE1 displayable menu bar. The existing processes in the communication system that handle and process the information coming from the subscriber terminal are activated. After recognizing the entry information, the task of the user interface BOF-FE1 assigned to the subscriber terminal FE1 interprets the key incentives received subsequently and forwards them as standardized orders via the switching technology VT to the peripheral-oriented program component DH-SRE. On the basis of the incentives received, this program component generates logical key presses, which are transmitted to the software component BOF-FE1 as messages encrypted in a predetermined protocol and can be processed accordingly. Depending on which telephony device initiates the procedure for the database application related to the server, a different task index is assigned and thus enables parallel access by several telephony devices. The software component<img file="EP0820179A2_D0001.tif" />User interface<img file="EP0820179A2_D0002.tif" /> BOF receives key actuations from the periphery via the respective component device handler DH. The result is made available to the switching technology component VT via an interface independent of the terminal.

0018If a user wants to initiate a search in this phone number server or specifically access a phone number stored there, he can, for example, use the entry procedure he has undertaken. B. select an option from the menu offered to him on the display device of his terminal. For example, he can activate the option offered for such a selection or the option for "browsing" in this telephone number database. He can, for example, also enter a search string which, for. B. indicates in abbreviated form the name of a desired participant. He then has the option of further specifying the information entered in a corresponding dialog using this specially designed user interface. This can be done in various intermediate steps in order to call up very specific information. Is z. B. the order to the server unit SRE via the alpha keyboard of the corresponding end device, there is the possibility, by entering additional letters, to further restrict the information from the respectively displayed data record by actuating the next key or the confirmation key. This is then done interactively, based on the alphanumeric subscriber name transmitted to the server as search criteria or a speed dial code. Access to the server content is controlled by the user interface based on the keyboard entries made by the user. In relation to the terminal FE1, the component BOF-FE1 is responsible, interprets the key presses received and formulates the orders for displaying the displays on the display device via a standardized interface. The component DH-FE1 is the device handler related to the end device FE1, which receives the keystrokes from this end device and forwards them in the direction of the system or displays the information from the system as displays. The former is symbolized by the upward-pointing arrow and the latter by the downward-pointing arrow. The device handler is basically the interface to the periphery. This means that it receives information accordingly or provides such information. This information is on the display device of the terminal concerned, for. B. FE1, displayed and offered for selection. The component DH-SRE is assigned to the connected server unit SRE as a device handler. The component BOF-FE1 can establish a logical connection between these components DH-FE1 and DH-SRE based on the terminal device FE1 via the switching component VT. This can be done in the same way with respect to other end devices. Each participant is thus able to initiate certain searches in this server unit. This can also be done without issuing queried number selection information.

0019In addition to a name search, other search requests can also be carried out from a terminal in the same way. In addition to a name or call number search, this subscriber can also find additional characterizing entries in connection with a searched call number or a subscriber, e.g. B. customer-specific entries are shown on the display device of the terminal concerned. The termination of an initiated procedure, with which names, phone numbers and additional information can be queried from the terminal, can e.g. B. by an appropriate end information or by an automatic termination after a predetermined time.