Method for including caller-provided subject information in the caller-id display of enterprise telephones

Abstract

Say John on a PSTN needs to contact Chuck. Chuck's telephone is a SIP, H.323, DCP, or analog endpoint, connected to the PSTN via an enterprise network and gateway. John already knows Chuck's number. Before dialing Chuck's phone number, John navigates to a URL that includes something unique to Chuck in its name, such as www.xyzco.com/303-555-1212 or www.xyzco.com/chuck. The webpage of the URL contains two fields: number you will be calling from and subject. John enters his number and then enters the subject “Sale going through!” John then dials Chuck's number. The enterprise network receives the call and the associated Caller-ID via its PSTN gateway, maps the inbound Caller-ID to the information provided by John, routes the call to Chuck's phone, and causes the display on Chuck's phone to show John's Caller-ID and the subject of the call. Chuck thinks the subject may be important and therefore decides to answer.

1 . A method for enhanced communication comprising:
 receiving information, the information having been entered on an interface on a communications endpoint;   receiving an inbound call over the plain old telephone system;   mapping the inbound call placed over the plain old telephone system to the received information, wherein the received information was received via a distributed network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distributed network is the internet. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is one or more of name, calling from number, pre-configured text, presence information, GPS information, nickname, subject information, and a message. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is one or more of displayed to and played to a callee. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising routing the inbound call based on the information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of forwarding the received information to another destination and displaying the information on a Caller-ID Call Waiting display. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mapping is based on one or more of caller-ID information, timing information received information and plain old telephone system information. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mapping is used to route the inbound call to a customer service agent in a call center. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-readable storage media having stored thereon instruction that perform the steps in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . One or more means for performing the steps in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A system for enhanced communication comprising:
 a message mapping module that receives information, the information having been entered on an interface on a communications endpoint and maps an inbound call placed over the plain old telephone system to the received information, wherein the received information was received via a distributed network.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the distributed network is the internet. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the information is one or more of name, calling from number, pre-configured text, presence information, GPS information, nickname, subject information, and a message. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the information is one or more of displayed to and played to a callee. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising an enterprise network that cooperates with the message mapping module to route the inbound call based on the information. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the received information is one or more of forwarded to another destination based on call forwarding information provided by an enterprise network and displayed in a Caller-ID Call Waiting display. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the mapping is based on one or more of caller-ID information, timing information received information and plain old telephone system information. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the mapping is used to route the inbound call to a customer service agent in a call center. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a message server that provides an interface into which the information is entered. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a directory module that provides callee information.