Paul Wilczynski <0002003441@mcimail.com> (09/14/90)
I've never heard of the following service, but is it possible? I'd certainly pay for it: Call Forwarding which could be changed from a remote site. For example: I leave my office, go someplace else, and modify the forwarding on my office phone to go to where I am. [Moderator's Note: Illinois Bell experimented *very briefly* with what they called 'Distant Call Forwarding' (not to be confused with Remote Call Forwarding, which is a tariffed service). You called a number in your CO, entered your phone number followed by a PIN and the number to which calls were to be forwarded. I do not know why they chose to discontinue it after the test and not make it available. On the other hand, Remote Call Forwarding is a phantom number in a CO of your choice which, when dialed, simply forwards the incoming call to the number of your choice. It is *not* user programmable, and requires a business office work order whenever you want the number to be changed. All calls are forwarded at direct dial rates in effect at the time. PAT]
dgc@math.ucla.edu (David G. Cantor) (09/14/90)
Paul Wilczynski asks: >I've never heard of the following service, but is it possible? >I'd certainly pay for it: >Call Forwarding which could be changed from a remote site. For >example: I leave my office, go someplace else, and modify the >forwarding on my office phone to go to where I am. A number of companies sell devices to do just this. Some require a second line which is dialed to tell the device to change the call forwarding on the first line. Of course, a security code is required. Nowdays lines are so cheap that this is a viable method. Of course the second line can be used for other purposes also. Some don't require a second line. These operate on the principle that when a line which is being call-forwarded is dialed, it rings once as it forwards. The device detects the single ring and turns of call-forwarding for a short period of time (e.g., 30 seconds). During this time it expects a call to tell it the new call-forwarding number. Again, of course, a security code is also required. The latter device has two shortcomings: 1. It requires two calls to change the call forwarding number. 2. Whenever the line is dialed, it is, in effect, disabled for about the next 30 seconds. David G. Cantor Department of Mathematics University of California at Los Angeles Internet: dgc@math.ucla.edu
eli@pws.bull.com (Steve Elias) (09/14/90)
I haven't seen a device that will do this, but it isn't that tough to design. You could program your Watson or other voice mail board to do it for you. The major problem is how do you dial into the device to change the programming, if it's already forwarded and you only have one phone line at home? Answer: Have the thing unforward for a short period if it receives N calls in quick succession. I used to use this algorithm when I was dialing home from California on my 800 number. Usually, I just want to pick up voice messages, so the forwarding to voice mail was fine. But sometimes I wanted to talk to the Nice Person staying at my home. In that case, I would just dial the 800 number three times in a row, within a one minute period or so. She would then unforward the phone and I would get through to her on the third or fourth try. The downside was that it took a while to get a call through. The cost for the initial two or three calls was tiny, though. One cent each for a six second call on US Sprint Fonline 800. (RAH RAH!) So, if you have a voice mail type machine in your home, you could program it to act like I described above. It could unforward and answer the phone after a few repeated calls, then you could enter in the new number you want it forwarded to, and it could hang up and reforward the line to the new number. Is this too complicated for a usable product? I don't know. Maybe Hello Direct or Patrick-Tronics or Lippman-Tronics ought to build a small device that would do this... "Call before midnight tonight!" :) eli
wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) (09/19/90)
|I haven't seen a device that will do this, but it isn't that tough to |design. You could program your Watson or other voice mail board to do |it for you. The major problem is how do you dial into the device to |change the programming, if it's already forwarded and you only have |one phone line at home? |Answer: Have the thing unforward for a short period if it receives N |calls in quick succession. I've looked at another method (call it Hal), but have not spent much time on it. Don't use call-forwarding. Rather, use 3-way calling. Set up autoanswer with TT decoder driving Hal driving TT encoder. You call it up. Hal answers. You feed it a password, and a desired number. It flashes the line, grabs the 2nd {logical, not physical} 'pair', dials the number, flashes again. You hear ringing, answer, talk, etc. Problems we've thought of so far: Supervision/timeout: How do you assure that Hal will not get hung? Possible solutions: CTCSS (a subaudible tone encode/decode scheme used in the two way radio business. Also called PL -- the Galvin Mfg. trademark. While frequencies around 100 hz. are used there, something above 3000 might be more usable in this application. When Hal hears no tone for 1 minute, he goes back on hook until rerung. If a ring counter reaches 15 rings, hardware counter reboots Hal. Security: Write the software so he CANNOT dial anything other than seven digits. (Unit is to be located in a state with a PUC-mandated "if it's toll, it's gotta have a '1' first rule" so any call would be local. Flat rate service is the norm. Thus, if the software is intact, no abuser, even with passwords, could do anything but tie up Hal. Note the the incoming call has NO way to directly dial the outgoing number -- Hal must. (Oh, yes, 976 blocking is there, too ;-]) Be extra-sure: order the line with no default carrier. Sequence: Will that CO allow the second flash (to tie the ends together) before getting supervision from the call Hal dialed? (Some do, others don't) If not, how do you identify that the far end has answered, was busy, etc? Even if you do, how do you convince the called party to hang on until you get connected? (i.e. "Please stand by for an important call.") One important advantage to this method is that Hal could automatically forward 'incoming' calls with no touchtones (within x seconds) to the 'control' house. This gives you automatic incoming service from the distant town, too. Net-comments? wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (305) 255-RTFM pob 570-335 33257-0335