Method and apparatus for content presentation in association with a telephone call

• US 10,511,942 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2017
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vusura Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Wendell D. Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Wendell D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US15/790,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20180048770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 37911413, 37921003, 37921102, 37937302, 379 671, 379 8813, 37921001, 37921501, 379350, 379 87, 3791142, 37920107, 37920716, 379352, 379360, 37914201, 37920102, 379262, 4554141, 455418, 455420, 455567, 709227, 370352, 370360, 705 1473
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8353 during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8355 after the end of the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/846 optical, e.g. icon
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/848 Tone, e.g. beeper
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7231 by SIM, e.g. smart card account in SCP, SDP or SN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4365 : based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 : Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 : where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0051 : where the data service is a multimedia messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 : for mobile advertising

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for presenting multimedia content to a caller and/or a called party in association with a telephone call. Content may be presented pre-ring (before the called party'"'"'s telephone rings), in-call, and/or post-call. Content presented to a party may be related to another party participating in the call or may be related to a third party (e.g., an advertiser that paid for the ability to have its content presented). Presented content may be actuable, to allow a caller to change the destination of a call, take advantage of an offer presented to him or her, redeem a coupon, schedule or queue a subsequent call, etc. To find a desired destination party, a caller may initiate a manual or automatic search of his or her local contacts (on his telephone) and/or a central or global directory or contact list.

Claims

1. A method of presenting content on a communication device, the method comprising:

at a first device, upon initiation of a call by a first party operating the first device, transmitting to a call controller notification of the initiation of the call, wherein initiation of the call by the first party comprises identification of a destination party that is an organization;

automatically pausing the call upon receipt of a signal from the call controller;

while the call is paused, presenting to the first party pre-ring content containing an actuable control; and

redirecting the call in response to actuation of the control, wherein redirecting the call comprises connecting the call to a representative of the organization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pausing the call comprises pausing signaling of the call to a first communication service provider of the first device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first communication service provider comprises the call controller.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein redirecting the call further comprises routing the call to a communication service provider other than the first communication service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the representative is identified in the pre-ring content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein pausing the call comprises receiving the pre-ring content via a data connection established between the first device and the call controller.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein initiation of the call by the first party comprises partial entry of a telephone number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the representative is selected based on the actuated control.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein initiation of the call by the first party comprises activation of a dialer application of the first device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the pre-ring content identifies multiple destinations within the organization, and

the actuable control corresponds to at least one of the multiple destinations.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after redirecting of the call to a second device operated by the representative:

causing content displayed on the first device prior to initiation of the call to be displayed on the second device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein causing content displayed on the first device prior to initiation of the call to be displayed on the second device comprises one or more of:

transmitting the content toward the second device; and

transmitting toward the second device an identification of the content.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of presenting content on a communication device, the method comprising:

at a first device, upon initiation of a call by a first party operating the first device, transmitting to a call controller notification of the initiation of the call, wherein initiation of the call by the first party comprises identification of a destination party that is an organization;

automatically pausing the call upon receipt of a signal from the call controller;

while the call is paused, presenting to the first party pre-ring content containing an actuable control; and

redirecting the call in response to actuation of the control, wherein redirecting the call comprises connecting the call to a representative of the organization.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein pausing the call comprises pausing signaling of the call to a first communication service provider of the first device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

causing content displayed on the first device prior to initiation of the call to be displayed on a second device operated by the representative.

16. A communication device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to;

upon initiation of a call by a first party operating the device, transmit to a call controller notification of the initiation of the call, wherein initiation of the call by the first party comprises identification of a destination party that is an organization;

automatically pause the call upon receipt of a signal from the call controller;

while the call is paused, present to the first party pre-ring content containing an actuable control; and

redirect the call in response to actuation of the control, wherein redirecting the call comprises connecting the call to a representative of the organization.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein pausing the call comprises pausing signaling of the call to a first communication service provider of the first device.

18. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the first communication service provider comprises the call controller.

19. The communication device of claim 17, wherein redirecting the call further comprises routing the call to a communication service provider other than the first communication service provider.

20. The communication device of claim 16, wherein:

the representative is identified in the pre-ring content.

21. The communication device of claim 16, wherein pausing the call comprises receiving the pre-ring content via a data connection established between the first device and the call controller.

22. The communication device of claim 16, wherein initiation of the call by the first party comprises partial entry of a telephone number.

23. The communication device of claim 16, wherein:

the representative is selected based on the actuated control.

24. The communication device of claim 16, wherein initiation of the call by the first party comprises activation of a dialer application of the first device.

25. The communication device of claim 16, wherein:

the pre-ring content identifies multiple destinations within the organization; and

the actuable control corresponds to at least one of the multiple destinations.

26. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to:

cause content displayed on the first device prior to initiation of the call to be displayed on a second device operated by the representative.

27. The communication device of claim 26, wherein causing content displayed on the first device prior to initiation of the call to be displayed on the second device comprises one or more of:

transmitting the content toward the second device; and

transmitting toward the second device an identification of the content.