Method and apparatus for allowing selective disposition of an incoming telephone call during an internet session

• US 20020085542A1
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alexander David Raji, James Carl Bedingfield, Robert A. Koch
• Original Assignee: Alexander David Raji, James Carl Bedingfield, Robert A. Koch
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Raji, Alexander David, Bedingfield, James Carl
• Granted Patent: US 6,993,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A method for notifying an internet browser user of an incoming telephone call is performed by internet call notification software residing on the user'"'"'s computer and software residing within a telephone network. A user selects the location of the internet notification software as a home page for the browser. The home page prompts the user for activation of internet call notification. If the user requests internet call notification, the software transmits an internet protocol address to the telephone network. The network then stores the internet protocol address for the user. When a call is made to the user, the telephone network accesses a database to retrieve the stored internet protocol address. The network then transmits a message to the user'"'"'s software to notify the user of the incoming call. The software displays a window containing information about the telephone call. If the user chooses to accept the call, the software closes the browser and connects the telephone call to the user.

Claims

1. A method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call from a calling party, the method comprising the steps of:

storing an internet protocol address of the user;

receiving the telephone call;

retrieving the stored internet protocol address of the user;

sending a message to the internet protocol address; and

displaying information regarding the telephone call.

6. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a web page;

prompting the user to activate call notification from the web page;

transmitting the internet address of the user if the user elects to activate call notification; and

displaying a service activation message in the web page.

7. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 1, wherein the information regarding the telephone call includes information regarding the calling party.

8. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 1, wherein the internet address is stored by a service control point.

9. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 8, wherein the service control point stores the internet address in a database.

10. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 9, wherein the telephone call is received by a service switching point in a telephone network.

2. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, further comprising the steps of:

prompting the user to perform at least one of the following actions;

accepting the telephone call directly;

ignoring the telephone call; and

accepting the telephone call over the internet.

3. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

terminating an internet session if the user elects to accept the telephone call directly; and

connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the user.

4. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

storing a default telephone number of the user;

connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the default telephone number if the user does not elect to ignore the telephone call.

5. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of sending the internet protocol address of the user to a telephony server if the user elects to accept the telephone call over the internet.

11. A method, performed by a computer processor, for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call from a calling party, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a web page, the web page containing a prompt to the user requesting activation of internet call notification;

receiving a request from the user to activate internet call notification; and

transmitting an internet protocol address to a telephone network.

12. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a message containing information respecting the telephone call; and

displaying a window notifying the user of the telephone call.

13. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 11, wherein the information respecting the telephone call includes information regarding the calling party.

14. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from the user to connect the telephone call;

ending an internet session of the user; and

connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the user.

16. The apparatus, as recited in claim 15, further comprising, wherein the internet notification means further comprises:

means for causing the internet browser to prompt the user to accept the telephone call;

means for terminating a session of the internet browser if the user elects to accept the telephone call; and

means for connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the user.

17. The apparatus, as recited in claim 15, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for storing a default telephone number of the user;

means, within the internet notification means, for prompting the user to accept the telephone call; and

means for connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the default telephone number of the user if the user does not elect to accept the telephone call.

18. The apparatus, as recited in claim 15, wherein the internet notification means further comprises:

means for prompting the user to activate call notification;

means for transmitting the internet address of the user if the user elects to activate call notification; and

means for displaying a service activation message.

19. The apparatus, as recited in claim 15, wherein the internet notification means further comprises:

means for displaying a web page in the internet browser;

means for prompting the user to activate call notification from the web page;

means for transmitting the internet address of the user if the user elects to activate call notification; and

means for displaying a service activation message in the web page.

20. The apparatus, as recited in claim 15, wherein the information respecting the telephone call includes information regarding the calling party.

15. An apparatus for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call from a calling party, the apparatus comprising:

a service switching point configured to receive the telephone call from the calling party and to send a message regarding the telephone call;

a service control point configured to receive the message and to send an internet notification message to a stored internet protocol address of the user;

internet notification means for displaying information respecting the telephone call, based upon the internet notification message.