INTERNET-INTRANET GREETING SERVICE
First Claim
1. A method of providing information to a caller in response to a call placed to a called party, the method comprising the steps of:
- automatically determining, in response to placement of the call, an identifier of greeting data associated with the called party;
retrieving the greeting data for the called party over a network connection; and
displaying a greeting web page including the greeting data to the caller during the call.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An Internet/intranet-based arrangement for automatically retrieving and presenting a greeting web page in response to a caller placing a call to a called party. This greeting service provides the caller with information relating to the called party and gives the caller various options for contacting the called party, redirecting the call or obtaining additional information. In an illustrative embodiment, a greeting application program running on a caller terminal obtains an identifier, such as a URL, of the greeting web page associated with the called party. This identifier is provided to a web browser application program running on the caller terminal, which uses it to retrieve the greeting web page and display it to the viewer during the call. The invention is applicable to both telephone calls and IP calls. Some of the actions which may be taken by the caller from the displayed greeting web page include selecting an alternate destination for the call, selecting a covering party for the call, paging the called party, leaving a message for the called party, conducting a textual chat with the called party, receiving call progress information, receiving private information intended only for the caller, and retrieving related documents.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of providing information to a caller in response to a call placed to a called party, the method comprising the steps of:
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automatically determining, in response to placement of the call, an identifier of greeting data associated with the called party;
retrieving the greeting data for the called party over a network connection; and
displaying a greeting web page including the greeting data to the caller during the call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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14. An apparatus for providing information to a caller in response to a call placed to a called party, the apparatus comprising:
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a database for storing greeting data associated with the called party; and
at least one server for generating a greeting web page including the greeting data associated with the called party, wherein the greeting data is retrieved in response to placement of the call, and the greeting web page is displayed to the caller during the call.
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19. A computer-readable medium containing software which, when executed in a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:
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automatically determining, in response to placement of the call, an identifier of greeting data associated with the called party;
retrieving the greeting data for the called party over a network connection; and
displaying a greeting web page including the greeting data to the caller during the call.
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20. An apparatus for providing information to a caller in response to a call placed to a called party, the apparatus comprising:
a computer operative to implement a web browser application program and a greeting application program, wherein the web browser application program retrieves greeting data associated with the called party in response to information requested by the greeting application program upon initiation of the call, such that the retrieved greeting data is displayed to the caller during the call in the form of a greeting web page.
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21. An apparatus for providing information to a caller in response to a call placed to a called party, the apparatus comprising:
a computer operative to implement a web browser application program and a greeting application program, wherein the web browser application program retrieves a greeting web page associated with the called party in response to information requested by the greeting application program upon initiation of the call, such that the retrieved greeting web page is displayed to the caller during the call.
Specification