Method and system for sending a data message to a calling phone while communicating with a first phone

• US 20020181674A1
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sand, Donna Michaels, Henrikson, Eric Harold, Cannell, Lynell Earline
• Granted Patent: US 6,850,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and communication system for sending a data message from a called phone to a calling phone while maintaining an active communication between the called phone and a first phone. The calling phone sends a call request to the called phone while the called phone is involved in an active communication with the first phone. The called phone sends a data message to the calling phone in response to the call request. The data message is sent while maintaining an active call with the first phone, so that the first phone is not placed “on hold”.

Claims

1. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call request at the called phone while the called phone is connected to a first phone and engaged in an active communication with the first phone; and

sending a data message from the called phone to the calling phone while maintaining the active communication between the called phone and the first phone.

2. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of sending a data message comprises sending a data message that includes an invitation for the calling phone to enter the active communication between the called phone and the first phone.

3. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 2, the method further comprising the step of adding the calling phone to the active communication.

4. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 2, wherein the invitation is for a lower Quality of Service session.

5. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 2, wherein the invitation is for a higher Quality of Service session.

6. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 1, the method further comprising the step of converting the data message into a speech message.

7. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 6, wherein the step of converting the data message into a speech message comprises the step of utilizing a text-to-speech converter.

8. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a call request at the called phone comprises the step of receiving a call request that includes an indicator that the calling phone is capable of receiving a data message.

9. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a call request at the called phone comprises the step of receiving a call request that includes an indicator that the calling phone is capable of receiving a multimedia message.

10. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 1, the method further comprising the step of receiving a response data message at the called phone from the calling phone during the active communication in response to the data message.

11. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 10, the method further comprising the steps of:

sending a response message from the called phone, the response message being a voice message;

receiving the response message at a server;

converting the response message to a data message to produce a response data message; and

sending the response data message to the called phone maintaining the active communication between the first phone and the called phone.

12. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 11, wherein the step of converting the response message to a data message comprises converting the response message utilizing an automated speech recognition resource.

13. A method for providing data communication between a calling phone and a called phone in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the called phone with an option of sending a data response while maintaining the active communication between the first phone and the called phone prior to sending the data message from the called phone to the calling phone.

15. A communication system in accordance with claim 14, the communication system further comprising a server that intercepts the data message, converts the data message to a speech message, and sends the speech message to the calling phone.

14. A communication system comprising:

a calling phone that sends a call request to establish a voice communication by answering the call request; and

a called phone that receives the call request from the calling phone while the called phone is connected to a first phone and engaged in an active communication with the first phone and responds with a data message to the calling phone while maintaining the active communication between the called phone and the first phone.