Multimedia augmented call coverage

• US 20040062382A1
• Filed: 10/01/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany
• Granted Patent: US 7,050,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A technique for sharing multimedia sessions between users that share a directory number allows incoming calls to be routed to both phones. Once one party picks up, the other party is alerted to this fact. Both parties may then exchange multimedia information to help in the handling and disposition of the call.

Claims

1. A method of handling incoming calls to at least two clients comprising:

arranging for an incoming call to arrive on equipment associated with the at least two clients;

passing information associated with the incoming call to a combined user agent associated with the at least two clients; and

initiating a multimedia session between the at least two clients relating to the incoming call.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein arranging for an incoming call to arrive on equipment associated with the at least two clients comprises arranging for an incoming call to arrive on telephones associated with the at least two clients.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising ringing the equipment associated with the at least two clients.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising receiving an indication at the combined user agent that one of the at least two clients has answered the incoming call.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising sending an indication to the equipment associated with the one of the at least two clients who did not answer the call that the call has been answered.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating a multimedia session between the at least two clients comprises allowing one of the at least two clients to send an instant message to the other.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating a multimedia session between the at least two clients comprises sending an annotated call log from one client to another.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing a call log associated with the combined user agent.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating a multimedia session between the at least two clients comprises sending a document from one client to another.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating a multimedia session between the at least two clients comprises initiating multimedia activity selected from the group consisting of:

sharing a whiteboard application, sending a document from one client to another, initiating a video communication session, sharing a call log, accessing a call log, and sending an instant message.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating a multimedia session between the at least two clients comprises sharing a multimedia application between the at least two clients.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein arranging for an incoming call to arrive on equipment associated with the at least two clients comprises arranging for an incoming call to arrive on at least one piece of wireless communication equipment.

13. A method of handling outgoing calls between at least two clients comprising:

receiving information for a call from one of the at least two clients at a combined user agent associated with the at least two clients; and

sharing multimedia information relating to the call with the others of the at least two clients.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein sharing multimedia information relating to the call with the others of the at least two clients comprises receiving at the combined user agent a request to initiate an instant message from one of the at least two clients.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein sharing multimedia information relating to the call with the others of the at least two clients comprises receiving an annotated call log from one of the at least two clients.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing the annotated call log to the others of the at least two clients.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein sharing multimedia information comprises storing multimedia information relating to the call at the combined user agent and accessing the multimedia information relating to the call from the combined user agent.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein sharing multimedia information relating to the call with the others of the at least two clients comprises sharing a document.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising alerting the others of the at least two clients as to the existence of an outgoing call.

20. A method of sharing information about a call comprising:

associating at least two clients with a combined user agent;

directing incoming calls to the at least two clients;

initiating a multimedia session between the at least two clients; and

transferring information relating to the call during the multimedia session.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein associating at least two clients with a combined user agent comprises associating the at least two clients with a combined user agent through a session initiation protocol.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein directing incoming calls to the at least two clients comprises ringing telephones at the at least two clients.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising alerting the others of the at least two clients that one of the at least two clients has answered a ringing telephone.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising alerting the others of the at least two clients that one of the at least two clients has initiated an outgoing call.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising transferring information relating to the outgoing call during the multimedia session.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein associating at least two clients with a combined user agent comprises associating at least one wireless client with the combined user agent.

27. A computer readable medium comprising software adapted to:

arrange for an incoming call to arrive on equipment associated with at least two clients; and

pass information about the incoming call to a combined user agent associated with the at least two clients so that the combined user agent may

initiate a multimedia session between the at least two clients relating to the incoming call.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein said software is further adapted to arrange for an incoming call to arrive on telephones associated with the at least two clients.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein said software is further adapted to ring equipment associated with the at least two clients.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29 wherein said software is further adapted to receive an indication that one of the at least two clients has answered the incoming call and pass an indication to the combined user agent that one of the at least two clients has answered the incoming call.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein said software is further adapted to receive information about an outgoing call from one of the at least two clients at a combined user agent associated with the at least two clients.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31 wherein said software is further adapted to alert the others of the at least two clients that the outgoing call has been initiated by sending an indication of such to the combined user agent.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein said software that arranges for an incoming call to arrive on equipment associated with the at least two clients comprises software that arranges for the incoming call to arrive on at least one wireless piece of equipment.

34. A system for integrating multimedia sessions between clients sharing a phone number comprising:

a combined user agent adapted to;

receive an indication of an incoming call; and

initiate a multimedia session between at least two clients sharing a phone number relating to the incoming call.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said combined user agent is further adapted to receive an indication that one of the at least two clients has answered the incoming call.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said combined user agent is further adapted to send an indication to equipment associated with the one of the at least two clients who did not answer the call that the call has been answered.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein said combined user agent is further adapted to allow one of the at least two clients to send an instant message to the other.

38. The system of claim 34 wherein said combined user agent is further adapted to send an annotated call log from one client to another.

39. The system of claim 34 wherein said combined user agent is further adapted to send a document from one client to another.

40. The system of claim 34 wherein the combined user agent adapted to initiate a multimedia session between at least two clients initiates a multimedia session between at least one client having wireless equipment.

41. A system for integrating multimedia sessions between clients sharing a phone number comprising:

a combined user agent adapted to;

receive an indication of an outgoing call; and

initiate a multimedia session between at least two clients sharing a phone number, said multimedia session relating to the outgoing call.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein said combined user agent is further adapted to receive a request to initiate an instant message from one of the at least two clients.

43. The system of claim 41 wherein said combined user agent is further adapted to receive an annotated call log from one of the at least two clients.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein said combined user agent is further adapted to provide the annotated call log to others of the at least two clients.

45. The system of claim 41 wherein said combined user agent further shares a document between the at least two clients as part of the multimedia session.