White and yellow page multimedia service

• US 20040190695A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Parker, Jerry Joe
• Granted Patent: US 6,934,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42025 Calling or Called party identification service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0051 where the data service is a multimedia messaging service
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13248 Multimedia

Abstract

A system for providing integrated multimedia and voice telephone service by simply dialing a telephone number is provided. One or both parties of a typical voice telephone call placed by the calling party dialing the called party number may simultaneously receive multimedia packets of data associated with the other party if both of the voice telephone devices are connected to or associated with a multimedia display device, and both telephone numbers are associated with clients or subscribers of the multimedia service. Multimedia data that may be provided to one or both parties includes names, office hours, maps of the other party'"'"'s location, etc.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information associated with at least one of the called and calling telephone numbers of a telephone link to a system client or subscriber comprising the steps of:

storing a multiplicity of units of specific information at a system location, each unit of specific information associated with at least one specific telephone number;

providing first and second bidirectional voice telephone devices associated respectively with first and second telephone numbers, and associating a first display device with said first telephone device;

dialing the telephone number associated with one of said first and second telephone devices from the other one of said first and second telephone devices; and

transmitting a unit of specific information stored in said system location and associated with said second telephone number to said first display device associated with said first telephone device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of dialing comprises the step of dialing the telephone number associated with said first telephone device from said second telephone device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of dialing comprises the step of dialing the telephone number associated with said second telephone device from said first telephone device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of providing further comprises the step of associating a second display device with said second telephone device and comprising the further step of transmitting a unit of specific information associated with said first telephone number to said second display device associated with said second telephone device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying said information associated with said second telephone number on said first display device.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of displaying said information associated with said second telephone number on said first display device and displaying said information associated with said first telephone number on said second display device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one unit of said multiplicity of units of specific information is associated with a multiplicity of specific telephone numbers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said specific information stored in said storing step is the information contained in a reverse white and yellow page database.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second telephone devices is a wireless device.

10. A method for displaying information associated with at least the called telephone number of a telephone link to a system subscriber or client comprising the steps of:

storing a multiplicity of units of specific information at a system location, each unit of specific information associated with at least one specific telephone number;

providing a first bidirectional voice telephone device identified with a unique first telephone number, said first telephone device including a first display device;

providing a second bidirectional voice telephone device identified with a unique second telephone number;

dialing a telephone number associated with said first device from said second device;

transmitting a unit of specific information stored in said system location and associated with said dialed telephone number to said first display device associated with said first telephone device; and

displaying said transmitted information associated with said second telephone number on said first display device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of providing a second bidirectional voice telephone device comprises the step of providing a second bidirectional voice telephone device identified with a second telephone number and wherein said second telephone device includes a display device and further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a unit of specific information associated with said first telephone number to said second display device included with said second telephone device; and

displaying said transmitted information associated with said first telephone number on said second display device.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein at least one unit of said multiplicity of units of specific information is associated with a multiplicity of specific telephone numbers.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said specific information stored in said storing step is the information contained in a reverse white and yellow page database.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said steps of providing first and second bidirectional voice telephone devices comprises the steps of providing multiple first bidirectional voice telephone devices, each identified with a unique first telephone number and each associated with a first display device and providing multiple second bidirectional voice telephone devices, each identified with a unique second telephone number each associated with a second display device, wherein a portion of said multiple second devices dials the telephone numbers of a portion of said multiple of first devices and wherein specific units of information associated with said specific first telephone number are provided to specific ones of said second display devices and specific units of information associated with said specific second telephone numbers are provided to specific ones of said first display devices.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said specific information stored in said storing step is the information contained in a reverse white and yellow page database.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of said first and second telephone devices is a wireless device.

11. A method for displaying information associated with at least the calling telephone number of a telephone link to a system subscriber or client comprising the steps of:

storing a multiplicity of units of specific information at a system location, each unit of specific information associated with at least one specific telephone number;

providing a first bidirectional voice telephone device identified with a first telephone number, said first telephone device including a first display device;

providing a second bidirectional voice telephone device identified with a second telephone number;

dialing the telephone number associated with said second device from said first device;

transmitting a unit of specific information stored in said system location and associated with said second telephone number to said first display device associated with said first telephone device; and

displaying said transmitted information associated with said second telephone number on said first display device.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one unit of said multiplicity of units of specific information is associated with a multiplicity of specific telephone numbers.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said specific information stored in said storing step is the information contained in a reverse white and yellow page database.

20. A telephone communication system connected to a public telephone network for displaying information associated with at least one of the called and calling telephone numbers of a telephone link comprising:

an information database for storing a multiplicity of units of specific information wherein each unit of said specific information is associated with at least one specific telephone number;

first and second bidirectional voice telephone devices, said first telephone device including a display device and each of said first and second telephone devices adapted for dialing telephone numbers;

control circuitry connected to said first and second telephone devices for determining the called and calling telephone numbers of a telephone link and for further determining if said called and calling telephone numbers are associated with a unit of specific information stored in said information database, and

circuitry for transmitting information associated with said second telephone number to said display device.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said information database comprises a reverse look up white and yellow page database.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said first telephone devices are selected from a group consisting of a wired multimedia telephone, a wireless multimedia telephone, a PDA and a combination voice telephone connected to a PC.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said second bidirectional telephone devices are selected from a group consisting of wired telephones and wireless telephones.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said circuitry for transmitting information is a system selected from the group consisting of an SIP, an SMS, an MMS, a WAP and an IM system.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein at least one of said first and second telephone devices is a wireless device.