Dial-out voice notification system

• US 20050031095A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Licensing Co LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Pietrowicz, Stanley
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.180
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/045 using recorded signals, e.g. speech
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42034 Calling party identification service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4874 Intercept announcements

Abstract

A message broadcast system is disclosed for quickly delivering a relatively large amount of content to customer premises devices. A dial-out voice server initiates a plurality of telephone calls to a plurality of telephone numbers associated with customer premises alerting devices. The dial-out server also transmits a control data signal to the alerting devices, which indicates an incoming voice message to the alerting devices. The customer premises devices are connected to the telecommunication network via a communication channel and are configured to continuously monitor the communication channel for the control data signal. In response to receipt of a control data signal, an alerting device automatically configures itself to receive the incoming voice message. After delivering the voice message to the alerting device, the dial-out voice server may disconnect and place another call.

Claims

1. A method for operation of a server connected to a telecommunications network for broadcasting a voice message to a plurality of customer premises devices from the server, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a first control data signal;

initiating a plurality of telephone calls to the plurality of devices to establish a voice path to each device;

transmitting the first control data signal to said customer premises devices, said first control data signal intended to cause each of said devices to automatically receive an incoming voice message from the server over the device'"'"'s corresponding voice path;

transmitting the voice message to each of said plurality of customer premises devices; and

transmitting a second control data signal to said customer premises devices and intended to cause each of said devices to disconnect from its corresponding voice path.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said step of initiating a plurality of telephone calls comprises initiating a plurality of suppressed ringing telephone calls to said plurality of devices to establish the voice paths; and

said step of transmitting the first control data signal comprises transmitting said first control data signal as in-band data signals via the voice paths.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said step of initiating a plurality of telephone calls comprises initiating a plurality of telephone calls wherein control data is signaled to the network; and

said step of transmitting said first control data signal comprises transmitting said first control data signal as in-band data signals via the voice paths.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said step of initiating a plurality of telephone calls comprises initiating a plurality of telephone calls wherein control data is signaled to the network; and

said step of transmitting said first control data signal comprises transmitting said first control data signal over out of band control channels.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said first control data signal is transmitted to one or more of said customer premises devices using on-hook data transmission upon receipt of an indication from said one or more customer premises devices that the voice path has been established to the device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said control data signal is transmitted to one or more of said customer premises devices using off-hook data transmission upon receipt of an indication from said one or more customer premises devices that said device has answered the call or has answered call-waiting, and is off-hook.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said control data signal is embedded in an on-hook Caller-ID message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said telephone calls terminate to one or more customer premises devices as call-waiting and said first control data signal is transmitted to said one or more devices embedded in a call-waiting ID message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said control data signal further comprises at least one of a text parameter, a message ID parameter, an alarm control parameter, a hook-switch parameter, an authentication key code parameter, and a voice record control parameter.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said telephone calls is placed to an alerting device served by a packet-based network.

11. A method for operation of a customer premises device connected to a telecommunications network via a communications channel comprising the steps of:

monitoring said communications channel for a first control data signal intended to be sent by a server broadcasting said first signal to a plurality of customer premises devices;

receiving said first control data signal;

in response to said first control data signal, automatically receiving over an established voice path an incoming voice message intended to be sent by the server;

monitoring said communications channel for a second control data signal intended to be sent by the server; and

in response to said second control data signal, disconnecting from the voice path.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of automatically displaying control data signal information and initiating an alarm upon receiving said first control data signal.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of receiving said first control data signal comprises the steps of:

receiving a suppressed ringing telephone call, and

receiving said first control data signal via in-band signaling.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of receiving said first control data signal comprises the step of receiving said first control data signal via on-hook data transmission.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of receiving said first control data signal comprises the step of receiving said first control data signal via off-hook data transmission.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of receiving said first control data signal comprises the step of receiving said first control data signal via an out of band control channel.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said control data signal is received via an on-hook caller-ID service.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said control data signal is received via a call-waiting ID service.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

playing said voice message upon receipt of a valid authentication key.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a confirmation signal to confirm delivery of said voice message.

21. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of creating an email message containing control data information and said voice message.

22. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of converting control data information and said voice message to a video signal with an audio channel.

23. An apparatus comprising:

an interface for connecting to a telecommunications network via a communications channel;

means for monitoring said communications channel for a first control data signal intended to be sent by a server and indicating an incoming voice message from the server;

means for receiving said first control data signal;

means, response to the receipt of said first control data signal, for automatically receiving over a voice path said incoming voice message;

means for monitoring said communications channel for a second control data signal intended to be sent by the server; and

means, response to a receipt of said second control data signal, for automatically disconnecting from the voice path.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said receiving means comprises means for receiving said first control data signal via on-hook data transmission.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said receiving means comprises means for receiving said first control data signal via off-hook data transmission.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said receiving means comprises means for receiving said first control data signal via an out of band control channel.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said receiving means comprises means for receiving and decoding on-hook caller-ID service.

28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said receiving means comprises means for receiving and decoding off-hook caller-ID service.

29. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising means for transmitting a confirmation signal to confirm delivery of said voice message.

30. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising means for playing said voice message upon receipt of a valid authentication key.

31. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising means for converting information from the first control data signal and said voice message to a video signal with an audio channel.

32. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said apparatus is a set top box and wherein said communications channel is a packet-based network.