Methods, systems, devices, and products for providing alerts for communications

• US 20060026277A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sutcliffe, Geoff
• Granted Patent: US 8,375,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing an alert to a called party'"'"'s communications device. One method processes a communication initiated by a calling party and terminating at the called party'"'"'s communications device. An alert accompanying the communication is also processed. The alert is selected by the calling party for playing on the called party'"'"'s communications device, and the alert announces the incoming communication request. This method thus allows the calling party to specify the alert to be played on the called party'"'"'s communications device.

Claims

1. A method of providing an alert to a called party through a called party'"'"'s communications device, comprising:

processing a communication request, the communication request initiated by a calling party'"'"'s communications device and being forwarded to the called party'"'"'s communications device;

communicating an alert associated with the communication request, the alert for being played on the called party'"'"'s communications device during a wait time occurring after the communication request is received at the called party'"'"'s communications device and before the calling party'"'"'s communications device receives a resolution of the communication request,

wherein the alert has been selected by the calling party to be played on the called party'"'"'s communications device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the alert comprises forwarding a data file, the data file comprising the alert to be played on the called party'"'"'s communications device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the alert comprises forwarding an indication of the alert, the indication identifying the alert.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating the called party'"'"'s communications device to the alert.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising of associating a telephone number of the calling party to the alert.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of associating an Internet Protocol address of the calling party to the alert.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating the alert to the called party'"'"'s communications device via a distributed computing network.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating the alert to the called party'"'"'s communications device via a telecommunications network.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the communication request from the calling party'"'"'s communications device.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing at least part of a communication path between the calling party'"'"'s communications device and the called party'"'"'s communications device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alert comprises an audio file.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alert comprises an image file.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alert comprises a video file.

14. A method of providing an alert to a called party having a communications device, comprising:

receiving at the communications device a communication request for a communication with a calling party;

receiving the alert which is associated with the communication request, the alert selected by the calling party for being played on the communications device; and

playing the alert on the communications device during a wait time occurring after the communication request is received at the called party'"'"'s communications device and before the calling party'"'"'s communications device receives a resolution of the communication request,

wherein the alert has been selected by the calling party to be played on the communications device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein receiving the alert comprises receiving a data file comprising the alert.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein receiving the alert comprises receiving an indication of the alert.

17. A method of providing a communications service to a calling party through a calling party'"'"'s communications device, the method comprising:

generating a communication request for a communication with a called party;

forwarding the communication request through a communication network to a called party'"'"'s communications device;

providing a selection of alerts to the calling party, the alert associated with the communication request from the calling party, the alert for announcing the communication request to the called party during a wait time occurring after the communication request is received at the called party'"'"'s communications device and before the calling party'"'"'s communications device receives a resolution of the communication request; and

accepting the calling party'"'"'s selection of an alert,

wherein the calling party specifies the alert to be played on the called party'"'"'s communications device.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising processing the calling party'"'"'s selection of the alert.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising forwarding the alert from the calling party'"'"'s communications device.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising forwarding an indication of the alert from the calling party'"'"'s communications device.