Dynamic content stream delivery to a telecommunications terminal based on the state of the terminal's transducers

• US 20060203975A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Skiba, David Joseph, Erhart, George William, Matula, Valentine C.
• Application Number:
  US11/240,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203975A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable an interactive voice response (IVR) system to deliver content streams of various media types (e.g., video, audio, etc.) to telecommunications terminals via the addition of extensions to the Voice extensible Markup Language (VXML). The IVR system will deliver a particular content stream to a terminal only if: (i) the terminal has a transducer (e.g., speaker, video display, etc.) that is capable of outputting the content stream'"'"'s media type, and (ii) that transducer is currently enabled.

Claims

1. A method comprising transmitting a signal of media type T to a telecommunications terminal during a call only when:

(i) said telecommunications terminal has a transducer whose output is of said media type T, and

(ii) said transducer is enabled.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting of said signal is effected by an interactive voice response system that is involved in said call.

2. The method of claim 2 wherein said telecommunications terminal enables its user to enable and disable said transducer during said call.

4. A method comprising stopping the transmission of a signal of media type T to a telecommunications terminal during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal when a transducer of said telecommunications terminal whose output is of said media type T changes state from enabled to disabled during said call.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising re-starting the transmission of said signal when said transducer changes state back to enabled during said call.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising resuming the transmission of said signal when said transducer changes state back to enabled during said call.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said telecommunications terminal enables its user to enable and disable said transducer during said call.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the stopping of the transmission of said signal is effected by an interactive voice response system that is involved in said call.

9. A method comprising transmitting a first signal from a telecommunications terminal when a transducer of said telecommunications terminal whose output is of media type T changes state from enabled to disabled, wherein said first signal is for notifying at least one of:

 

(i) a network infrastructure element,

 

(ii) another telecommunications terminal, and

 

(iii) an interactive voice response system that signals of said media type Tare unwelcome at said telecommunications terminal.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said transducer changes state from enabled to disabled during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal, and wherein the transmitting of said first signal occurs during said call.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said telecommunications terminal is receiving a second signal of said media type T when said transducer changes state from enabled to disabled.

12. A method comprising setting a flag when a transducer of a telecommunications terminal whose output is of media type T changes state from enabled to disabled, wherein said flag indicates that signals of said media type T are unwelcome at said telecommunications terminal.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising refusing, after the setting of said flag, to accept at said telecommunications terminal a signal of said media type T.

14. A method comprising transmitting a first signal from a telecommunications terminal when a transducer of said telecommunications terminal whose output is of said media type T changes state from disabled to enabled, wherein said first signal is for notifying at least one of:

 

(i) a network infrastructure element,

 

(ii) another telecommunications terminal, and

 

(iii) an interactive voice response system

that signals of said media type T are now welcome at said telecommunications terminal.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said transducer changes state from disabled to enabled during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said call also involves said interactive voice response system, and wherein said first signal is also for notifying said interactive voice response system to re-start the transmission of a second signal of said media type T to said telecommunications terminal.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said call also involves said interactive voice response system, and wherein said first signal is also for notifying said interactive voice response system to resume the transmission of a second signal of said media type T to said telecommunications terminal.

18. A method comprising setting a flag when a transducer of a telecommunications terminal whose output is of media type T changes state from disabled to enabled, wherein said flag indicates that signals of said media type Tare now welcome at said telecommunications terminal.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving at said telecommunications terminal a signal of said media type T after the setting of said flag.

20. A method comprising transmitting to a telecommunications terminal exactly one of:

a first signal of media type T₁ when said telecommunications terminal has a transducer that is enabled and whose output is of said media type T₁, and

a second signal of media type T₂ otherwise.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the transmitting occurs during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal.

22. A method comprising:

transmitting to a telecommunications terminal a first signal of media type T₁ and a second signal of media type T₂; and

when a transducer of said telecommunications terminal whose output is of said media type T₁ changes state from enabled to disabled, stopping the transmission of said first signal only.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the transmitting and the stopping is effected by an interactive voice response system during a call that involves said telecommunications terminal and said interactive voice response system.