Method and system of providing caller ID messaging

• US 20060262913A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Draper, James C., Cook, Michael J., Gaedtke, Jason, Livingood, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US11/132,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20060262913A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.190
• 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: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A method and system of providing caller ID messaging. The caller ID messaging being of the type used to alert subscribers of incoming phone calls, such as through displays, audio alerts, or other features.

Claims

1. A method of providing caller ID messaging with a media unit configured to output media signals to a media output device, the method comprising:

receiving caller ID messaging signals with the media unit;

receiving media signals with the media unit; and

configuring the media unit to distinguish between the caller ID messaging signals and the media signals such that the media unit is capable of outputting one or both of the media signals and the caller ID messaging signals to the media device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the caller ID messaging signals from a transmitter connected to a telephone line, the transmitter receiving caller ID information from the telephone line and outputting the caller ID messaging signals to the media unit as a function thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

outputting the caller ID messaging signals from the transmitter through infrared (IR) signaling.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

outputting the caller ID messaging signals from the transmitter through radio frequency (RF) signaling.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the caller ID messaging signals from a cable system associated with the media unit, the cable system providing the caller ID messaging signals and media signals to the media unit through a media feed.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving the caller ID messaging signals from the cable system through out-of-band portions of the media feed.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving the caller ID messaging signals from the cable system through in-band data portions of the media feed.

8. A system of providing caller ID messaging, the system comprising:

a media unit configured to receive caller ID messaging signals and media signals, wherein the media unit is configured to distinguish between the caller ID messaging signals and the media signals such that the media unit may output one or both of the media signals and the caller ID messaging signals; and

a media output device in communication with the media unit and configured to playback the media signals and caller ID messaging signals outputted from the media unit.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a transmitter configured to connect to a telephone line and to output the caller ID messaging signals to the media unit as a function of signals received through the telephone line.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the transmitter is configured to output the caller ID messaging signals through infrared (IR) signaling.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the transmitter is configured to output the caller ID messaging signals through radio frequency (RF) signaling.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a media content provider configured to provide a media feed to the media unit, the media feed including the caller ID messaging signals and the media signals.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the media content provider is configured to provide the caller ID messaging signals through out-of-band portions of the media feed.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the media content provider is configured to provide the caller ID messaging signals through in-band data portions of the media feed.

15. A method of providing caller ID messaging, the method comprising:

interrogating a phone call;

generating caller ID messaging signals for providing a caller ID message related to the phone call;

transporting the caller ID messaging signals in a non-overlaid fashion to a media unit; and

transporting the caller ID messaging signals from the media unit for playback on a media output device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

interrogating the phone call based on signals received from a PSTN.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

routing the PSTN based phone call through a cable network to a subscriber location associated therewith.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

interrogating the phone call based on VoIP signals received from a VoIP network.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

routing the VoIP based phone call through a cable network to a subscriber location associated therewith.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

displaying the caller ID message in an interactive user interface, the interactive user interface including interactive phone features for controlling termination of the phone call.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

forwarding the phone call to voicemail through as a function of inputs received through the interactive user interface.

22. A system of providing caller ID messaging in a cable network wherein a settop box (STB) is configured to output cable television signals to a television for playback, the system comprising:

a unit configured for interrogating incoming phone calls, the unit configured to generate caller ID messages as a function thereof, the caller ID messages including features for displaying calling party information on the television, the unit configured to transport caller ID messaging signals associated with the caller ID messages to the STB in non-overlaid fashion, the STB being configured to distinguish the caller ID messaging signals from non-caller ID messaging signals and to output the caller ID messaging signals to the television for displaying the caller ID message associated therewith.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the unit is a call management unit configured to transport the caller ID messaging signals over the cable network.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the call management unit is configured to interrogate phone calls originating over a PSTN or VoIP network and to generate the caller ID messages as function thereof.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the unit is a caller ID transmitter having an interface for connecting to a telephone line.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the caller ID transmitter communicates wireless signals to the STB to facilitate display of the caller ID messages.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the caller ID transmitter communicates signals over an in-home network to STB to facilitate display of the caller ID messages.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the caller ID transmitter includes an RJ-11 interface.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein the STB is configured to output the cable television signals to a recorder without including the caller ID messaging signals therewith.