Call notification

• US 20080075241A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, William Todd, Kent, Larry
• Application Number:
  US11/548,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20080075241A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• 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 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer

Abstract

One embodiment of a method of call notification can be broadly summarized by the following: receiving an incoming call on a telephone device and before answering the incoming call via the telephone device, sending a notification message to a remote user via the telephone device over an Internet channel, wherein the notification message includes call information, the call information including identification of a calling party. Other methods and systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of call notification comprising:

receiving an incoming call on a telephone device; and

before answering the incoming call via the telephone device, sending a notification message to a remote user via the telephone device over an Internet channel, wherein the notification message includes call information, the call information including identification of a calling party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message is an instant message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the call information further comprises a time when the incoming call was received by the telephone device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message indicates options for handling the incoming call, the method further comprising:

receiving a reply message from the remote user; and

handling the incoming call in accordance with instructions provided in the reply message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the options comprise an option for forwarding the incoming call to a number designated in the reply message.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the options comprise an option for forwarding the incoming call to the user at a predesignated telephone number.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the options comprise an option for sending the incoming call to voicemail.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone device comprises a wireless gateway and instant messaging client.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a notification message to the remote user when a message waiting indicator message is received at the telephone device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message is sent if the incoming call is determined to be from a telephone number contained in the remote user'"'"'s address book.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone device comprises an instant messaging agent that communicates to the remote user and relays commands from the remote user to an application executing a service on the telephone device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a telephone network switch does not have to be provisioned to provide Internet call notification services.

13. A computer readable medium having a computer call notification program, the program having instructions for performing:

receiving an incoming call on a telephone device; and

before answering the incoming call via the telephone device, sending a notification message to a remote user via the telephone device over an Internet channel, wherein the notification message includes call information, the call information including identification of a calling party.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the notification message is an instant message.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the call information further comprises a time when the incoming call was received by the telephone device.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the notification message indicates options for handling the incoming call, the program further performing:

receiving a reply message from the remote user; and

handling the incoming call in accordance with instructions provided in the reply message.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the options comprise an option for forwarding the incoming call to a number designated in the reply message, an option for forwarding the incoming call to the user at a predesignated telephone number, and an option for sending the incoming call to voicemail.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the telephone device comprises a wireless gateway and instant messaging client.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, the program further performing:

sending a notification message to the remote user when a message waiting indicator message is received at the telephone device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the notification message is sent if the incoming call is determined to be from a telephone number contained in the remote user'"'"'s address book.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the telephone device comprises an instant messaging agent that communicates to the remote user and relays commands from the remote user to an application executing a service on the telephone device.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein a telephone network switch does not have to be provisioned to provide Internet call notification services.