SYSTEM FOR DEPLOYING VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL SERVICES

• US 20080316999A1
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: QIU, CHAOXIN, CANTU, DIANA M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,036,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system for deploying Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services is provided. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) having a controller element to receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)message from an originating communication device requesting communications with a terminating communication device, and establish an Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the originating communication device and an advertisement media system to present at the originating communication device an advertisement message that replaces a ringback tone associated with the terminating communication device. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message from a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) associated with a call initiated by an originating communication device requesting communications with a terminating communication device, wherein the CSCF operates in an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network;

obtaining a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of an advertisement message; and

submitting the URI to the CSCF for obtaining the advertisement message, wherein the CSCF establishes a Real-Time Protocol (RTP) connection for presenting the advertisement message at the originating communication device in place of a ringback tone associated with a call directed to the terminating communication device.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for terminating presentation of the advertisement message responsive to the CSCF detecting acceptance of the call by the terminating CSCF or a voicemail system serving the terminating communication device.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the advertisement message is presented by an advertisement media system, and wherein the advertisement message corresponds to at least one among an audible and visual message.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the CSCF comprises at least one among a Proxy-CSCF (P-CSCF) and a Serving-CSCF (S-CSCF).

5. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the storage medium operates in an advertisement application server, and wherein the storage medium comprises computer instructions for storing the URI of the advertisement message for subsequent reuse.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for

generating a service fee for presentation of the advertisement message at the originating communication device;

and

directing said service fee to a sponsor of the advertisement message.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a location of the originating communication device; and

obtaining the URI for the advertisement message according to the location.

8. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein the location is supplied by the CSCF, and wherein said location comprises one among a geographic area of the originating communication device, and location coordinates of the originating communication device.

9. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a location of the originating communication device;

locating a retail establishment in a vicinity of the location; and

obtaining the URI of the advertisement message from one or more advertisement messages associated with the retail establishment.

10. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving from the CSCF demographic information associated with a subscriber of the originating communication device; and

obtaining the URI of the advertisement message according to the demographic information.

11. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the demographic information is determined from subscription information of the subscriber of the originating communication device.

12. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for receiving an indication that the subscriber of the originating communication device is interested in a subject matter promoted by the advertisement message.

13. The storage medium of claim 12, wherein the indication is received in another SIP message having one or more characters entered by the subscriber by way of a user interface of the originating communication device.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, comprising computer instructions for:

transmitting to the originating communication device at least one among a copy of the advertisement message, and a message with one or more selectable communication links; and

processing feedback from the subscriber of the originating communication device according to a selection of the one or more selectable communication links.

15. The storage medium of claim 13, comprising computer instructions for directing the CSCF to establish communications between the originating communication device and an agent of a sponsor of the advertisement message upon the CSCF detecting that communications have terminated between the originating and terminating communication devices.

16. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for directing the CSCF to present the originating communication device the advertisement message for a prescribed time.

17. A Call Session Control Function (CSCF), comprising a controller element to:

receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message from an originating communication device requesting communications with a terminating communication device; and

establish an Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the originating communication device and an advertisement media system to present at the originating communication device an advertisement message that replaces a ringback tone associated with the terminating communication device.

18. The CSCF of claim 17, wherein the IP connection corresponds to a Real-Time Protocol (RTP) connection, and wherein the controller element:

receives from an advertisement application system a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the advertisement message; and

submits to the advertisement media system the URI for presenting the advertisement message to he originating communication device via the RTP connection.

19. The CSCF of claim 17, wherein the controller element:

submits a telephone number mapping (ENUM) query to an ENUM system with a called party number retrieved from the SIP message; and

initiates a call with the terminating communication device according to a response received from the ENUM system.

20. The CSCF of claim 19, wherein the controller element:

terminates the IP connection between the originating communication device and the advertisement media system when the call is accepted by the terminating CSCF, or a voicemail system serving the terminating CSCF; and

establishes communications between the originating and terminating communication devices.

21. The CSCF of claim 20, wherein the controller element:

detects a termination signal from one among the originating and terminating communication devices to conclude communications; and

transmits the advertisement message to the originating communication device.

22. The CSCF of claim 20, wherein the controller element presents the advertisement message at least once during communications between the originating and terminating communication devices.

23. The CSCF of claim 17, wherein the advertisement message corresponds to at least one among an audible and visual message.

24. The CSCF of claim 17, wherein the CSCF comprises at least one among a Proxy-CSCF (P-CSCF) and a Serving-CSCF (S-CSCF) which perform in whole or in part the foregoing steps.

25. The CSCF of claim 17, wherein the controller element receives from an advertisement application system a request for presentation of the advertisement message for a prescribed time.

26. The CSCF of claim 25, wherein the controller element initiates communications with the terminating communication device after the prescribed time.

27. The CSCF of claim 26, wherein the controller element:

establishes communications between the originating and terminating communication devices upon detecting an acceptance of a call by the terminating communication device;

monitors a duration of communications between the originating and terminating communication devices; and

generates a service fee directed to a subscriber of the originating communication device when one among communications between the originating and terminating communication devices exceeds a duration threshold, communications exceeds a distance threshold, and communications involves one or more communication systems managed by service operators unassociated with a communication system from which the CSCF operates.

28. A computer-readable storage medium in an advertisement media system, comprising computer instructions for presenting an advertisement message over an Internet Protocol (IP) connection established by a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) between an originating communication device and the advertisement media system to replace a ringback tone associated with a call from the originating communication device directed to a terminating communication device.

29. The storage medium of claim 28, comprising computer instructions for retrieving the advertisement message according to a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) supplied by the CSCF.

30. An originating communication device, comprising a controller element to:

transmit to a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message associated with a call directed to a terminating communication device; and

present in whole or in part an advertisement message received from an advertisement media system over an Internet Protocol (IP) connection established by the CSCF that replaces a ringback tone of the terminating communication device.

31. The originating communication device of claim 30, wherein the CSCF receives a service profile from a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) that indicates the originating communication device has a free subscription for communication services subject to presentation in whole or in part of advertisement messages at the originating communication device.

32. The originating communication device of claim 30, wherein the originating communication device comprises at least one among a mobile cellular phone, a fixed line phone, and a computer.