SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING A CALLING PARTY

• US 20090074164A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• 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: EDWARDS, GERARD, WHITE, SCOTT, CANSLER, JAMES L., SANCHEZ, LORAINE
• Granted Patent: US 8,520,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media content processor having a controller adapted to establish communications with a voicemail system, receive a caller identification (ID) associated with a voicemail message stored in the voicemail system, detect a match between the caller ID and one among one or more communication identifiers recorded in an entry of an address book, retrieve an image excerpt associated with the entry of the address book, present the image excerpt at a media device to identify a calling party that recorded the voicemail message. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium operating in a media content processor, comprising computer instructions for:

presenting at a media device images associated with a media program decoded from a media content source;

receiving a video excerpt;

associating the video excerpt with one or more communication identifiers recorded in an entry of an address book;

receiving a request from a communication device of a calling party to establish communications with the media content processor;

identifying a caller identification (ID) from the request;

detecting a match between the caller ID and one among the one or more communication identifiers recorded in the entry of the address book;

presenting at the media device a Graphical User Interface (GUI) superimposed on the images associated with the decoded media program; and

presenting the video excerpt in the GUI to identify the calling party.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media content processor operates in one among an Internet Protocol Television communication system, a satellite TV communication system, and a cable TV communication system, and wherein the media content processor corresponds to a Set-Top Box receiver.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media device corresponds to one among a television set, a computer, a personal digital assistant, and cellular phone.

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

pausing presentation of the media program responsive to presenting the video excerpt; and

recording the media program from a departure mark associated with a time when the presentation of the media program is paused.

5. The storage medium of claim 4, comprising computer instructions for resuming presentation of the media program from the departure mark responsive to detecting a termination of communications with the communication device of the calling party.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the video excerpt is supplied by one among a subscriber of the media content processor, the calling party, and a catalog of video excerpts.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for receiving the video excerpt from the calling party'"'"'s media content processor.

8. The storage medium of claim 7, comprising computer instruction for:

receiving with the video excerpt an identification of the calling party;

identifying the entry of the address book according to the supplied identification of the calling party;

presenting an option to associate the video excerpt with the entry of the address book; and

associating the video excerpt with the entry of the address book responsive to detecting an acceptance of said option.

9. A media content processor, comprising a controller adapted to:

establish communications with a voicemail system;

receive a caller identifier (ID) associated with a voicemail message stored in the voicemail system;

detect a match between the caller ID and one among one or more communication identifiers recorded in an entry of an address book;

retrieve an image excerpt associated with the entry of the address book; and

present the image excerpt at a media device to identify a calling party that recorded the voicemail message.

10. The media content processor of claim 9, wherein the media content processor operates in one among an Internet Protocol Television communication system, a satellite TV communication system, and a cable TV communication system, wherein the media content processor corresponds to a Set-Top Box receiver, and wherein the media device corresponds to one among a television set, a computer, a personal digital assistant, and cellular phone.

11. The media content processor of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to:

receive the image excerpt; and

associate the image excerpt with the one or more communication identifiers recorded in the entry of the address book.

12. The media content processor of claim 9, wherein the image excerpt comprises one among a still image excerpt and a video excerpt.

13. The media content processor of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to:

present at a media device images associated with a media program decoded from a media content source;

present at the media device a Graphical User Interface (GUI) superimposed on the images associated with the decoded media program; and

present the image excerpt in the GUI.

14. The media content processor of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to:

pause presentation of the media program responsive to presenting the image excerpt; and

record the media program from a departure mark associated with a time when the presentation of the media program is paused.

15. The media content processor of claim 14, wherein the controller is adapted to resume presentation of the media program from the departure mark responsive to detecting a termination of communications with the voicemail system.

16. The media content processor of claim 9, wherein the image excerpt is supplied by one among a subscriber of the media content processor, the calling party, and a catalog of image excerpts.

17. The media content processor of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to:

receive the image excerpt from the calling party'"'"'s media content processor;

receive with the image excerpt an identification of the calling party;

identify the entry of the address book according to the identification of the calling party;

present an option to associate the image excerpt with the entry of the address book; and

associate the image excerpt with the entry of the address book responsive to detecting an acceptance of said option.

18. A voicemail system, comprising a controller adapted to:

receive a redirected call of a calling party;

record a voicemail message supplied by the calling party with a caller ID that identifies the calling party; and

transmit the caller ID to a media content processor which is adapted to;

detect a match between the caller ID and one among one or more communication identifiers recorded in an entry of an address book;

retrieve an image excerpt associated with the entry of the address book; and

present the image excerpt at a media device to identify the calling party that recorded the voicemail message.

19. The voicemail system of claim 18, wherein the controller is adapted to retrieve the caller ID of the calling party from one among signaling information supplied in the redirected call, and a callback identifier retrieved from the voicemail message.

20. The voicemail system of claim 18, wherein the media content processor operates in one among an Internet Protocol Television communication system, a satellite TV communication system, and a cable TV communication system, wherein the media content processor corresponds to a set-top box receiver, wherein the media device corresponds to one among a television set, a computer, a personal digital assistant, and cellular phone, and wherein the voicemail system operates in an IP Multimedia Subsystem network.

21. A communication device, comprising a controller adapted to:

receive a request from another communication device of a calling party to establish communications;

identify a caller identification (ID) from the request;

detect a match between the caller ID and one among one or more communication identifiers recorded in an entry of the address book;

retrieve a video excerpt associated with the entry of the address book; and

present the video excerpt at a display to identify the calling party.

22. The communication device of claim 21, wherein the controller is adapted to record the video excerpt with a camera sensor.

23. The communication device of claim 21, wherein the video excerpt is supplied by one among the calling party, and a catalog of video excerpts.

24. The communication device of claim 21, wherein the communication device corresponds to one among a cellular phone, and a portable computer, each capable of operating in at least one among a cellular network, wireless fidelity (WiFi) network, and a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) network.