METHOD OF PROVIDING MESSAGE INFORMATION, INCLUDING CALL SUBJECT INFORMATION, TO A RECIPIENT OF A TELEPHONE CALL

• US 20100215161A1
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Baccay, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.40
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A methodology wherein a voice service client application on one or more phones and a voice service server perform a call set-up process through a mix of an external data channel and a normal voice channel that enables call subject information to be effectively provided by a calling party to a called party so that it can be displayed along with other caller ID information.

Claims

1. A telephony method, comprising:

generating a first data message on a first phone, said first data message relating to a voice call to be placed from said first phone to a second phone and including message information relating to said voice call, said message information being provided by a user of said first phone;

receiving said first data message from said first phone in a server over a first data channel;

in response to receiving said first data message, generating a second data message in said server, said second data message including first caller ID information relating to said first phone and said message information;

sending said second data message to said second phone over a second data channel;

receiving over a voice channel in said second phone a voice signal originating from said first phone, said voice signal including second caller ID information; and

in response to receiving said voice signal, outputting said message information from said second phone.

2. The telephony method according to claim 1, wherein said first caller ID information comprises an actual caller ID for said first phone and a temporary caller ID generated by said server, wherein said second caller ID information comprises said temporary caller ID, and wherein said second caller ID information is used in said second phone to access said message information.

3. The telephony method according to claim 1, wherein said first caller ID information comprises an actual caller ID for said first phone and wherein in response to receiving said voice signal, said method further includes outputting said actual caller ID from said second phone.

4. The telephony method according to claim 3, wherein said second data message includes a name associated with said first phone and wherein in response to receiving said voice signal, said method further includes outputting said name from said second phone.

5. The telephony method according to claim 1, wherein said outputting said message information from said second phone comprises visually displaying said message information on said second phone.

6. The telephony method according to claim 2, further comprising generating said voice signal in said first phone and sending said voice signal to a network node over a second voice channel, said voice signal when generated in said first phone including said actual caller ID, wherein said network node substitutes said temporary caller ID for said actual caller ID in said voice signal and sends said voice signal to said second phone over said voice channel.

7. The telephony method according to claim 6, wherein said network node comprises a PBX.

8. The telephony method according to claim 6, wherein said network node comprises a gateway.

9. The telephony method according to claim 6, wherein said network node in response to receiving said voice signal sends a third data message to said server and in response receives a fourth data message from said server, said fourth data message instructing said network node to substitute said temporary caller ID for said actual caller ID in said voice signal and to send said voice signal to said second phone over said voice channel.

10. The telephony method according to claim 1, wherein said first caller ID information and said second caller ID information each comprises an actual caller ID for said first phone.

11. The telephony method according to claim 1, wherein said message information relates to a subject of said voice call.

12. The telephony method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving said message information in said first phone in response to said user of said first phone entering said message information into said first phone using an input device of said first phone.

13. A telephony method, comprising:

receiving a first data message from a first phone over a first data channel, said first data message relating to a voice call to be placed from said first phone to a second phone and including message information relating to said voice call, said message information being provided by a user of said first phone;

in response to receiving said first data message, generating a second data message, said second data message including first caller ID information relating to said first phone and said message information;

sending said second data message to said second phone over a second data channel; and

providing a voice signal originating from said first phone to said second phone over a voice channel, said voice signal including second caller ID information, said voice signal causing said second phone to output said message information.

14. The telephony method according to claim 13, further comprising generating a temporary caller ID for said first phone, wherein said first caller ID information comprises an actual caller ID for said first phone and said temporary caller ID, wherein said second caller ID information comprises said temporary caller ID, and wherein said second caller ID information is used in said second phone to access said message information.

15. The telephony method according to claim 13, wherein said causing said second phone to output said message information comprises visually displaying said message information on said second phone.

16. The telephony method according to claim 14, said voice signal when received from said first phone including said actual caller ID, said method further comprising substituting said temporary caller ID for said actual caller ID in said voice signal prior to sending said voice signal to said second phone over said voice channel.

17. The telephony method according to claim 13, wherein said first caller ID information and said second caller ID information each comprises an actual caller ID for said first phone.

18. The telephony method according to claim 13, wherein said message information relates to a subject of said voice call.

19. The telephony method according to claim 13, further comprising receiving said message information in said first phone in response to said user of said first phone entering said message information into said first phone using an input device of said first phone.

20. A telephony system, comprising:

a server adapted to be coupled to a network, said server being adapted to;

(i) receive a first data message from a first phone over a first data channel, said first data message relating to a voice call to be placed from said first phone to a second phone and including message information relating to said voice call, said message information being provided by a user of said first phone, (ii) in response to receiving said first data message, generate a second data message, said second data message including first caller ID information relating to said first phone and said message information, (iii) send said second data message to said second phone over a second data channel; and

(iv) cause a voice signal originating from said first phone to be provided to said second phone over a voice channel, wherein said voice signal includes second caller ID information, said voice signal causing said second phone to output said message information.

21. The telephony system according to claim 20, said server being further adapted to generate a temporary caller ID for said first phone, wherein said first caller ID information comprises an actual caller ID for said first phone and said temporary caller ID, wherein said second caller ID information comprises said temporary caller ID, and wherein said second caller ID information is used in said second phone to access said message information.

22. The telephony system according to claim 21, said voice signal when received from said first phone including said actual caller ID, said server being further adapted to cause said temporary caller ID to be substituted for said actual caller ID in said voice signal prior to said voice signal being provided to said second phone over said voice channel.

23. The telephony system according to claim 20, wherein said first caller ID information and said second caller ID information each comprises an actual caller ID for said first phone.

24. The telephony system according to claim 20, wherein said message information relates to a subject of said voice call.

25. The telephony system according to claim 20, wherein said message information is provided by a user of said first phone in response to said user of said first phone entering said message information into said first phone using an input device of said first phone.