SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INITIATING ANNOUNCEMENTS IN A SIP TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20110032928A1
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Gallant, John Kenneth, Gregorat, Mariafranca, McMurry, Kathleen A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services

Abstract

Network servers in a session initiation protocol (SIP) telecommunication network implement playback of announcements to end-users by embedding programming scripts defining how the announcements are to be played in a SIP message. In particular, the scripts may define the sequence in which a series of announcements are to be played, duration information relating to a playback length of the announcements, and repetition information defining how many times an announcement is to be repeated. By including a script in a single message, announcement instructions may be efficiently communicated in the network.

Claims

1. A method performed by a server device, the method comprising:

embedding, by a processor associated with the server device, a script file into a session initiation protocol (SIP) message, where the script file defines a sequence of a plurality of audio announcements; and

transmitting, by a communication interface associated with the server device, the SIP message to an announcement server.

32. The method of claim 1, where the SIP message includes a SIP INVITE message.

33. The method of claim 1, where the script file additionally includes control information relating to transmission of the plurality of announcements.

34. The method of claim 33, where the control information includes duration information that defines a time period for playback of the plurality of announcements.

35. The method of claim 33, where the control information defines a repetition cycle of the announcements.

36. The method of claim 1, where the script file includes identification information relating to storage locations for the plurality of announcements.

2-31. -31. (canceled)

37. A server device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device comprising instructions executable by the processor, the memory device including;

one or more instructions to embed, into a session initiation protocol (SIP) message, a hyperlink to at least one pre-recorded announcement to playback, and

one or more instructions to transmit the SIP message to an announcement server.

38. The server device of claim 37, where the SIP message includes a SIP INVITE message.

39. The server device of claim 37, where the memory device further includes:

one or more instructions to embed, into the SIP message, duration information that defines a duration of playback of the at least one pre-recorded announcement.

40. The server device of claim 37, where the memory device further includes:

one or more instructions to embed, into the SIP message, information that defines a repetition cycle of the at least one pre-recorded announcement.

41. A method performed by an announcement server, the method comprising:

receiving, by a communication interface of the announcement server, a session initiation protocol (SIP) message that includes a script file that defines a playback sequence for a plurality of announcements;

retrieving, by a processor of the announcement server, the plurality of announcements; and

transmitting, by the communication interface, the plurality of announcements to an end user station, associated with the SIP message, based on the defined playback sequence.

42. The method of claim 41, where the SIP message includes a SIP INVITE message.

43. The method of claim 41, where the script file additionally includes duration information relating to the playback of the plurality of announcements, and where transmitting the plurality of announcements includes transmitting the plurality of announcements based on the duration information.

44. The method of claim 41, where the script file additionally includes a repetition cycle relating to the playback of the plurality of announcements, and where transmitting the plurality of announcements includes transmitting the plurality of announcements based on the repetition cycle.

45. The method of claim 41, where the script file additionally includes identification information relating to storage locations for the plurality of announcements, and where retrieving the plurality of announcements includes accessing the identified storage locations.

46. An announcement server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device comprising instructions executable by the processor, the memory device including;

one or more instructions to receive a session initiation protocol (SIP) message that includes a hyperlink to at least one pre-recorded announcement to playback;

one or more instructions to access the hyperlink to retrieve the at least one pre-recorded announcement; and

one or more instructions to transmit the at least one pre-recorded announcement to an end user station, where the end user station is associated with the SIP message.

47. The announcement server of claim 46, where the one or more instructions to transmit the at least one pre-recorded announcement to the end user station include one or more instructions to transmit the at least one pre-recorded announcement to the end user station in a real-time communication session.

48. The announcement server of claim 46, where the SIP message includes a SIP INVITE message.

49. The announcement server of claim 46, where the SIP message additionally includes duration information relating to the playback of the at least one pre-recorded announcement, and where the one or more instructions to transmit the at least one pre-recorded announcement include one or more instructions to transmit the at least one pre-recorded announcement based on the duration information.

50. The announcement server of claim 46, where the SIP message additionally includes a repetition cycle relating to the playback of the at least one pre-recorded announcement, and where the one or more instructions to transmit the at least one pre-recorded announcement includes one or more instructions to transmit the at least one pre-recorded announcement based on the repetition cycle.