METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NOTIFYING AN END USER OF A MESSAGING EVENT IN A MULTI-USER SETTING

• US 20110222677A1
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: PEARSON, LARRY B., WALTER, EDWARD
• Granted Patent: US 9,553,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• 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 1/715 using two or more extensions per line cordless telephones H04M1/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier

Abstract

A method and apparatus for notifying an end user of a messaging event in a multi-user setting is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a communication device which includes computer instructions at least for matching a caller identifier associated with a messaging event and entries in a plurality of contact books corresponding to a plurality of users, and identifying a plurality of parties to whom the messaging event is potentially directed based on the matching. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a memory; and

a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller is programmed to;

determine matches between a caller identifier associated with a messaging event and entries in at least one contact book corresponding to a group of users associated with a terminal device;

identify parties to whom the messaging event is potentially directed according to the determined matches; and

provide identification information to the terminal device, wherein the identification information indicates the identified parties, wherein each of the identified parties is associated with a ring tone, and wherein the identification information enables the terminal device to present corresponding ring tones for each of the identified parties to whom the messaging event is potentially directed based on the at least one contact book.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the corresponding ring tones are indicated by the identification information.

3. The communication device of claim 1, comprising a wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the terminal device.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the identification information is provided to the terminal device utilizing an IP multimedia subsystem.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the corresponding ring tones are presented at the terminal device in an alternating pattern.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the messaging event comprises one among an incoming call initiated by a calling party, a voicemail associated with the calling party when the incoming call is unanswered, and a call log entry associated with the unanswered call.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the caller identifier comprises a number identification retrieved from an incoming call.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the messaging event comprises one among an email, a short messaging system message, a page, and an instant message.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a communication device, comprising computer instructions at least for:

matching a caller identifier associated with a messaging event and entries in a plurality of contact books corresponding to a plurality of users; and

identifying a plurality of parties to whom the messaging event is potentially directed based on the matching.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising computer instructions at least for presenting an indication of the identified plurality of parties by way of ring tones that correspond to each party of the identified plurality of parties.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising computer instructions at least for presenting each of the ring tones in an alternating pattern.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the messaging event comprises one among an incoming call initiated by a calling party, a voicemail associated with the calling party when the incoming call is unanswered, and a call log entry associated with the unanswered call.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising computer instructions at least for providing identification information to a terminal device, wherein the identification information indicates the identified plurality of parties, and wherein the identification information enables the terminal device to present an indication of the identified plurality of parties by way of at least one of a ring tone and a graphical symbol that corresponds to each party of the identified plurality of parties.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the messaging event comprises one among an email, a short messaging system message, a page, and an instant message.

15. A method, comprising:

storing user identification information at a terminal device, the user identification information corresponding to a group of users of the terminal device, wherein each of the group of users is associated with a ring tone;

receiving a messaging event at the terminal device;

comparing a caller identifier associated with the messaging event and the user identification information to identify parties to whom the messaging event is potentially directed; and

presenting corresponding ring tones at the terminal device for each of the identified parties to whom the messaging event is potentially directed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting at the terminal device corresponding graphical symbols for each of the identified parties to whom the messaging event is potentially directed.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the messaging event comprises one among an incoming call initiated by a calling party, a voicemail associated with the calling party when the incoming call is unanswered, and a call log entry associated with the unanswered call.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the caller identifier comprises a number identification retrieved from an incoming call.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the messaging event comprises one among an email, a short messaging system message, a page, and an instant message.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the presenting of the corresponding ring tones at the terminal device is in an alternating pattern.