METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INTEGRATING COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES

• US 20120106728A1
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Financial Management Corp., Verizon Data Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghaffari, Reza, Zafar, Shadman, Kheradpir, Shaygan, Chingon, Robert A., Brennan, Stephen, Helbling, Christopher L., Kunuturi, Nagendra, Penumatsa, Ravi, Rajagopalan, Mahesh, Reding, Craig L., Reformato, John R., Wurster, John H., Chakravarty, Sandeep, Pinto, Byron M., D'Silva, Alin, Majid, Zlauddin, Raju, Satya, Moshrefi, Afshin
• Application Number:
  US13/280,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20120106728A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• 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 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• 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 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer

Abstract

Methods and systems providing access to integrated communications services are disclosed. A notification of a call to a user is received at a device associated with the user, the device being connected to a data network and including a base unit, a handset, and a user interface, wherein the device is determined based on retrieved data corresponding to the user, and the retrieved data was retrieved using information pertaining to the call. Input from the user indicative of a response to the notification is also received at the device. Response information reflective of the response to the notification is then sent to the server, wherein the server instructs a service control point to connect the call based on the response to the notification.

Claims

1-113. -113. (canceled)

114. A method of providing communications services, comprising:

receiving, from a server, a notification of incoming data at a first device of a user, the incoming data being directed to a second device of the user, and the first and second user devices being in communication with the server over a data network;

displaying the notification to the user at the first user device during a predetermined time period;

determining whether a response to the displayed notification is received within the predetermined time period;

selecting a third device of the user to receive the incoming data, when the response is not received within the predetermined time period;

generating an instruction to route the incoming data to the third user device; and

transmitting the instruction to the server, wherein the server, in response to the instruction, directs the incoming data to the third user device.

115. The method of claim 114, further comprising transmitting, to the server, information identifying the first user device and the predetermined time period during which the first user device is configured to receive the notification.

116. The method of claim 114, wherein the first user device corresponds to a preferred communications device of the user.

117. The method of claim 114, wherein the notification comprises information identifying at least one of a type of the incoming data, a source of the incoming data, or the second user device to which the incoming data is directed.

118. The method of claim 114, further comprising receiving, at the first user device, the response to the displayed notification from the user.

119. The method of claim 114, wherein:

the response comprises information identifying the third user device; and

the selecting comprises selecting the third device based on at least the received information.

120. The method of claim 114, wherein:

the response comprises information identifying a plurality of third user devices;

the selecting further comprises selecting the third user devices based on at least the information; and

the generating comprises generating an instruction to route the incoming data to the third user devices.

121. The method of claim 114, further comprising selecting the first user device to receive the incoming data, when the response is not received within the predetermined time period.

122. A communications device, comprising:

a storage device storing instructions; and

a processor coupled to the storage device and executing the instructions to;

receive a notification of incoming data from a server, the incoming data being directed to a device of a user in communication with the server over a data network;

display the notification to the user during a predetermined time period;

determine whether a response to the displayed notification is received within the predetermined time period;

selecting an additional device of the user to receive the incoming data, when the response is not received within the predetermined time period;

generating an instruction to route the incoming data to the additional user device; and

transmitting the instruction to the server, wherein the server, in response to the instruction, directs the incoming data to the additional user device.

123. The communications device of claim 122, further comprising a user interface coupled to the at least one processor and configured to display the notification to the user.

124. The communications device of claim 122, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to transmit, to the server, information identifying the integrated communications device and the predetermined time period during which the integrated communications device is configured to receive the notification.

125. The communications device of claim 122, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to:

receive the response to the displayed notification from the user, the response comprising information identifying the additional user device; and

select the additional user device based on at least the received information.

126. The communications device of claim 122, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to:

receive the response to the displayed notification from the user, the response comprising information identifying a plurality of additional user devices;

select the additional user devices based on at least the information; and

generate an instruction to route the incoming data to the additional user devices.

127. The communications device of claim 122, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to receive the incoming data, when the response is not received within the predetermined time period.

128. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for providing communications services, the method comprising:

receiving, from a server, a notification of incoming data at a first device of a user, the incoming data being directed to a second device of the user, and the first and second user devices being in communication with the server over a data network;

displaying the notification to the user at the first user device during a predetermined time period;

determining whether a response to the displayed notification is received within the predetermined time period;

selecting a third device of the user to receive the incoming data, when the response is not received within the predetermined time period;

generating an instruction to route the incoming data to the third user device; and

transmitting the instruction to the server, wherein the server, in response to the instruction, directs the incoming data to the third user device.

129. The computer-readable medium of claim 128, further comprising transmitting, to the server, information identifying the first user device and the predetermined time period during which the first user device is configured to receive the notification.

130. The computer-readable medium of claim 128, wherein the notification comprises information identifying at least one of a type of the incoming data, a source of the incoming data, or the second user device to which the incoming data is directed.

131. The computer-readable medium of claim 128, wherein:

the response comprising information identifying the third user device; and

the selecting comprises selecting the third device based on at least the received information.

132. The computer-readable medium of claim 128, wherein:

the response comprises information identifying a plurality of third user devices;

the selecting further comprises selecting the third user devices based on at least the information; and

the generating comprises generating an instruction to route the incoming data to the third user devices.

133. The computer-readable medium of claim 128, further comprising selecting the first user device to receive the incoming data, when the response is not received within the predetermined time period.

134. A method for providing access to communications services, comprising:

detecting contemporaneous samples of audio and video at the first user device;

transmitting the audio sample from the first user device to a second user device using a first type of connection; and

transmitting the video sample from the first user device to the second user device using a second type of connection.

135. The method of claim 135, wherein:

the first connection type is a circuit-switched connection; and

the second connection type is a packet-switched connection.