Network based multimedia messaging method and system

• US 5,751,791 A
• Filed: 01/31/1997
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Katseff, Howard Paul, Kuthyar, Ashok K., Markowitz, Robert Edward, Mortenson, Robert F., Ramamurthy, Ram S., Robinson, Bethany Scott, Stuntebeck, Peter H., Chen, Mon-Mei
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US08/792,339
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/69, 379/70, 379/74, 379/77, 379/93, 379/96, 379/100, 379/120, 379/127, 379/142, 379/201, 379/207, 379/213, 379/214, 379/243, 379/244, 379/245, 379/53, 379/100.08 , 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 348/6, 348/7, 348/9, 348/13, 348/14, 358/402, 358/403, 395/200, 370/355, 370/357
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for handling multimedia messages when the intended recipient is unavailable. The telecommunication based method and system allows a party to leave a greeting message which will be furnished to a caller when the party is unavailable. The method and system further allows a caller to leave a multimedia message for the unavailable intended recipient. The method and system further alerts the party that a multimedia message has been recorded and allows the party to retrieve the multimedia message.

Claims

1. In a circuit switched telecommunication network supporting at least 56 kilobits per second access, a method of handling a multimedia call from a caller using an H.320 protocol compliant multimedia device, comprising the steps of:

attempting to establish a communication connection in the circuit switched telecommunication network between the caller and a recipient for the multimedia call, the multimedia call comprising a unified combination of video and at least one other media communicated according to an H.320 compliant protocol;

determining at a network switch that said communication connection between the caller and said recipient cannot be completed because the multimedia call is an unanswered call;

following said determining step and as a result thereof, connecting said unanswered call to a network based multimedia server; and

creating a stored multimedia message in real-time from the caller by recording a multimedia message from the H.320 compliant multimedia device using said network based multimedia server.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of furnishing said recipient with said multimedia message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein following said connecting step the method includes the step of furnishing said caller with a multimedia greeting.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of informing the recipient, at a time following said creating step, that said multimedia message was recorded.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein, following said informing step, the method includes the step of furnishing a plurality of options to said recipient.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said informing step includes the steps of waiting a preselected period of time and initiating a call from said network based multimedia server to said recipient.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said informing step includes the step of setting a message indicator on telephone equipment associated with said recipient.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said creating step includes the step of associating a caller identification with said recorded multimedia message.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the caller is identifiable by a telephone number and said furnishing step includes the step of furnishing said recipient with said telephone number.

10. The method of claim 1 further including the step of associating Calling Line Identification (CLI) information with said recorded multimedia message and storing said CLI information in a memory.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of initiating a call from said network based multimedia server to said recipient using said stored CLI information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said recorded multimedia message includes an audio portion and said recipient is associated with a device which is capable of only receiving said audio portion, said furnishing step includes the step of furnishing said recipient with only said audio portion.

13. In a circuit switched telecommunication network a system for handling a call from a caller, using a first H.320 protocol compliant multimedia device capable of communicating a unified combination of video and at least one other media using an H.320 compliant protocol, to a recipient associated with a second H.320 protocol compliant multimedia device, the system comprising:

a network based multimedia server;

a first communication path supporting at least 56 kilobits per second access for connecting the caller to said network based multimedia server;

a second communication path supporting at least 56 kilobits per second access for connecting the recipient to said network based multimedia server;

means for generating a signal in the circuit switched telecommunication network, after attempting to establish an H.320 protocol compliant real-time multimedia connection between the caller, using the first H.320 protocol compliant multimedia device, and the recipient, which identifies that said multimedia connection cannot be completed because the recipient is unavailable and for connecting the call to said network based multimedia server in response to said signal over said first communication path;

means for receiving the call and recording, using said network based multimedia server, a multimedia message, comprising a unified combination of video and at least one other media, communicated from the caller according to the H.320 protocol, using the first H.320 protocol compliant multimedia device; and

means for furnishing the recipient with said recorded multimedia message over said second communication path.

14. The system of claim 13 further including means for furnishing the caller with a multimedia greeting.

15. The system of claim 13 further including means for informing the recipient, at a time following recording, that said multimedia message was recorded.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the system further includes means for playing said recorded multimedia message and deleting said recorded multimedia message.

17. The system of claim 14 further including means for initiating a call from said network based multimedia server to the recipient.

18. The system of claim 13 further including means for identifying Calling Line Identification (CLI) information associated with said call.

19. The system of claim 18 further including means for initiating a call from said network based multimedia server to the recipient using said stored CLI information.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein said first communication path supports about 64 kilobits per second access.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein said first communication path supports about 128 kilobits per second access.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein said first communication path supports about 56 kilobits per second access.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein said first communication path supports about 112 kilobits per second access.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein said first communication path supports ISDN PX64 data compression.

25. The system of claim 13 wherein said second communication path supports about 64 kilobits per second access.

26. The system of claim 13 wherein said second communication path supports about 128 kilobits per second access.

27. The system of claim 13 wherein said second communication path supports about 56 kilobits per second access.

28. The system of claim 13 wherein said second communication path supports about 112 kilobits per second access.

29. The system of claim 13 wherein said second communication path supports ISDN PX64 data compression.

30. The system of claim 13 wherein said second communication path includes a switched path.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said switched path includes one of a T1.5, frame relay access, private line, switched 56, ATM, ISDN BRI, ISDN PRI or nxDS-0 path.

32. The system of claim 13 wherein said second communication path includes a broadcast network.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said broadcast network includes one of a cable television line or satellite receiver.

34. The system of claim 13 wherein said second communication path includes a modem.