Multimedia calling method and apparatus

• US 6,222,826 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1997
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lu, Hui-Lan, Faynberg, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US08/974,322
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 370/384, 370/385, 370/386, 370/388, 370/389, 370/340, 370/352, 370/230, 370/355, 370/356, 370/465, 379/354, 379/522, 379/229, 379/209, 709/203, 709/200
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0457 Connection protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13248 : Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0037 : involving call modelling techniques, e.g. modifications to the basic call state model [BCSM]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing multimedia calls over an intelligent telecommunications network in which the calls are requested through an internetwork of client computers and server computers and the internetwork of client computers and server computers is further connected to the intelligent telecommunications network. The method involves: 1) a caller generating a request for a call utilizing the internetwork to initiate the request; 2) delivering multimedia and/or audiovisual presentations(s) to the caller via the internetwork and/or public switched telephone network (PSTN); and 3) completing a circuit switched telephone call between the caller and a destination user subsequent to the delivery of the presentations(s) wherein the call is placed from within the intelligent network itself. In this manner, one or more multimedia advertisements or other presentations are delivered to the originating caller before completion of the requested call.

Claims

1. An apparatus for establishing a multimedia call between an originating caller and a destination user over an intelligent, public switched telephone network (PSTN) comprising a plurality of telecommunications switching systems and data base systems, said switching systems and data base systems being interconnected by a signaling network and a transport network, said apparatus comprising:

means for generating, by an originating caller over a packet switched internet of client and server computers connected to the intelligent telecommunications network, a request for a call to be established between the originating caller and the destination user;

means for displaying one or more multimedia audiovisual presentations on a client computer connected to the packet switched internet and viewed by the originating caller wherein said audiovisual presentations are provided via the packet switched internet; and

means for playing one or more audio presentations on an audio device connected to the intelligent telecommunications network;

means for synchronizing the display of the multimedia audiovisual presentations on the client computer with the playing of the audio presentation on the audio device connected to the intelligent telecommunications network; and

means for completing the call request such that the intelligent network establishes a circuit switched connection via the public switched telephone network between the originating caller and the destination user only upon completion of the multimedia audiovisual Presentation provided via the packet switched internet.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

means for signaling the intelligent network by a server computer within the internet to establish a connection from the originating caller to a destination user; and

means for establishing a circuit switched connection through the intelligent telecommunications network from the originating caller to the destination user.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising:

means for receiving additional input from the originating caller during the display of the multimedia audiovisual presentation; and

means for determining, based upon the additional input, whether any subsequent multimedia audiovisual presentations are to be presented to the originating caller.

4. A calling method comprising:

generating, by an originating caller over a packet switched internet of client and server computers connected to an intelligent public switched telephone network, a request for a call to be established by the intelligent public switched telephone network;

providing, the originating caller with one or more multimedia and/or audiovisual presentations via the packet switched internet; and

completing, the call request from the originating caller to a destination user via the intelligent public switched telephone network such that the call is initiated and established from within the intelligent public switched telephone network and only upon completion of the multimedia and/or audiovisual presentation provided to the originating caller via the packet switched Internet.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

providing, via the intelligent public switched telephone network, one or more audio presentations simultaneously with the multimedia presentation(s) provided via the packet switched internet; and

synchronizing the multimedia presentation provided via the packet switched internet with the audio presentation provided via the intelligent public switched telephone network.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising:

receiving additional input from the originating caller; and

determining, based upon the additional input, whether any subsequent multimedia audiovisual presentations are to be presented to the originating caller.