Method and apparatus for personalization of a public multimedia communications terminal

• US 6,658,254 B1
• Filed: 10/07/1999
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Purdy, Kermit Hal, Unger, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/414,135
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/66, 455/426, 455/456, 455/458, 455/459, 455/556, 455/417, 455/461, 455/517, 455/414, 455/435, 455/432, 455/411, 455/557, 455/419, 379/201.06, 379/201.07, 340/7--, 370/313, 370/338, 370/401
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A multimedia call is completed to a mobile user, who registered to receive a multimedia call at a multimedia terminal using a portable intelligent device. A mobile user record including a physical address of a multimedia terminal and a user address is stored. In response to a multimedia call addressed to the user address, the physical address is determined and call notification information is transmitted to the multimedia terminal at the physical address. The multimedia call is then completed to the multimedia terminal at the physical address.

Claims

1. A method for completing a multimedia call addressed to a user address of a mobile user, comprising:

registering a request by the mobile user to receive a multimedia call at a multimedia terminal with a personal intelligent device (“

PID”

);

authenticating and authorizing said registration request of the mobile user to receive said multimedia call at said multimedia terminal;

storing a user address and a physical address of the multimedia terminal in a mobile user record, wherein the user address was received from the PID via the multimedia terminal;

responsive to a multimedia call addressed to the user address,

determining the physical address based at least partly from the mobile user record,

transmitting call notification information to the multimedia terminal at the physical address; and

completing the multimedia call to the multimedia terminal at the physical address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the call notification information includes the user address.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the call notification information includes a call announcement message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

storing a user address includes storing a PID address, wherein the PID address was received from the PID via the multimedia terminal; and

determining the physical address includes determining the PID address.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the call notification information includes the PID address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the call notification information includes a call announcement message.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the call notification information includes transmitting a call announcement message addressed to the PID address.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein

storing a user address includes storing a user credential, wherein the user credential was received from the PID via the multimedia terminal;

and

determining the physical address of the multimedia terminal includes determining the PID address.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of storing in a memory a mobile user record is performed only if the user address is determined to be authentic based at least in part from the user credential.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of storing in a memory a mobile user record is performed only if the user address is determined to be authorized.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of storing in a memory a mobile user record is performed only if the user address is determined to be authorized.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein completing the multimedia call to the multimedia terminal at the physical address includes:

receiving a second user credential; and

completing the multimedia call to the multimedia terminal at the physical address only if the received second user credential corresponds to the stored user credential.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein responsive to said mobile user said PID executes an operation selected from a group consisting of a user account identifier, a password, a personal identification number (“

PIN”

), a public key and a shared secret key.

14. A method for processing a multimedia call addressed to a user address of a mobile user, comprising:

registering a request by the mobile user to receive a multimedia call at a multimedia terminal with a personal intelligent device (“

PID”

);

authenticating and authorizing said registration request to receive said multimedia call at said multimedia terminal;

associating a physical address of the multimedia terminal and a user address, the user address having been received from a PID via the multimedia terminal;

responsive to a multimedia call addressed to the user address,

determining the physical address based at least partly from the association of the physical address and the user address;

determining that the multimedia call cannot be completed to the physical address;

determining a second physical address, wherein the physical address and the second physical address are each part of a hunt group of physical addresses;

transmitting call notification information to the multimedia terminal at the second physical address; and

completing the multimedia call to the second physical address.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the call notification information includes the user address.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the call notification information includes a call announcement message.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein responsive to said mobile user said PID executes an operation selected from a group consisting of a user account identifier, a password, a personal identification number (“

PIN”

), a public key and a shared secret key.

18. An apparatus for completing a multimedia call addressed to a user address of a mobile user, comprising:

a. at least one means for registering a request by said user to receive a multimedia call at a multimedia terminal using a personal intelligent device (“

PID”

);

b. at least one means to authenticate and authorize said registration request to receive said multimedia call at said multimedia terminal;

c. a processor; and

d. a memory, coupled to said processor, storing a plurality of instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

store a user address and a physical address of the multimedia terminal in a mobile user record, wherein the user address was received from a PID via the multimedia terminal;

responsive to a multimedia call addressed to the user address, determine the physical address based at least partly from the mobile user record;

transmit call notification information to the multimedia terminal at the physical address; and

complete the multimedia call to the multimedia terminal at the physical address.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein

the user address storing instructions include instructions to store a PID address, wherein the PID address was received from the PID via the multimedia terminal; and

the physical address determining instructions include instructions to determine the PID address.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the user address storing instructions include instructions to store a user credential, wherein the user credential was received from the PID via the multimedia terminal; and

the physical address determining instructions include instructions to determine the PID address.

21. A system for completing a multimedia call addressed to a user address of a mobile user, comprising:

at least one means for registering a request by said user to receive a multimedia call at a multimedia terminal;

at least one means for authenticating and authorizing said request by said user to receive said multimedia call at said multimedia terminal;

means for storing a user address and a physical address of the multimedia terminal in a mobile user record;

responsive to a multimedia call addressed to the user address, means for determining the physical address based at least partly from the mobile user record;

means for transmitting call notification information to the multimedia terminal at the physical address; and

means for completing the multimedia call to the multimedia terminal at the physical address.

22. A medium storing a plurality of instructions adapted for execution by a processor for completing a multimedia call addressed to a user address of a mobile user, said plurality of instructions comprising instructions to:

request to register said user to receive a multimedia call at a multimedia terminal via a PID;

authenticate and authorize said registration request of said mobile user;

store a user address and a physical address of the multimedia terminal in a mobile user record, wherein the user address was received from said PID via the multimedia terminal;

responsive to a multimedia call addressed to the user address,

determine the physical address based at least partly from the mobile user record;

transmit call notification information to the multimedia terminal at the physical address; and

complete the multimedia call to the multimedia terminal at the physical address.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein

the instructions to store a user address include instructions to store a PID address, wherein the PID address was received from the PID via the multimedia terminal; and

the instructions to determine the physical address include instructions to determine the PID address.

24. The medium of claim 22, wherein

the instructions to store a user address include instructions to store a user credential, wherein the user credential was received from the PID via the multimedia terminal;

and

the instructions to determine the physical address of the multimedia terminal include instructions to determine the PID address.

25. The medium of claim 22, wherein the instructions to complete the multimedia call to the multimedia terminal at the physical address include instructions to:

receive a second user credential;

complete the multimedia call to the multimedia terminal at the physical address only if the received second user credential corresponds to the stored user credential.

26. The medium of claim 22, wherein responsive to said mobile user said PID executes an operation selected from a group consisting of a user account identifier, a password, a personal identification number (“

PIN”

), a public key and a shared secret key.