Personalized messages over Internet call waiting

• US 6,724,872 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simpson, Anita Hogans, Moore, Darryl Cynthia, Roberts, Linda A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, WING F
• Application Number:
  US10/022,940
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.35, 379/93.23, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/142.01, 379/142.15, 379/215.01
• US Class Current: 379/93.35
• 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 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4281 when the called subscriber is connected to a data network using his telephone line, e.g. dial-up connection, Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A method and system are provided for delivering personalized messages to a calling party who calls a called party who is engaged in an Internet session over a telephone line not capable of receiving telephone calls without interrupting the Internet connection. The called party receives a notification on her computer screen of an incoming telephone call from a calling party. A drop box on the called party'"'"'s computer temporarily interrupts the called party and identifies the calling party. The called party may answer the call, forward the call to a separate telephone number, place the call on hold, send the call to voice mail, or type, select or record a personalized message that is delivered to the calling party without interrupting the Internet session. The personalized message may be a text message or a voice message. Text messages are converted from text to speech before delivery to the calling party. If the calling party'"'"'terminates the call attempt prior to hearing the message, the calling party is contacted for delivery of the message. If the calling party is not reached after a number of attempts, the called party is notified on her computer screen, without interrupting her Internet session, that the message to the calling party was not delivered. The called party may request the calling party be placed on hold after hearing the personalized message. At the expiration of the hold time, the called party may terminate the Internet session and automatically connect to the calling party.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system, a method of sending a message to a calling party from a called party where the calling party places a telephone call to the called party while the called party is operating a computing device utilizing the same telephone line as is used for receipt of telephone calls from the calling party, comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephone call from the calling party to the called party;

determining the called party'"'"'s line is in use by the called party'"'"'s computing device;

obtaining caller identification information for the calling party;

routing the caller identification information to the called party'"'"'s computing device;

notifying the called party of an incoming telephone call from the calling party;

sending a message from the called party to the calling party without interrupting the called party'"'"'s line that is in use by the called party'"'"'s computing device; and

if the calling party disconnects the calling party'"'"'s line prior to the step of sending the message to the calling party, then calling the calling party to provide the message to the calling party.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

connecting the calling party to the called party after the called party'"'"'s telephone line is available for use.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

while notifying the called party of an incoming telephone call from the calling party, keeping the call from the calling party in progress.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

routing the caller identification information to the called party'"'"'s computing device via a distributed computing system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the distributed computing system is the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, after the step of routing the caller identification information to the called party'"'"'s computing device, further comprising the step of:

displaying caller identification information on the called party'"'"'s computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, whereby the step of displaying the caller identification information includes displaying the caller identification information via a graphical user interface overlaying a screen display presently displayed on the called party'"'"'s computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing the called party with options for responding to the call from the calling party.

9. The method of claim 8, whereby the options include routing the calling party to a called party voice mail system.

10. The method of claim 9, whereby the options further include placing the calling party on hold.

11. The method of claim 10, whereby the options further include forwarding the call from the calling party to a different telephone directory number.

12. The method of claim 11, whereby the options further include disconnecting the called party'"'"'s computing device from the called party'"'"'s line, and answering the call from the calling party.

13. The method of claim 1, prior to the step of sending a message to the calling party, selecting a previously saved message.

14. The method of claim 13, whereby the step of sending a message to the calling party includes

sending a message to the calling party while the call from the calling party is still in progress.

15. The method of claim 14, whereby sending a message to the calling party, further comprises:

sending a text message to the calling party.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

converting the text message from text to speech format.

17. The method of claim 15, prior to the step of sending the message to the calling party, editing a previously saved text message.

18. The method of claim 15, prior to the step of sending a text message to the calling party, typing a text message for sending to the calling party in response to the call from the calling party.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

disconnecting the calling party'"'"'s line after sending the text message to the calling party.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

placing the calling party on hold after sending the text message to the calling party.

21. The method of claim 20, after the step of placing the calling party on hold, connecting the calling party to the called party after the called party disconnects the called party'"'"'s computing device from the called party'"'"'s line.

22. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of sending a message to the calling party further comprises the step of:

sending a voice message to the calling party.

23. The method of claim 22, after the step of sending the voice message to the calling party, placing the calling party on hold.

24. The method of claim 23, after the step of placing the calling party on hold, connecting the calling party to the called party after the called party disconnects the called party'"'"'s computing device from the called party'"'"'s line.

25. The method of claim 22, whereby sending a voice message to the calling party further comprising sending the voice message to the calling party while the call from the calling party is still in progress.

26. The method of claim 22, prior to the step of sending the voice message to the calling party, recording a personalized voice message in response to the call from the calling party.

27. The method of claim 22, after the step of sending the voice message to the calling party, disconnecting the calling party'"'"'s line.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

if the calling party does not answer, notifying the called party that the message was not delivered to the calling party.

29. In a telecommunications system, a method of sending a message to a calling party from a called party where the calling party places a telephone call to the called party while the called party is operating a computing device utilizing the same telephone line as is used for receipt of telephone calls from the calling party, comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephone call from the calling party to the called party;

determining the called party'"'"'s line is in use by the called party'"'"'s computing device;

obtaining caller identification information for the calling party;

routing the caller identification information to the called party'"'"'s computing device;

notifying the called party of an incoming telephone call from the calling party;

while notifying the called party of an incoming telephone call from the calling party, keeping the call from the calling party in progress;

displaying caller identification information on the called party'"'"'s computing device;

sending a message from the called party to the calling party without interrupting the called party'"'"'s line that is in use by the called party'"'"'s computing device; and

if the calling party disconnects the calling party'"'"'s line prior to the step of sending the message to the calling party, then calling the calling party to provide the message to the calling party.

30. The method of claim 29, whereby the step of sending a message to the calling party further comprises the step of:

sending a voice message to the calling party while the call from the calling party is still in progress.

31. The method of claim 30, after the step of sending the voice message to the calling party, disconnecting the calling party'"'"'s line.

32. The method of claim 30, after the step of sending the voice message to the calling party, placing the calling party on hold;

and

connecting the calling party to the called party after the called party disconnects the called party'"'"'s computing device from the called party'"'"'s line.

33. The method of claim 29, whereby sending a message to the calling party, further comprises:

sending a text message to the calling party while the call from the calling party is still in progress; and

converting the text message from text to speech format.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of:

disconnecting the calling party'"'"'s line after sending the text message to the calling party.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of:

placing the calling party on hold after sending the text message to the calling party; and

connecting the calling party to the called party after the called party disconnects the called party'"'"'s computing device from the called party'"'"'s line.

36. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of:

connecting the calling party to the called party after the called party'"'"'s telephone line is available for use.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of:

providing the called party with options for responding to the call from the calling party.

38. In a telecommunications system, a system for sending a message to a calling party from a called party where the calling party places a telephone call to the called party while the called party is operating a computing device utilizing the same telephone line as is used for receipt of telephone calls from the calling party, comprising:

a switch operative to receive a telephone call from the calling party to the called party;

a service control point operative to determine the called party'"'"'s line is in use by the called party'"'"'s computing device;

to obtain caller identification information for the calling party;

to route the caller identification information to the called party'"'"'s computing device via a distributed computing system;

to notify the called party of an incoming telephone call from the calling party;

to keep the call from the calling party in progress while notifying the called party of an incoming telephone call from the calling party;

the computing device operative to display caller identification information on the called party'"'"'s computing device, and

to send a message from the called party to the calling party without interrupting the called party'"'"'s line that is in use by the called party'"'"'s computing device; and

a service node operative to place a return call to the calling party to provide the message to the calling party in response to the calling party disconnecting the calling party'"'"'s line prior to the service control sending the message to the calling party.

39. The system of claim 38, the service control point being further operative:

to send an audio message to the service node from the called party directed to the calling party for provision to the calling party.

40. The system of claim 38, the service control point being further operative:

to connect the calling party to the called party after the called party'"'"'s telephone line is available for use.

41. The system of claim 38, the service control point being further operative:

to send a text message to the service node from the called party directed to the calling party for provision to the calling party in speech format.

42. The system of claim 41, further comprising:

the service node operative

to receive a text message from the called party directed to the calling party while the call from the calling party is still in progress;

to convert the text message from text to speech format; and

to provide the text message to the calling party.

43. The system of claim 42, the service node being further operative:

to disconnect the calling party'"'"'s line after providing the text message to the calling party.

44. The system of claim 43, the service node being further operative:

to place the calling party on hold after providing the text message to the calling party; and

to connect the calling party to the called party after the called party disconnects the called party'"'"'s computing device from the called party'"'"'s line.

45. The system of claim 38, the service node being further operative

to send a voice message to the calling party while the call from the calling party is still in progress.

46. The system of claim 45, the service node being further operative

to place the calling party on hold after providing the voice message to the calling party;

and

to connect the calling party to the called party after the called party disconnects the called party'"'"'s computing device from the called party'"'"'s line.

47. The system of claim 45, the service node being further operative

to disconnect the calling party'"'"'s line after providing the voice message to the calling party.