Method, apparatus, and communication system for setting up a communication session

• US 6,766,007 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2000
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fleiner, Claudio, Dermler, Gabriel, Heusler, Lukas, Truong, Hong Linh, Graf, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/483,359
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/210.01, 379/215.01, 379/142.08, 379/88.19, 379/210.02, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/207.02, 379/229, 379/230, 370/352, 709/206, 709/204, 709/217, 709/245
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• 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: H04Q 11/0435 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• 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 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13248 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

A telephone session between a calling person and a called person uses a call-related information segment which has been prepared by the calling person to inform the called person of the calling person and the subject of the session. The call-related information is transmitted to the called person and outputted there by use of an output unit, alerting the called person of the nature of the telephone session without the called person entering into the telephone session.

Claims

1. A method of setting up a telephonic communication session between a calling person and an available called person at an open phone line characterized by the calling person:

providing call related information on an input device contemporaneously with an attempt at establishing a communication link on the open phone line without first establishing the communication link to said available called person by said calling person, which information is related to said calling person or the subject of said session wherein a reference to the call related information in the form of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is sent with the call signals so that equipment at the called port location can go to an identified location and obtain the referenced call related information; and

transmitting the call related information on the communication link to an output device of the called person contemporaneously with call signals for establishing the communication link for alerting said available called person characteristics of the incoming call to decide whether to accept, reject or transfer the request for the telephone session without requiring the available called person to enter into the telephonic session.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the telephonic communication session is a call from the group consisting of a telephone call, a text-chat call, and a video conference call.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the call-related information has been defined by the calling person or optionally from a repository of call related messages.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the call-related information includes an indication of the calling person, an indication of the purpose of the call or an indication of the urgency of said call.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the call-related information includes identifying the calling person through a sensor from the group consisting of a voice-analyzer, a scanner, and a camera.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the call-related information includes information from the group consisting of text, photo, image, graphic, animation, audio, clip, video clip, and combinations thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the call-related information is transmitted and the session is afterwards interrupted if the called person does not respond.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that an alerting signal is provided to the called person to indicate that a call is incoming, and wherein said alerting signal is represented by the call-related information.

9. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the call related information is encoded in a signalling message which is sent from the calling party to the called party during the call set-up phase.

10. An apparatus at a calling location for setting up a telephonic communication session with a called device, whereby call related information is generatable or selectable, said call related information being related to a calling person or the subject of said session, comprising

a telephonic connection to a network and a unit for enabling said session,

a unit for generating or selecting said call related information by the calling person without first attempting to establish a telephone link to said called person,

a unit for processing said call related information, and

a transmitter for transmitting said call related information encoded in a signalling message accompanying the call set up signals which are sent from the calling party to the called party for the establishment of the communication session via said network to the called device to alert a person at the called device of the nature of the telephonic communication enabling the person at the called device to accept or not take the telephonic communication based on information in the signalling messages without first engaging in the telephonic communication session.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the call related information being implemented and sent in a setup message for the telephonic communication session using ISDN and the standard Q.931.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the call related information being implemented and sent in a setup message for the telephonic communication session using IP and H.323.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 in combination with receiving apparatus in the called device responsive to the call related information encoded in the signalling message.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein reference to call related information is generated by the calling location in form of an URL and the receiving apparatus at the called location includes apparatus automatically responsive to the URL to go to an identified location and obtain the call related information.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the call related information being implemented and sent in a setup message for the telephonic communication session using ISDN and the standard Q.931.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the call related information being implemented and sent in a setup message for the telephonic communication session using IP and H.323.

17. A computer program product on a computer readable medium comprising machine readable code which, when being executed by a processor of a calling device, the computer program product comprising:

software for setting up a telephonic communication session between the calling person at said calling device and an available called party at the called device,

software for creating or selecting call related information without first attempting to establish a connection for the telephonic communication session which relates to said calling device'"'"'s user or the subject of said session,

software for sending, with the call signals, a reference to the call related information in the form of an URL; and

software for transmitting said call related information via a network to said called device prior to a contemporaneous attempt to establish the connection to allow software at the called port location to go to an identified location and obtain the call related information enabling the called party to determine the nature of the telephonic communication session and accept or reject the telephonic communication without entering into the session.

18. A computer program product on a computer readable medium comprising machine readable code which, when being executed by a processor of a called device, the computer program product comprising:

software for setting up a telephonic communication session between a calling device and said called device,

software for receiving a reference to call related information in form of an URL transmitted in the call set up signals to establish the communication session via a network from said calling device, said call related information relating to said calling device'"'"'s user or the subject of said session; and

software at the called device responsive to the URL to go to an identified location and obtain the call related information to provide;

said call related information contemporaneously with signals to establish the telephonic communication session with the called device allowing a waiting party on an open telephone line to decide whether to accept or reject entering into the telephonic communication session without that waiting party first entering into the telephonic communication session.