Call progress information in cable telephony

• US 6,920,206 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rahman, Moshiur, Bosik, Barry S., Basore, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US10/732,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20040120485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.23, 379/90.01, 379/93.17, 379/93.25, 379/102.03, 379/142.06, 379/142.16, 379/142.01, 725/106, 725/109, 725/111
• US Class Current: 379/93.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1215 where a cable TV network is used as an access to the PSTN/ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

A method, carried out in an arrangement having a cable that provides programming information to a video monitor as well as telephony service, where call progress information of a telephone call is displayed on the monitor, and the method sends control information upstream, over the cable, in connection with desired information relative to the call progress.

Claims

1. A method for controlling telephonic communication in an arrangement where a telephone at a user'"'"'s premises is coupled to a broadband interface module, that is connected to a remote PSTN interface arrangement through a cable that carries signals that correspond to (a) signals for apparatus that includes a monitor for display of video information, and (b) signals associated with said telephone, said method being carried out in said broadband interface module and comprising the steps of:

receiving call progress signaling information pertaining to said telephone from said PSTN interface arrangement;

analyzing said information to determine whether additional information is needed;

if said step of analyzing determines that said additional information is needed, (a) sending a query message via said PSTN interface arrangement, and (b) receiving a data message from said PSTN interface arrangement that is responsive to said sending;

creating a video message from said call progress signaling information and, if said step of determining determines that said additional information is needed, from said data message; and

applying said video message to said monitor.

2. The method of claim 1 where said query message sent by said step of sending is to a server.

3. The method of claim 2 where said server is accessible to said PSTN interface arrangement via a telecommunication signaling network.

4. The method of claim 3 where said telecommunication signaling network is the SS7 signaling network.

5. The method of claim 2 where said server comprises a national database that associates telephone numbers with names.

6. The method of claim 2 where said server comprises a database that associates telephone numbers with names, spanning an area that is greater than an area served by a telecommunications service provider that serves any one caller.

7. The method of claim 1 where said call progress signaling information comprises a caller'"'"'s telephone number.

8. The method of claim 7 where said step of analyzing determines that said additional information is needed when said call progress signaling information fails to comprise a caller'"'"'s name as well as said caller'"'"'s telephone number.

9. The method of claim 8 where said query message includes said caller'"'"'s telephone number.