Method and apparatus for providing personal audio alert messaging for audio alerting capable terminals
First Claim
1. A method for providing a personal audio alert message (PAAM) to a called party and a calling party during a call connection, the method comprising:
- querying a PAAM database in response to a call origination by the calling party, the PAAM database comprising a plurality of PAAM message strings for each of the calling party and the called party, the plurality of PAAM message strings being customizable to define personal messages for exchange between the calling party and the called party during a call connection, and to define a preference for a message of the calling party over a message of the called party and vice versa, and in the absence of a defined personal message, one or more of the PAAM message strings presenting a generic message;
receiving one or more of the plurality of PAAM strings from the database in response to the query;
routing the call to the called party;
returning one or more of the plurality of PAAM strings from the database, to the called party in the routed call; and
connecting the call if the called party accepts the call.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, apparatus and system for providing personal audio alert messages (PAAM) to a called party and a calling party during a call connection. In response to a call origination by the calling party, a PAAM database may be queried. One ore more personal audio alert message (PAAM) strings may be received from a database in response to the query. A first PAAM string, from the one or more PAAM strings identifying the called party to the calling party, may be returned. The call may be routed to the called party. A second PAAM string and a third PAAM string may be returned, from the one or more PAAM strings, to the called party in the routed call. The call is connected if the called party accepts the call.
85 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for providing a personal audio alert message (PAAM) to a called party and a calling party during a call connection, the method comprising:
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querying a PAAM database in response to a call origination by the calling party, the PAAM database comprising a plurality of PAAM message strings for each of the calling party and the called party, the plurality of PAAM message strings being customizable to define personal messages for exchange between the calling party and the called party during a call connection, and to define a preference for a message of the calling party over a message of the called party and vice versa, and in the absence of a defined personal message, one or more of the PAAM message strings presenting a generic message;
receiving one or more of the plurality of PAAM strings from the database in response to the query;
routing the call to the called party;
returning one or more of the plurality of PAAM strings from the database, to the called party in the routed call; and
connecting the call if the called party accepts the call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A network apparatus for providing a personal audio alert message (PAAM) to a called party and a calling party during a call, the method comprising:
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a switch to receive the call from the calling party; and
a memory for storing a plurality of PAAM message strings for each of the calling party and the called party, the plurality of PAAM message strings being customizable to define personal messages for exchange between the calling party and the called party during a call connection, and to define a preference for a message of the calling party over a message of the called party and vice versa, and in the absence of a defined personal message, one or more of the PAAM message strings presenting a generic message, wherein responsive to the call from the calling party, the switch queries the memory for PAAM one or more of the plurality of PAAM strings, returns a first PAAM string identifying the called party to the calling party, returns a second PAAM string to the called party that represents a salutation to the called party, returns a third PAAM string to the called party that identifies the calling party to the called party, and connects the call if the called party answers the call. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions, the plurality of instructions comprising instructions to:
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query a personal audio alert message (PAAM) database in response to a call origination by the calling party, the PAAM database comprising a plurality of PAAM message strings for each of the calling pa and the called party, the plurality of PAAM message strings being customizable to define personal messages for exchange between the calling party and the called party during a call connection, and to define a preference for a message of the calling party over a message of the called party and vice versa, and in the absence of a defined personal message, one or more of the PAAM message strings presenting a generic message;
receive one or more of the plurality of PAAM strings from the database in response to the query;
route the call to the called party;
return one or more of the plurality of PAAM strings from the database, to the called party in the routed call connect the call if the called party accepts the call. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for presenting personal audio alert messages to a called party and a calling party during a call, the method comprising:
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originating the call to the called party by the calling party;
determining whether a personal audio alert message (PAAM) service is enabled;
searching a local calling party PAAM database for a called party number if the PAAM service is enabled, the local calling PAAM database comprising a plurality of PAAM message strings for each of the calling party and the called party, the plurality of PAAM message strings being customizable to define personal messages for exchange between the calling party and the called party during a call connection, and to define a preference for a message of the calling party over a message of the called party and vice versa, and in the absence of a defined personal message, one or more of the PAAM message strings presenting a generic message;
if the called party number is found in the local calling party database, retrieving a personalized first PAAM string associated with the called party number from the local calling party PAAM database, the personalized first PAAM string including a personalized message relating to the identity of the called party and the personalized first PAAM string is stored in the local calling party PAAM database by the calling party;
presenting the calling party with the personalized first PAAM string while the call is being routed to the called party; and
if the called party number is not found in the local calling party database, presenting the calling party with a generic first PAAM string, the generic first PAAM string including a generic message relating to the identity of the called party. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus for providing a personal audio alert service to a called party and a calling party during a call connection, the apparatus comprising:
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a memory to store called party information, calling party information and associated personal audio alert message (PAAM) information, the PAAM information comprising a plurality of PAAM message strings for each of the calling party and the called part, the plurality of PAAM message strings being customizable to define personal messages for exchange between the calling party and the called party during a call connection, and to define a preference for a message of the calling party over a message of the called party and vice versa, and in the absence of a defined personal message, one or more of the PAAM message strings presenting a generic message;
a PAAM interface to search the memory for a called party number and to retrieve a personalized first PAAM string from the associated PAAM information if the called party number is found in the memory;
a PAAM module to receive the personalized first PAAM string and to generate a first personalized message including the personalized first PAAM string when a call is originated, the first personalized message including an identifier for the called party and the personalized first PAAM string is stored in the memory by the calling party; and
an output device to output the generated first personalized message to the calling party while the call is connected and to further output a generic message to the calling party including a generic PAAM string including an identifier relating to the identity of the called party if the called party number is not found in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification