Multi-media communication system having programmable speed dial control indicia

• US 6,970,556 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Inventors: Wall, Daniel G., Lewis, Calvin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curits
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jamal, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US10/096,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20030059033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 37935501-35507, 379/355.09, 379/201.05, 379/218.01, 379/207.11, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/550.1, 455/564
• US Class Current: 379/355.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/424 Arrangements for automatic redialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present multi-media subscriber station has control unit and a plurality of communication devices. Each communication device includes speed dial controls which, when activated but a user, provide for establishing a communication session to a communication end point associated with the speed dial control. Each speed dial control is associated with a programmable image display on which an image associated with the communication end point may be displayed.

Claims

1. A communication system for operation with a plurality of subscriber devices, each associated with a subscriber, the communication system comprising:

a control unit comprising a speed dial directory and a session control server,

the speed dial directory storing, for each subscriber, a list of speed dial destinations, a telephone code associate with each speed dial destination, and a graphic image file associated with each speed dial destination;

the session control server, in response to an indication that a subscriber device has been coupled to a subscriber station, obtains identification of the subscriber device and provides to the subscriber device the graphic image files associated with of the subscriber'"'"'s speed dial destinations; and

a subscriber station coupled to the control unit and comprising;

a docking bay for coupling a subscriber device to the subscriber station;

display means for generating a plurality of images in accordance with the image files provided by the control unit; and

input means on the communication device for enabling a user to select a one of the plurality of images to signal the control unit to initiate a connection to the destination associated with the selected image.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said input means comprises:

a touch panel having a touch sensitive surface overlaying the display means for enabling said subscriber to select one of the images generated by the display means via contact with said touch sensitive surface.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said input means comprises:

a plurality of buttons, each associated with a the display means, for enabling said subscriber to select one of the images generated by the display screen by operation of the one of the plurality of buttons associated with the image.

4. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

wireless link means for establishing a wireless communication link between the control unit and the communication device and wherein the plurality of images associated with the subscriber are provided to the display means via the wireless link.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said speed dialing means comprises:

image programming means for enabling the subscriber to load an image to the speed dial directory means and associate the image to a code associated with the subscriber.

6. A method of providing speed dial functionality in a communication system which operates with a plurality of subscriber devices, each associated with a subscriber, and which comprises a subscriber station coupled to a control unit that operates to interconnect the subscriber station to a destination communication endpoint, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of images, each in associated with a code defining a destination communication end point in a speed dial directory of the control unit;

obtaining identification of a subscriber device coupled to a subscriber station;

providing to the subscriber station the plurality of images that are associated with destinations codes that are associated with the subscriber device;

displaying on the subscriber station each of the plurality of images in association with subscriber input means;

detecting subscriber selection of an image via subscriber input means;

establishing a communication session with the destination communication end point defined by the code associated with the selected image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

displaying each of the plurality of images comprises displaying the plurality of images on a touch panel having a touch sensitive surface overlaying a display screen; and

detecting subscriber selection of an image comprises detecting subscriber contact with a portion of the touch sensitive service overlaying the selected image.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

displaying each of the plurality of images comprises displaying each image on a display panel associated with a subscriber activated button; and

detecting subscriber selection of an image comprises detecting subscriber activation of the button associated with the selected image.