Provisioning of locally-generated prompts from a central source

• US 7,062,544 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2000
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ollis, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/661,739
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 370/352, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/67.1, 379/88.05, 379/88.14, 379/88.23, 379/88.27, 379/88.06, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A method and system for providing locally generated prompts/announcements from a centralized source is presented in which voice and text files can be downloaded from a centralized server to a client device. The client device can include a telecommunications gateway which supports telephony services provided over a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) network. By downloading files which are appropriate for the user, the client side receives and stores an appropriate subset of the prompt/announcement files available on the server.

Claims

1. A system for providing locally generated prompts/announcements in a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

a centralized server for storing a plurality of prompt/announcement files, said plurality including various types of files and organized in a system with respect to user characteristics of a system user;

a telecommunications device located in close proximity to the system user, said telecommunications device for downloading a user-specified subset of files associated with said user characteristics from said plurality of files; and

at least one communication device for interacting with said telecommunications device and selecting the user-specified subset of files from said plurality of files to be downloaded,

wherein said user characteristics include the system user'"'"'s location.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one communication device comprises a telephone with a keypad for selecting the user-specified subset of files.

3. The system as defined in claim 2 wherein the selected user-specified subset of files comprise voice files.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one communication device comprises a computer with a keyboard for selecting the user-specified subset of files.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the selected user-specified subset of files are chosen from a group consisting of text files, video files and multimedia files.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one communication device comprises:

a telephone with a keypad for selecting a first group of user-specified subset of files; and

a computer with a keyboard for selecting a second group of user-specified subset of files.

7. The system as defined in claim 6 wherein the first group of user-specified subset of files comprises voice files and the second group of user-specified subset of files comprises files chosen from a group consisting of text files, video files and multimedia files.

8. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the network comprises an HFC network and the telecommunications device comprises a communication gateway.

9. A method of providing client-side prompt/announcement files for use by a subscriber on a local telecommunications device from a plurality of prompt/announcement files stored on a centralized server, the method comprising the steps of:

a) determining subscriber-specific characteristics from subscriber-provider input;

b) determining the type of user entry device; and

c) downloading a subset of prompt/announcement files from the centralized server to the local telecommunications device based upon the subscriber-provided, subscriber-specific characteristics and the determined type of user entry device,

wherein in performing step a), the subscriber-specific characteristics include location.