Apparatus and method for computer controlled call processing and information provision

• US 7,068,648 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2002
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Strathmeyer, Carl R., Finnie, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US10/072,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/356, 370/493, 370/494, 370/495, 370/271
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 : Text message transmission triggered by call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 : PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 : Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 : Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 : Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method and apparatus are presented for transmitting, from an application computer in communication with a gatekeeper which is connected to a data network, messages indicative of telephone calls in progress at an endpoint of the data network, or indicative of such endpoint, and transmitting, from the gatekeeper to the application computer, messages indicative of a variety of information contained in the telephone calls so as to process such information for a variety of applications. The invention contains a method for providing to a user of the system information relative to the incoming caller and to the subject of the call.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting over a packet data network information pertaining to an incoming call to a receiving endpoint indicative of telephony monitoring and control functions from an application computer to a gatekeeper, the application computer being located separately from any of at least two nodes of the packet data network;

transmitting a notification request of telephony events occurring at the receiving endpoint from the application computer to the gatekeeper;

transmitting a notification that the incoming call is being received by the receiving endpoint from the gatekeeper to the application computer;

routing the incoming call through the gatekeeper to connect to a selected endpoint of the packet data network according to established rules;

informing the application computer of an identity of an incoming caller;

providing to a user information relating to the incoming caller; and

causing a packetized telephone communications session between the at least two nodes of the packet data network to occur.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a subject matter of the incoming call and obtaining information relating to that subject matter; and

displaying information relating to the caller and to the subject matter.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising enabling a user to access additional information relating to the caller and/or the subject matter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing indicia from the incoming call to identify the caller.

5. The method of claim 4, utilizing the caller'"'"'s telephone number to identify the caller.

6. The method of claim 1, displaying information on a monitor that is accessible to a user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining information from the incoming caller and providing the obtained information to a user.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

assigning an identifier for the incoming call; and

caching the incoming call in combination with the obtained information and the call identifier for later retrieval.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

retrieving and forwarding the incoming call and the obtained information to a user.

10. An article comprising a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor causes:

transmitting over a packet data network information pertaining to an incoming call to a receiving endpoint indicative of telephony monitoring and control functions from an application computer to a gatekeeper, the application computer being located separately from any of at least two nodes of the packet data network;

transmitting a notification request of telephony events occurring at the receiving endpoint from the application computer to the gatekeeper;

transmitting a notification that the incoming call is being received by the receiving endpoint from the gatekeeper to the application computer;

routing an incoming call through the gatekeeper to connect to a selected endpoint of the packet data network according to established rules;

informing the application computer of an identity of an incoming caller;

providing to a user information relating to the incoming caller; and

causing a packetized telephone communications session between the at least two n the packet data network to occur.

11. The article of claim 10 wherein the instructions also cause information regarding subject matter of the incoming call to be obtained and displayed.

12. Apparatus comprising:

an applications computer to provide a user information relating to the an incoming caller of the telephone calls transmitted over a packet-switched data network under its control; and

a gatekeeper to establish telephone calls over the pack receive instructions from, and send messages to, the applications computer, said messages indicating at least the identity of an incoming caller;

wherein the application computer is to transmit a notification request of telephony events occurring at the a receiving endpoint to the gatekeeper; and

wherein the gatekeeper is to transmit a notification that the an incoming call is being received by the receiving endpoint to the application computer;

routing the incoming call through the gatekeeper to connect to a selected endpoint of the packet data network according to established rules;

informing the application computer of an identity of an incoming caller;

providing to a user information relating to the incoming caller; and

causing a packetized telephone communications session between the at least two nodes of the packet data network to occur.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein plural applications computers are configured to issue instructions to a single gatekeeper.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the gatekeeper establishes the telephone calls between at least two endpoints in the data network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the applications computer is arranged to extract additional information from the caller, and to present this information to a user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, where the information is presented to a user via a monitor or other display device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the applications computer is further arranged to communicate with the caller and the user via voice recognition and voice synthesis techniques.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the user is a called party.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said applications computer is configured to instruct a gatekeeper to initiate a call, and to await a message from said gatekeeper to complete the call.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the gatekeeper is programmed to inform the applications computer when information regarding the identity of the caller is acquired.