System and method for providing on-hold content in a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) environment

• US 7,209,475 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sarkar, Shantanu, Shaffer, Shmuel, Ramalingam, Thiyagesan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, RHONDA L
• Application Number:
  US10/035,679
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

A method and system for providing on-hold content in a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) environment includes receiving an indication of a call on-hold. On-hold content for the call may be selected based on revenue generation criteria such as, for example, prices advertisers and other content providers are willing to pay for provisioning of their content to the call.

Claims

1. A method for providing on-hold content in a packet-switched network, comprising:

receiving an indication of a call on-hold; and

selecting on-hold content for the call based on revenue generation criteria, comprising;

auctioning airtime of the call on-hold, comprising posting availability of the call on an Internet site along with profile information about the call and receiving bids for providing the on-hold content; and

selecting on-hold content of a highest bidder at the auction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating revenue by providing the on-hold content to the call on-hold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving profile information for the call on-hold; and

selecting the on-hold content for the call based on the revenue generation criteria and the profile information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the profile information comprises information interactively obtained from an on-hold party to the call.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the profile information comprises calling party information.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the profile information comprises called party information.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the profile information comprises estimated on-hold time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting on-hold content for the call on-hold based on the revenue generation criteria comprises auctioning airtime of the call on-hold and selecting on-hold content of a highest bidder at the auction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-hold content at least substantially comprises advertising.

10. The method of claim 1, selecting the on-hold content for the call on-hold comprising selecting on-hold content from one of a plurality of providers with a pre-existing arrangement to pay for providing on-hold content to calls on-hold.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the on-hold content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the on-hold content is delivered in an audio file format.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the on-hold content is delivered in Voice eXtensible Markup Language (VXML) format.

14. A system for providing on-hold content in a packet-switched network, comprising:

means for receiving an indication of a call on-hold; and

means for selecting on-hold content for the call based on revenue generation criteria, comprising;

means for auctioning airtime of the call on-hold operable to post availability of the call on-hold on an Internet site along with profile information about the call on-hold and to receive bids for providing the on-hold content; and

means for selecting on-hold content of a highest bidder at the auction.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for generating revenue by providing the on-hold content to the call on-hold.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving profile information for the call on-hold; and

means for selecting the on-hold content for the call based on the revenue generation criteria and the profile information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the profile information comprises information interactively obtained from an on-hold party to the call.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the profile information comprises calling party information.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the profile information comprises called party information.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the profile information comprises estimated on-hold time.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for selecting on-hold content for the call on-hold based on the revenue generation criteria comprises means for auctioning airtime of the call on-hold and selecting on-hold content of a highest bidder at the auction.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the on-hold content at least substantially comprises advertising.

23. The system of claim 14, the means for selecting the on-hold content for the call on-hold comprising means for selecting on-hold content from one of a plurality of providers with a pre-existing arrangement to pay for providing on-hold content to calls on-hold.

24. The system of claim 14, further comprising a means for delivering the on-hold content.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the on-hold content is delivered in an audio file format.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the on-hold content is delivered in Voice eXtensible Markup Language (VXML) format.

27. A system for providing on-hold content in a packet-switched network, comprising:

logic encoded in media; and

the logic operable to;

receive an indication of a call on-hold; and

select on-hold content for the call on-hold based on revenue generation criteria by;

auctioning airtime of the call on-hold by posting availability of the call on an Internet site along with profile information about the call and receiving bids for providing the on-hold content; and

selecting on-hold content of a highest bidder at the auction.

28. The system of claim 27, the logic further operable to providing the on-hold content to the call on-hold to generate revenue.

29. The system of claim 27, the logic further operable to receive profile information for the call on-hold and to select the on-hold content for the call on-hold based on the revenue generation criteria and the profile information.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the profile information comprises information interactively obtained from an on-hold party to the call.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the profile information comprises calling party information.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the profile information comprises called party information.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the profile information comprises estimated on-hold time.

34. The method of claim 27, the logic operable to select on-hold content for the call on-hold based on revenue generation by auctioning airtime of the call on-hold and selecting on-hold content of a highest bidder at the auction.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the on-hold content at least substantially comprises advertising.

36. The system of claim 27, the logic operable to select the on-hold content for the call on-hold by selecting on-hold content from one of a plurality of providers with a pre-existing arrangement to pay for providing on-hold content to calls on-hold.

37. The system of claim 27, the logic further operable to deliver the on-hold content.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the on-hold content is delivered in an audio file format.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the on-hold content is delivered in Voice extensible Markup Language (VXML) format.

40. A method for selling advertising in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network, comprising:

receiving profile information for a community;

providing the profile information to one or more service providers to bid to provide on-hold content to calls of the community placed on hold; and

auctioning a right to provide on-hold content to calls of the community placed on hold.

41. A method for selling advertising in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network, comprising:

receiving criteria of a content provider, the criteria specifying a type of community the content provider is interested in providing content for calls on hold;

selecting a community selling a right to provide content to its calls on hold based on the criteria; and

selling to the content provider the right to provide the on-hold content.