Methods and systems for visual voice calls

• US 7,634,067 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Velarde, Jimena, Aldrey, Raul, Valdez, John, Sharma, Sudhanshu, Naggar, Michael J., Goldstein, Mona A., Elberg, Edwin, Blando, Luis
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US11/303,980
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.17, 379/88.13, 370/463
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set

Abstract

In an exemplary method, at least one telephony attribute associated with a voice call directed from a client communication subsystem to a voice network identifier is detected. Visual content that has been predefined as being associated with the at least one telephony attribute is identified. A request for the visual content is initiated in response to the detecting step. The visual content is received, in response to the initiating step, for display at the client communication subsystem.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting at least one telephony attribute associated with a voice call directed from a client communication subsystem to a voice network identifier;

identifying visual content that has been predefined as being associated with the at least one telephony attribute;

initiating a request for the visual content in response to said detecting step; and

receiving the visual content in response to said initiating step, the visual content being received for display at the client communication subsystem.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one voice signal associated with the voice call, said step of receiving the visual content and said step of receiving the at least one voice signal being performed substantially simultaneously at the client communication subsystem.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the client communication subsystem, at least one voice signal associated with the voice call;

playing back the voice signal at the client communication subsystem; and

displaying the visual content at the client communication subsystem, said displaying step being synchronized with said playing back step.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from a content provider, visual content and a predefined association of the visual content to the at least one telephony attribute, said identifying step including using the predefined association to identify the visual content as being associated with the at least one telephony attribute.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating an index, the index including the predefined association; and

delivering the index to the client communication subsystem, wherein the using step is performed at the client communication subsystem.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating an index, the index including the predefined association; and

delivering the index to an application server subsystem, wherein the using step is performed at the application server subsystem.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting step includes recognizing a dialing, at the client communication subsystem, of the voice network identifier, wherein the at least one telephony attribute comprises at least a portion of the voice network identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting step includes recognizing a voice or touchtone signal initiated at the client communication subsystem, the at least one telephony attribute comprising data representative of the predefined voice or touchtone signal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an introductory visual content page at client communication subsystem, the introductory visual content page being predefined as being associated with the voice network identifier; and

displaying the introductory visual content page at client communication subsystem in response to said detecting step.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing content management templates to the content provider, the content templates including a tool for defining the predefined association of the visual content to the at least one telephony attribute.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a library of images to the content provider, the images in the library being configured for use in building the visual content.

12. A method comprising

receiving, from a content provider, visual content and a predefined association of the visual content to a telephone number;

storing the visual content at a content server subsystem;

detecting an initiation of a voice call from a client communication subsystem to the telephone number;

using the predefined association to identify the visual content as being associated with the telephone number; and

delivering the visual content from the content server subsystem to the client communication device for display.

13. A system comprising:

a content management subsystem configured to receive, from a content provider, visual content and a predefined association of said visual content to at least one telephony attribute;

a content server subsystem communicatively coupled to said content management subsystem and configured to store said visual content and said predefined association of said visual content to said at least one telephony attribute, said content server subsystem being further configured to

receive a request for said visual content, the request being initiated in response to a detection of said at least one telephony attribute occurring in association with a voice call directed from a client communication subsystem to a voice network identifier associated with the content provider, and

respond to the request by delivering said visual content to the client communication subsystem for display.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one telephony attribute includes at least one of an initiation, connection, disconnection, and termination of the voice call directed from the client communication subsystem to the voice network identifier associated with the content provider.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one telephony attribute includes at least one of an interactive voice response (“

IVR”

) signal or a touchtone signal directed from the client communication device to the voice network identifier associated with the content provider.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said voice network identifier includes a telephone number associated with the content provider, and said at least one telephony attribute includes a dialing, at the client communication subsystem, of the telephone number associated with the content provider.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the client communication subsystem is configured to:

receive at least one voice signal associated with the voice call;

play back said the voice signal; and

display said visual content, the display of said visual content being synchronized with the playback of said voice signal.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising an index stored at the client communication subsystem, said index including said predefined association of said visual content to said at least one telephony attribute, the client communication subsystem being configured to query said index for said at least one telephony attribute and to identify said visual content associated with said at least one telephony attribute.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said index includes an introductory visual content page configured to be displayed at the client communication subsystem while said visual content is being retrieved from said content server subsystem.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising

an application server subsystem communicatively coupling the client communication subsystem to said content server subsystem;

and

an index stored at said application server subsystem, said index including said predefined association of said visual content to said at least one telephony attribute, said application server subsystem being configured to query said index for said at least one telephony attribute and to identify said visual content associated with said at least one telephony attribute.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the client communication device comprises a single telephony device configured to send and receive voice communications over a voice communication network and to display said visual content.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein said predefined association further defines at least one association between said visual content and a geographic identifier, said visual content being requested for delivery when it is determined that said geographic identifier matches a geographic location associated with the client communication subsystem.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein said content management subsystem is configured to provide one or more predefined templates to the content provider, said predefined templates including one or more tools for managing visual content.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein said content management subsystem is configured to provide a library of images to the content provider, said library of images including images configured for use in building said visual content.