System and method of audible caller identification via a multimedia device

• US 8,009,812 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruce, Les, Brandt, Jeffrey L., Sullivan, Marc A., Hubscher, Mark B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US11/590,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20080101588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.14, 379/215.01, 379/207.16
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• 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 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/14 cable networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• 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 system is disclosed that includes receiving an incoming call including caller identification information at an input responsive to a network. An audio alert and display information associated with the incoming call are sent to a multimedia device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an incoming call at a multimedia device, wherein the incoming call includes caller identification information;

accessing a first personal address book to determine whether caller information that is related to the caller identification information is stored at the first personal address book, wherein the first personal address book is stored at a first device that is located at a first location;

in response to determining that the caller information is not stored at the first personal address book, accessing a second personal address book to determine whether the caller information is stored at the second personal address book, wherein the second personal address book is stored at a second device that is located at a second location that is different from the first location;

inserting an audio alert into a multimedia data stream, wherein the audio alert is determined based on the caller information; and

creating a volume differential between a first sound volume and a second sound volume, wherein the first sound volume is associated with the audio alert and the second sound volume is associated with the multimedia data stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the volume differential comprises adjusting the first sound volume to be greater than the second sound volume.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the volume differential comprises:

reducing the second sound volume from a first volume level to a second volume level; and

adjusting the first sound volume to the first volume level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio alert is stored at the second personal address book in association with the caller identification information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the audio alert is recorded by a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the audio alert by converting the caller information stored at the second personal address book from text to speech.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a name within the second personal address book that is related to the caller identification information is converted from text to speech to provide the audio alert.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein an alias within the second personal address book that is related to the caller identification information is converted from text to speech to provide the audio alert.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the alias includes a nickname that is associated with a particular phone number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first personal address book is stored at the multimedia device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second personal address book that is stored at the second device is accessible via a network interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network interface includes one of a wireless interface and a wired interface.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second device includes a computing device that is accessible via a home network interface.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

in response to determining that the caller information is not stored at the second personal address book, accessing a third personal address book to determine whether the caller information is stored at the third personal address book, wherein the third personal address book is stored at a third device that is located at a third location that is different from the first location and the second location,

wherein the third personal address book that is stored at the third device is accessible via a second network interface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the third device is associated with an internet service provider.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising accessing a fourth personal address book to determine whether the caller information is stored at the fourth personal address book in response to determining that the caller information is not stored at the third personal address book, wherein the fourth personal address book is stored at a fourth device that is located at a fourth location that is different from the first location, the second location, and the third location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fourth device is associated with a public switched telephone network.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising accessing a fifth personal address book to determine whether the caller information is stored at the fifth personal address book in response to determining that the caller information is not stored at the fourth personal address book, wherein the fifth personal address book is stored at a fifth device that is located at a fifth location that is different from the first location, the second location, the third location, and the fourth location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fifth device is associated with a call control center of a public switched telephone network.

20. An electronic device comprising:

an input responsive to receive an incoming telephone call that includes caller identification information;

a memory to store a first personal address book;

a processor coupled to the input and to the memory, the processor to;

access the first personal address book to determine whether caller information that is related to the caller identification information is stored at the first personal address book;

in response to determining that the caller information is not stored at the first personal address book, access a second personal address book to determine whether the caller information is stored at the second personal address book, wherein the second personal address book is stored at a second device that is located at a different location;

insert an audio alert into a multimedia data stream, wherein the audio alert is determined based on the caller information; and

create a volume differential between a first sound volume and a second sound volume, wherein the first sound volume is associated with the audio alert and the second sound volume is associated with the multimedia data stream.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the electronic device comprises a set-top box device.

22. The electronic device of claim 20, further comprising a text-to-speech converter coupled to the processor, the text-to-speech converter to generate the audio alert based at least in part on the caller information.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the text-to-speech converter generates the audio alert based on the caller information stored at the second personal address book and based on the caller identification information included in the incoming telephone call.

24. A non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive an incoming call including caller identification information at an input;

access a first personal address book to determine whether caller information that is related to the caller identification information is stored at the first personal address book, wherein the first personal address book is stored at a first device that is located at a first location;

in response to determining that the caller information is not stored at the first personal address book, access a second personal address book to determine whether the caller information is stored at the second personal address book, wherein the second personal address book is stored at a second device that is located at a second location that is different from the first location;

insert an audio alert associated with the incoming call into a multimedia data stream, wherein the audio alert is determined based on the caller information; and

create a volume differential between a first sound volume and a second sound volume, wherein the first sound volume is associated with the audio alert and the second sound volume is associated with the multimedia data stream.

25. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the processor-executable instructions to create the volume differential include instructions to set the first sound volume to be greater than the second sound volume.

26. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the audio alert by converting the caller information stored at the second personal address book from text to speech.