Text feedback to an on-hold party

• US 8,121,262 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Michaelis, Paul Roller
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US11/780,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8811- 8815, 379/93.09, 379/93.11, 379/142.08, 379/207.01, 379/215.01, 379/263, 370/352, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/88.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72513 On hold, intercom or transfer communication modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A party to a call that has been put on hold is provided with textual, display, announcements while on hold, via the on-hold call. A facility of the party that put the call on hold transmits text-based status indicators that are then displayed on a display of the on-hold party'"'"'s communications device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

placing on hold a call with a communications device; and

while the call and an associated voice channel are on hold, sending text to the communications device via one or more of a signaling channel and the associated voice channel, the text being sent via a real-time transmission protocol for display by the communications device, wherein the one or more of the signaling channel and associated voice channel conveys the text to a display of the communications device, wherein the text is encoded in a format compatible with the display of the communications device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the call includes the voice channel.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the communications device is video-enabled.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the call is a VoIP call.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the text is sent in packets of the real-time transmission protocol.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the text is encoded in a format specified by the Unicode Consortium.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the text is encoded in a format specified by the International Telecommunication Union Recommendation V.18.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the text comprises an announcement, and

the method further comprises

while the call is on hold, further sending an audio announcement via the call to the device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the text announcement and the audio announcement are sent via a same real-time transmission protocol packet stream.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

packets of the stream that carry the text announcement have different headers from headers of packets of the stream that carry the voice announcement.

11. A method comprising:

a communications device having a call with a far end placed on hold by the far end;

while the call and an associated voice channel are on hold, the communications device receiving text from the far end via one or more of a signaling channel and the associated voice channel, the received text being sent via a real-time transmission protocol; and

the communications device displaying the received text, wherein the one or more of the signaling channel and the associated voice channel conveys the received text to a display of the communications device, the received text being encoded in a format compatible with the display.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the call includes the voice channel.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the communications device is video-enabled.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the call is a VoIP call.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the text is sent in packets of the real-time transmission protocol.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the text is encoded in a format specified by the Unicode Consortium.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the text is encoded in a format specified by the International Telecommunication Union Recommendation V.18.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the text comprises an announcement, and

the method further comprises

while the call is on hold, the communications device receiving an audio announcement from the far end via the call, and

the communications device playing the audio announcement.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the text announcement and the audio announcement are received via a same real-time transmission protocol packet stream.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein:

packets of the stream that carry the text announcement have different headers from headers of packets of the stream that carry the voice announcement.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for placing on hold a call with a communications device;

a source of text;

a transmitter for sending the text to the communications device via one or more of a signaling channel and an associated voice channel while the call, and the associated voice channel are on hold, the text being sent via a real-time transmission protocol, for display by the communications device, wherein one or more of the signaling channel and associated voice channel conveys the text to a display of the communications device, the text being encoded in a format compatible with the display.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein:

the transmitter is adapted to send audio of the call via the voice channel.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein:

the call is a VoIP call.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein:

the text comprises an announcement;

the apparatus further comprises a source of an audio announcement; and

the transmitter is further for sending the audio announcement to the device via the call while the call is on hold.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein:

the call is a VoIP call; and

the transmitter is adapted to send the text announcement and the audio announcement via a same real-time transmission protocol packet stream.