System and method for call handling

• US 8,223,941 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Scott, Cansler, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, HARRY S
• Application Number:
  US12/021,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20090190734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 37920106-2011, 4554561-4563
• US Class Current: 379/201.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• 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: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a call processing element in a communication system having a controller to detect an incoming call directed to a called party, retrieve presence information associated with a plurality of communication devices of the called party, retrieve presence information of a calling party initiating the incoming call, and determine from the presence information of the called party, the presence information of the calling party, and a call processing profile of the called party how to respond to the incoming call. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A call processing element in a communication system, comprising:

a memory; and

a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the memory comprises computer instructions, which when executed by the controller, configures the controller to;

detect an incoming call directed to a called party;

retrieve presence information associated with a plurality of communication devices of the called party;

retrieve presence information of a calling party initiating the incoming call;

determine a location of the called party from the presence information;

determine from the location and a call processing profile of the called party that the called party is indisposed to answer the incoming call over a voice channel;

determine from the presence information of the calling party one or more alternative communication resources available to the calling party; and

respond to the incoming call according to the determined location and the one or more alternative communication resources available to the calling party.

2. The call processing element of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to determine the location of the called party from location coordinates provided in the presence information of the called party, wherein the presence information of the called party is supplied by a presence system that monitors the plurality of communication devices of the called party.

3. The call processing element of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to respond to the incoming call by redirecting the incoming call to a voicemail system.

4. The call processing element of claim 3, wherein the controller is adapted to present the calling party a message providing a reason for redirecting the incoming call to the voicemail system.

5. The call processing element of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to respond to the incoming call by presenting the calling party a message indicating a status of the called party.

6. The call processing element of claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to prevent the incoming call from prompting a communication device of the called party.

7. The call processing element of claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a change in status of the called party, wherein the change in status indicates the called party is available to answer incoming calls from the calling party, and wherein the change in status is determined from an update in the presence information of the called party and a comparison of the updated presence information to the call processing profile of the called party; and

submit a notice to a communication device of the calling party indicating the called party is available to receive incoming calls responsive to the detected change in status, wherein the communication device is selected according to presence information of the calling party.

8. The call processing element of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to:

determine from the presence information of the called party that the incoming call is directed to a first communication device of the called party which is not in use by the called party; and

determine that the called party is available to answer incoming calls on a second communication device of the called party according to the presence information of the called party and the call processing profile of the called party.

9. The call processing element of claim 8, wherein the controller is adapted to:

inform the calling party that the called party is not available to answer the incoming call on the first communication device;

present the calling party a first option to redirect the incoming call to the second communication device and a second option to redirect the incoming call to a voicemail system;

detect a selection by the calling party; and

redirect the incoming call according to the selection made by the calling party.

10. The call processing element of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to receive from the called party the call processing profile, and wherein the call processing profile comprises call processing preferences based on at least one of a location of the called party, an activity of the called party, one or more alternative communication resources of the calling party identified by the presence information of the calling party, or an identity of the calling party.

11. The call processing element of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect from the presence information of the called party that the called party is consuming media content;

determine a duration to complete consumption of the media content;

respond to the incoming call according to the determined duration; and

inform the calling party of the duration.

12. The call processing element of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to:

inform the called party by way of one of the plurality of communication devices of the called party of the one or more alternative communication resources available to the calling party;

receive a request from the communication device of the called party to establish communications with the calling party by way of a select one of the alternative communication resources of the calling party; and

establish communications between the selected alternative communication resource of the calling party and the communication device of the called party.

13. The call processing element of claim 11, wherein the communication system is a media communication system, wherein the media content is supplied by the media communication system to a media processor of the called party that corresponds to one of the plurality of communication devices of the called party, wherein the media communication system corresponds to at least one of an Internet Protocol Television communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, a Public Switched Telephone Network, a Voice over IP (VoIP) communication system, or a IP Multimedia Subsystem combining the PSTN and VoIP communication systems, and wherein the media content comprises at least one of audio content, still image content, or moving image content.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions that cause a processor to:

detect an incoming call directed to a called party;

retrieve presence information associated with a plurality of communication devices of the called party;

retrieve presence information of a calling party initiating the incoming call;

determine a location of the called party from the presence information;

determine from the location and a call processing profile of the called party that the called party is indisposed to answer the incoming call over a voice channel;

determine from the presence information of the calling party one or more alternative communication resources available to the calling party; and

respond to the incoming call according to the determined location and the one or more alternative communication resources available to the calling party.

15. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, comprising computer instructions to retrieve the presence information of the called party and the presence information of the calling party from at least one presence system monitoring the called party and the calling party.

16. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, comprising computer instructions to receive from the called party the call processing profile, wherein the call processing profile comprises call processing preferences based on at least one among a location of the called party, an activity of the called party, one or more alternative communication resources of the calling party identified by the presence information of the calling party, or an identity of the calling party.

17. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, comprising computer instructions to:

determine at least one of a location or activity of the called party from the presence information of the called party; and

determine from at least one of the location or the activity that the called party is indisposed to answer the incoming call.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17, comprising computer instructions to redirect the incoming call to a voicemail system.

19. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, comprising computer instructions to:

determine from the presence information of the called party that the incoming call initiated by the calling party is directed to a first communication device of the called party which is not in use by the called party;

determine that the called party is available to answer incoming calls of the calling party on a second communication device of the called party according to the presence information of the called party and the call processing profile of the called party; and

redirect the incoming call to the second communication device.

20. A presence system, comprising a memory coupled to a controller, wherein the memory comprises computer instructions, which when executed by the controller, causes the controller to supply a call processing element presence information associated with a plurality of communication devices of a called party, wherein the call processing element is operable to:

detect an incoming call directed to the called party;

retrieve from the presence system presence information associated with the plurality of communication devices of the called party;

retrieve presence information of the calling party initiating the incoming call;

determine a location of the called party from the presence information;

determine from the location and a call processing profile of the called party that the called party is indisposed to answer the incoming call over a voice channel;

determine from the presence information of the calling party one or more alternative communication resources available to the calling party; and

respond to the incoming call according to the determined location and the one or more alternative communication resources available to the calling party.

21. The presence system of claim 20, wherein the controller is operable to:

monitor communication activities of the plurality of communications devices of the called party; and

determine from the communication activities at least one of a location of the called party or an activity which the called party is engaged in with at least one of the plurality of communication devices.

22. A method, comprising:

detecting an incoming call directed to a called party;

retrieving presence information associated with a plurality of communication devices of the called party;

retrieving presence information of a calling party initiating the incoming call;

detecting from the presence information of the called party that the called party is consuming media content;

determining a duration to complete consumption of the media content;

respond to the incoming call according to the determined duration; and

informing the calling party of the duration.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising:

detecting at least one of a location or an activity from the presence information of the called party;

determining from the presence information of the calling party one or more alternative communication resources available to the calling party;

comparing the call processing profile with the detected location or activity of the called party and the one or more alternative communication devices of the calling party; and

processing the incoming call according to the comparison.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the call processing profile comprises call processing preferences of the called party based on at least one of a location of the called party, an activity of the called party, one or more alternative communication resources of the calling party identified by the presence information of the calling party, or an identity of the calling party.