Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing an event alert

• US 8,331,268 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, John Alson III
• Primary Examiner(s): Scheibel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): CATTUNGAL, AJAY P
• Application Number:
  US11/848,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 370/271, 370/325, 379/373.02, 379/142.06, 379/142.01, 379/142.02, 379/142.03, 379/142.04, 379/142.05, 379/142.14, 379/142.13, 379/93.12, 379/373.01, 379/373.04, 379/373.05
• US Class Current: 370/271
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for providing an event alert. According to embodiments, a method for providing an event alert is provided. According to the method, an incoming communication from a first device is detected. An initiating party associated with the first device is identified. Whether the initiating party associated with the first device is further associated with an alert tag is determined. The alert tag may include an identifying alert identifying the initiating party associated with the first device. In response to determining that the initiating party associated with the first device is associated with the alert tag, the identifying alert is provided as the event alert on a second device.

Claims

1. A method for providing an event alert, comprising:

detecting an incoming communication from a first device;

receiving, from the first device, an identity of a contacted party associated with a second device;

upon receiving the identity of the contacted party associated with the second device, establishing a first session with an alert tag store configured to store multiple tags;

upon establishing the first session with the alert tag store, determining, via the alert tag store, whether the contacted party associated with the second device is further associated with a first alert tag, the first alert tag comprising a first identifying alert identifying a first person of multiple first persons in the contacted party associated with the second device;

identifying an initiating party associated with the first device;

upon identifying the initiating party associated with the first device, establishing a second session with the alert tag store;

upon establishing the second session with the alert tag store, determining, via the alert tag store, whether the initiating party associated with the first device is further associated with a second alert tag, the second alert tag comprising a second identifying alert identifying a second person of multiple second persons in the initiating party associated with the first device;

in response to determining that the contacted party is associated with the first alert tag and determining that the initiating party is associated with the second alert tag, retrieving the first alert tag and the second alert tag from the alert tag store and storing the first alert tag and the second alert tag on the second device; and

upon retrieving the first alert tag and the second alert tag from the alert tag store and storing the first alert tag and the second alert tag on the second device, playing the first identifying alert of the first alert tag and the second identifying alert of the second alert tag as the event alert.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating party associated with the first device is identified based on a detected phone number associated with the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying alert identifies a name of the initiating party associated with the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifying alert comprises at least one of an arrangement of vibrations and a display image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first identifying alert identifies the initiating party by at least the arrangement of vibrations and the display image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device comprises one of a cellular telephone and a voice over Internet Protocol telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein playing the first identifying alert of the first alert tag comprises playing an initial warning prior to playing the first identifying alert.

8. A system for providing an event alert, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

detecting an incoming communication from a first device,

receiving, from the first device, an identity of a contacted party associated with a second device,

upon receiving the identity of the contacted party associated with the second device, establishing a first session with an alert tag store configured to store multiple tags,

upon establishing the first session with the alert tag store, determining, via the alert tag store, whether the contacted party associated with the second device is further associated with a first alert tag, the first alert tag comprising a first identifying alert identifying a first person of multiple first persons in the contacted party associated with the second device,

identifying an initiating party associated with the first device,

upon identifying the initiating party associated with the first device, establishing a second session with the alert tag store,

upon establishing the second session with the alert tag store, determining, via the alert tag store, whether the initiating party associated with the first device is further associated with a second alert tag, the second alert tag comprising a second identifying alert identifying a second person of multiple second persons in the initiating party associated with the first device,

in response to determining that the contacted party is associated with the first alert tag and determining that the initiating party is associated with the second alert tag, retrieving the first alert tag and the second alert tag from the alert tag store and storing the first alert tag and the second alert tag on the second device, and

upon retrieving the first alert tag and the second alert tag from the alert tag store and storing the first alert tag and the second alert tag on the second device, playing the first identifying alert of the first alert tag and the second identifying alert of the second alert tag as the event alert.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the initiating party associated with the first device is identified based on a detected phone number associated with the first device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the identifying alert identifies a name of the initiating party associated with the first device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first alert tag comprises at least one of an arrangement of vibrations and a display image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first identifying alert identifies the initiating party by at least the arrangement of vibrations and the display image.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second device comprises one of a cellular telephone and a voice over Internet Protocol telephone.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method for providing an event alert, the method comprising:

detecting an incoming communication from a first device;

receiving, from the first device, an identity of a contacted party associated with a second device;

upon receiving the identity of the contacted party associated with the second device, establishing a first session with an alert tag store configured to store multiple tags;

upon establishing the first session with the alert tag store, determining, via the alert tag store, whether the contacted party associated with the second device is further associated with a first alert tag, the first alert tag comprising a first identifying alert identifying a first person of multiple first persons in the contacted party associated with the second device;

identifying an initiating party associated with the first device;

upon identifying the initiating party associated with the first device, establishing a second session with the alert tag store;

upon establishing the second session with the alert tag store, determining, via the alert tag store, whether the initiating party associated with the first device is further associated with a second alert tag, the second alert tag comprising a second identifying alert identifying a second person of multiple second persons in the initiating party associated with the first device;

in response to determining that the contacted party is associated with the first alert tag and determining that the initiating party is associated with the second alert tag, retrieving the first alert tag and the second alert tag from the alert tag store and storing the first alert tag and the second alert tag on the second device; and

upon retrieving the first alert tag and the second alert tag from the alert tag store and storing the first alert tag and the second alert tag on the second device, playing the first identifying alert of the first alert tag and the second identifying alert of the second alert tag as the event alert.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the second device is further configured to play an initial warning prior to playing the first identifying alert and the second identifying alert as the event alert.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

transmitting, to the first device, a plurality of parties from which to select the contacted party.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first identifying alert identifies a name of the contacted party associated with the second device, and wherein the second identifying alert identifies a name of the initiating party associated with the first device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the second device is configured to play the first identifying alert of the first alert tag and the second identifying alert of the second alert tag as the event alert in replacement of one of a ringing announcement and a vibration announcement.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the second device comprises one of a cellular telephone and a voice over Internet Protocol telephone.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first identifying alert identifies the first person of multiple first persons in the contacted party by at least one of a first arrangement of vibrations and a first display image associated with the first person, and wherein the second identifying alert identifies the second person of multiple second persons in the initiating party by least one of a second arrangement of vibrations and a second display image associated with the second person.