Presence-based network service availability announcements

• US 8,406,252 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wuthnow, Mark, Dizdarevic, Jasminka, Stafford, Matthew Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOUDHRY, SAMINA F
• Application Number:
  US11/696,852
• Time in Patent Office: 2,182 Days
• Field of Search: 370/231, 370/264, 370/351, 370/358, 370/401, 370/389, 370/392, 379/90.01, 379/93.07, 379/58, 379/59, 379/63, 379/88.18, 379/114.01, 709/227, 709/238
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting the availability of common features (e.g. device functions and/or subscription plan features) associated with two or more communication devices, and indicating commonly supported features to at least one of the two communication devices. Disclosed systems can include components that can audit communication devices and communication networks to determine features supported by a communication, and components that can selectively mask unsupported features and/or reveal supported features.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory to store computer-executable instructions; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

obtaining first feature information associated with an originating device and a receiving device, in response to the originating device requesting to establish a communication with the receiving device,

receiving presence availability information indicative of respective communication networks, to which the originating device and the receiving device are currently connected,

auditing a network server to determine second feature information indicative of a feature supported by a network component associated with the network server, the originating device, the receiving device and the respective communication networks

parsing a result of the auditing to identify a media function based in part on a first user profile associated with the originating device, a second user profile associated with the receiving device, the first feature information, and the second feature information,

receiving first data indicative of respective communication capabilities of the respective communication networks,

determining a current availability associated with the media function based in part on the first data; and

in response to a determination that the media function is currently unavailable, facilitating transmission of second data associated with the communication to the receiving device via email.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first user profile associated with the originating device indicates a preference of the originating device that relates to a first masking of a first portion of the first feature information associated with the originating device, and the second user profile associated with the receiving device indicates a preference of the receiving device that relates to a second masking of a second portion of the first feature information associated with the receiving device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first feature information includes a subscription plan feature supported by the receiving device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first feature information includes a media transfer function associated with the receiving device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

initiating an indication of the media function at the originating device during a ring-back cycle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving input that authorizes the transmission of the second data associated with the communication to the receiving device via email.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating a rendering of an audio signal indicative of the media function at the originating device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating a presentation of an indication, at the originating device via an audio signal, that the media function is not available.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating a presentation of a graphical icon on the originating device that is indicative of the media function, in response to the media function being currently available.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

re-auditing the originating device, the receiving device, and the respective communication networks, with a disparate device to update the second feature information, in response to the disparate device being added to the communication.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

storing, within the memory, the second data associated with the communication, in response to the media function being currently unavailable.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

querying the originating device to determine that the second data associated with the communication is to be stored within the memory.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a request from a first communication device to establish a communication with a second communication device;

identifying a set of communication networks, to which the first communication device and the second communication device are currently connected, based on presence information;

auditing a network server to determine first feature information indicative of a feature supported by a network component associated with the network server, the first communication device, the second communication device and the set of communication networks;

parsing a result of the auditing to identify a media function based in part on a first user profile associated with the first communication device, a second user profile associated with the second communication device, and the feature data;

obtaining second feature information associated with the set of communication networks from a network data store, including receiving transfer data indicative of respective communication capabilities of communication technologies employed by the set of communication networks;

identifying a current availability of the media function based in part on the second feature information; and

facilitating a transmission of data associated with the communication to the second communication device via an email messaging protocol, in response to the media function being currently unavailable.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

auditing, by the system, the first communication device, the second communication device, and the set of communication networks with a third communication device, including determining a compatibility of the second communication device and the third communication device to communicate with the first communication device, in response to the third communication device being added to the communication.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating a presentation of information indicative of the media function via an audio signal on the first communication device during a ring-back cycle.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the facilitating includes recording the data associated with the communication.

13. A method, comprising:

interrogating, by a system comprising a processor, a first communication device and a second communication device for device-related feature data in response to determining that the first communication device has initiated a communication with the second communication device;

based on presence data, identifying, by the system, a set of communication networks, to which the first communication device and the second communication device are currently connected;

auditing, by the system, a network server to determine feature information indicative of a feature supported by a network component associated with the network server, the first communication device, the second communication device and the set of communication networks;

parsing, by the system, a result of the auditing to identify a media function based in part on a first user profile associated with the first communication device, a second user profile associated with the second communication device, and the device-related feature data;

receiving, by the system, network-related feature data indicative of respective communication capabilities of the set of communication networks;

determining, by the system, a current availability of the media function based in part on the network-related feature data; and

facilitating, by the system, transmission of data associated with the communication to the second communication device via an email server, in response to the media function being currently unavailable.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

facilitating, by the system, a presentation of information indicative of the media function via an audio signal on the first communication device during a ring-back cycle.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

retrieving, by the system, information from the first user profile including retrieving preference data indicative of a portion of the device-related feature data that is to be masked.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the facilitating includes recording the data associated with the communication.