System and method for providing enhanced telephone call functions associated with caller and/or callee information during telephony ringing signal

• US 8,666,046 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zappix Inc.
• Original Assignee: LOGODIAL, LTD
• Inventors: Orr, Eliahou, Ozeri, Saadia
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US13/091,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20130034220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.19, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/207.15, 370/352, 709/238
• US Class Current: 379/142.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• 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 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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

Abstract

Method for providing caller information during a telephony ringing signal, including the procedures of storing caller information, associated with at least one of a caller and a callee, on a caller information server, installing a client application on a callee device, dialing a callee device CLI by the caller, identifying a caller device CLI by the callee device, contacting the caller information server by the callee device and providing the caller information server with at least one of the caller device CLI and the callee device CLI, retrieving, by the callee device, from the caller information server the caller information associated with at least one of the caller and the callee according to at least one of the caller device CLI and the callee device CLI, and presenting, on the callee device, the retrieved caller information.

Claims

1. Method for providing caller information during a telephony ringing signal, comprising the procedures of:

storing caller information, associated with at least one of a caller and a callee, on a caller information server;

installing a client application on a callee device;

initiating a telephone call by dialing a callee device CLI by said caller, the caller information server not receiving the telephone call;

the callee device receiving the telephone call from the caller deviceand identifying a caller device CLI;

initiating an IP session by said callee device client application in order to connect with said caller information server and providing said caller information server with at least one of said caller device CLI and said callee device CLI;

retrieving, by said callee device, from said caller information server said caller information associated with at least one of said caller and said callee according to at least one of said caller device CLI and said callee device CLI; and

presenting, on said callee device, said retrieved caller information during the telephony ringing signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the procedure of providing said caller information server with callee identification information after said procedure of contacting said caller information server.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said callee device is a mobile device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said callee device is a landline smart telephone.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said caller information is selected from the list consisting of:

an image;

a video file;

an audio file;

a text file;

a video stream;

an audio stream;

video data;

audio data; and

a URL.

6. Method for transferring a legacy telephone ringing signal to an IP-based session between a caller device and a callee device, comprising the procedures of:

initiating a legacy telephone session by dialing a callee device CLI, by said caller device, using a legacy telephone ringing signal;

initiating a caller IP conversation session with a call server, by said caller device, and providing caller information associated with a caller device CLI to said call server;

generating an invitation to said callee device to join said caller IP conversation session;

receiving said legacy telephone ringing signal by said callee device, thereby receiving said caller device CLI and providing said call server with at least said caller device CLI;

receiving from said call server said caller information associated with said caller device CLI and said invitation to join said caller IP conversation session;

initiating a callee IP conversation session with said call server and transmitting a request to said call server to join said caller IP conversation session;

connecting said callee IP conversation session to said caller IP conversation session by said call server; and

terminating said legacy telephone session once said callee IP conversation session is connected to said caller IP conversation session.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said caller information associated with said caller device CLI is selected from the list consisting of:

an image;

a video file;

an audio file;

a text file;

a video stream;

an audio stream;

video data;

audio data; and

a URL.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said caller device and said callee device are both co-located devices comprising at least one legacy telephone interface an internet protocol (IP) interface.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said call server functions as a proxy between said caller device and said callee device.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said procedure of receiving said legacy telephone ringing signal by said callee device comprises the sub-procedure of establishing a pickup event between said caller device and said callee device.

11. Method for providing a callee defined content during a telephony ringing signal between a caller device and a callee device, comprising the procedures of:

uploading and storing said callee defined content to a call server, said callee defined content being associated with a callee device CLI;

transmitting a legacy telephone ringing signal, from said caller device to said callee device;

said caller device initiating an IP-session with said call server;

said caller device querying said call server for said callee defined content;

said caller device retrieving said callee defined content from said call server;

displaying said callee defined content on a display of said caller device during the legacy telephone ringing signal; and

said caller device interacting with said displayed callee defined content on said caller device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said caller device is a mobile device.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said caller device is a landline smart telephone.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said callee device is coupled with an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said callee defined content is selected from the list consisting of:

a visual interactive voice response (IVR) menu;

a visual interactive webpage;

a URL;

an HTML form;

a web application;

an audio stream; and

a video stream.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the procedure of said callee device providing a response signal to said caller device after said procedure of transmitting said legacy telephone ringing signal.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said response signal is a busy signal.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said response signal is an answer signal, thereby establishing a legacy telephone session between said caller device and said callee device.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the procedures of:

after said procedure of said callee device providing said response signal, said callee device initiating a callee IP conversation session with said call server;

providing an invitation to said caller device to join said callee IP conversation session; and

connecting said callee IP conversation session to said IP-session by said call server after said procedure of said caller device initiating said IP-session with said call server.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the procedure of terminating said legacy telephone session once said callee IP conversation session is connected to said IP-session.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein said caller device is a co-located device comprising at least one legacy telephone interface an internet protocol (IP) interface.

22. Method for providing a callee defined content and a caller-callee interaction during a telephony ringing signal between a caller device and a callee device, comprising the procedures of:

uploading and storing said callee defined content on a call server, said callee defined content being associated with a callee device CLI;

transmitting a legacy telephone ringing signal from said caller device to said callee device;

said caller device initiating a caller IP conversation session with said call server;

said caller device querying said call server for said callee defined content;

said caller device retrieving said callee defined content from said call server;

displaying said callee defined content on a display of said caller device;

generating an invitation by said call server to said callee device to join said caller IP conversation session;

said callee device receiving said invitation to join said caller IP conversation session;

said callee device initiating a callee IP conversation session with said call server and transmitting a request to said call server to join said caller IP conversation session;

said call server connecting said callee IP conversation session to said caller IP conversation session; and

a caller interacting with said displayed callee defined content on said caller device as well as with a callee via the IP conversation session during said telephony ringing signal.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said caller device and said callee device are both co-located devices comprising at least one legacy telephone interface an internet protocol (IP) interface.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the procedure of said callee device providing a response signal to said caller device after said procedure of transmitting said legacy telephone ringing signal.