Simultaneous visual and telephonic access to interactive information delivery

• US 8,775,635 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Caldwell, Hamish M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Julian
• Application Number:
  US13/021,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 709226-229, 709/245, 379/201.01
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/38 Telephone uniform resource identifier [URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/252 where a voice mode is enhanced with visual information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A method and system for providing a visual interactive voice response session are provided. A visual interactive voice response server determines whether a session identifier database includes a session identifier that is associated with a first device. The visual interactive voice response server initiates the visual interactive voice response session with the first device when the session identifier database includes the session identifier that is associated with the first device. The session identifier that is associated with the first device is removed from the session identifier database when the visual interactive voice response session is terminated.

Claims

1. A method for providing a visual interactive voice response session, comprising:

establishing, by a visual interactive voice response server, a first communication session with a first device via a network;

establishing, by the visual interactive voice response server, a second communication session with a second device;

receiving, by the visual interactive voice response server and from the second device, a session identifier when the second communication session is established with the second device, the session identifier being automatically generated by the second device and received by the visual interactive voice response server independently of the first communication session;

storing, by the visual interactive voice response server, the session identifier in a session identifier database, the session identifier indicating that the second device is online;

determining, by the visual interactive voice response server, whether the session identifier database includes the session identifier that identifies the second device and the first device after the first communication session is established with the first device; and

initiating, by the visual interactive voice response server, the visual interactive voice response session with the second device concurrently with the first device when the session identifier database includes the session identifier that identifies the second device and the first device,

wherein the session identifier includes an internet protocol address of the second device and a directory number of the first device,

wherein the second device is different from the first device,

wherein the session identifier is removed from the session identifier database when the visual interactive voice response session is terminated, and

wherein the visual interactive voice response server continues the first communication session with the first device after the visual interactive voice response session is terminated and the session identifier is removed from the session identifier database.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the visual interactive voice response session is terminated when the second device is disconnected from the visual interactive voice response server.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein a service controller stores the session identifier in the session identifier database and removes the session identifier from the session identifier database.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the visual interactive voice response server provides audio content to the first device via a voice extensible markup language gateway during the visual interactive voice response session, and

the visual interactive voice response server further provides visual content to the second device in synchronization with the audio content during the visual interactive voice response session.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the directory number of the session identifier comprises one of a voice directory number and an internet directory number.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first device is a telephone and the second device is a networking device that includes a processor and a memory.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the visual interactive voice response server determines whether the session identifier database includes the session identifier that identifies the first device in response to the visual interactive voice response server establishing the first communication session with the first device.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

prompting, via the first communication session, the first device to initiate the visual interactive voice response session when the visual interactive voice response server determines that the session identifier database includes the session identifier that identifies the first device; and

receiving, via the first communication session, a request from the first device to initiate the visual interactive voice response session,

wherein the visual interactive voice response server initiates the visual interactive voice response session with the second device in response to receiving the request.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

prompting, via the first communication session, the first device to initiate an interactive voice response session when the visual interactive voice response server determines that the session identifier database does not include the session identifier that identifies the first device;

receiving, via the first communication session, a request from the first device to initiate the interactive voice response session; and

initiating, by the visual interactive voice response server, the interactive voice response session with the first device in response to receiving the request.

10. A system for providing a visual interactive voice response session, comprising:

a session identifier database;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

establishing a first communication session with a first device via a network;

establishing a second communication session with a second device;

receiving, from the second device, a session identifier when the second communication session is established with the second device, the session identifier being automatically generated by the second device and received independently of the first communication session;

storing the session identifier in the session identifier database, the session identifier indicating that the second device is online;

determining whether the session identifier database includes the session identifier that identifies the second device and the first device after the first communication session is established with the first device; and

initiating the visual interactive voice response session with the second device concurrently with the first device when the session identifier database includes the session identifier that identifies the second device and the first device,

wherein the session identifier includes an internet protocol address of the second device and a directory number of the first device,

wherein the second device is different from the first device,

wherein the session identifier database removes the session identifier when the visual interactive voice response session is terminated, and

wherein the visual interactive voice response server computer continues the first communication session with the first device after the visual interactive voice response session is terminated and the session identifier is removed from the session identifier database.

11. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the visual interactive voice response session is terminated when the second device is disconnected from the visual interactive voice response server computer.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein a service controller stores the session identifier in the session identifier database and removes the session identifier from the session identifier database.

13. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein

the visual interactive voice response server computer provides audio content to the first device via a voice extensible markup language gateway during the visual interactive voice response session, and

the visual interactive voice response server computer further provides visual content to the second device in synchronization with the audio content during the visual interactive voice response session.

14. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the directory number of the session identifier comprises one of a voice directory number and an internet directory number.

15. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first device is a telephone and the second device is a networking device that includes a processor and a memory.

16. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein

the processor determines whether the session identifier database includes the session identifier that identifies the first device in response to establishing the first communication session with the first device,

the processor prompts the first device to initiate the visual interactive voice response session when it determines that the session identifier database includes the session identifier that identifies the first device,

the processor initiates the visual interactive voice response session with the first device in response to receiving a request from the first device to initiate the visual interactive voice response session,

the processor prompts the first device to initiate an interactive voice response session when it determines that the session identifier database does not include the session identifier that identifies the first device, and

the processor initiates the interactive voice response session with the first device in response to receiving a request from the first device to initiate the interactive voice response session.