Mobile station with interactive multimedia response and call intercept mode

• US 9,008,632 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kassim, Ansar, Venugopal, Arulvadivel, Gaddam, Venkat, Sengottaiyan, Maruthachala Arthanari
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US13/079,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/252 where a voice mode is enhanced with visual information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• 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 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

A mobile station provides an Interactive Multimedia Response to a user'"'"'s call. The mobile station detects when a user dials a predetermined telephone number. In response, at least one visual object representing available services is displayed. In response to a user'"'"'s input, at least one visual object representing a service selected by the user may be displayed. In a Call Intercept Mode, the mobile station detects a telephone number entered by the user to initiate an outgoing call to a destination that provides account-specific data. The mobile station then conducts a data communication with a self service server of the communication service provider to obtain the account-specific data corresponding to the detected telephone number. Upon receiving the account-specific data, at least one visual object including the requested account-specific data is displayed on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

detecting user input of a selected one of a plurality of destination numbers on the mobile station, each of the destination numbers corresponding to one of a plurality of account related services;

responsive to the user input detecting, intercepting outgoing communication to a destination otherwise associated with the one detected destination number;

responsive to the communication intercepting, executing a self-service application on the mobile station to transfer the communication via a wireless communication network to a self service server requesting authentication of the mobile station to the wireless communication network;

if the mobile station is authenticated to the network, obtaining from the server, via the communication through the network, account specific data for a user account associated with the mobile station and specific to the account related service corresponding to the one detected destination number;

based on further execution of the self-service application on the mobile station, presenting a visual display to the user on the mobile station including the data for the user account specific to the account related service corresponding to the one detected destination number;

prior to the detecting step;

upon first detecting user input of any of the plurality of destination numbers on the mobile station, sending an inquiry through the mobile communication network from the mobile station to determine if service calls to the destination numbers should be intercepted;

responsive to an instruction received through the mobile communication network from the server, activating an intercepting function on the mobile station to enable intercepting of outgoing communications responsive to user inputs of the plurality of destination numbers; and

responsive to another instruction received through the mobile communication network from the server, deactivating the intercepting function on the mobile station to disable intercepting of outgoing communications responsive to user inputs of the plurality of destination numbers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an interactive voice response function in response to the user input if the intercepting function is deactivated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication through the network includes a first call from the mobile station to the self service server performed to provide the authentication of the mobile station, and a second call from the mobile station to the self service server performed to obtain the server account specific data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the intercepting function is activated for a group of mobile stations.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the intercepting function is activated in response to a login request provided by the mobile station to login to a data network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the authentication of the mobile station is requested by the self service server in response to the login request.

4. A mobile station for providing communications, comprising:

a display device for displaying visual objects, and

a processor configured for;

detecting user input of a selected one of a plurality of destination numbers on the mobile station, each of the destination numbers corresponding to one of a plurality of account related services;

responsive to the user input detecting, intercepting outgoing communication to a destination otherwise associated with the one detected destination number;

responsive to the communication intercepting, executing a self-service application on the mobile station to transfer the communication via a wireless communication network to a self service server requesting authentication of the mobile station to the wireless communication network;

if the mobile station is authenticated to the network, obtaining from the server, via the communication through the network, account specific data for a user account associated with the mobile station and specific to the account related service corresponding to the one detected destination number;

based on further execution of the self-service application on the mobile station, presenting a visual display to the user on the display device, including the data for the user account specific to the account related service corresponding to the one detected destination number;

upon first detecting user input of any of the plurality of destination numbers on the mobile station, sending an inquiry through the mobile communication network from the mobile station to determine if service calls to the destination numbers should be intercepted;

responsive to an instruction received through the mobile communication network from the server, activating an intercepting function on the mobile station to enable intercepting of outgoing communications responsive to user inputs of the plurality of destination numbers; and

responsive to another instruction received through the mobile communication network from the server, deactivating the intercepting function on the mobile station to disable intercepting of outgoing communications responsive to user inputs of the plurality of destination numbers.

5. The mobile station of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured for performing an interactive voice response function in response to the user input if the intercepting function is deactivated.

6. The mobile station of claim 4, wherein the communication through the network includes a first call from the mobile station to the self service server performed to provide the authentication of the mobile station, and a second call from the mobile station to the self service server performed to obtain the server account specific data.

13. The mobile station of claim 4, wherein the intercepting function is activated for a group of mobile stations.

14. The mobile station of claim 4, wherein the intercepting function is activated in response to a login request provided by the mobile station to login to a data network.

15. The mobile station of claim 14, wherein the authentication of the mobile station is requested by the self service server in response to the login request.

7. An article of manufacture comprising:

a non-transitory machine readable storage medium; and

executable code for a mobile station embodied in the medium,

wherein execution of the code by a processor in the article of manufacture causes the mobile station to implement functions of the mobile station comprising;

detecting user input of a selected one of a plurality of destination numbers on the mobile station, each of the destination numbers corresponding to one of a plurality of account related services;

responsive to the user input detecting, intercepting outgoing communication to a destination otherwise associated with the one detected destination number;

responsive to the communication intercepting, executing a self-service application on the mobile station to transfer the communication via a wireless communication network to a self service server requesting authentication of the mobile station to the wireless communication network;

if the mobile station is authenticated to the network, obtaining from the server, via the communication through the network, account specific data for a user account associated with the mobile station and specific to the account related service corresponding to the one detected destination number;

based on further execution of the self-service application on the mobile station, presenting a visual display to the user on the mobile station including the data for the user account specific to the account related service corresponding to the one detected destination number;

upon first detecting user input of any of the plurality of destination numbers on the mobile station, sending an inquiry through the mobile communication network from the mobile station to determine if service calls to the destination numbers should be intercepted;

responsive to an instruction received through the mobile communication network from the server, activating an intercepting function on the mobile station to enable intercepting of outgoing communications responsive to user inputs of the plurality of destination numbers; and

responsive to another instruction received through the mobile communication network from the server, deactivating the intercepting function on the mobile station to disable intercepting of outgoing communications responsive to user inputs of the plurality of destination numbers.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein execution of the code further causes the mobile station to perform an interactive voice response function in response to the user input if the intercepting function is deactivated.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the communication through the network includes a first call from the mobile station to the self service server performed to provide the authentication of the mobile station, and a second call from the mobile station to the self service server performed to obtain the server account specific data.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the intercepting function is activated for a group of mobile stations.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the intercepting function is activated in response to a login request provided by the mobile station to login to a data network.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the authentication of the mobile station is requested by the self service server in response to the login request.