Systems and methods for providing selectable options to a calling party on-hold

• US 9,420,092 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Linda Ann, Silver, Edward Michael, Nguyen, Hong Thi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US14/666,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 379/215.01, 379/201.01, 379/88.05, 379/88.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4283 Call holding circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• 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 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A communication is supplemented. An initiated communication directed to a unique communication destination address assigned to a receiving party is received from the receiving party. Before the initiating party is provided access to a final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating party at least one selectable option, receiving from the initiating party a selected option from the at least one selectable option, and supplementing the communication based on the selected option. Only after supplementing the communication based on the selected option is the initiating party provided with access to the final communication destination.

Claims

1. A method for supplementing a communication, the method comprising:

receiving, from an initiating communication device having a processor, an initiated communication directed to a unique communication destination address assigned to a receiving communication device having a processor;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to a final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating communication device at least one selectable option to obtain information corresponding to a physical geographic location;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, receiving from the initiating communication device a selected option from the at least one selectable option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, and

only after supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, providing the initiating communication device with access to the final communication destination,

wherein an internet website is contacted during the initiated communication.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the physical geographical location is identified based on information provided by the initiating communication device after selecting the selected option.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the physical geographical location is identified automatically based on information provided with the initiated communication.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the information provided with the initiated communication comprises a unique communication address of the initiating communication device.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one selectable option includes an option to retrieve an audio file.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the audio file comprises a particular song.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating communication device a menu of selectable options;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, receiving from the initiating communication device a selected option based on the menu of selectable options, and

before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, performing a predefined operation that corresponds to the selected option based on the menu of selectable options.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one selectable option is provided to the initiating communication device selectively.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein the at least one selectable option is provided as a customized service for the initiating communication device.

10. The method of claim 8,

wherein the at least one selectable option is provided as a customized service for the receiving communication device.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one selectable option includes a default option that is automatically selected when the initiating communication device does not make a selection among the at least one selectable option.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information from the initiating communication device based on the initiating communication device selecting the selected option.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the information obtained from the initiating communication device comprises location information for a location input by the initiating communication device.

14. An apparatus in a communication network for supplementing a communication, the apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

a processor that executes the instructions,

wherein, when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from an initiating communication device having a processor, an initiated communication directed to a unique communication destination address assigned to a receiving communication device having a processor;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to a final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating communication device at least one selectable option to obtain information corresponding to a physical geographic location;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, receiving from the initiating communication device a selected option from the at least one selectable option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, and

only after supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, providing the initiating communication device with access to the final communication destination,

wherein an internet website is contacted during the initiated communication.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a data store for storing the at least one selectable option.

16. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer, supplement a communication, the instructions causing the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from an initiating communication device having a processor, an initiated communication directed to a unique communication destination address assigned to a receiving communication device having a processor;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to a final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating communication device at least one selectable option to obtain information corresponding to a physical geographic location;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, receiving from the initiating communication device a selected option from the at least one selectable option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location;

before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, and

only after supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, providing the initiating communication device with access to the final communication destination,

wherein an internet website is contacted during the initiated communication.