Method and apparatus for content presentation in association with a telephone call

• US 9,426,309 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vusura Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Wendell D. Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Wendell D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US14/853,786
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8353 during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8355 after the end of the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/846 optical, e.g. icon
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/848 Tone, e.g. beeper
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7231 by SIM, e.g. smart card account in SCP, SDP or SN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4365 : based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 : Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 : where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0051 : where the data service is a multimedia messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 : for mobile advertising

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for presenting multimedia content to a caller and/or a called party in association with a telephone call. Content may be presented pre-ring (before the called party'"'"'s telephone rings), in-call, and/or post-call. Content presented to a party may be related to another party participating in the call or may be related to a third party. Presented content may be actuable, and allow a caller to change the destination of a call, take advantage of an offer presented to him, redeem a coupon, schedule or queue a subsequent call, etc. To find a desired destination party, a caller may initiate a manual or automatic search of his local contacts (on his telephone) and/or a central or global directory or contact list. A party to a call may be offered one or more payment mechanisms for completing a purchase in an on-line or real-world transaction.

Claims

1. A method of controlling presentation of content on a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving electronic notification of initiation of a call from a first communication device operated by a first party to a second party that operates a second communication device;

causing the first communication device to delay dialing the call without soliciting action by the first party;

receiving, from one of the first communication device and the second communication device, identification of a target good or service;

causing to be displayed, at the one device, one or more payment mechanism options; and

receiving from the one device selection of a first payment mechanism.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the selection of the first payment mechanism, initiating payment, using the first payment mechanism, for a transaction involving the target good or service;

wherein one or more terms of the transaction are displayed on the one device before, during, or after the call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the selection of the first payment mechanism, causing to be solicited, via the one device, at least one parameter of the first payment mechanism.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the selection of the first payment mechanism, automatically receiving from the one device at least one parameter of the first payment mechanism without requiring action by an operator of the one device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the one device biometric data verifying an identity of the party operating the one device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the one device trusted data from an embedded component of the one device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to one or both of the first communication device and the second communication device a pre-ring set of content to be displayed after receiving the electronic notification and before the call rings at the second communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to one or both of the first communication device and the second communication device an in-call set of content to be displayed during the call.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the in-call set of multimedia content identifies terms of a transaction involving the target good or service; and

the first payment mechanism is used to pay for the transaction.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting to one or both of the first communication device and the second communication device a post-call set of content to be displayed after the call.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of controlling presentation of content on a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving electronic notification of initiation of a call from a first communication device operated by a first party to a second party that operates a second communication device;

causing the first communication device to delay dialing the call without soliciting action by the first party;

receiving, from one of the first communication device and the second communication device, identification of a target good or service;

causing to be displayed, at the one device, one or more payment mechanism options; and

receiving from the one device selection of a first payment mechanism.

12. A system for controlling presentation of content on a communication device external to the system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

receive electronic notification of initiation of a call from a first communication device operated by a first party to a second party that operates a second communication device;

cause the first communication device to delay dialing the call without soliciting action by the first party;

receive, from one of the first communication device and the second communication device, identification of a target good or service;

cause to be displayed, at the one device, one or more payment mechanism options; and

receive from the one device selection of a first payment mechanism.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

in response to receiving the selection of the first payment mechanism, initiate payment, using the first payment mechanism, for a transaction involving the target good or service;

wherein one or more terms of the transaction are displayed on the one device before, during, or after the call.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

in response to receiving the selection of the first payment mechanism, cause to be solicited, via the one device, at least one parameter of the first payment mechanism.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

in response to receiving the selection of the first payment mechanism, automatically receive from the one device at least one parameter of the first payment mechanism without requiring action by an operator of the one device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

receive from the one device biometric data verifying an identity of the party operating the one device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

receive from the one device trusted data from an embedded component of the one device.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

transmit to one or both of the first communication device and the second communication device a pre-ring set of content to be displayed after receiving the electronic notification and before the call rings at the second communication device.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

transmit to one or both of the first communication device and the second communication device an in-call set of content to be displayed during the call.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the in-call set of multimedia content identifies terms of a transaction involving the target good or service; and

the first payment mechanism is used to pay for the transaction.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

transmit to one or both of the first communication device and the second communication device a post-call set of content to be displayed after the call.