System and method to customize a telephone

• US 9,549,064 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Joseph J
• Application Number:
  US11/510,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20080063171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,795 Days
• Field of Search: 379/210.02, 379/201.01, 379/207.02, 709/204, 709/224, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2471 Configurable and interactive telephone terminals with subscriber controlled features modifications, e.g. with ADSI capability [Analog Display Services Interface] systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers H04M3/42; administration or customization of services H04M3/42136; by downloading data to substation equipment H04M3/42178
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/255 comprising a personalized user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for customizing a telephone are disclosed in which preferred communication services are conveniently accessible to a user, in which a telephone is tailored to the specific requirements of a user.

Claims

1. A telephone capable of being tailored to the needs of a user of the telephone comprising a capsule operable to store a plurality of user role descriptions comprising information relating to a user of the telephone, which information describes the role of the user, wherein each user role description is associated with a time of day, and to store a plurality of preferred communication services, wherein each of the plurality of preferred communication services is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of user role descriptions wherein the telephone is operable to permit input in the capsule of the plurality of user role descriptions and the plurality of preferred communication services associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of user role descriptions, and the telephone is further operable to access and automatically initiate a communication connection with and make available to the user a preferred communication service based on the time of day via a communication connection between the telephone and a communication service provider selected from the group consisting of a web server, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) gateway, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server, a media server and an application layer gateway over a communication network operated by a service network provider, wherein each of the plurality of preferred communication services is selected from the group consisting of a commercial transaction service, a ticketing service, a phone banking service, a group call service, a hotline telephone service, a directory service, a yellow page service, a reminder service, an automatic wakeup call service, a conference call reminder service, an appointment reminder service, an information service, a news headlines service, a local weather report service, a road condition service, a morning commute information service, a bulletin board service which provides school event information, a dating service, an entertainment information service, a restaurant information service, a restaurant reservation service, a stock quote service, an emergency alert service, a flood warning service, a child care information service, a pediatric advice information service, a healthcare information service, a medical emergency service, a group chat service, a homework advice service, a hotel reservation service, a hotel show reservation service, a sports score information service, a sports information service, a diocese information service, a spiritual advice service, a charity information service and a child abduction alert service.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the communication network is selected from a telephone network, an Internet Protocol network, a wide area network, a Virtual Private Network, a wired network, and a wireless network.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the communication network is a telephone network selected from a Public Switched Telephone Network, a corporate telephone network and a Voice over IP network.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the communication network is selected from a General Packet Radio Service network, a Global System for Mobile Communications network, a WiFi network, a Code Division Multiple Access One network, a CDMA2000 network, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access network, a third-generation network, a CDMA 1×

Evolution-Data Optimized network, a High-Speed Downlink Packet Access network, and an Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution network.

5. The invention of claim 1 the capsule comprising at least one data file stored in the telephone.

6. The invention of claim 1 the capsule comprising programming logic in the telephone.

7. The invention of claim 1 said telephone further comprising means for a user to select and use preferred communication services.

8. The invention of claim 7 said means comprising an input module and an output module.

9. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a capsule updater.

10. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a service updater.

11. The invention of claim 1 wherein at least two of the user role descriptions are associated with the same preferred communication service and the time of day is different.

12. A method for tailoring a telephone to a user comprising providing a telephone with a capsule operable to store a plurality of user role descriptions comprising information relating to a user of the telephone, which information describes the role of the user, wherein each user role description is associated with a time of day, and to store a plurality of preferred communication services, wherein each of the plurality of preferred communication services is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of user role descriptions, inputting in the capsule the plurality of user role descriptions and the plurality of preferred communication services associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of user role descriptions, and providing the telephone with operability to access and automatically initiate a communication connection with and make available to the user a preferred communication service based on the time of day, via a communication connection between the telephone and a communication service provider selected from the group consisting of a web server, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) gateway, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server, a media server and an application layer gateway over a communication network operated by a service network provider, wherein each of the plurality of preferred communication services is selected from the group consisting of a commercial transaction service, a ticketing service, a phone banking service, a group call service, a hotline telephone service, a directory service, a yellow page service, a reminder service, an automatic wakeup call service, a conference call reminder service, an appointment reminder service, an information service, a news headlines service, a local weather report service, a road condition service, a morning commute information service, a bulletin board service which provides school event information, a dating service, an entertainment information service, a restaurant information service, a restaurant reservation service, a stock quote service, an emergency alert service, a flood warning service, a child care information service, a pediatric advice information service, a healthcare information service, a medical emergency service, a group chat service, a homework advice service, a hotel reservation service, a hotel show reservation service, a sports score information service, a sports information service, a diocese information service, a spiritual advice service, a charity information service and a child abduction alert service.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising providing the telephone with an input module for inputting at least one of the user role information or the preferred communication services.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein at least two of the user role descriptions are associated with the same preferred communication service and the time of day is different.

15. A method of automatically establishing a communication connection between a communication device and a preferred communication service based on at least one attribute of a user of the communication device and a time of day, comprising providing the communication device with a capsule operable to store a plurality of user role descriptions comprising information relating to a user of the telephone, which information describes the role of the user, wherein each user role description is associated with a time of day, and to store a plurality of preferred communication services associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of user role descriptions, inputting in the capsule the plurality of user role descriptions and the plurality of preferred communication services associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of user role descriptions and making a selected preferred communication service available to the user and automatically initiating a communication session with the selected preferred communication service based on the time of day via a communication network through a communication service provider selected from the group consisting of a web server, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) gateway, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server, a media server and an application layer gateway wherein each of the plurality of preferred communication services is selected from the group consisting of a commercial transaction service, a ticketing service, a phone banking service, a group call service, a hotline telephone service, a directory service, a yellow page service, a reminder service, an automatic wakeup call service, a conference call reminder service, an appointment reminder service, an information service, a news headlines service, a local weather report service, a road condition service, a morning commute information service, a bulletin board service which provides school event information, a dating service, an entertainment information service, a restaurant information service, a restaurant reservation service, a stock quote service, an emergency alert service, a flood warning service, a child care information service, a pediatric advice information service, a healthcare information service, a medical emergency service, a group chat service, a homework advice service, a hotel reservation service, a hotel show reservation service, a sports score information service, a sports information service, a diocese information service, a spiritual advice service, a charity information service and a child abduction alert service.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the communication session is a voice communication session.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the communication session is a data communication session.

18. The method according to claim 15 comprising retrieving from the capsule information applicable to the preferred communication service and sending the retrieved information over a communication session to a preferred communication service provider.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein at least two of the user role descriptions are associated with the same preferred communication service and the time of day is different.

20. A telephone capable of being tailored to the needs of a user of the telephone comprising a capsule operable to store a plurality of user role descriptions comprising information relating to a user of the telephone, which information describes the role of the user, wherein each user role description is associated with a time of day, and to store a plurality of preferred communication services, wherein each of the plurality of preferred communication services is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of user role descriptions wherein the telephone is operable to permit input in the capsule of the plurality of user role descriptions and the plurality of preferred communication services associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of user role descriptions, and the telephone is further operable to access and automatically initiate a communication connection with and make available to the user a preferred communication service based on the time of day via a communication connection between the telephone and a communication service provider selected from the group consisting of a web server, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) gateway, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server, a media server and an application layer gateway over a communication network operated by a service network provider, and further comprising at least one of a capsule updater and/or a service updater.

21. The invention of claim 20 wherein at least two of the user role descriptions are associated with the same preferred communication service and the time of day is different.