Technique for obtaining caller-originated alert signals in IP-based communication sessions

• US 9,781,257 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bloebaum, L. Scott, Liu, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): KASSIM, KHALED M
• Application Number:
  US11/761,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20070237321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,766 Days
• Field of Search: 370351-356, 37937301, 37937302
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/654 Pre, in or post-call message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0051 where the data service is a multimedia messaging service

Abstract

A technique for obtaining caller-originated alert signals in IP-based communication sessions is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method comprising the steps of: receiving, from a first user equipment and via a first communication channel, a request to initiate a communication session, the request being received at a second user equipment; in response to the request, causing a phonepage server to transmit, via a second communication channel, a caller-originated alert to the second user equipment; and rendering the caller-originated alert to alert a user associated with the second user equipment.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining caller-originated alert signals in an IP-based communication session, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first user equipment and via a first communication channel, a first request to initiate a communication session between the first user equipment and a second user equipment, the request being received at the second user equipment and including an indication of an intent to provide a caller-originated alert;

rejecting the caller-originated alert at the second user equipment;

when the second user equipment does not have the right to reject the caller-originated alert, determining that the first user equipment has overridden the rejection;

in response to being overridden, receiving the first request from the first user equipment, sending a second request to the phonepage server, the second request including an identity of the first user equipment and an identity of the second user equipment;

in response to the second request, causing a phonepage server to transmit, via a second communication channel, a caller-originated alert to the second user equipment, the caller-originated alert being based on the identities of the first and second user equipments; and

rendering the caller-originated alert to alert a user associated with the second user equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the communication session is carried on a packet-switched network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request to initiate the communication session further includes information associated with the caller-originated alert.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the phonepage server selects the caller-originated alert based on a pre-stored preference associated with the first user equipment.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the caller-originated alert is downloaded from the phonepage server to the second user equipment before being rendered thereon.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the caller-originated alert is streamed from the phonepage server to the second user equipment and the rendering of the caller-originated alert starts before it is fully downloaded.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the phonepage server, a status to indicate whether the caller-originated alert is available.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

rendering a default alert signal if the caller-originated alert is unavailable from the phonepage server.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the caller-originated alert is customized based on one or more factors selected from a group consisting of:

an identity of the second user, a type of the communication session, and predetermined triggering events associated with the communication session.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second user equipment does not have the right to reject the caller-originated alert due to condition of service reasons.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second user equipment does not have the right to reject the caller-originated alert due to regulatory reasons.

10. A user equipment for obtaining caller-originated alert signals in an IP-based communication session, the user equipment comprising:

a processor operatively coupled to at least one memory unit, a user interface, and a communication unit, and

the processor being configured to;

receive, from a first user equipment and via a first communication channel, a first request to initiate a communication session, the request including an indication of an intent to provide a caller-originated alert;

reject the caller-originated alert;

determine that the first user equipment has overridden the rejection when the user equipment does not have the right to reject the caller-originated alert;

in response to receiving the first request from the first user equipment, send a second request to the phonepage server that includes an identity of the first user equipment and an identity of the second user equipment;

in response to the second request, cause the phonepage server to transmit, via a second communication channel, a caller-originated alert to the second user equipment; and

render the caller-originated alert to alert a user associated with the second user equipment.