System and method for processing a conference session through a communication channel

• US 20070291736A1
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Furlong, Jeff, Beaton, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,030,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for controlling an aspect of a communication session. The method processes the session through a subscriber terminal that also controls a separate a video signal. The method comprises: analysing call data for the session to determine whether a calling party can initiate the session with a called party; if the calling party is allowed to initiate the session, sending information about the session to the terminal; generating a GUI session from the information for a video monitor connected to the terminal; allowing further processing of the session through the terminal through the GUI session; if a command is received to further process the session, providing a message to the network to process the command; and if a command is received to change an aspect of the video signal, providing an appropriate message to the terminal to process the command.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an aspect of a communication session involving a calling party and a called party processed through a communication network through a subscriber terminal associated with a called party that also controls a separate a video signal, the method comprising:

analysing call data for the session to determine whether the calling party has is allowed to initiate the session with the called party;

if the calling party is allowed to initiate the session, sending information about the session to the subscriber terminal relating to the called party;

generating a GUI session from the information for a video monitor connected to the subscriber terminal to display particulars relating to the session;

providing an option to further process the session through the subscriber terminal through the GUI session;

if a command is received to further process the session, providing a message to the network to process the command; and

if a command is received to change an aspect of the video signal, providing a message to the subscriber terminal to process the command.

2. The method for controlling an aspect of a communication session as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GUI session is terminated automatically after a set period of time if no command is received at the subscriber terminal relating to the session or to the video signal.

3. The method for controlling an aspect of a communication session as claimed in claim 1, wherein a server associated with the network generates a signal to generate the message after the server receives particulars about a called party for the call and matches the particulars against a database.

4. The method for controlling an aspect of a communication session as claimed in claim 1, wherein the database has data to correlate addressing information about the subscriber terminal with the number of the called party.

5. The method for controlling an aspect of a communication session as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GUI session is terminated by a message received at the subscriber terminal indicating that the call has been answered or has been terminated.

6. The method for controlling an aspect of a communication session as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving at the terminal a request to initiate an outbound session;

generating a GUI session about the outbound session;

obtaining buddy list connection data for the outbound session and incorporating the associations into the GUI;

receiving at the terminal a command to initiate the outbound session with one of more called parties selected from the connection data;

updating the GUI session to include details about the called parties;

initiating a command from the terminal to the network to initiate the outbound session with the called parties.

7. A system for controlling an aspect of a communication session involving a calling party and a called party processed through a communication network through a subscriber terminal associated with either party that also controls a separate a video signal, the system comprising:

a server associated with the network, the server controlling aspects of the session;

receiving particulars about the session through the network and accessing a database to search for an entry therein relating to calling party; and

if the database contains the entry generating a message to the subscriber terminal relating to the session;

the database accessible by the server, containing data relating to telephone numbers, the called parties, the calling parties and subscriber terminals; and

a subscriber terminal for managing a connection request for the session originating from the network and for managing the video signal originating from an independent source, the subscriber terminal comprising;

a first module to receive the message relating to the session;

a second module to generate and control a GUI session for a video monitor connected to the subscriber terminal to display particulars relating to the session;

a third module to receive and process a response signal from a view at a video monitor connected to the terminal and displaying the GUI session;

a fourth module to generate and send a response message to the server to process the command when a command is received to further process the call; and

a fifth module to generate and initiate a command relating to the video signal when a command is received to change an aspect of the video signal.

8. The system for processing a call and an independent video signal at a site as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second module terminates the GUI session automatically after a set period of time if no command is received at the subscriber terminal relating to the call or the video signal.

9. The system for processing a call and an independent video signal at a site as claimed in claim 7, wherein the message is also used by the subscriber terminal to adjust downwardly an audio signal associated with video signal while the GUI session is active.

10. The system for processing a call and an independent video signal at a site as claimed in claim 7, wherein the subscriber terminal

is also used to initiate an outbound session to one or more called parties;

obtains call data associations for the outbound session from the database;

generates an outbound session GUI for the video monitor; and

receives and processes call connection requests for the called parties for the outbound session from a user at the terminal.