SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FORWARDING CALLS

• US 20080260136A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: RAHMAN, MOSHIUR
• Granted Patent: US 9,258,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A system and method for forwarding calls is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller element to receive a call from a communication system, retrieve a caller ID from information associated with the call, present a caller ID, receive a request to forward the call, present one or more communication identifiers responsive to the forwarding request, receive a selection corresponding to one of the one or more communication identifiers, and submit to the communication system a request to forward the call to the selected communication identifier. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising a controller element to:

receive a call from a communication system;

retrieve a caller ID from information associated with the call;

present the caller ID;

receive a request to forward the call;

present one or more communication identifiers responsive to the forwarding request;

receive a selection corresponding to one of the one or more communication identifiers; and

submit to the communication system a request to forward the call to the selected communication identifier.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises one among a set-top box (STB), a computer, a fixed communication device, a short-range portable communication device, and a cellular communication device.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller element presents the one or more communication identifiers by way of a display of the communication device.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the call corresponds to a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) call, and wherein the signaling information conforms to a session initiation protocol (SIP).

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication system operates as an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) system.

6. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the IMS system is coupled to an IPTV system, wherein the communication device is coupled to a media device, and wherein the media device comprises one among a television set, and a computer display.

7. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the controller element:

receives a media program from the IPTV system;

presents the media program at the media device;

presents the caller ID at a display of a media controller responsive to the call; and

presents the one or more communication identifiers at the display of the media controller responsive to the forwarding request.

8. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the controller element:

receives a media program from the IPTV system;

presents the media program at the media device;

presents the caller ID at the media device responsive to the call; and

presents the one or more communication identifiers at the media device responsive to the forwarding request.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the controller element:

pauses the media program responsive to receiving the call;

records the media program from a time when it was paused; and

reestablishing presentation of the media program from the time it was paused responsive to submitting the request to forward the call to the selected communication identifier.

10. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller element identifies a called party according to the caller ID.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the communication device is shared by a plurality of users, wherein each user has a phonebook stored by the communication device, and wherein the controller element identifies the called party by associating the caller ID with an entry in a select one of the phonebooks.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the controller element retrieves from the called party'"'"'s phonebook the one or more communication identifiers to provide alternative options to forward the call to the called party.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the controller element:

presents the plurality of users;

receives a selection corresponding to one of the plurality of users;

retrieves from the selected user'"'"'s phonebook the one or more communication identifiers to provide alternative options to forward the call to the selected user.

14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the controller element:

requests presence information associated with the called party;

retrieves from the called party'"'"'s phonebook the one or more communication identifiers to provide alternative options to forward the call to the called party; and

highlights according to presence information at least one of the one or more communication identifiers having a likelihood of establishing communications with the called party.

15. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication identifiers corresponds to one among an E.164 number and a Session Initiation Protocol Uniform Resource Identifier (SIP URI).

16. A network element in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication system, comprising a controller element to:

notify a communication device of an incoming call;

supply a caller ID associated with the incoming call; and

receive from the communication device a request to forward the call to a selected communication identifier.

17. The network element of claim 16, wherein the communication device:

presents one or more communication identifiers to a recipient of the incoming call;

receives a selection corresponding to one of the one or more communication identifiers; and

submits to the network element the selected communication identifier.

18. The network element of claim 16, wherein the network element comprises a Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF).

19. The network element of claim 16, wherein the communication device comprises one among a set-top box (STB), a computer, a fixed communication device, a short-range portable communication device, and a cellular communication device.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving a call from a communication system;

presenting a caller ID associated with the call; and

submitting to the communication system a request for the call to be forwarded.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising submitting to the communication system a selected communication identifier to which the call is to be forwarded.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the selected communication identifier comprises one among an E.164 number and a Session Initiation Protocol Uniform Resource Identifier (SIP URI).

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the call is a voice over IP (VoIP) call, and wherein the communication system operates as an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) system.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the method operates in at least one among a set-top box (STB), a media controller that manages the STB, a computer, a fixed communication device, a short-range portable communication device, and a cellular communication device.