Method and Apparatus for Using a User Message From a Caller Terminal as a Call Alert For a Callee Terminal

• US 20090185670A1
• Filed: 01/23/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Staples, Jeremy P.
• Application Number:
  US12/018,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20090185670A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53391 dependent on calling party

Abstract

The invention includes a method and apparatus for using a user message from a caller terminal as a call alert for a callee terminal. In one embodiment, a method for providing a user message from a caller terminal as a call alert includes detecting a request at the caller terminal to establish a connection, receiving a user message at the caller terminal and propagating the user message from the caller terminal toward the callee terminal, wherein the user message is adapted for use as a call alert to the callee terminal. In one embodiment, a method for using a user message as a call alert includes receiving, at a callee terminal, a user message associated with a connection establishment request and presenting the user message as a call alert for the connection establishment request.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user message from a caller terminal as a call alert, comprising:

detecting a request at the caller terminal to establish a connection;

receiving a user message at the caller terminal; and

propagating the user message from the caller terminal toward the callee terminal;

wherein the user message is adapted for use as a call alert to the callee terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, where the request to establish the connection comprises a request to establish a connection between the caller terminal and the callee terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user message at the caller terminal comprises:

prompting a caller to enter the user message; and

capturing the user message entered by the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user message is received from a local memory of the caller terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user message is received from the local memory of the caller terminal in response to selection of a pre-stored user message by a caller via the caller terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user message is propagated toward the callee terminal as part of a connection establishment request message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user message is propagated toward the callee terminal as a separate message independent of a connection establishment request message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein propagating the user message comprises:

encoding the user message;

packetizing the encoded user message; and

propagating the packetized user message toward the callee terminal.

9. A method for using a user message as a call alert, comprising:

receiving a user message at a callee terminal, wherein the user message is associated with a connection establishment request; and

presenting the user message as a call alert for the connection establishment request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user message is received as a portion of a connection establishment request message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein presenting the user message as the call alert comprises:

determining that the connection establishment request message includes the user message; and

extracting the user message from the connection establishment request message.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the user message is associated with a connection establishment request message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein presenting the user message as the call alert comprises:

receiving the user message; and

decoding the received user message; and

presenting the decoded user message.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the request to establish the connection is not accepted, storing the user message in a local memory of the callee terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

presenting the user message at the callee terminal in response to a request from the callee.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to a request from a callee via the callee terminal, prompting the callee to enter a response user message and propagating the response user message toward the caller terminal.

17. A method for providing a user message as a call alert, comprising:

receiving a connection establishment request having associated therewith a user message adapted for use as a call alert to a callee terminal;

determining whether the callee terminal is registered for a user message alerting service; and

propagating the user message toward the callee terminal in response to a determination that the callee terminal is registered for the user message alerting service.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user message is propagated toward the callee terminal as part of a connection establishment request message.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the user message is propagated toward the callee terminal as a separate message independent of a connection establishment request message.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether the callee terminal is registered for the user message alerting service comprises:

retrieving service subscription information associated with the callee terminal; and

determining whether the callee terminal is registered for the user message alerting service using the service subscription information.