Notification of Communication Events

• US 20130336310A1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Laasik, Marek, Velenko, Mihails, Zolotarjov, Sergei, Olivier, Carl Stefke
• Granted Patent: US 9,059,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0063 where the network is a peer-to-peer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A network element of a communication provider comprises transceiver apparatus arranged to receive a request message from an originating endpoint via a packet-based communication network; and processing apparatus configured to generate, in response to the request message from the originating endpoint, a push notification relating to a communication from the originating endpoint intended for a destination endpoint, the communication to be conducted over the packet-based network. The transceiver apparatus is arranged to send the push notification to the destination endpoint over the packet-based network. The processing apparatus is further configured to generate the push notification with a payload comprising an indication of an image representing an originating user, to be output by the destination endpoint in a user notification notifying a destination user regarding the communication. At least the indication of the image is determined and inserted into the payload of the push notification at the network element.

Claims

1. A network element of a communication provider, comprising:

transceiver apparatus arranged to receive a request message from an originating endpoint via a packet-based communication network; and

processing apparatus configured to generate, in response to the request message from the originating endpoint, a push notification relating to a communication from the originating endpoint intended for a destination endpoint, the communication to be conducted over the packet-based network; and

wherein the transceiver apparatus is arranged to send the push notification to the destination endpoint over the packet-based network; and

wherein the processing apparatus is configured to generate the push notification with a payload comprising an indication of an image representing an originating user, to be output by the destination endpoint in a user notification notifying a destination user regarding the communication, at least said indication of the image being determined and inserted into the payload of the push notification at said network element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an instance of said image is additionally available to be pulled by the destination endpoint from a network element of the communication provider as part of a profile of the originating user, representing the originating user within a communication system of the communication provider.

3. The network element of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises an instance of the image being comprised within the payload.

4. The network element of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises a link to the image.

5. The network element of claim 1, wherein the request message comprises an invitation message from the originating endpoint inviting the destination endpoint to a proposed communication session over the packet-based network, the push notification relates to the proposed communication session, and the user notification notifies the destination user of the proposed communication session.

6. The network element of claim 5, wherein the proposed communication session comprises a voice or video call.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the network element comprises a connection adapter configured to form a connection with the originating endpoint, wherein the forming of the connection comprises determining an identity of the originating user and is performed in advance of receiving said request message.

8. The network element of claim 7, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to determine the indication of said image based on a determination that the request is received on said connection.

9. The network element of claim 8, wherein the processing apparatus is configured such that the determination of said identity comprises performing an authentication of the originating user.

10. The network element of claim 1, wherein the payload comprises further information enabling the destination user to make an informed decision as to whether to accept the communication.

11. The network element of claim 10, wherein the further information comprises an indication of a type of the communication.

12. The network element of claim 11, wherein type is indicated from amongst two or more of:

a call, an IM chat message, a voicemail message, and file transfer.

13. The network element of claim 10, wherein the further information comprises one or more of:

a display name of a user of the originating endpoint, a user name of the user of the originating endpoint, a timestamp, an indication of a type of the originating endpoint, a session identifier for the communication, and a conversation identifier for the communication.

14. The network element of claim 1, wherein the destination endpoint comprises a client application which at times is found in a background state whereby it is suspended or scheduled a supressed number of processing cycles by an operating system of the destination endpoint, wherein the push notification initiates wake up of the client from the background state.

15. The network element of claim 1, wherein the push notification comprises an operating system based push notification.

16. The network element of claim 1, wherein the push notification comprises an application layer push notification.

17. The network element of claim 15, wherein the processing apparatus and transceiver apparatus of the network element are configured to send the operating system based push notification to the destination endpoint via a separate network element of an operating system based push notification service.

18. A communication system comprising the network element and destination endpoint of claim 1;

wherein the destination endpoint is configured to output the user notification to the destination user based on the payload received in the push notification, comprising outputting said image on a screen of the destination endpoint; and

wherein the destination endpoint is configured to accept the communication to proceed over the packet-based network in dependence on a selection by the destination user in response to the user notification.

19. A computer program product comprising code embodied on a computer-readable storage memory and configured so as when executed on a destination endpoint to perform operations comprising:

receiving a push notification over a packet-based communication network from a network element of a communication provider, the push notification relating to a communication from an originating endpoint intended for the destination endpoint, the communication to be conducted over the packet-based network;

extracting from the push notification a payload comprising an indication of an image representing an originating user;

outputting the user notification to a destination user based on the payload received in the push notification, comprising outputting said image on a screen of the destination endpoint; and

accepting the communication to proceed over the packet-based network in dependence on a selection by the destination user in response to the user notification.

20. A method comprising:

at a network element of a communication provider, receiving an invitation message from an originating endpoint via a packet-based communication network, the invitation message inviting a destination endpoint to a proposed communication session over the packet-based network; and

at said network element, in response to the request message from the originating endpoint, generating a push notification relating to the proposed communication session, wherein the push notification is generated with a payload comprising an indication of an image representing an originating user, at least said indication of the image being determined and inserted into the payload of the push notification at said network element;

sending the push notification from said network element to the destination endpoint over the packet-based network; and

at the destination endpoint, extracting the payload from the push notification, and outputting a user notification to a destination user based on the payload received in the push notification, the outputting comprising outputting said image on a screen of the destination endpoint; and

from the destination endpoint, accepting the proposed communication session to proceed over the packet-based network in dependence on a selection by the destination user in response to the user notification;

wherein an instance of said image is additionally available to be pulled by the destination endpoint from a network element of the communication provider as part of a profile of the originating user, the image comprising an avatar image representing the originating user within a communication system of the communication provider.