Method and apparatus for allowing selective disposition of an incoming telephone call during an internet session

• US 6,757,274 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1997
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Raji, Alexander David, Bedingfield, James Carl, Koch, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Application Number:
  US08/991,079
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 370/360, 370/400, 370/401, 370/410, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/100.15, 379/100.16, 379/215, 379/216, 379/217, 379/218, 379/215.01, 379/216.01, 379/217.01, 379/218.01, 379/218.02
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A method for notifying an internet browser user of an incoming telephone call is performed by intemet call notification software residing on the user'"'"'s computer and software residing within a telephone network. A user selects the location of the internet notification software as a home page for the browser. The home page prompts the user for activation of internet call notification. If the user requests internet call notification, the software transmits an internet protocol address to the telephone network. The network then stores the internet protocol address for the user. When a call is made to the user, the telephone network accesses a database to retrieve the stored internet protocol address. The network then transmits a message to the user'"'"'s software to notify the user of the incoming call. The software displays a window containing information about the telephone call. If the user chooses to accept the call, the software closes the browser and connects the telephone call to the user.

Claims

1. A method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call from a calling party, the method comprising:

storing an internet protocol address of the user in association with a telephone number of the user;

receiving a telephone call for the telephone number of the user at a switch;

maintaining control of the telephone call at the switch;

determining the user is in an active internet session; and

if the user is in an active internet session, then

using the telephone number of the user to retrieve the internet protocol address of the user; and

sending a message to the internet protocol address.

2. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the user to perform at least one of the following actions;

accepting the telephone call directly;

ignoring the telephone call; and

accepting the telephone call over the internet.

3. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

terminating an internet session if the user elects to accept the telephone call directly; and

connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the user.

4. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

storing a default telephone number of the user; and

connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the default telephone number if the user elects to ignore the telephone call.

5. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 2, further comprising sending the internet protocol address of the user to a telephony server if the user elects to accept the telephone call over the internet.

6. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a web page;

prompting the user to activate call notification from the web page;

transmitting the internet address of the user if the user elects to activate call notification; and

displaying a service activation message in the web page.

7. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying information regarding the telephone call, wherein the information regarding the telephone call includes information regarding the calling party.

8. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 1, wherein the internet address is stored by a service control point.

9. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 8, wherein the service control point stores the internet address in a database.

10. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 1, wherein storing an internet protocol address of the user comprises:

receiving a feature code as part of an initiation of an internet session by the user;

in response to receiving the feature code, creating an entry for storing the internet protocol address of the user; and

receiving the internet protocol address of the user.

11. A method, performed by a computer processor, for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call from a calling party, the method comprising:

displaying a web page, containing a prompt to the user requesting activation of internet call notification;

receiving an indication of a selection of the prompt from the user;

in response to receiving the indication of the selection of the prompt, activating internet call notification; and

transmitting the user'"'"'s internet protocol address to a telephone network element.

12. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a message containing information respecting the telephone call; and

displaying a window notifying the user of the telephone call.

13. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user to connect the telephone call;

ending an internet session of the user; and

connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the user.

14. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 12, wherein the information respecting the telephone call includes information regarding the calling party.

15. The method for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a feature code as part of an initiation of an internet session by the user; and

in response to receiving the feature code, creating an entry for storing the internet protocol address of the user in the telephone network.

16. A system for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call from a calling party, the system comprising:

a service switching point configured to receive and maintain control of the telephone call from the calling party and to send a message regarding the telephone call; and

a service control point configured to store an internet protocol address of the user when the user is in an active internet session, to receive the message regarding the telephone call from the service switching point, and to send an internet notification message to the internet protocol address of the user; and

the service control point also configured to remove the internet protocol address of the user when the user concludes the active internet session.

17. The system, as recited in claim 16, further comprising an internet notification means for displaying information respecting the telephone call, based upon the internet notification message, to the user, wherein the internet notification means further comprises:

means for causing the internet browser to prompt the user to accept the telephone call;

means for terminating a session of the internet browser if the user elects to accept the telephone call; and

means for connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the user.

18. The system, as recited in claim 16, wherein the system further comprises:

an internet notification means for displaying information respecting the telephone call, based upon the internet notification message, to the user;

means for storing a default telephone number of the user;

means, within the internet notification means, for prompting the user to accept the telephone call; and

means for connecting the telephone call from the calling party to the default telephone number of the user if the user does not elect to accept the telephone call.

19. The system, as recited in claim 16, further comprising an internet notification means for displaying information respecting the telephone call, based upon the internet notification message, to the user, and

wherein the internet notification means further comprises:

means for prompting the user to activate call notification;

means for transmitting the internet address of the user if the user elects to activate call notification; and

means for displaying a service activation message.

20. The system, as recited in claim 16, further comprising an internet notification means for displaying information respecting the telephone call, based upon the internet notification message, to the user, and

wherein the internet notification means further comprises:

means for displaying a web page in the internet browser;

means for prompting the user to activate call notification from the web page;

means for transmitting the internet address of the user if the user elects to activate call notification; and

means for displaying a service activation message in the web page.

21. The system, as recited in claim 16, further comprising an internet notification means for displaying information respecting the telephone call, based upon the internet notification message, to the user, and

wherein the information respecting the telephone call includes information regarding the calling party.

22. The apparatus for notifying an internet user of an incoming telephone call, as recited in claim 16,

wherein the service switching point is configured to receive a feature code as part of an initiation of an internet session by the user, and to transmit the feature code to the service control point;

wherein the service control point, is configured, in response to receiving the feature code, to create an entry for storing the internet protocol address of the user.

23. With respect to a user interested in engaging in an internet session on a telecommunications line associated with a telephone number without the user having to miss a call directed to the telephone number, a method for setting up a call indication service during the internet session of the user, the method comprising:

receiving information including a feature code relating to an initiation of an internet session by the user on the telecommunications line associated with the telephone number, the information including the telephone number of the user;

in response to receiving the information, creating an entry for storing the telephone number of the user;

receiving an internet protocol (IP) address for the user, the IP address for delivery of communications to the user on the telecommunications line associated with the telephone number during the internet session initiated by the user; and

storing the IP address in association with the telephone number of the user,

whereby the call indication service is set up for the user through the receipt and storage in association of the telephone number and the IP address of the user so that a telephone call directed to the telephone number may be brought to the user'"'"'s attention by a communication delivered to the IP address of the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the information comprises calling digits, the calling digits relating to an element of a service provider providing the user with internet service for the internet session;

and

wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the calling digits.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving the information relating to the initiation of the internet session by the user comprises receiving the information through the telephone network.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving the IP address for the user comprises receiving the IP address for the user via the internet.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

after the initiation of the internet session by the user, receiving an indication of interest by the user in activating the call indication service for the internet session.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein receiving the indication of the interest by the user in activating the call indication service for the internet session precedes receiving the IP address for the user.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein receiving the indication of the interest by the user in activating the call indication service for the internet session comprises a basis for receiving the IP address for the user.

30. With respect to a user interested in engaging in an internet session on a telecommunications line associated with a telephone number without the user having to miss a call directed to the telephone number, the user being assigned an internet protocol (IP) address for use in the internet session, a method for providing a call indication service during the internet session of the user, the method comprising:

A. upon initiation of the internet session by the user, receiving the telephone number of the user and the IP address assigned to the user, and storing the telephone number in association with the IP address;

B. in response to receiving the call directed to the telephone number, maintaining control of the call at a switch and using the telephone number

1. to determine the user is engaged in an internet session on the telecommunications line associated with the telephone number, and

2. if the user is engaged in the internet session, then to retrieve the IP address assigned to the user and stored in association with the telephone number of the user; and

C. sending a message regarding the call to the user using the IP address so the message is presented to the user in the internet session,

whereby the user is provided with the call indication service on the basis of the telephone number of the user being used to determine the user is engaged in the internet session and to retrieve the IP address assigned to the user for sending the message regarding the call to the user.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the IP address assigned to the user and the telephone number of the user are stored in association based on receiving a feature code in the initiation of the internet session by the user.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein receiving the call directed to the telephone number comprises receiving the call through the telephone network.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein action B of using the telephone number comprises using the telephone number in an element of the telephone network to determine the user is engaged in the internet session and to retrieve the IP address.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein sending the message regarding the call to the user using the IP address comprises sending the message from an element of the telephone network via the internet to the user.