Treatments in a distributed communications system

• US 6,952,416 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1998
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Christie, IV, Samuel H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O.
• Application Number:
  US09/102,016
• Time in Patent Office: 2,661 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.52, 370/351, 370/402, 370/354, 370/466, 370/401, 370/320, 370/389, 370/352, 370/410, 370/522, 379/229, 379/88.23, 379/210.01, 379/211.01, 379/212.01, 379/213.01, 379/221.01, 379/67.1, 379/88.13, 379/88.24, 379/88.25, 709/202
• US Class Current: 370/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related

Abstract

An apparatus for providing treatments to a calling party in a distributed communications system. When a calling party unsuccessfully completes a communications session, the apparatus sends a message to the calling party'"'"'s communication device. The message includes an indication of why the call was not successfully completed along with a corresponding multimedia message or an address for accessing the message.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving treatments corresponding to a calling party'"'"'s unsuccessful attempt to complete a communication session, comprising:

means for attempting to initiate a communication session from a calling party'"'"'s communication device to a called party'"'"'s communication device across a packet based network;

means for receiving a packet based indication that the attempted communication session was not completed; and

receiving means for receiving at the calling party'"'"'s communication device a packet based message providing an indication of a treatment corresponding to the attempted communication session, wherein said message is presented to the calling party through the calling party'"'"'s communication device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving a cause value and an address of an associated message corresponding to the attempted communication session.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the receiving means includes means for obtaining the message from the calling party'"'"'s communication device or other server.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the receiving means includes means for obtaining the message using the address.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving an address for accessing the message in an alternate language.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving the treatment with the message.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving the treatment and for caching the treatment for later retrieval.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving the indication of a particular version of the treatment.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving a multimedia version of the treatment.

10. An apparatus for providing treatments corresponding to a calling party'"'"'s unsuccessful attempt to complete a communication session, comprising:

means for receiving an attempt to initiate a communication session from a calling party'"'"'s communication device to a called party'"'"'s communication device;

means for providing a packet based indication that the attempted communication session was not completed; and

providing means for providing at the calling party'"'"'s communication device a packet based message providing an indication of a treatment corresponding to the attempted communication session;

wherein said message is presented to the calling party through the calling party'"'"'s communication device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the providing means includes means for providing a cause value and an address of an associated message corresponding to the attempted communication session.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the providing means includes means for providing an address for accessing the message in an alternate language.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the providing means includes means for providing the treatment with the message.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the providing means includes means for providing the indication of a particular version of the treatment.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the providing means includes means for providing a multimedia version of the treatment.

16. A system for receiving treatments corresponding to a calling party'"'"'s unsuccessful attempt to complete a communication session to a called party, comprising:

a calling party'"'"'s communication device;

a called party'"'"'s communication device including customer premises equipment for the called party;

a network for interfacing the calling party'"'"'s communication device with the called party'"'"'s communication device; and

an apparatus interfaced with the calling party'"'"'s communication device, the apparatus including;

means for attempting to initiate a communication session from the calling party'"'"'s communication device to the called party'"'"'s communication device;

means for receiving a packet based indication that the attempted communication session was not completed; and

receiving means for receiving at the calling party'"'"'s communication device a packet based message providing an indication of a treatment corresponding to the attempted communication session.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving a cause value and an address of an associated message corresponding to the attempted communication session.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the receiving means includes means for obtaining the message from the calling party'"'"'s communication device or other server.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the receiving means includes means for obtaining the message using the address.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving an address for accessing the message in an alternate language.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving the treatment with the message.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving the treatment and for caching the treatment for later retrieval.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving the indication of a particular version of the treatment.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the receiving means includes means for receiving a multimedia version of the treatment.

25. A system for providing treatments corresponding to a calling party'"'"'s unsuccessful attempt to complete a communication session, comprising:

a calling party'"'"'s communication device;

a called party'"'"'s communication device;

a packet based network for interfacing the calling party'"'"'s communication device with the called party'"'"'s communication device; and

an apparatus interfaced with the called party'"'"'s communication device, the apparatus including;

means for receiving an attempt to initiate a communication session from the calling party'"'"'s communication device to the called party'"'"'s communication device over the packet based network;

means for providing a packet based indication that the attempted communication session was not completed; and

providing means for providing at the calling party'"'"'s communication device a packet based message providing an indication of a treatment corresponding to the attempted communication session, wherein said message is presented to the calling party through the calling party'"'"'s communication device.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the providing means includes means for providing a cause value and an address of an associated message corresponding to the attempted communication session.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the providing means includes means for providing an address for accessing the message in an alternate language.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the providing means includes means for providing the treatment with the message.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein the providing means includes means for providing the indication of a particular version of the treatment.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the providing means includes means for providing a multimedia version of the treatment.

31. A method for receiving treatments corresponding to a calling party'"'"'s unsuccessful attempt to complete a communication session, comprising the steps of:

attempting to initiate a communication session from a calling party'"'"'s communication device to a called party'"'"'s communication device;

receiving a packet based indication that the attempted communication session was not completed; and

receiving at the calling party'"'"'s communication device a packet based message providing an indication of a treatment corresponding to the attempted communication session.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the second receiving step includes the step of receiving a cause value and an address of an associated message corresponding to the attempted communication session.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of receiving the cause value includes the step of obtaining the message from the calling party'"'"'s communication device or other server.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of receiving the cause value includes the step of obtaining the message using the address.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of receiving the cause value includes the step of receiving an address for accessing the message in an alternate language.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein the second receiving step includes the step of receiving the treatment with the message.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of receiving at the calling party'"'"'s communication device a message includes the steps of receiving the treatment and caching the treatment for later retrieval.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein the receiving step includes receiving the indication of a particular version of the treatment.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the receiving step includes receiving a multimedia version of the treatment.

40. A method for providing treatments corresponding to a calling party'"'"'s unsuccessful attempt to complete a communication session over a packet network, comprising the steps of:

receiving an attempt to initiate a communication session from a calling party'"'"'s communication device to a called party'"'"'s communication device;

providing a packet based indication that the attempted communication session was not completed; and

providing at the calling party'"'"'s communication device a packet based message providing an indication of a treatment corresponding to the attempted communication session, wherein said message is presented to the calling party trough the calling party'"'"'s communication device.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the second providing step includes the step of providing a cause value and an address of an associated message corresponding to the attempted communication session.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the step of providing the cause value includes the step of providing an address for accessing the message in an alternate language.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein the second providing step includes the step of providing the treatment with the message.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein the providing step includes providing the indication of a particular version of the treatment.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the providing step includes providing a multimedia version of the treatment.

46. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the method including;

attempting to initiate a communication session from a calling party'"'"'s communication device to a called party'"'"'s communication device;

receiving a packet based indication that the attempted communication session was not completed; and

receiving at the calling party'"'"'s communication device a packet based message providing an indication of a treatment corresponding to the attempted communication session, wherein said packet based message is presented to the calling party.

47. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein the second receiving step includes the step of receiving a cause value and an address of an associated message corresponding to the attempted communication session.

48. The computer program product of claim 47 wherein the step of receiving the cause value includes the step of obtaining the message from the calling party'"'"'s communication device or other server.

49. The computer program product of claim 47 wherein the step of receiving the cause value includes the step of obtaining the message using the address.

50. The computer program product of claim 47 wherein the step of receiving the cause value includes the step of receiving an address for accessing the message in an alternate language.

51. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein the second receiving step includes the step of receiving the treatment with the message.

52. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein the step of receiving at the calling party'"'"'s communication device a message includes the steps of receiving the treatment and caching the treatment for later retrieval.

53. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein the receiving step includes receiving the indication of a particular version of the treatment.

54. The computer program product of claim 53 wherein the receiving step includes receiving a multimedia version of the treatment.

55. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the method including;

receiving an attempt to initiate a communication session from a calling party'"'"'s communication device to a called party'"'"'s communication device;

providing a packet based indication that the attempted communication session was not completed; and

providing at the calling party'"'"'s communication device, and particularly at a phone of the calling party'"'"'s communication device, a packet based message providing an indication of a treatment corresponding to the attempted communication session.

56. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the second providing step includes the step of providing a cause value and an address of an associated message corresponding to the attempted communication session.

57. The computer program product of claim 56 wherein the step of providing the cause value includes the step of providing an address for accessing the message in an alternate language.

58. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the second providing step includes the step of providing the treatment with the message.

59. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the providing step includes providing the indication of a particular version of the treatment.

60. The computer program product of claim 59 wherein the providing step includes providing a multimedia version of the treatment.