Voice over internet protocol call handling applications

• US 8,855,287 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2010
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bates, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEZUAYEHU, SOLOMON G
• Application Number:
  US12/758,494
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/142.01, 379/142.06, 379/374.02, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 379/207.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• 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 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• 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

Abstract

Providing alerts to a user that is participating in a telephone call includes operating a telephone call between a first user and a second user. The telephone call uses a voice path, a first signaling path, and a second signaling. An indication of an alert to be presented to the first user is received. The alert is configured for presentation to the first user on a telephone used by the first user. Control signals are sent from the telephony services provider to the first telephony proxy server over the first signaling path. The control signals are configured to cause the alert to be presented audibly to the first user on the telephone used by the first user such that (i) the first user hears the alert, (ii) the second user does not hear the alert, and (iii) the alert does not obscure other content of the telephone call.

Claims

1. A method for providing messages specific to participants in telephone calls, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of an established call from a first user to a second user, the indication being received by a telephony services provider over a first signaling path of the call that is established between the telephony service provider and a first telephony proxy server that is controlled by a telephony infrastructure provider and that is associated with the first user;

identifying, based on the indication, a message to be presented to at least the first user;

identifying, using the at least one processor, control signals configured to cause the identified message to be presented to at least the first user at any time during the established call, wherein identifying the control signals comprises;

accessing, based upon information stored by the telephony services provider related to at least the first user, an indication of an activity relevant to at least one of the first user or the second user; and

identifying the control signals based upon the accessed indication of the activity; and

sending the identified control signals to the first telephony proxy server over the first signaling path or to a second telephony proxy server that is controlled by a telephony infrastructure provider and that is associated with the second user over a second signaling path that is established between the telephony services provider and the second telephony proxy server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be presented to at least the first user comprises identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be played over a voice path that has been established between the first telephony proxy server and the second telephony proxy server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be presented to at least the first user comprises identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be presented to only the first user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be presented to at least the first user comprises identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be presented to the second user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving an indication of the established call involving the first user and the second user comprises receiving an identification of a call in which the first user is placing the second user on hold; and

identifying an audio message to be played to the second user while the second user is on hold.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

identifying a message further comprises receiving an indication of a new call to the first user that is received while the first user is involved in the established call; and

identifying an audio message that identifies the new call to the first user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a message comprises identifying an audio message based on characteristics of the second user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified message corresponds only to the second user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying a message comprises identifying an audio message selected by the second user for communication to the first user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving an indication of an established call from the first user to the second user comprises receiving an indication of a call in which the second user is placing the first user on hold; and

identifying an audio message to be played to the first user while the first user is on hold.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the identified control signals comprises sending the identified control signals to both the first telephony proxy server that is associated with the first user and to the second telephony proxy server associated with the second user.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified message is at least one of an audio message, an e-mail, an instant message, a calendar event reminder, or an incoming call notification.

9. A tangibly embodied, machine-accessible medium that comprises instructions that when accessed, results in a machine with at least one processor performing operations for providing messages specific to participants in telephone calls, the operations for providing messages comprising:

receiving an indication of an established call from a first user to a second user, the indication being received by a telephony services provider over a first signaling path of the call that is established between the telephony service provider and a first telephony proxy server that is controlled by a telephony infrastructure provider and that is associated with the first user;

identifying, based on the indication, a message to be presented to at least the first user;

identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be presented to at least the first user at any time during the established call, wherein identifying the control signals comprises;

accessing, based upon information stored by the telephony services provider related to at least the first user, an indication of an activity related to at least the first user or the second user; and

identifying the control signals based upon the accessed indication of the activity; and

sending the identified control signals from the telephony services provider to the first telephony proxy server over the first signaling path or to a second telephony proxy server that is controlled by a telephony infrastructure provider and that is associated with the second user over a second signaling path that is established between the telephony services provider and the second telephony proxy server.

12. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform operations including:

identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be played over a voice path that has been established between the first telephony proxy server and the second telephony proxy server.

13. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform operations including:

identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be presented to only the first user.

14. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform operations including:

identifying control signals configured to cause the identified message to be presented to only the second user.

15. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform operations including:

receiving an identification of the established call in which the first user is placing the second user on hold; and

identifying an audio message to be played to the second user while the second user is on hold.

16. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform operations including:

receiving an indication of a new call to the first user that is received while the first user is involved in the established call; and

identifying an audio message that identifies the new call to the first user.

17. The medium of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform operations including:

identifying an audio message based on characteristics of the second user.

18. The medium of claim 9 wherein the identified message corresponds only to the second user.

21. The medium of claim 9 wherein sending the identified control signals comprises sending the identified control signals to both the first telephony proxy server that is associated with the first user and to the second telephony proxy server associated with the second user.

22. The method of claim 9 wherein the identified message is at least one of an audio message, an e-mail, an instant message, a calendar event reminder, or an incoming call notification.