Providing of presence information to a telephony services system

• US 8,885,799 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, Richard G., Mumford, Gregory L., Gunasekar, Duraisamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US13/073,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 370259-271, 370351-357, 704270-278, 709201-207, 709217-248, 4554121-4262, 4555751-5759, 455 901- 903, 4554561-560, 379 671- 8828, 379 9301- 9304, 37911401-11414, 379/115.01, 379/201.01, 379/221.15, 37926501-2661, 379/308, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• 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 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 : wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 : Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/07 : Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 : Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 : Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 : for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 : for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 : for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 : for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 : based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 : shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 : involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 : per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8292 : Charging for signaling or unsuccessful connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 : Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 : Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 : Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 : Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 : Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 : Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 : VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 : IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 : Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 : Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 : Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 : Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 : Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 : Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 : per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 : Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 : Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42127 : Systems providing several special services or facilities from groups H04M3/42008 - H04M3/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 : Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 : Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 : Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 : Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 : for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 : Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0003 : Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 : Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 : where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0048 : where the text-based messaging service is a Short Message Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0051 : where the data service is a multimedia messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 : where the data service is an electronic mail service
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 : Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 : Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2335 : involving reformatting operations of audio signals, e.g. by converting from one coding standard to another details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 : by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234336 : by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures or audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440236 : by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text

Abstract

In support of an interactive telephony services system, a presence gateway provides presence information regarding availability of a called party to communicate using an instant communications client.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at an interactive voice processing system an affirmative response from a calling party to an offer from an operator service to use instant communications to contact a called party at a communication station,

wherein the operator service is part of the interactive voice processing system and the operator service is performed manually by a human operator, or automatically by interactive voice response, and

wherein the offer is provided after the calling party uses the operator service in a failed attempt to establish communication with the called party other than with the instant communications;

requesting, by the interactive voice processing system, presence information regarding the called party from an intelligent presence gateway;

determining by the intelligent presence gateway to obtain the presence information from a presence server that maintains the presence information;

determining by the intelligent presence gateway to obtain a capability attribute associated with the communication station from a capabilities server; and

determining to receive the presence information and the capability attribute at the interactive voice processing system from the intelligent presence gateway,

wherein an instant communication session is established when the capability attribute associated with the communication station indicates that the communication station can engage in instant communication.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating information relating to usage of the instant communication session for transmission to a billing system.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

translating textual information associated with the instant communication session into speech information to be output to the interactive voice processing system; and

converting audio associated with the instant communication and output from the interactive voice processing system into textual information.

4. A method of claim 1,

wherein the interactive voice processing system specifies a presence identifier identifying the called party when requesting the presence information from the intelligent presence gateway.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether payment can be obtained for the usage of the instant communication session, wherein control information for establishing the instant communication session is based on the determination of whether payment can be obtained.

6. A method of claim 3, wherein converting the audio into textual information includes recognizing non-spoken audible signals and converting into textual information indicating the non-spoken audible signals.

7. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive at an interactive voice processing system an affirmative response from a calling party to an offer from an operator service to use instant communications to contact a called party at a communication station,

wherein the operator service is part of the interactive voice processing system and the operator service is performed manually by a human operator, or automatically by interactive voice response, and

wherein the offer is provided after the calling party uses the operator service in a failed attempt to establish communication with the called party other than with the instant communications;

request, by the interactive voice processing system, presence information regarding the called party from an intelligent presence gateway;

determine by the intelligent presence gateway to obtain the presence information from a presence server that maintains the presence information;

determine by the intelligent presence gateway to obtain a capability attribute associated with the communication station from a capabilities server; and

determine to receive the presence information and the capability attribute at the interactive voice processing system from the intelligent presence gateway,

wherein an instant communication session is established when the capability attribute associated with the communication station indicates that the communication station can engage in instant communication.

8. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

generate information relating to usage of the instant communication session for transmission to a billing system.

9. An apparatus of claim 7, further wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

translate textual information associated with the instant communication session into speech information to be output to the interactive voice processing system; and

convert audio associated with the instant communication and output from the interactive voice processing system into textual information.

10. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein

the interactive voice processing system specifies a presence identifier identing the called cart when requesting the presence information from the intelligent presence gateway.

11. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine whether payment can be obtained for the usage of the instant communication session, wherein control information for establishing the instant communication session is based on the determination of whether payment can be obtained.

12. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein convert the audio to textual information includes recognize non-spoken audible signals and convert into textual information indicating the non-spoken audible signals.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

receiving at an interactive voice processing system an affirmative response from a calling party to an offer from an operator service to use instant communications to contact a called party at a communication station,

wherein the operator service is part of the interactive voice processing system and the operator service is performed manually by a human operator, or automatically by interactive voice response, and

wherein the offer is provided after the calling party uses the operator service in a failed attempt to establish communication with the called party other than with the instant communications;

requesting, by the interactive voice processing system, presence information regarding the called party from an intelligent presence gateway;

determining by the intelligent presence gateway to obtain the presence information from a presence server that maintains the presence information;

determining by the intelligent presence gateway to obtain a capability attribute associated with the communication station from a capabilities server; and

determining to receive the presence information and the capability attribute at the interactive voice processing system from the intelligent presence gateway,

wherein an instant communication session is established when the capability attribute associated with the communication station indicates that the communication station can engage in instant communication.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

generating information relating to usage of the instant communication session for transmission to a billing system.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

translating textual information associated with the instant communication session into speech information to be output to the interactive voice processing system; and

converting audio associated with the instant communication and output from the interactive voice processing system into textual information.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the interactive voice processing system specifies a presence identifier identifying the called party when requesting the presence information from the intelligent presence gateway.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

determining whether payment can be obtained for the usage of the instant communication session, wherein control information for establishing the instant communication session is based on the determination of whether payment can be obtained.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein converting the audio into textual information includes recognizing non-spoken audible signals and convert into textual information indicating the non-spoken audible signals.