Systems and methods for communication notification and handling

• US 9,491,597 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage Business Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage Business Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Guo, Zhiyu, Fighel, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): PHU, SANH D
• Application Number:
  US14/673,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20150208211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• 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 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An Internet protocol (IP) telephony system provides telephony services to a mobile telephony device via data packet communications that traverse a data network. If the IP telephony system has received calls that were missed by the user of the mobile telephony device, or if the IP telephony system has received communications that have not yet been reviewed by the user of the mobile telephony device, information about those missed calls and unreviewed messages is delivered to the mobile telephony device so that the user can be alerted to their existence. The information may be delivered to the mobile telephony device in a push notification.

Claims

1. A method for updating a display on a mobile telephony device that receives telephony service from a first telephony system to indicate that unread information at a second telephony system is available, the method comprising:

receiving a push notification that is caused to be delivered to the mobile telephony device by the second telephony system, the push notification including information indicative of at least one of a number of unseen missed calls, a number of unread messages, or a number of new contacts available for the user of the mobile telephony device at the second telephony system; and

updating a display item on the mobile telephony device to reflect the information included in the push notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating step comprises updating the display item to indicate a number of unseen missed calls that have been received by the second telephony system for the user of the mobile telephony device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating step comprises updating the display item to indicate a number of unread messages that have been received by the second telephony system for the user of the mobile telephony device and which have not yet been displayed to or played to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating step comprises updating at least one number that appears on a badge displayed on the mobile telephony device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving and updating steps are performed by an application running on the user'"'"'s mobile telephony device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the push notification announces an incoming call, wherein the method further includes causing a message to be displayed on a display screen of the mobile telephony device, and wherein the message includes user selectable buttons that the user can activate to either receive the call or decline the call.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the push notification is received from the second telephony system, wherein the step of causing the message to be displayed includes causing a message to be displayed that includes an identity of the calling party, and wherein the displayed identity information is taken from an address book maintained for the user by the second telephony system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the push notification is delivered using a communication path utilized by the first telephony system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the push notification is delivered using a communication path that includes a cellular service provider utilized by the first telephony system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the push notification is delivered using a communication path that includes a data network utilized by the first telephony system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the push notification is sent using a push notification service of the second telephony system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the push notification is sent using a push notification service external to the second telephony system.

13. A method of sending information regarding missed calls to a mobile telephony device that receives telephony service from a first telephony system, wherein the missed calls were received by a second telephony system, the method comprising:

reviewing call data records (CDRs) maintained by the second telephony system to identify missed calls that were directed to a user'"'"'s mobile telephony device; and

sending a push notification to the user'"'"'s mobile telephony device using a push notification service that is caused to send the push notification by the second telephony system, where the push notification includes information about a total number of unseen missed calls that were directed to the user'"'"'s mobile telephony device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a total number of unread messages that have been received by the second telephony system for the user'"'"'s mobile telephony device but which have not yet been delivered to the user'"'"'s mobile telephony device, and wherein the sending step further comprises causing a push notification to be sent that includes information about the total number of unread messages.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a total number of unread messages that have been received by the second telephony system for the user'"'"'s mobile telephony device but which have not yet been displayed to or played to the user over the mobile telephony device, and wherein the sending step further comprises causing a push notification to be sent that includes information about the total number of undisplayed or unplayed messages.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a total number of new contacts that have been added to an address book that is maintained by the second telephony system for the user and which have not yet been delivered to the user'"'"'s mobile telephony device, and wherein the sending step further comprises causing a push notification to be sent that includes information about the total number of new contacts that have not yet been delivered to the user'"'"'s mobile telephony device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the sending step comprises causing a push notification announcing an incoming call to be sent.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising obtaining information about the identity of the calling party who placed the incoming call from an address book maintained for the user by the second telephony system using caller ID information associated with the incoming call, and wherein the push notification includes the obtained identity information.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the sending step comprises causing a push notification announcing a received message to be sent.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising obtaining information about the identity of the party who sent the received message from an address book maintained for the user by the second telephony system using sending ID information associated with the incoming message, and wherein the push notification includes the obtained identity information.