586results about "Substation calling" patented technology

A telephone call distribution system for determining destination for an incoming telephone call in a telephony network including a service control point (SCP) operates with a plurality of workstations each comprising a telephone coupled to the telephony network and a proximate computer station having a video display unit (PC / VDU), the PC / VDO connected to the SCP via a wide area network (WAN), and a personal router associated with each PC / VDU. The SCP broadcasts data pertaining to the incoming telephone call and a request for a destination to individual ones of the PC / VDUs via the WAN, and the personal routers negotiate a destination based on individual routing rules and the data pertaining to the call. At least one of the individual routers responds to the SCP with a destination for the call. In some instances the workstations are associated with a call center, and the call center may be CTI-enhanced. Individual routers in this instance may be executed on a server on a local area network connecting workstations at the call center, the server providing individual routers to workstations in a client-server relationship.

A variety of haptic improvements useful in mobile devices are detailed. In one, a smartphone captures image data from a physical object, and discerns an object identifier from the imagery (e.g., using watermark, barcode, or fingerprint techniques). This identifier is sent to a remote data structure, which returns data defining a distinct haptic signature associated with that object. This smartphone then renders this haptic signal to the user. (Related embodiments identify the object using other means, such as location, or NFC chip.) In another arrangement, haptic feedback signals social network information about a product or place (e.g., the user's social network friends “Like” a particular brand of beverage). In yet another arrangement, the experience of watching a movie on a television screen is augmented by tactile effects issued by a tablet computer on the viewer's lap. In still another arrangement, commercial vendors bid for rights to employ different ones of a library of haptic signals on one or more users' smartphones, e.g., to alert such user(s) to their products / services. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A computerized system and method for selecting the nature and / or form of an alert used to announce a call made by a user participating in a customized alter service. The method includes establishing a customized alert service configuration for a participating user, which configuration is then stored on one or more network accessible devices. The participating user uses a first communications terminal to make a call to a second communications terminal, via a first communications service, the second communication terminal then announces the call by activating an alert using a chosen alert descriptor which has been chosen according to the customized alert service configuration for the participating user.

The invention is directed, in one aspect, to systems and methods for providing digital content to wireless network-enabled devices. In another aspect, the invention is directed to providing custom caller alerts to mobile telephones or other network appliances configured or repurposed for receiving such alerts or digital content.

A telephone terminal device such as a portable telephone performs music playback processes with respect to use-specified music data in which tempos, tone colors, and pitches are specifically processed to suit different uses while tone color assignment and musical score are commonly shared among different uses, or common-use music data that are partially modified to suit a specific use in reproduction such as production of incoming call melody sound, hold sound, background music (BGM) during conversation in progress, karaoke accompaniment sound, and music for appreciation.

A method for advertising in a mobile communication system may include generating a request for advertisement information, transmitting the request for advertisement information to an advertisement device, wherein the advertisement device stores a plurality of advertisement information, receiving requested advertisement information from the advertisement device, storing the requested advertisement information in a storage device and presenting selected advertisement information along with notification information indicating an incoming request for connection to a user of a mobile communication device when a request for connection is received by the mobile communication device. The presented selected advertisement information may be stored and statistic information relates to the selected advertisement information may be generated and sent to the advertisement device. The statistic information may be utilized to offset the cost of using the mobile communication system for the user or to track use of the system. The advertisement information may be requested, provides, received and stored during a stand by mode of the mobile communication device. The advertisement information may be request, provided received and stored during a non-peak time on a provider network used by the mobile communication device.

A mobile terminal and a method of selecting a lock function thereof are provided. The method of selecting a lock function of a mobile terminal having a touch screen includes: measuring, when at least one touch occurs on the touch screen, at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs; and selecting, if at least one of the measured pressure, current, and capacitance is greater than or equal to a preset value, a lock function. Thus, by touching the touch screen in such a manner that a high current or capacitance may be measured in a specific area of the mobile terminal, a user can easily perform a desired function, thereby improving user convenience.

Examples of inbound call identification and management are described including a call management system that includes one or more repositories that can include data representing call action policies and data representing attributes associated with the caller devices and the callee devices. Further, the call management system can include one or more computing devices that include a call identifier (“IDer”) configured to characterize the attributes of the caller devices to form characterized attributes, a call management system controller configured to match the characterized attributes against routing criteria specified in the data representing the call action policies, and a call management system router configured to route calls from the caller devices to the callee devices responsive to a match between the characterized attributes and the routing criteria.

A subscriber associates a ring-tone media selection based on a media genre, author, or title to a calling number. When an incoming call is detected, a particular ring-tone media selection, based on the subscriber's association, may be streamed from a central server to the subscriber's customer premises equipment and then played. Alternatively, when an incoming call is detected, a particular ring-tone selection indicator, based on the subscriber's association, may be sent from a central server to the subscriber's customer premises equipment which then plays a pre-stored ring-tone selection media associated with the indicator.

A telephony provider apparatus comprising: a pre-call information receiver, for receiving pre-call information transmitted through a first path and associated with a phone call transmitted through a second path; and a network component, associated with the pre-call information receiver, for provisioning the pre-call information to a callee and co-ordinating connection of the associated phone call to the callee with delivery of the pre-call information. Preferably the call is connected after the callee has seen the pre-call information and actively accepted the call.

An automated telephone line test system that is well suited for determining the location of faults within a telephone network. The telephone line test system uses time domain reflectometry to aid in locating the faults. The time domain reflectometry unit is connected through a switch in the network so that the time domain reflectometry unit can be connected to multiple lines without human intervention. Parameters of the time domain reflectometry signals are controlled so that reflections from the switch do not interfere with measurement of parameters on the faulty line.

An apparatus for provisioning content in an intuitive-associative manner comprising: a data receiver, for receiving data identifying a transmission source from a user, a matcher, associated with the data receiver, for matching at least one relevant item transmitted in the source at a time frame of the receiving with at least one content item, and a provisioner, associated with the matcher, for provisioning selected content items of the content items to the user.

A system and method are described for permitting a telephone user to customize the identification of a call setup process. The telephone user is permitted to create a karaoke style recording by causing an underlying musical track to be mixed with the voice of the user. The karaoke style recording is stored for later use as a ringback tone and / or ringtone, as desired, to identify the call setup process.

A group of mobile phones can each be associated with a different personal phone number, and can also be associated with a common family phone number. When a call is received at the shared family phone number, an intermediate server routes a notification of the call to each phone in the group, and each phone can ring. If a first user answers a first phone of the group, a notification is sent by the first phone to the intermediate server, which in turn sends a notification to the remaining phones in the group that the call has been answered. The remaining phones then stop ringing. If no one answers the call, the caller is routed to a voicemail associated with the shared family phone number, and a notification of a voicemail message is routed to each of the group of phones.

An automated process and system for setting an alert style for a communications device is provided. A scheduling program is used to define one or more activities. The scheduling program may operate on the communication device, or may be operated remotely. An alert style is selected and associated with a particular activity. When an incoming call is received during the activity, the communications device uses the selected alert style. An override condition or rule may also further adjust the alert style used by communications device.

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal for receiving a voice call while navigation service is running, and to a method therefor. According to the present invention, the mobile communication terminal for receiving a voice call while navigation service is running includes: a navigation unit supporting a navigation service; a controller providing, when an incoming call is received while the navigation service is being provided, call connection state information on the incoming call; and a display unit displaying a route guidance image corresponding to the navigation service and displaying a call reception window which provides the call connection state information to a preset area in the route guidance image.

The present invention provides for customizing a telephony ring signal to correspond to the originator of an incoming call. Preferably, a user will access an application server using a browser to associate audio files with telephone numbers of people who are expected to call the user. The application server will create an association between the audio files and the telephone numbers and download indicia bearing on the association to the user's telephony device. Upon receiving an incoming call from a number associated with an audio file, the telephone will play the audio file as the ring signal.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for presenting a custom alert to a recipient of an incoming data communication. A data communication is received from a sender. A custom alert is determined. The custom alert is to be presented on the recipient's communication device based on pre-defined rules established by the recipient. The custom alert is then presented to the recipient.

A push-to-talk (PTT) communication system provides a destination subscriber (called party) with a flexible incoming call management feature in which an initial voice message associated with the initial PTT incoming call to the called party is temporarily stored at the communication application server and is not transmitted to the called party's mobile terminal. The called party is informed of an incoming call by an alert message from the communication application server causing the called party's mobile terminal to provide an alert. The called party may elect one of several options upon being alerted of an incoming call including transmitting a signal requesting the voice message be played.

Portable electronic devices are provided including a customization circuit and a transmitter. The customization circuit is configured to customize an alert signal associated with an originating portable electronic device. The transmitter is configured to transmit the customized alert signal from the originating portable electronic device and transmit a request for communication from the originating portable electronic device to a receiving portable electronic device so as to allow a user of the receiving portable electronic device to be alerted using the customized alert signal. Related methods of operating portable electronic devices including customization circuits are also discussed.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, apparatus and system for providing personal audio alert messages (PAAM) to a called party and a calling party during a call connection. In response to a call origination by the calling party, a PAAM database may be queried. One ore more personal audio alert message (PAAM) strings may be received from a database in response to the query. A first PAAM string, from the one or more PAAM strings identifying the called party to the calling party, may be returned. The call may be routed to the called party. A second PAAM string and a third PAAM string may be returned, from the one or more PAAM strings, to the called party in the routed call. The call is connected if the called party accepts the call.

A method and system of preventing SPAM over Internet telephony (SPIT) is provided, including the establishment of calling rate limits for VoIP Challenge for callers, and SPIT ratings included with call initiation manual input messages to warn the callee if the call is at high risk of being SPIT. The calling rate limits are adjustable based on the reputation of the caller and events which may occur that are indicative of SPIT. Furthermore, methods for parental control over call end-points are provided.

A method for providing message services is provided that includes receiving a user notification message in an application. A user identifier for at least one recipient of the message is received in the application. The user identifier is operable to identify the recipient. The message and the user identifier are provided from the application to a private network. The private network is operable to transmit the message to a mobile station for the recipient. The mobile station has a corresponding mobile station identifier, and the user identifier is assigned to the mobile station identifier in the private network.

The present invention relates to the production of custom made ringtones for use with both mobile wireless phones and wireline phones.

Techniques are provided that extend the capabilities of mobile phone devices to automatically assign media content items to “contacts” list entries. Thus, if a mobile device user indicates the desire to purchase a media content item to be assigned to or associated with another mobile device user (e.g., an entry in a contacts list), the experience of acquiring that media content item and making the assignment can be seamless reducing the number of tedious manual steps to accomplish that task.