| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 379215010 | Call Waiting | 18 |
| 20080205619 | CALLER INITIATED COMMUNICATIONS INTERRUPTION - Enabling a caller to automatically interrupt a currently active call. In one embodiment, a call manager receives a request from an interrupter that may indicate an urgency, an identification, an authorization, and/or other reason to interrupt the current call between a target party device and a bystander party device. Warning messages can be provide to the target and/or bystander party. The call manager may automatically connect the call or determine whether to connect the interrupter based on one or more criteria predefined by the target and/or the interrupter. Alternatively, the target may make the determination based on information about the requested interruption. The bystander party device may be placed on hold, or a conference call may be initiated automatically. Call management may be performed directly, or through one or more network carriers. A rejected interruption may be routed to voice mail. After completing the interruption, the original call is reestablished. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080205620 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING HOLD TIMES DURING AUTOMATED CALL PROCESSING - A system and method for managing hold times during automated call processing is provided. A call is received from a caller and assigned to a call session. Data is obtained from the caller and evaluated for caller attributes related to the call session. Hold times are identified during the call session. Response content is customized for at least one of the hold times using the caller attributes. The customized response content is provided to the caller during that hold time. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080260138 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USER INTERACTION WITHIN A QUEUE - A system for providing caller interaction within a queue. In response to receiving a call, it is determined whether a wait time exists before a caller is connected to a customer service representative. In response to determining that the wait time exists, it is determined whether the caller is interested in an interaction. In response to determining that the caller is interested in the interaction, a profile associated with the caller is loaded. In response to detecting a connection with an interactive system, interactive options are loaded from the interactive system and presented to the caller based on the profile. In response to receiving a selection from the interactive options, it is determined whether the selection includes a group interaction. In response to determining that the selection includes the group interaction, the group interaction is loaded based on the profile. Then, the caller is entered into the group interaction. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080310612 | System, method and device supporting delivery of device-specific data objects - A technique for supporting delivery of a data object used to alert a called party to a call from a calling party is described. The technique comprises receiving a call setup request from a calling communication device associated with the calling party. Next, a call setup is initiated with one or more called communication devices associated with the called party. In response to the call setup, a request for the data object for each of the one or more called communication devices is received. Finally, the data object is transferred to each of one or more called communication devices, wherein the data object is used by the one or more called communication devices to alert the called party to the call from the calling party. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090010415 | Method for call waiting - An improved call waiting process is provided wherein the called party (user) may elect to transfer the calling party (second caller) to a disposition option wherein a recorded message invites the second caller to elect to remain on hold until the first call is finished or to be transferred to the user's voicemail. If the second caller elects to remain on hold, the second call is placed on hold until the first call is terminated and the second call completed to the user. While the second call is holding, the recorded message is repeated at predetermined intervals. If the second caller elects to continue to remain on hold, the cycle repeats itself over the predetermined interval. If the second caller elects to leave a message, the second call is transferred to the user's voicemail where he/she can leave a message and the second call is terminated upon completion of the message. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090097633 | METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR PARK CALL MESSAGES - A method of operating a communication device, the method comprising sending a park data signal for placing a call to park and receiving a park reminder message. A method of operating a communication server operable to maintain communication between at least two devices, the method comprising placing a call to park and sending a park reminder message. A telecommunication server comprising a processor configured to place a telephone call to park and send a park message. A telecommunication device comprising a processor configured to send a park data signal for placing a call to park and receive a park reminder message. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090207992 | CALL HOLD SIGNALING - One or more elements in a telecommunications network ( | 08-20-2009 |
| 20100020958 | CALL WAITING PRIORITY ALERT` - A method for delivering a priority call waiting alert service to a telephone subscriber. An embodiment of the present invention may be implemented on an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN). When a call intended the subscriber is received by a service switching point from a calling party while the telephone line is already engaged in a first communication between the subscriber and a third party, the calling party is solicited to supply a priority code. If the priority code is recognized by a service control point, a call waiting tone or a priority alert signal associated with the priority code is played to alert the subscriber that a priority call has been received. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100098238 | CALL STATUS REENACTMENT DEVICE AND CALL STATUS REENACTMENT METHOD - A phone call status reenactment device for reenacting connection status of a phone call includes a storage and a display unit. The storage stores event data for each event in which connection status of a phone call has changed. The event data includes time data indicating a time when the connection status changed and type data indicating a type of event. The display unit displays data on connection status in response to an instruction. The data on connection status is displayed in order of time in accordance with the event data stored in the storage. The data on connection status includes a quantity of phone calls before answered by a phone call taker, a quantity of phone calls ended without answered by a phone call taker, and a quantity of phone calls answered by a phone call taker. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100142696 | MESSAGE-BASED NOTIFYING METHOD FOR NOTIFYING WAITING QUEUE AND APPLICATION SERVER - The present invention relates to a message-based notifying method for notifying a waiting queue and an application server, wherein the method includes: sending, by a calling terminal, a call request to a called terminal; forwarding, by an application server, to the called terminal the call request sent from the calling terminal, and determining from a response message returned from the called terminal whether the called terminal is in an idle status; and if the called terminal is in a busy status, then adding by the application server the calling terminal into a waiting enqueuing queue of the called terminal, and sending to the calling terminal a waiting notification message containing a waiting queue value corresponding to the calling terminal; or if the called terminal is in an idle status, then establishing directly a communication connection between the calling terminal and the called terminal. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100310063 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PLACING A COMMUNICATION SESSION ON HOLD - An approach is provided for placing a real-time communication session (e.g., a voice call or a video call) on hold before the called party answers the call. After receiving a communication session request, the communication session is placed on hold until a predetermined time period expires, the called party answers the communication session, or the calling party elects to be directed to an answering service. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20120033801 | Wireless Priority Service within a Distributed Call Processing Architecture - A system, method, and call processing component for controlling an order of call processing among a plurality of call processing components. Each call processing component, upon receiving a call request when system resources are not available to process the requested call, creates a real queue entry in its call processing queue and sends a call-queued notification to all other call processing components in the system. The other call processing components in the telecommunication system then create a shadow queue entry in their respective call processing queues as a placeholder for the requested call. When system resources become available and the requested call is next in the queue, the call processing component that received the request de-queues and processes the requested call, and sends a call de-queued notification to the other call processing components. In response, each of the other call processing components removes the placeholder queue entry for the requested call from each call processing component's call processing queue. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120140914 | RINGBACK ADVERTISING - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which an indication of a telephone call being placed from a calling number is received, and a determination is made of an audio advertisement to play based on the calling number. The audio advertisement is played based on the determination. | 06-07-2012 |
| 20130156177 | CALL CONTROL ACROSS MULTIPLE INTERFACES - Methods and apparatuses for call control are disclosed. In one example, methods and apparatuses for receiving communications associated with a monitoring of a first interface, a second interface, and a third interface for an incoming call. A current active call is placed in a bold queue, the hold queue configured to contain calls placed on hold received over the first interface, the second interface, and the third interface. Notification of a second user action to place the incoming call on a hold status is received. The incoming call is placed in the hold queue, a next call from the hold queue is retrieved, and the next call is activated. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130223607 | Call Waiting Network Identification - A multi-mode device for providing call waiting network identification. The device can establish a first call through a first network. While communicating through the first network, a second call can be received from a second network. The first network can be independent of the second network and operate separately on the multi-mode device. The multi-mode device can inject an alert specific to the second network into the call through the first network signaling the call through the second network. By providing the alert, the user of the multi-mode device can determine if the call waiting tone is for business or personal giving the user the chance to ignore the call and continue talking without having to take the handset away from their face, activate the screen and view the caller identification information to decide whether or not to take the call. | 08-29-2013 |
| 20130343532 | Call Queues with Audiovisual and Interactive Content - Various embodiments can utilize audiovisual and/or interactive content to present to a caller when the caller's call is placed into a call queue. A variety of different types of content can be presented to the caller to reduce the caller's perceived time in the call queue. In at least some embodiments, content presented to a particular caller can be driven by caller selections. Alternately or additionally, content presented to a particular caller can be automatically selected for the caller based upon information associated with the caller such as the caller's profile and/or information associated with the caller's previous content consumption patterns. | 12-26-2013 |
| 20150010138 | TECHNIQUES FOR BYPASSING CALL SCREENING IN A CALL MESSAGING SYSTEM - A call messaging system includes a database comprising a call screening rule for a callee and a call screening engine configured to determine whether a bypass condition exists for an incoming call to the callee, and to bypass the call screening rule for the incoming call, if the bypass condition exists. | 01-08-2015 |
| 20150326716 | On-Hold Processing for Telephonic Systems - In an end-of-hold notification method and apparatus, upon activation of end-of-hold notification from a first communication device, a detector is activated to monitor a communication connection between the first communication device and a second communication device for an end-of-hold condition from the second communication device, and a customized message from a user of the first communication device (e.g., a textual message, a graphical message, an audio message, etc.) is sent by the first communication device to the second communication device such that the custom message is sent outside of the communication connection and before detection of the end-of-hold condition from the second communication device. | 11-12-2015 |
