US5880770A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for utilizing display phone set-up time to provide third party controlled messaging
Assignee: Technical Visions Inc
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Filing: 1997-09-12
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Granted: 1999-03-09
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Expires: 2017-09-12
Abstract
Abstract A system for transporting messages that originate potentially with a third party to one or more other parties each of which is communicating with the other over a transmission system and videophones is disclosed. The messages in the form of video images remain on both videophone displays for a variable length of time. The system enables viewing of an important message by a significant number of individuals over their videophones. The system utilizes the captive time that two parties experience during the setup and connection period for a real time communication.
Inventors
- 👤 Kevin J. Ilcisin
- 👤 Gordon J. Paynter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 21:31
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/14; H04N7/141; H04N7/147
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
In a system including a videophone receiving device having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, and a communications network being one of a cable television network and the Internet network, said video receiving device being connectable to said communications network, a method of providing information on said videophone receiver device to a calling party initiating a call over said communications network, comprising: a) receiving from the calling party a request for connection to said communications network; b) automatically selecting information for reception by the calling party on said videophone receiving device in response to the request; and c) routing the selected information to said videophone receiving device of the calling party while making the connection to a called party over said communications network.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a system including a videophone receiving device having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, and a communications network being one of a cable television network and the Internet network, said video receiving device being connectable to said communications network, a method of providing information on said videophone receiver device to a calling party initiating a call over said communications network, comprising: a) receiving from the calling party a request for connection to said communications network; b) automatically selecting information for reception by the calling party on said videophone receiving device in response to the request; and c) routing the selected information to said videophone receiving device of the calling party while making the connection to a called party over said communications network.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of automatically selecting information for reception by the calling party includes accessing the information without request for the information by and based on knowledge of the calling party.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
77 words
A method according to claim 1 further comprising: a) selecting information for reception by the called party in response to a request for connection by the calling party to said communications network to contact at least one other said called party; b) initiating a connection over said communications network to the called party; and c) routing the selected information for reception by the called party to the called party while making the connection to the called party.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of automatically selecting information for reception by the called party includes accessing the information without request for the information by and based on the knowledge of the called party.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of automatically selecting information includes accessing a message sourced by another party.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 5 further including supplying the message by said another party to said communications network.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein the step of supplying comprises: a) transmitting the message to said communications network; and b) storing the message for access on said communications network.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein the step of supplying comprises: a) storing the message on a storage medium; and b) transferring the storage medium to said communications network.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of selecting information comprises accessing information having a message that is local for the calling party.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of selecting information for the calling party comprises accessing a message that is local for the calling party, and the step of selecting information for the called party comprises accessing a message that is local for the called party.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein the steps of selecting information for the calling party and the called party comprise accessing the same message for each said party.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of routing comprises transmitting the selected information to said videophone receiving device for display on said display screen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein the called party has a message receiving device and the steps of routing information to the calling party and the called party, respectively, comprise transmitting the selected information to each device for display on display screens of each device, respectively.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
153 words
In a system including videophone receiving devices, each having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, and a communications network being one of a cable television network and the Internet network, said videophone receiving devices being connectable to said communications network, a method of supplying messages to any of a plurality of calling parties and called parties which communicate over said communications network via respective said videophone receiving devices, comprising: a) storing or accessing any of a plurality of messages; b) receiving from a calling party a request for connection over said communications network to at least one called party; c) automatically selecting a first message in response to the request from said calling party; and d) transmitting the first message to said videophone receiving device of the calling party for display on said display screen during the time of and prior to connecting the calling party to the called party.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
153 words
In a system including videophone receiving devices, each having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, and a communications network being one of a cable television network and the Internet network, said videophone receiving devices being connectable to said communications network, a method of supplying messages to any of a plurality of calling parties and called parties which communicate over said communications network via respective said videophone receiving devices, comprising: a) storing or accessing any of a plurality of messages; b) receiving from a calling party a request for connection over said communications network to at least one called party; c) automatically selecting a first message in response to the request from said calling party; and d) transmitting the first message to said videophone receiving device of the calling party for display on said display screen during the time of and prior to connecting the calling party to the called party.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method according to claim 14 further comprising: a) processing the request for connection to connect the calling party to the called party; b) automatically selecting a second message in dependence on the party being called; and c) transmitting the second message to said videophone receiving device of the called party for display on said display screen during and prior to the time the called party accepts a connection from the calling party.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 15, further including discontinuing the transmission of the first message to the calling party and the second message to called party upon the connection of the calling party to the called party.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of automatically selecting the first message includes accessing the first message without a request for messages from the calling party.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of selecting the second message includes automatically accessing the second message without a request for messages from the called party.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 18, wherein the first message and the second message are the same.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 18, wherein the first message is a local message for the calling party and the second message is a local message for the called party.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 14, wherein a calling party and the called parties are to be connected as part of a videoconference over said communications network, and at least one of the messages is transmitted to one or more of the videoconferenced parties.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of storing any of a plurality of messages comprises supplying the messages to said communications network by a third party.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein the step of supplying the messages comprises transmitting the messages to said communications network.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein the step of supplying the messages comprises providing a storage medium storing the messages for coupling to said communications network.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
173 words
A system, including a communications network and a videophone receiving device connectable to said communications network, for providing messages to a calling party, the messages having information of interest to the calling party and being other than status information about said communications network, said videophone receiving device having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, and said communications network being one of a cable television network and the Internet network, comprising: a) means for storing or accessing the messages; b) means for receiving and processing a request from said videophone receiving device of the calling part for connection over said communications network to a called party; c) means, responsive to the request, for automatically selecting one of the messages independent of any action by the calling party and the called party other than the request, the content of the messages not necessarily being under control of either the calling party or the called party; and d) means for routing the one message in aural and visual form to the calling party.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
173 words
A system, including a communications network and a videophone receiving device connectable to said communications network, for providing messages to a calling party, the messages having information of interest to the calling party and being other than status information about said communications network, said videophone receiving device having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, and said communications network being one of a cable television network and the Internet network, comprising: a) means for storing or accessing the messages; b) means for receiving and processing a request from said videophone receiving device of the calling part for connection over said communications network to a called party; c) means, responsive to the request, for automatically selecting one of the messages independent of any action by the calling party and the called party other than the request, the content of the messages not necessarily being under control of either the calling party or the called party; and d) means for routing the one message in aural and visual form to the calling party.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
41 words
A system, according to claim 25, wherein said means for routing comprises means for transmitting the one message to the calling party during a time prior to a communications network connection being made between the calling party and the called party.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system, according to claim 25, wherein said means for storing comprises: a) first means for storing local messages for the calling party; and b) second means for storing national messages for the calling party.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system according to claim 25 further comprising: a) means, responsive to the request, for selecting a message for the called party; and b) means for routing the message for the called party to said videophone receiving device of the called party.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system, according to claim 28, wherein said means for routing comprises means for transmitting the message for the called party to said videophone receiving device of the called party during a time prior to a communications network connection being made to the called party.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system according to claim 27, wherein said means for storing comprises third means for storing local messages for the called party, and said second storing means storing national messages for the called party.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 30, wherein said means for storing comprises fourth means for storing international messages.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
30 words
A system according to claim 25 wherein said means for automatically selecting comprises means for accessing said storing means automatically and without a request for access by the calling party.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system, according to claim 28 further comprising: a) means for providing messages for the calling party; and b) means for providing messages for the called party.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
159 words
A cable television of Internet network for enabling a calling party having a first videophone and a called party having a second videophone to communicate with one another over said network, each said videophone having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, comprising: a) means for receiving from the calling party a request for connection to said network; b) means, in response to the request, for coupling said first videophone and said second videophone, there being a finite time during this coupling when communication between the calling party and the called party has not yet commenced; c) means for accessing or for storing messages of interest to the calling party and the called party; and d) means for automatically accessing and transmitting during the finite time one of the messages to the calling party and the called party for display on said display screen of said first videophone and said display screen of said second videophone respectively.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
159 words
A cable television of Internet network for enabling a calling party having a first videophone and a called party having a second videophone to communicate with one another over said network, each said videophone having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, comprising: a) means for receiving from the calling party a request for connection to said network; b) means, in response to the request, for coupling said first videophone and said second videophone, there being a finite time during this coupling when communication between the calling party and the called party has not yet commenced; c) means for accessing or for storing messages of interest to the calling party and the called party; and d) means for automatically accessing and transmitting during the finite time one of the messages to the calling party and the called party for display on said display screen of said first videophone and said display screen of said second videophone respectively.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
115 words
A cable television or Internet network for enabling a calling party having a videophone to communicate with a called party having a videophone over said network, each said videophone having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, comprising: a) means for storing messages being variable in length and number; b) means for setting a minimum time for connecting the called party to the calling party to enable the called party to communicate with the calling party; and, c) means, responsive to a request for connection by the calling party, for automatically transmitting at least one of the messages having a length that can be received by the called party during the minimum time.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
115 words
A cable television or Internet network for enabling a calling party having a videophone to communicate with a called party having a videophone over said network, each said videophone having an audio device, a camera and a display screen, comprising: a) means for storing messages being variable in length and number; b) means for setting a minimum time for connecting the called party to the calling party to enable the called party to communicate with the calling party; and, c) means, responsive to a request for connection by the calling party, for automatically transmitting at least one of the messages having a length that can be received by the called party during the minimum time.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-03-08 | 2002-09-07 | 2003-03-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-03-08 | 2006-09-07 | 2007-03-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-03-08 | 2010-09-07 | 2011-03-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |