US6456601B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system to provide telephony tones and announcements in a packetized network environment
Assignee: Unify Inc
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Filing: 1999-06-04
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Granted: 2002-09-24
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Expires: 2019-06-04
Abstract
Abstract A method and a system of providing call progress tones in a packetized network include storing the call progress tones and pre-programmed audio deliveries at a first device and includes multicasting or broadcasting the tones and deliveries from the first device to a number of telephony-enabled devices. The multicasts are in a format that enable the telephony-enabled devices to individually control transmissions of the tones and deliveries to other devices, particularly calling devices for incoming calls. Typically, the audio deliveries include memory intensive signals, such as announcements and music-on-hold. The progress tones include conventional call status tones, such as ringback, busy and error tones. In one embodiment, the telephony-enabled devices are telephones to which the calls are directed. In another embodiment, the telephony-enabled devices include proxies that process the system-wide multicasts for telephones of the network. Optionally, all of the tones and deliveries may be multiplexed into a single data stream. The multiplexed multicast data stream is then processed when a particular tone or delivery must be extracted. Optionally, less frequent announcements can be multiplexed into a generally continuous data stream for periodic presentation to a particular type of caller, such as a periodic selection of a particular message that interrupts music-on-hold. In another possible modification, the data stream is not processed at a called telephone. Instead, the called telephone directs the selected multicast to the calling telephone, which provides the processing.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter Kozdon
- 👤 Markku Korpi
- 👤 Rudolph Bitzinger
- 👤 Shmuel Shaffer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 21:44
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/42017; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/1066; H04L65/1073; H04L65/60; H04L65/61; H04L65/611; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04M3/428; H04M3/4285; H04M7/00; H04M7/006; H04L12/00; H04L12/02; H04L12/16; H04L12/18; H04L65/1101; H04M2203/00; H04M2203/20; H04M2203/205; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/523; H04M7/12; H04M7/1205; H04M7/129
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of providing call progress tones in a distributed network environment which supports data transfers and telephony capability for a plurality of telephony-enabled devices, said method comprising steps of: storing said call progress tones at a first device within said network environment; and multicasting or broadcasting said call progress tones from said first device to said plurality of telephony-enabled devices in a format that enables said telephony-enabled devices to individually control transmissions of said call progress tones to calling devices as responses to incoming calls from said calling devices, thereby providing access to said call progress tones for manipulation by said telephony-enabled devices.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of providing call progress tones in a distributed network environment which supports data transfers and telephony capability for a plurality of telephony-enabled devices, said method comprising steps of: storing said call progress tones at a first device within said network environment; and multicasting or broadcasting said call progress tones from said first device to said plurality of telephony-enabled devices in a format that enables said telephony-enabled devices to individually control transmissions of said call progress tones to calling devices as responses to incoming calls from said calling devices, thereby providing access to said call progress tones for manipulation by said telephony-enabled devices.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of multicasting or broadcasting said call progress tones includes multiplexing said call progress tones into a multiplexed data stream and includes transmitting said multiplexed data stream within said network environment for manipulation by said telephony-enabled devices.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said step of multicasting or broadcasting includes multiplexing a plurality of call tones and announcements into said multiplexed data stream such that said individual telephony-enabled devices are enabled to extract selected call tones and announcements from said multiplexed data stream for selective transmissions to said calling devices.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising steps of storing music-on-hold at said first device and multicasting or broadcasting said music-on-hold such that said telephony-enabled devices are configured to access said music-on-hold for transmissions to said calling devices.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said steps of storing and multicasting or broadcasting include storing and multicasting or broadcasting call status tones, including busy, ringback and error tones.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of storing includes utilizing a server dedicated to said storing and wherein said step of multicasting or broadcasting includes transmitting said call progress tones from said server to telephony-enabled devices which register to receive said call process signals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of storing includes utilizing a storage server dedicated to said storing and wherein said step of multicasting or broadcasting includes transmitting said call progress tones to proxy servers that are cooperative with telephones with respect to directing said progress tones to said calling devices, said proxy servers and said telephones being said telephony-enabled devices.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of multicasting includes formatting said call progress tones into packets that can later be extracted or selected by compatible Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) applications at said telephony-enabled devices.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said steps of storing and multiplexing include providing call progress tones directed to an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) system, where said telephony-enabled devices are ACD terminals.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
138 words
A method of providing pre-programmed audio deliveries in a packet-based network that includes a plurality of telephony-enabled devices, said audio deliveries including at least one of music-on-hold and verbal announcements, said method comprising steps of: channeling packets of said pre-programmed audio deliveries within said network such that said packets are available along said network without specific recurring requests for said packets; detecting an incoming call directed to a first telephony-enabled device, said detecting occurring at said first telephony-enabled device; and selectively accessing said packets of said audio deliveries based upon availability of said first telephony-enabled device to receive said incoming call, including transmitting said selected packets to an origin of said incoming call as a response by a present state of said first telephony-enabled device, said selected packets being transmitted at the direction of said first telephony-enabled device.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
138 words
A method of providing pre-programmed audio deliveries in a packet-based network that includes a plurality of telephony-enabled devices, said audio deliveries including at least one of music-on-hold and verbal announcements, said method comprising steps of: channeling packets of said pre-programmed audio deliveries within said network such that said packets are available along said network without specific recurring requests for said packets; detecting an incoming call directed to a first telephony-enabled device, said detecting occurring at said first telephony-enabled device; and selectively accessing said packets of said audio deliveries based upon availability of said first telephony-enabled device to receive said incoming call, including transmitting said selected packets to an origin of said incoming call as a response by a present state of said first telephony-enabled device, said selected packets being transmitted at the direction of said first telephony-enabled device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said steps of channeling, detecting and accessing are executed with packets that include embedded music-on-hold.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising steps of channeling, detecting and accessing packets that include progress tones, including a busy signal and ringback tones.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said steps of channeling include multiplexing said progress tones and audio deliveries into a data stream which is transmitted to said telephony-enabled devices for selection of said progress tones and said audio deliveries from said data stream.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 10 further comprising repeating said steps of detecting and selectively accessing for each incoming call to each of said telephony-enabled devices.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
106 words
A system of providing call progress tones in a network environment comprising: a plurality of telephony-enabled devices connected in said network environment for support of data transfers and telephony capability; a storage device having stored at least one of audio deliveries and call progress tones specific to telephony-related information; means connected to said storage device for multicasting or broadcasting said at least one of tones and deliveries within said network environment such that said at least one is in a format compatible with manipulation by said telephony-enabled devices, said telephony-enabled devices being configured to control transmissions of said at least one following said multicasting or broadcasting.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
106 words
A system of providing call progress tones in a network environment comprising: a plurality of telephony-enabled devices connected in said network environment for support of data transfers and telephony capability; a storage device having stored at least one of audio deliveries and call progress tones specific to telephony-related information; means connected to said storage device for multicasting or broadcasting said at least one of tones and deliveries within said network environment such that said at least one is in a format compatible with manipulation by said telephony-enabled devices, said telephony-enabled devices being configured to control transmissions of said at least one following said multicasting or broadcasting.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
64 words
The system of claim 15 wherein said storage device is a server and each said audio delivery and each said call progress tone is associated with a multicast address, each audio delivery and progress tone being multicast to each of said telephony-enabled devices from which is received a request that identifies said multicast address associated with said each audio delivery and call progress tone.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 15 wherein said means for multicasting or broadcasting is configured to multiplex said at least one of said audio deliveries and said call progress tones into a data stream that is responsive to commands from said telephony-enabled devices.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 15 wherein said audio deliveries stored at said storage device include music-on-hold.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 18 wherein said call progress tones include telephony tones associated with signals that are utilized upon detecting that a telephony-enabled device that is a target of an incoming call is in an off-hook or on-hook condition.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
56 words
The system of claim 15 wherein said data transfers and said multicasting are executed as transmissions of data packets, said system further comprising at least one proxy server that is responsive to said telephony-enabled devices to direct said audio deliveries and progress tones to remote devices when said telephony-enabled devices are in off-hook or on-hook conditions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-23 | 2006-03-25 | 2006-09-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-23 | 2010-03-25 | 2010-09-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-23 | 2014-03-25 | 2014-09-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |