Connecting To An External Information Processing Terminal (e.g., Computer) Patents (Class 379/142.15)
  • Patent number: 11963005
    Abstract: A method includes: in response to a request from a human user to access account information, authenticating the human user via a graphical user interface (GUI); storing a result of authenticating the human user in a storage system; in response to authenticating the human user, directing the human user to a voice-based communication session; accessing the result of authenticating the human user from the storage system by the voice-based communication session; and providing access by the human user to the account information in the voice-based communication session based on the result of authenticating the human user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: PayPal, Inc.
    Inventor: Rahul Nair
  • Patent number: 11799929
    Abstract: A system for facilitating efficient multicast traffic management for service discovery is provided. During operation, the system can identify a set of multicast entries associated with a multicast flow in a multicast forwarding data structure of a switch. A respective entry of the data structure can indicate how a corresponding multicast packet is forwarded. If a subset of the multicast entries shares one or more network parameters, the system can compress the subset of the multicast entries based on the shared network parameters to generate a generic entry. The generic entry can then replace the subset of the multicast entries in the data structure. Subsequently, the system can determine a multicast forwarding role of the switch and filter one or more types of multicast control messages based on the multicast forwarding role. Here, the multicast control messages can be directed to the multicast entry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Tathagata Nandy, Anil Raj, Chakradhara Rao Gollakota
  • Patent number: 11663075
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus to selectively implement single-error correcting (SEC) operations or single-error correcting and double-error detecting (SECDED) operations, without noticeably impacting die size, for information received from a host device. For example, a host device may indicate that a memory system is to implement SECDED operations using one or more communications (e.g., messages). In another example, the memory system may be hardwired to perform SECDED for certain options. The memory system may adapt circuitry associated with SEC operations to implement SECDED operations without noticeably impacting die size. To implement SECDED operations using SEC circuitry, the memory system may include some additional circuitry to repurpose the SEC circuitry for SECDED operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott E. Schaefer, Aaron P. Boehm
  • Patent number: 11051164
    Abstract: A method includes: in response to a request from a human user to access account information, authenticating the human user via a graphical user interface (GUI); storing a result of authenticating the human user in a storage system; in response to authenticating the human user, directing the human user to a voice-based communication session; accessing the result of authenticating the human user from the storage system by the voice-based communication session; and providing access by the human user to the account information in the voice-based communication session based on the result of authenticating the human user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: PayPal, Inc.
    Inventor: Rahul Nair
  • Patent number: 10636004
    Abstract: Systems and methods for verifying and monitoring employees are provided. Employees call-in to the system at scheduled times. If an employee misses a scheduled call-in, an alert can be generated. An employer notification process can generate the alert, notifying a supervisor of the employee's missed call. The alert can include the employee's name, the location of the employee, and the time he/she was supposed to call. Such systems and methods can be used to verify that a worker is at the proper location at the proper time and awake and alert during the entire time period that he/she is supposed to be working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: SteadyCare, LLC
    Inventors: Arthur Phillip Clifford, Patricia A. Marrin
  • Patent number: 10511710
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for call status determination is provided. A request for verification of incoming calls to a party is received. An incoming call from a caller to that party is identified and metadata associated with the incoming call is obtained. An identification of the caller and whether a security certificate is present is determined from the metadata. A connection status of the call is determined based on one of a presence and absence of the security certificate. A notification of the connection status is provided to the party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Intellisist, Inc.
    Inventor: David Milstein
  • Patent number: 10423770
    Abstract: An authentication method. The method comprises comparing user voice data received via an electronic device to a stored voice template to determine a voice authentication parameter. A voice authentication threshold is determined and the voice authentication parameter is compared to the voice authentication threshold to determine whether to authenticate the user. Determining the voice authentication threshold comprises determining a current value of an enrollment counter, then comparing the current value of the enrollment counter to an enrollment counter threshold and determining whether the stored voice template is fully enrolled according to the result. If the stored voice template is fully enrolled, the voice authentication threshold is set to a first voice authentication threshold. If the stored voice template is not fully enrolled then a device attribute received from the electronic device is compared to a stored device attribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: VALIDSOFT LIMITED
    Inventors: John Petersen, Daniel Thornhill
  • Patent number: 10296856
    Abstract: Systems and methods for verifying and monitoring employees are provided. Employees call-in to the system at scheduled times. If an employee misses a scheduled call-in, an alert can be generated. An employer notification process can generate the alert, notifying a supervisor of the employee's missed call. The alert can include the employee's name, the location of the employee, and the time he/she was supposed to call. Such systems and methods can be used to verify that a worker is at the proper location at the proper time and awake and alert during the entire time period that he/she is supposed to be working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SteadyCare, LLC
    Inventors: Arthur Phillip Clifford, Patricia A. Marrin
  • Patent number: 9912806
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for determining call status is provided. A call from a caller to a recipient is identified and an identity of the caller is determined. A determination is made as to whether a security certificate of the caller is available. A status of the call is determined based on one of a presence and an absence of the security certificate. The identity of the caller is provided to the recipient. A type of notification for the call status is determined based on a type of the call status and the notification is delivered with the caller identity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Intellisist, Inc.
    Inventor: David Milstein
  • Patent number: 9728202
    Abstract: A method for voice modification during a telephone call comprising receiving a source audio signal associated with at least one participant, wherein the source audio signal comprises a voice of the at least one participant, detecting a source dialect of the at least one participant, selecting a target dialect based on at least a characteristic of a target participant and creating a modulated audio signal based on the source audio signal, the source dialect, and the target dialect and transmitting the modulated audio signal to the target participant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Vonage America Inc.
    Inventor: Tzahi Efrati
  • Patent number: 9697487
    Abstract: Systems and methods for verifying and monitoring employees are provided. Employees call-in to the system at scheduled times. If an employee misses a scheduled call-in, an alert can be generated. An employer notification process can generate the alert, notifying a supervisor of the employee's missed call. The alert can include the employee's name, the location of the employee, and the time he/she was supposed to call. Such systems and methods can be used to verify that a worker is at the proper location at the proper time and awake and alert during the entire time period that he/she is supposed to be working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SteadyCare, LLC
    Inventors: Arthur Phillip Clifford, Patricia A. Marrin
  • Patent number: 9633659
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for voice enrolling an electronic computing device includes a networked server configured to receive voice data over a first communication connection from a first electronic computing device, wherein the voice data comprises a user-specific launch phrase spoken by a user. The networked server is further configured to receive an indication of a second electronic computing device to voice enroll and to initiate voice enrollment of the second electronic computing device over a second communication connection using the voice data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Amit Kumar Agrawal, Himanshu Chug, Satyabrata Rout
  • Patent number: 9516163
    Abstract: The method includes receiving a telephone call from a first client device that is intended for a second client device. The method further includes identifying data associated with the first client device comprising at least one of: a telephone number, a name of a user associated with the first client device, an address of the user, and a business name associated with the first client device. The method further includes responsive to determining that the identified data associated with the first client device does match data stored in a database, determining, by one or more computer processors, whether to block the telephone call from the first client device to the second client device based on information comprising historical data associated with the first client device and preset information of the second client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donna M. Hickey, Randy S. Johnson, Tedrick N. Northway
  • Patent number: 9495662
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing a telephone number in a portable terminal. The method includes the steps of providing a user with a name input request message; determining whether or not the inputted name exists in a phone book list of the portable terminal; and generating a new entry including the inputted name and its associated telephone number and adding the new entry to the phone book list when the inputted name does not exist in the phone book list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Heui-Do Lim, Yun-Seon Park
  • Patent number: 9424845
    Abstract: A method for verifying that a person is registered to use a telemedical device includes identifying an unprompted trigger phrase in words spoken by a person and received by the telemedical device. The telemedical device prompts the person to state a name of a registered user and optionally prompts the person to state health tips for the person. The telemedical device verifies that the person is the registered user using utterance data generated from the unprompted trigger phrase, name of the registered user, and health tips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Fuliang Weng, Taufiq Hasan, Zhe Feng
  • Patent number: 9396225
    Abstract: A method and system for addressing a unique device from an address book, the method having the steps of: receiving a message having a root token and a secondary token; checking whether the root token exists within the address book, if no, creating a record in the address book with the root and secondary token; and if yes, checking whether the secondary token exists within the address book, if yes, providing a representation of the unique device; and if no, storing the secondary token against the root token in the address book.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Adrian Buckley, Andrew Michael Allen, Youngae Kim, Jan Hendrik Lucas Bakker, Nicholas Patrick Alfano, Barry Linkert, Gaëlle Christine Martin-Cocher, Suresh Chitturi, Brian Edward Anthony McColgan
  • Patent number: 9338272
    Abstract: A communication apparatus which is capable of preventing occurrence of events arising from improper connection. A voltage being applied to an interface for connecting a phone is detected, and it is determined whether or not a value of the detected voltage is equal to or greater than a value determined in advance. When it is determined that the value of the detected voltage is equal to or greater than the value determined in advance, a user is notified that there is a possibility of improper connection. When it is determined that the value of the detected voltage is not equal to or greater than the value determined in advance, a power feeding unit starts feeding power to the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Michio Fukushima
  • Patent number: 8917838
    Abstract: A system and method for recording and providing a written transcript of a portion of a media session (e.g., a video or audio conference) are provided. An exemplary system continuously records a media session, allowing one or more users to select segments of the session to store and have transcribed. A copy of the recording and the corresponding transcription may be provided to one or more users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
    Inventors: James Dean Midtun, Chyi Pin Lim
  • Patent number: 8917843
    Abstract: An indication of an incoming call may be received at a call control unit communicatively coupled to, and/or resident within, a telephone. The indication may include identification information for the incoming call. It may be determined whether additional information regarding a caller associated with the identification information exists, and if so, a first operation may be performed on the incoming call responsively to the additional information, otherwise, a second operation may be performed on the incoming call responsively to an absence of the additional information. The additional information my include a user-configurable list of desired callers (e.g., a whitelist) and/or undesired callers (e.g., a blacklist). The additional information may also include caller identification information and/or a spam score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Kedlin Company, LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin Sharpe
  • Patent number: 8886540
    Abstract: A method and system for entering information into a software application resident on a mobile communication facility is provided. The method and system may include recording speech presented by a user using a mobile communication facility resident capture facility, transmitting the recording through a wireless communication facility to a speech recognition facility, transmitting information relating to the software application to the speech recognition facility, generating results utilizing the speech recognition facility using an unstructured language model based at least in part on the information relating to the software application and the recording, transmitting the results to the mobile communications facility, loading the results into the software application and simultaneously displaying the results as a set of words and as a set of application results based on those words.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Vlingo Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph P. Cerra, John N. Nguyen, Michael S. Phillips, Han Shu, Alexandra Beth Mischke
  • Patent number: 8867527
    Abstract: There are provided with an IP telephone system having both convenience of the softphone and durability of the hardphone, and a speech processing peripheral device (10) for the IP telephone system. The speech processing peripheral device as a peripheral device of an information processing device (20) is connected to the information processing device (20) for executing a call control program and functioning as a call controller. This speech processing peripheral device (10) includes a host connection means for sending/receiving an audio signal to/from the information processing device (20) and a speech processing means for executing speech processing in IP telephone communication. The IP telephone system according to the present invention includes the information processing device (20) for executing the call control program and functioning as the call controller and the speech processing peripheral device (10) according to the present invention, connected to the information processing device (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Aoyagi, Shinji Usuba, Hiroshi Hashizume, Hiroshi Kuboki
  • Patent number: 8861698
    Abstract: Caller Name Identification, or CNAM Caller ID, is a telecommunication end-user feature that appeared for PSTN landline customers in the late 1980s. The rapid development of cellular mobile and VOIP telephony systems lead to the frequent omission of the CNAM Caller ID feature. Described is an independent end-user system that obtains the CNAM Caller ID after the call page transmission. The system operates on the user's smartphone or on a TCP/IP connected computer. A user with multiple telephone devices (i.e. a smartphone, landline, and VOIP line) may share use of this system between all devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Isaacs
  • Patent number: 8811583
    Abstract: Files are easily located based on addresses associated with calls. When a call is processed to, or received at, an address, the address may be used to query a database. The database stores associates between addresses and files stored in memory. All filenames related to the address may be displayed, thus allowing a user to quickly launch the files associated with a calling number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Edward M. Silver, Linda A. Roberts, Hong T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8775315
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for integrating a private branch exchange (PBX)-equipped client and an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for integrating a PBX-equipped client and an on-demand database service can enable embodiments with additional infrastructure at the client that is better equipped to leverage the on-demand database service. The ability of embodiments to provide such client side infrastructure can enable additional enhanced services in conjunction with telephone calls, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Marco S. Casalaina, Jim Dvorkin, Jason Winters, Bing Yang, Dararith Ourk, Rupert Chen
  • Patent number: 8774396
    Abstract: An embodiment may include, in response to selecting of a displayed telephone number, prompting issuance of a click command to make an outgoing call to the displayed telephone number. The selecting may be indicated by highlighting the displayed telephone number. In response to an incoming call, a message may be displayed from an operating system. The message may include caller ID data and may prompt issuing of other click commands that, if issued, may result in answering the incoming call, conferencing the incoming call with the outgoing call, and placing on hold the outgoing call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Stanford, Ronald Scott Langham
  • Patent number: 8762281
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for integrating a private branch exchange (PBX)-equipped client and an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for integrating a PBX-equipped client and an on-demand database service can enable embodiments with additional infrastructure at the client that is better equipped to leverage the on-demand database service. The ability of embodiments to provide such client side infrastructure can enable additional enhanced services in conjunction with telephone calls, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Marco S. Casalaina, Jim Dvorkin, Jason Winters, Bing Yang, Dararith Ourk, Rupert Chen
  • Patent number: 8751402
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for integrating a private branch exchange (PBX)-equipped client and an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for integrating a PBX-equipped client and an on-demand database service can enable embodiments with additional infrastructure at the client that is better equipped to leverage the on-demand database service. The ability of embodiments to provide such client side infrastructure can enable additional enhanced services in conjunction with telephone calls, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Marco S. Casalaina, Jim Dvorkin, Jason Winters, Bing Yang, Dararith Ourk, Rupert Chen
  • Patent number: 8744972
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for integrating a private branch exchange (PBX)-equipped client and an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for integrating a PBX-equipped client and an on-demand database service can enable embodiments with additional infrastructure at the client that is better equipped to leverage the on-demand database service. The ability of embodiments to provide such client side infrastructure can enable additional enhanced services in conjunction with telephone calls, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Marco S. Casalaina, Jim Dvorkin, Jason Winters, Bing Yang, Dararith Ourk, Rupert Chen
  • Patent number: 8732088
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for integrating a private branch exchange (PBX)-equipped client and an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for integrating a PBX-equipped client and an on-demand database service can enable embodiments with additional infrastructure at the client that is better equipped to leverage the on-demand database service. The ability of embodiments to provide such client side infrastructure can enable additional enhanced services in conjunction with telephone calls, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: salesforce.com, inc.
    Inventors: Marco S. Casalaina, Jim Dvorkin, Jason Winters, Bing Yang, Dararith Ourk, Rupert Chen
  • Patent number: 8699682
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a message in Caller-ID information are described. In one embodiment of the present invention, an applications server, such as service control point (SCP), substitutes a message for Caller-ID information when a switch serving the called party's line requests the Caller-ID information. An embodiment may also include an application that provides a user interface, for example, a web-enabled interface, to allow the subscriber to add or change the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Hong Thi Nguyen, Edward Michael Silver, Vernon Meadows
  • Patent number: 8649490
    Abstract: A communication system (1) comprises: a beverage preparation machine (10) having a data-exchange communication module (11, 11?); a service unit (30) that is distant from the beverage preparation machine and that is arranged for exchanging data with the communication module of the beverage preparation machine; a transmission arrangement (15, 20, 35) for transmitting data between the data-exchange communication module and the service unit. The data-exchange communication module of the beverage preparation machine comprises a sound-interface (11, 11?) for exchanging data as a sound signal. The transmission arrangement comprises a telephone device (15) for transmitting this sound signal of the data towards the service unit and/or originating from the service unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventor: Gilles Gavillet
  • Patent number: 8625763
    Abstract: A user accesses a destination such as a call center. The call center generates a record for insertion into the user's personal address book, with a telephone number of the center and metadata concerning a transaction. To place a later call on the same matter, the user selects, either using his telephone or via a separate terminal, the address book entry and the call is made. The center receives the user's telephone number via the calling line identity (CLI) and translates this into a data address so that it can “pull” the metadata from the personal address book. Alternatively the server can translate the center's telephone number into a data address to “push” the metadata to the center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
    Inventors: Ivan Boyd, Robert M Claxton, Stephen A Cassidy
  • Patent number: 8611509
    Abstract: A system and for exchanging information to enable embodiment IP communication comprises a first endpoint corresponding to a first user, a second endpoint corresponding to a second user, and an information exchange (PURLX) unit. The PURLX unit comprises: a processor, a table and a phone URL exchange engine. The processor is configured for communication over the communications channel with a first endpoint and a second endpoint. The table stores information about the first user and the second user including a first association between the first user and one or more endpoint device addresses and a second association between the second user and one or more endpoint device addresses. The table is coupled for communication with the processor. The exchange engine establishes IP communication between the first user and the second user using information from the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: ShoreTel, Inc.
    Inventors: Edwin J. Basart, Thomas E. Miller, Pascal R. Crausaz
  • Patent number: 8594287
    Abstract: The present invention relates to telephone call processing. In one embodiment, a call processing system receives from a caller a first call for a user, the first call including call signaling information. The call processing system determines whether the call signaling information includes caller identification information and whether the call signaling information indicates that the caller identification information is restricted. If the caller identification information is restricted, the call processing system instructs the caller to take a first action so that the caller identification information can be provided to the user. The call processing system determines whether the caller has performed the first action during the first call, and if the caller has performed the first action during the first call, the call processing system provides at least a portion of the caller identification information to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Robert A. Dolan, David F. Hofstatter, Lee Kirchhoff
  • Patent number: 8565817
    Abstract: A docking station for use with a wireless communication device is provided. The docking station includes a base, a handset and a transmission device. The base includes a wireless communication device connector that connects to the wireless communication device. The handset connects to the base. The transmission device is disposed on the base. The handset can be enabled by the wireless communication device through the transmission device so that the handset can be used to communicate with others. When the handset is in operation, the wireless communication device can be operated simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: UTW Technology Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Hsien Li, Chen-Chou Lin
  • Patent number: 8447288
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for dynamically switching an operating address book upon registering a migrating radio with a visited network. Prior to migrating, the radio uses a first address book in a home network to identify calling radios in the home network, wherein the first address book includes information associated with radios in the home network. Upon roaming to a visited network, the radio registers with the visited network and the radio retrieves an additional network specific address book for the visited network. The radio automatically switches to the additional network specific address book, upon registering with the visited network. Subsequent calls received by the radio are thereafter identified according to information stored in the additional network specific address book.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Georg Lund Petersen, Peter Josephsen
  • Patent number: 8443179
    Abstract: A system and method for improved audio controls on a personal computer is provided. The system and method provide a unified architecture for audio controls across hardware and software interfaces of the personal computer. An intelligent facility may automatically change audio controls for users to simply interact with various communications and media applications. To this end, a configurable audio controller intelligently handles various aspects of the system's audio devices by following various rules that may be based at least in part on user-configurable settings and a current operating state. The present invention also provides audio controls so that a user may easily change audio settings such as the volume of an audio output device. There are many applications that may use the present invention for automatic control of audio devices based upon the user's context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Gould Bear, Chad Magendanz, Aditha May Adams, Carl Ledbetter, Steve Kaneko, Dale C. Crosier
  • Patent number: 8437460
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, and devices for user supervision and notification. In this regard, one embodiment of such a method, among others, can be broadly summarized by the following: monitoring activities performed by a telephone device; and notifying a user of the activities performed by the telephone and identification of users performing the activities, notification of activities being made by the telephone device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: William Todd Daniell, Larry Kent, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8406398
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method includes selecting call detail report (CDR) call setup attributes from captured CDR data, refining the CDR data, and summing CDR amount attribute values for each set of CDR call entries having common values for the selected CDR call setup attributes. Each set of one or more CDR call entries having common values for the CDR call setup attributes are combined into a single refined CDR call entry having the common CDR call setup attribute values and the summed CDR amount attribute values. The summing process is repeated for each set of CDR data associated with each of a plurality of network elements. After summing the CDR attribute amount values for call entries having common CDR setup call attribute values for each switch, CDR attribute amount values associated with common CDR setup attribute values in call entries associated with all switches are summed to generate a final set of refined CDR data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Michelle Gore
  • Patent number: 8391930
    Abstract: A user selects a ringtone or other alert pattern that can be played to provide notification of an incoming call and provisions the user-selected alert pattern into a mobile station. The mobile station is communicatively coupled to a docking station. When the mobile station receives an incoming call, the docking station plays the user-selected alert pattern through one or more audio systems associated with the docking station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Jason R. Delker, John M. Everson
  • Patent number: 8345624
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide extended voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services are disclosed. An example residential gateway comprises a radio frequency (RF) detector to detect a presence of a cellular communication device, a service controller to enable a VoIP communication device when the cellular communication device is present, wherein the VoIP communication device and the cellular communication device are different devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Anil Kumar Doradla, Sreenivasa Gorti, David Wolter
  • Patent number: 8340639
    Abstract: A message processing system includes message center and user subscription data center. The subscription data center stores user subscription data of calling number anonymity service. The message center queries if calling number is anonymous when it transfers message that is transmitted by subscription user, and determines if calling number is anonymous in process of transfer message based on query respond. Interest and mystery of message are increased, personality demand of user is satisfied, and load of message center is decreased. Flexibility and scalability are improved. Additional, the present invention discloses a user subscription data center, a short message center and message processing method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xiaoying Zhu
  • Patent number: 8300775
    Abstract: A computing device includes a processing unit and a system memory. The processing unit creates a normalization module programmed to modify a plurality of telephone numbers so that the telephone numbers conform to a specified format, creates a calling line manipulation module programmed to manipulate a calling line identification number to form a number for querying one or more databases including contact information, and creates a resource query module programmed to query the databases including the contacting information using the number, receive one or more query results from the databases, and select one of the query results for inclusion in a notification of a telephonic message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Tom Millett, David Notario
  • Patent number: 8285266
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods for facilitating identification of the originator of a communication. A communication is received from a sending device. Sending device identification information is requested from a distributed contact database fashioned from the contact databases of the communication devices in a group of communication devices. If the sending device identification information is available at a given communication device, it is received from the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.
    Inventor: Yanqing Cui
  • Patent number: 8280019
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for locating files. Upon receipt of caller identification information, a search is performed to identify all files associated with the caller identification information. A presentation of the caller identification information is caused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L. P.
    Inventors: Edward M. Silver, Linda A. Roberts, Hong T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8270595
    Abstract: An enhanced telephone emulation computer system including a minidialer program for controlling a computer to add telephony functions which can be invoked from whatever active program is currently controlling the computer. The minidialer program controls the computer to alter its processing depending upon the context existing at the time when a mouse click or hot key combination event is detected indicating the user wishes to invoke a telephony function. The minidialer program determines whether the user has highlighted any text or numbers in the active window of the application currently controlling the computer and whether the highlighted material is a name or a phone number, and if a name, whether the name is stored with a phone number in a phone book or file maintained on the computer. Processing and telephony menu options displayed as available also depend upon whether the user is or is not on the phone at the time the mouse click or hot key event occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Stanford, Ronald Scott Langham
  • Patent number: 8270581
    Abstract: A telephone subscriber registers with a digital telephone service provider (DTSP) to obtain telephone service. The telephone subscriber also registers with an instant messaging service provider (IMSP) and receives a screen name. The telephone subscriber registers the screen name with the DTSP to receive caller identifying information (CID) via instant messaging (IM) (sometimes referred to herein as “CID IM service”). When a call to the telephone number of the telephone subscriber is received at a switch operated by the DTSP, the DTSP confirms that the telephone subscriber has registered a screen name with the DTSP and then sends the caller identification information to the IMSP. The IMSP then sends an instant message containing the caller identification information to the telephone subscriber's instant message client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Pfeffer, Matthew Cannon, Richard N. Cho
  • Patent number: 8259911
    Abstract: The present invention relates to telecommunications, and in particular, to systems and processes for processing telephone calls and providing telephony services. In one embodiment, a call processing system, compromises a first telephony interface configured to receive a call from a caller, a storage device configured to store a greeting, and a call answering system. The call answering system is configured to play the greeting in response to receiving the call, record a voice message from the caller, determine when the caller has completed recording the voice message, after determining that the caller has completed recording the voice message, play a prompt regarding the caller becoming a subscriber to call services provided by the call processing system, receive from the caller information used to establish a call services account, and establish a call services account for the caller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Callwave Communications, LLC
    Inventors: David Trandal, Robert Duva, Robert F. Smith, John R. Day
  • Patent number: 8243910
    Abstract: A computer/telephony integrated single-point-of-contact system (CISS) enabling a user to contact another using multiple devices with a single contact attempt is disclosed. A plurality of computer programs residing in a computer use a subscriber database, authorization database, priority list database, and device attributes database to determine how to respond to a request to contact a subscriber. If the request is an emergency, the computer repeatedly contacts all of the subscriber's devices until a response is received. Otherwise, the computer contacts the subscriber's devices in a sequential order determined by the subscriber. The computer can also delete redundant un-received messages from a subscriber's devices and create a real-time connection between the requester and the subscriber, if it is technically possible, at the subscriber's request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yen-Fu Chen, John Hans Handy-Bosma, Nancy Sun, Keith Raymond Walker
  • Patent number: RE43852
    Abstract: A method and communication system is provided to identify a calling/called party when the call is being set up but before the call is answered. In the method, a first terminal and a second terminal are respectively provided with opposing terminal's image data before the call is answered. The image data of the first and second terminals can be registered in a media server disposed between the first and second terminals, and the image data can be transmitted between the first terminal and the media server and between the second terminal and the media server in accordance with an SIP protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jin Soo Lee, Yong Kyoung Shin