Remote control and call management resource

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247044-B2
Application number	US-201313832787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A call management resource in a cable network environment receives an incoming phone call from a cable network subscriber. Via a call connection between the call management resource and the subscriber, the call management resource receives control input from the subscriber over the call connection. The control input can be a command specifying an operation to be performed on behalf of the subscriber in the cable network environment. In accordance with the control input, the call management resource initiates execution of the operation in the cable network environment. Thus, a cable network subscriber can perform control functions in a cable network environment using a communication device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
detecting activation of a phone device;
obtaining configuration information associated with a subscriber operating the phone device; and
as specified by the configuration information indicating to establish a communication connection between the phone device and an interactive management system upon activation of the phone device prior to the subscriber inputting a target number into the phone device to establish a call connection with a corresponding called party, establishing the communication connection between the phone device and the interactive management system prior to the subscriber inputting the target number into the phone device, the interactive management system executing commands as inputted by the subscriber through the phone device over the communication connection;
at a call management resource in a cable network environment:
detecting the activation of the phone device;
identifying a unique network address assigned to the phone device; and
mapping the unique network address to the configuration information indicating to establish the communication connection between the phone device and the interactive management system upon activation of the phone device prior to the subscriber inputting the target number into the phone device.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein detecting activation of the phone device includes:
detecting an off-hook condition associated with the phone device.

3. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the off-hook condition occurs in response to the subscriber powering the phone device, the off-hook condition occurring prior to the target number being inputted to the phone device by the subscriber.

4. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
initiating playback of advertisements on the phone device via communications over the communication connection prior to providing the subscriber access to the interactive management system or establishing the call connection with the corresponding called party.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the interactive management system is an interactive voice response system, the method further comprising:
transmitting communications from the interactive voice response system to the phone device over the communication connection in response to receipt of voice-based commands from the subscriber speaking into the phone device.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
prior to detecting an event of detecting the activation of the phone device:
providing the subscriber access to a web page;
receiving the configuration information from the subscriber via the web page; and
storing the configuration information in a repository, the configuration information accessible to a switch that establishes the communication connection between the phone device and the interactive management system.

7. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
conveying a command from the subscriber operating the phone device over the communication connection to the interactive management system, the interactive management system generating a response to the command; and
conveying the response over the communication connection to the phone device.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
subsequent to establishing the communication connection between the phone device and the interactive management system, receiving the target number inputted by the subscriber; and
making an outbound call from the phone device to the target number without the subscriber having to input a command to switchover to using the phone device in a standard phone mode to establish the call connection with the corresponding called party.

9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
in response to receiving the target number inputted by the subscriber while the communication connection is established between the phone device and the interactive management system, initiating the call connection with the corresponding called party.

10. A method comprising:
detecting activation of a phone device;
obtaining configuration information associated with a subscriber operating the phone device; and
as specified by the configuration information indicating to establish a communication connection between the phone device and as interactive management system upon activation of the phone device prior to the subscriber inputting a target number into the phone device to establish a call connection with a corresponding called party, establishing the communication connection between the phone device and the interactive management system prior to the subscriber inputting the target number into the phone device, the interactive management system executing commands as inputted by the subscriber through the phone device over the communication connection; and
wherein detecting the activation of the phone device occurs at a switch in a cable network environment, the switch detecting an off-hook condition of the phone device and establishing the communication connection with the interactive management system.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising:
at the switch, while the phone device is connected to the interactive management system via the communication connection, in response to detecting input from the user dialing the target number on the phone device:
terminating the communication connection between the phone device and the interactive management system; and
establishing a call connection between the phone device and the corresponding called party in the communication network.

12. A method comprising:
detecting activation of a phone device;
obtaining configuration information associated with a subscriber operating the phone device;
as specified by the configuration information indicating to establish a communication connection between the phone device and an interactive management system upon activation of the phone device prior to the subscriber inputting a target number in the phone device to establish a call connection with a corresponding called party, establishing the communication connection between the phone device and the interactive management system prior to the subscriber inputting the target number into the phone device, the interactive management system executing commands as inputted by the subscriber through the phone device over the communication connection;
in lieu of transmitting a conventional dial-tone signal over the communication connection to the phone device for playback, providing a notification over the communication connection to the phone device; the notification indicating that the phone device has been connected to the interactive management system; and
while the phone device is connected to the interactive management system via the communication connection, in response to detecting input from the user dialing the target number on the phone device:
terminating the communication connection between the phone device and the interactive management system; and
establishing a call connection between the phone device and the corresponding called party in the communication network.

13. A computer system comprising:
at least one processor device; and
a hardware storage resource coupled to the at least one processor device, the hardware storage resource storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor device, cause the at least one processor device to perform operations of:
detecting activation of a phone device;
obtaining configuration information associated with a subscriber operating the phone device; and
as specified by the configuration information, and prior to the subscriber inputting a target n

Assignees

• Lindsay Jeffrey James
• Stern Peter
• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Lindsay Jeffrey James
• Stern Peter

Classifications

• H04M3/00 Primary

  Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges · CPC title

• H04M3/493 Primary

  Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries {; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals} · CPC title