Systems and methods for providing selectable options to a calling party on-hold

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9420092-B2
Application number	US-201514666633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Sep 21, 2001
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A communication is supplemented. An initiated communication directed to a unique communication destination address assigned to a receiving party is received from the receiving party. Before the initiating party is provided access to a final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating party at least one selectable option, receiving from the initiating party a selected option from the at least one selectable option, and supplementing the communication based on the selected option. Only after supplementing the communication based on the selected option is the initiating party provided with access to the final communication destination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for supplementing a communication, the method comprising:
receiving, from an initiating communication device having a processor, an initiated communication directed to a unique communication destination address assigned to a receiving communication device having a processor;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to a final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating communication device at least one selectable option to obtain information corresponding to a physical geographic location;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, receiving from the initiating communication device a selected option from the at least one selectable option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, and
only after supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, providing the initiating communication device with access to the final communication destination,
wherein an internet website is contacted during the initiated communication.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the physical geographical location is identified based on information provided by the initiating communication device after selecting the selected option.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the physical geographical location is identified automatically based on information provided with the initiated communication.

4. The method of claim 3 ,
wherein the information provided with the initiated communication comprises a unique communication address of the initiating communication device.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one selectable option includes an option to retrieve an audio file.

6. The method of claim 5 ,
wherein the audio file comprises a particular song.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating communication device a menu of selectable options;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, receiving from the initiating communication device a selected option based on the menu of selectable options, and
before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, performing a predefined operation that corresponds to the selected option based on the menu of selectable options.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one selectable option is provided to the initiating communication device selectively.

9. The method of claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one selectable option is provided as a customized service for the initiating communication device.

10. The method of claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one selectable option is provided as a customized service for the receiving communication device.

11. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one selectable option includes a default option that is automatically selected when the initiating communication device does not make a selection among the at least one selectable option.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining information from the initiating communication device based on the initiating communication device selecting the selected option.

13. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the information obtained from the initiating communication device comprises location information for a location input by the initiating communication device.

14. An apparatus in a communication network for supplementing a communication, the apparatus comprising:
a memory that stores instructions; and
a processor that executes the instructions,
wherein, when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from an initiating communication device having a processor, an initiated communication directed to a unique communication destination address assigned to a receiving communication device having a processor;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to a final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating communication device at least one selectable option to obtain information corresponding to a physical geographic location;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, receiving from the initiating communication device a selected option from the at least one selectable option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, and
only after supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, providing the initiating communication device with access to the final communication destination,
wherein an internet website is contacted during the initiated communication.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a data store for storing the at least one selectable option.

16. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer, supplement a communication, the instructions causing the computer to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from an initiating communication device having a processor, an initiated communication directed to a unique communication destination address assigned to a receiving communication device having a processor;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to a final communication destination for the communication, providing to the initiating communication device at least one selectable option to obtain information corresponding to a physical geographic location;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, receiving from the initiating communication device a selected option from the at least one selectable option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location;
before the initiating communication device is provided access to the final communication destination for the communication, supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, and
only after supplementing the communication based on the selected option to obtain the information corresponding to the physical geographic location, providing the initiating communication device with access to the final communication destination,
wherein an internet website is contacted during the initiated communication.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Roberts Linda Ann
• Silver Edward Michael
• Nguyen Hong Thi

Classifications

• H04M3/42348 Primary

  Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target · CPC title

• H04M3/493

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

• H04M2203/2011

  Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection · CPC title

• H04M3/42357

  where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server · CPC title

• H04M3/4283 Primary

  Call holding circuits · CPC title