Call progress information in cable telephony
View Patent ↗A method, carried out in an arrangement having a cable that provides programming information to a video monitor as well as telephony service, where call progress information of a telephone call is displayed on the monitor, and the method sends control information upstream, over the cable, in connection with desired information relative to the call progress.
1. A method for controlling telephonic communication in an arrangement where a telephone at a user's premises is coupled to a broadband interface module, that is connected to a remote PSTN interface arrangement through a cable that carries signals that correspond to (a) signals for apparatus that includes a monitor for display of video information, and (b) signals associated with said telephone, said method being carried out in said broadband interface module and comprising the steps of:
receiving call progress signaling information pertaining to said telephone from said PSTN interface arrangement;
analyzing said information to determine whether additional information is needed;
if said step of analyzing determines that said additional information is needed, (a) sending a query message via said PSTN interface arrangement, and (b) receiving a data message from said PSTN interface arrangement that is responsive to said sending;
creating a video message from said call progress signaling information and, if said step of determining determines that said additional information is needed, from said data message; and
applying said video message to said monitor.
2. The method of claim 1 where said query message sent by said step of sending is to a server.
3. The method of claim 2 where said server is accessible to said PSTN interface arrangement via a telecommunication signaling network.
4. The method of claim 3 where said telecommunication signaling network is the SS7 signaling network.
5. The method of claim 2 where said server comprises a national database that associates telephone numbers with names.
6. The method of claim 2 where said server comprises a database that associates telephone numbers with names, spanning an area that is greater than an area served by a telecommunications service provider that serves any one caller.
7. The method of claim 1 where said call progress signaling information comprises a caller's telephone number.
8. The method of claim 7 where said step of analyzing determines that said additional information is needed when said call progress signaling information fails to comprise a caller's name as well as said caller's telephone number.
9. The method of claim 8 where said query message includes said caller's telephone number.