Patents by Inventor Douglas F. Reynolds
Douglas F. Reynolds has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8265237Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for facilitating a custom ring in connection with a call. A ring tone delivery system may include an interface operable to receive a calling signal that indicates a request to place a call from a calling party to a communication device of a called party. The system may also include a network node communicatively coupled to the interface. The network node may be operable to determine whether the calling party is able to use a calling party selected ring tone. The network node may also be operable to determine whether the communication device will accept the calling party selected ring tone. The network node sends the calling party selected ring tone to the communication device when the calling party is able to use the calling party selected ring tone and when the communication device will accept the calling party selected ring tone.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2009Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Aaron Bangor, Jeffrey Lewis Brandt
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Publication number: 20120163563Abstract: A method that processes and conditionally routes a call. The method includes receiving a call from a caller, determining a telephone number of the caller, and determining if the telephone number of the caller is a telephone number assigned to a specific individual. The method also includes accessing an electronic database to determine a stored language preference of the specific individual when the telephone number of the caller is determined to be assigned to a specific individual. The method further includes routing the call to a predetermined destination based on the stored language preference of the specific individual in the electronic database, and routing the call to a first default destination when the telephone number of the caller is determined to not be assigned to a specific individual.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2012Publication date: June 28, 2012Applicant: AT&T LABS, INC.Inventors: Douglas F. REYNOLDS, Jeffrey L. Scruggs
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Patent number: 8155279Abstract: A method processes a call received from a caller over a communication network. The method determines a telephone number of the caller, and accesses an electronic database to determine a stored language preference of the caller, the caller's stored language preference being associated with the caller's telephone number in the electronic database. The method also routs the call to a predetermined destination based on the stored language preference of the caller in the electronic database.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2011Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: AT&T Labs, Inc.Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Jeffrey L. Scruggs
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Patent number: 8116444Abstract: A system and method of publishing contact information is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving a command to publish a collection of contacts to a plurality of recipients, where the collection of contacts is associated with a network address book of a sender. The method also includes receiving a distribution list that identifies the plurality of recipients. Additionally, the method includes sending a notification to each of the plurality of recipients, where the notification includes an invitation to subscribe to the collection of contacts. The method also includes sending the collection of contacts to at least one of the plurality of recipients who subscribes to the collection of contacts.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2006Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, L.P.Inventors: Larry B. Pearson, Aaron W. Bangor, Jeffrey L. Brandt, James T. Miller, Stephen M. Mueller, Douglas F. Reynolds
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System and method of managing telephone calls within a voice over internet protocol telephone system
Patent number: 8081747Abstract: A voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephone server is disclosed and includes a computer readable medium that is accessible to a processor. A centralized address book is embedded within the computer readable medium. Further, a computer program is embedded within the computer readable medium and the computer program utilizes the centralized address book to selectively restrict incoming telephone calls and outgoing telephone calls. The centralized address book can include a plurality of address books and each of the plurality of address books is associated with a corresponding VoIP telephone coupled to the VoIP telephone server. The computer program can include instructions to determine whether an address book only calling lock is on for the VoIP telephone. Moreover, the computer program can include instructions to determine whether an originating telephone number associated with an incoming telephone is stored within the centralized address book.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2005Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LPInventors: Aaron W. Bangor, Jeffrey L. Brandt, Douglas F. Reynolds -
Patent number: 8081740Abstract: Before completing a call initiated at a calling telephony device for a called telephony device; caller identification information for the calling telephony device is obtained for the call. If standard caller identification information is not available, the caller is prompted to provide spoken caller identification information. The caller identification information is communicated to the called telephony device via a connectionless protocol such as VoIP where a continuing connection does not exist between communicating end points. The called party is given call disposition options. The process which controls this operation may be located anywhere in the network, including at switching equipment and at the called telephony device.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2009Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Jeffrey L. Brandt
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Publication number: 20110206190Abstract: A method processes a call received from a caller over a communication network. The method determines a telephone number of the caller, and accesses an electronic database to determine a stored language preference of the caller, the caller's stored language preference being associated with the caller's telephone number in the electronic database. The method also routs the call to a predetermined destination based on the stored language preference of the caller in the electronic database.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2011Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: AT&T LABS, INC.Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Jeffrey L. Scruggs
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Patent number: 7970110Abstract: A personal Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system includes a plurality of IVR servers communicating personal IVR service node information in a network and a plurality of personal IVR service node clients coupled to the plurality of IVR servers communicating the personal IVR service node information. The plurality of personal IVR service node clients have a client-server relationship with the plurality of IVR servers. The personal IVR system further includes facilities for managing transmission of the personal IVR service node information using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2009Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Douglas F. Reynolds
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Patent number: 7940898Abstract: Systems and methods for processing a call are disclosed. Generally a stored indication of a user's language preference is accessed in response to receipt of a call initiated by the user. The call is then routed to a location based on the stored indication of the user's language preference.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2008Date of Patent: May 10, 2011Assignee: AT&T Labs, Inc.Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Jeffrey L. Scruggs
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Publication number: 20100080373Abstract: Before completing a call initiated at a calling telephony device for a called telephony device; caller identification information for the calling telephony device is obtained for the call. If standard caller identification information is not available, the caller is prompted to provide spoken caller identification information. The caller identification information is communicated to the called telephony device via a connectionless protocol such as VoIP where a continuing connection does not exist between communicating end points. The called party is given call disposition options. The process which controls this operation may be located anywhere in the network, including at switching equipment and at the called telephony device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2009Publication date: April 1, 2010Applicant: SBC Properties, L.P.Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Jeffrey L. Brandt
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Publication number: 20100020957Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for facilitating a custom ring in connection with a call. A ring tone delivery system may include an interface operable to receive a calling signal that indicates a request to place a call from a calling party to a communication device of a called party. The system may also include a network node communicatively coupled to the interface. The network node may be operable to determine whether the calling party is able to use a calling party selected ring tone. The network node may also be operable to determine whether the communication device will accept the calling party selected ring tone. The network node sends the calling party selected ring tone to the communication device when the calling party is able to use the calling party selected ring tone and when the communication device will accept the calling party selected ring tone.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2009Publication date: January 28, 2010Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I.L.P.Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Aaron Bangor, Jeffrey Lewis Brandt
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Patent number: 7639788Abstract: Before completing a call initiated at a calling telephony device for a called telephony device; caller identification information for the calling telephony device is obtained for the call. If standard caller identification information is not available, the caller is prompted to provide spoken caller identification information. The caller identification information is communicated to the called telephony device via a connectionless protocol such as VoIP where a continuing connection does not exist between communicating end points. The called party is given call disposition options. The process which controls this operation may be located anywhere in the network, including at switching equipment and at the called telephony device.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2005Date of Patent: December 29, 2009Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Jeffrey L. Brandt
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Patent number: 7616741Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for facilitating a custom ring in connection with a call. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an electronic device operable to support telephonic communication. The electronic device may have a housing component at least partially defining an enclosure. A memory may be located within the enclosure and may be storing ring tone information representing a custom ring tone. The device may also have a user interface capable of receiving user inputs that could indicate, for example, a desire to place a call to a called party. In some embodiments, the device may have an output engine capable of initiating communication of the ring tone information to the called party such that a telephonic device of the called party outputs the select ring tone as an indication of the call.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2004Date of Patent: November 10, 2009Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Aaron Bangor, Jeffrey L. Brandt
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Publication number: 20090274279Abstract: A personal Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system includes a plurality of IVR servers communicating personal IVR service node information in a network and a plurality of personal IVR service node clients coupled to the plurality of IVR servers communicating the personal IVR service node information. The plurality of personal IVR service node clients have a client-server relationship with the plurality of IVR servers. The personal IVR system further includes facilities for managing transmission of the personal IVR service node information using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2009Publication date: November 5, 2009Inventor: Douglas F. Reynolds
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Patent number: 7590229Abstract: A method for interacting with a calling party during a call session in a VoIP system includes determining rules to apply to the call session before, during, and after the call based on parameters associated with the calling party or a called party, where the called party and the calling party participate in the call session; storing the rules in a database such as an address book; applying the determined rules to the calling party's incoming call; outputting a prompt to the calling party; and receiving the calling party's incoming call.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2005Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Aaron W. Bangor, Douglas F. Reynolds, Jeffrey L. Brandt
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Patent number: 7580511Abstract: A personal Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system includes a plurality of IVR servers communicating personal IVR service node information in a network and a plurality of personal IVR service node clients coupled to the plurality of IVR servers communicating the personal IVR service node information. The plurality of personal IVR service node clients have a client—server relationship with the plurality of IVR servers. The personal IVR system further includes facilities for managing transmission of the personal IVR service node information using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2005Date of Patent: August 25, 2009Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Douglas F. Reynolds
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Publication number: 20090180596Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for broadcasting Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) messages. A method incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include receiving an indication that a message should be delivered to a plurality of recipients. In response, contact information for the plurality of recipients may be identified, and an outbound packetized call to each of the recipients may be launched. In practice, the packetized call may be in a VoIP form or some other appropriate packetized form. If a call is answered, the call may be connected to a multicast server capable of playing the to-be-delivered message.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2004Publication date: July 16, 2009Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Jeffrey Lewis Brandt, Aaron Bangor, Marc Andrew Sullivan
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Patent number: 7535998Abstract: A personal Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system includes a plurality of IVR servers communicating personal IVR service node information in a network and a plurality of personal IVR service node clients coupled to the plurality of IVR servers communicating the personal IVR service node information. The plurality of personal IVR service node clients have a client-server relationship with the plurality of IVR servers. The personal IVR system further includes facilities for managing transmission of the personal IVR service node information using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2005Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property 1, L.P.Inventor: Douglas F. Reynolds
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Publication number: 20090122965Abstract: Systems and methods for processing a call are disclosed. Generally a stored indication of a user's language preference is accessed in response to receipt of a call initiated by the user. The call is then routed to a location based on the stored indication of the user's language preference.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2008Publication date: May 14, 2009Inventors: Douglas F. Reynolds, Jeffrey L. Scruggs
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Patent number: 7505570Abstract: A personal Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system includes a plurality of IVR servers communicating personal IVR service node information in a network and a plurality of personal IVR service node clients coupled to the plurality of IVR servers communicating the personal IVR service node information. The plurality of personal IVR service node clients have a client-server relationship with the plurality of IVR servers. The personal IVR system further includes facilities for managing transmission of the personal IVR service node information using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2004Date of Patent: March 17, 2009Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property 1, L.P.Inventor: Douglas F. Reynolds