Abstract:
At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising receiving a call setup request, and automatically providing an indication that the call setup request is being processed. At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising providing a call setup request to a network, and receiving an indication that the call setup request is being processed. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   In certain telecommunications architectures, such as Voice over IP, there can be noticeable call setup delays or post-dial delays (PDD). When such delays are sufficiently long, the caller can hear extended silence and thereby become confused and/or frustrated by the perception that the call is not proceeding. Accordingly, the caller can needlessly hang-up and re-dial. 
   SUMMARY 
   At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising receiving a call setup request, and automatically providing an indication that the call setup request is being processed. 
   At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising providing a call setup request to a network, and receiving an indication that the call setup request is being processed. 
   At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a graphical user interface comprising a visual rendering of a call setup request indication, said visual rendering ceasing upon receipt of a result of a call setup request. 
   At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a user interface comprising an audible rendering of a call setup request indication, said audible rendering ceasing upon receipt of a result of a call setup request. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention and its wide variety of potential embodiments will be readily understood via the following detailed description of certain exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method  1000  of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method  2000  of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method  3000  of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system  4000  of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an information device  5000  of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In certain telecommunications architectures, such as Voice over IP, there can be noticeable call setup delays or post-dial delays (PDD). When such delays are sufficiently long, the caller can hear extended silence and thereby become confused and/or frustrated by the perception that the call is not proceeding. Accordingly, the caller can needlessly hang-up and re-dial. 
   At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method comprising providing a call setup request to a network, such as via initiating a telephone call, and receiving an indication that the call setup request is being processed. 
     FIG. 1  is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method  1000  of the present invention. At activity  1100 , a caller initiates a call on a telephone and/or telephonic device, such as a Voice over IP device. At activity  1200 , a call setup request is propagated through a network by, for example, a PBX, switch, and/or router, to arrive at a controller. At activity  1300 , the controller propagates the call setup request, and while call setup is proceeding and/or being processed, the controller can return a call setup request confirmation through the network. The call setup request confirmation can result in the caller perceiving an audible and/or visual indication that call setup is proceeding. At activity  1400 , when call set-up is complete, the controller can send a message to that effect through the network. As a result, the caller can perceive a ringing tone. If call-set up was unsuccessful due to the called party&#39;s line being busy, the controller can send a message to that effect, such that the caller receives a busy tone. 
     FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method  2000  of the present invention. At activity  2100 , a caller can place a new call from an IP phone to an IP PBX. At activity  2120 , the IP PBX can provide a call setup request to a router. As used herein, the term “call setup request” is a generic term referring to any call setup request message and/or signal. In certain embodiments, the call setup request can be an H.225 setup request in H.323, an SIP invite, and/or a similar MGCP and/or MEGACO message. In certain embodiments, the call set request can be any form of voice over IP message or signal. 
   At activity  2140 , the router can provide a call setup request to a controller. As used herein, the term “controller” is used generically. Depending upon the network architecture, the controller can include a component containing call processing logic, or can include a component that does not contain call processing logic, such as a border element and/or a network gateway. 
   At activity  2160 , the controller can provide a call setup request in a direction of the called party. At activity  2220 , the controller can respond to the received call setup request by providing a signal and/or message containing a call setup request confirmation (CSRC) to the router. At activity  2240 , the router can provide a CSRC to the IP PBX. At activity  2260 , the IP PBX can provide a CSRC to the IP phone. At activity  2280 , the IP phone can provide a CSRC, in the form of an audible and/or visible indicator, to the caller to indicate that call setup is proceeding. That is, at a user interface, such as an audible and/or graphical user interface, an audible and/or visual indicator can be rendered that indicates that call setup is proceeding. Thus, the CSRC can take one or more of many forms, including an in-band and/or out-of-band control signal, an audible indicator, and/or a visual indicator. 
   At activity  2300 , when call setup is complete, and the called party is available, the controller can receive a call setup complete message. At activity  2320 , the controller can provide a call setup complete message to the router, which, at activity  2340 , can provide a call setup complete message to the IP PBX. In an alternative embodiment, the network can provide a ring back message to the IP PBX. At activity  2360 , the IP PBX can provide a ring back message to the IP phone. At activity  2380 , the IP phone can provide an audible and/or visual ringing indicator to the caller. If the called party&#39;s line is busy or a network announcement is returned, a busy tone and/or the announcement can be provided by the IP phone. 
     FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method  3000  of the present invention. At activity  3120 , a caller can place a new call from telephone to a TDM PBX. At activity  3140 , the TDM PBX can provide a call setup request to a router. As used herein, the term “call setup request” is a generic term referring to any call setup request message and/or signal. In certain embodiments, the call setup request can be an H.225 setup request in H.323, an SIP invite, and/or a similar MGCP and/or MEGACO message. 
   At activity  3160 , the router can provide a call setup request to a controller. As used herein, the term “controller” is used generically. Depending upon the network architecture, the controller can include a component containing call processing logic, or can include a component that does not contain call processing logic, such as a border element and/or a network gateway. 
   At activity  3180 , the controller can provide a call setup request in a direction of the called party. At activity  3220 , the controller can respond to the received call setup request by providing a signal and/or message containing a call setup request confirmation (CSRC) to the router. At activity  3240 , the router can provide a CSRC to the TDM PBX. At activity  3260 , the TDM PBX can provide a CSRC to the telephone. At activity  3280 , the telephone can provide a CSRC, in the form of an audible and/or visible indicator, to the caller to indicate that call setup is proceeding. Thus, the CSRC can take one or more of many forms, including an in-band and/or out-of-band control signal, an audible indicator, and/or a visual indicator. 
   At activity  3300 , when call setup is complete, and the called party is available, the controller can receive a call setup complete message. At activity  3320 , the controller can provide a call setup complete message to the router. At activity  3340 , router can provide a ring back message to the TDM PBX. At activity  3360 , the TDM PBX can provide a ring back message to the telephone. The call setup complete message and/or ring back message terminates the CSRC. At activity  3380 , the telephone can provide an audible ringing indicator to the caller. If the called party&#39;s line is busy or a network announcement is returned, a busy tone and/or the announcement can be provided by the telephone. 
     FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system  4000  of the present invention. Telephone device  4100 , such as a traditional telephone, a cellular telephone, a Voice over IP phone (“IP phone”), etc., can be connected to an exchange  4200 , such as a PBX or central switching office. When a caller using telephone device  4100  initiates a call, exchange  4200  can provide a call setup request via a switch and/or router  4300 . The call setup request can be received by a controller  4400 , which can possess suitable circuitry, logic, programming, and/or other form of machine intelligence to provide a call setup request confirmation (“CSRC”) back to router  4300 , and propagate a call setup request through a network  4500  toward a called party telephone line  4600 . From router  4300 , the CSRC can be provided to exchange  4200  and then to telephone device  4100 , which can provide an audible and/or visual CSRC to the caller. Note that in certain embodiments, exchange  4200  and/or router  4300  can be eliminated, such that telephone device  4100  can be directly connected to controller  4400 . 
   Any of devices  4100 ,  4200 ,  4300 ,  4400 , and/or  4500  can be coupled to, and/or include one or more databases (not shown). For example, controller  4400  can be coupled to a database that specifies the type of CSRC selected for telephone device  4100 . As another example, a telephone device  4100  can be programmed to provide a chosen type of CSRC indicator in response to receiving a CSRC message and/or signal. 
   In various exemplary embodiments, a wide variety of CSRC&#39;s are contemplated, including audible and/or visual indicators. Moreover, the CSRC can be selected by a service provider, a customer, and/or a caller. That is, although the telephone line to which telephone device  4100  is connected might be billed in the name of a father (the customer), a teenaged son of the father might be the caller for a particular call, and might choose a particular type of call request setup confirmation. 
   The CSRC can be changed. For example, at a given point in time, someone associated with telephone device  4100  might select a particular CSRC tone. At another point in time, the customer and/or a caller associated with telephone device  4100  might select a different CSRC tone. 
   The CSRC can be variable. For example, a CSRC tone can be variable in pitch, amplitude, duration, etc. By way of further example, a caller can select a tone that becomes louder and/or higher in pitch the longer it is played (that is, the longer the call setup takes to be completed and/or terminated). As another example, a caller can select a clicking sound in which the clicks become longer or shorter in duration the longer the call setup proceeds. 
   The CSRC can be an audible announcement. For example, the CSRC can be an audible announcement, perhaps repetitively, of the directory name associated with the called number. As another example, the CSRC can be an audible advertisement, potentially for classes, manufacturers, and/or providers of goods and/or services selected by the service provider, customer, and/or caller. As yet another example, the CSRC can be music, potentially of a variety selected by the service provider, customer, and/or caller. 
   The CSRC can be visual, and can be displayed on a light, display, screen, and/or monitor. For example, the CSRC can be an illuminated and/or pulsing light and/or LED. As another example, the CSRC can be a graphical hourglass, spinning beach ball, stopwatch, progress bar, etc. As yet another example, the CSRC can be an animated figure, such as a runner, an animal, an insect, etc. As still another example, the CSRC can a slideshow of chosen photographs, advertisements, announcements, etc. 
   The CSRC can be both audible and visual. For example, the CSRC can be music and a light that blinks with gradually increasing frequency or gradually changing color. 
     FIG. 5  is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a generic information device  5000  of the present invention. Information device  5000  can represent telephone device  4100 , exchange  4200 , router  4300 , and/or controller  4400 . In certain embodiments, information device  5000  can be implemented as a telephone, a cellular telephone, an IP telephone, etc. In certain embodiments, information device  5000  can be implemented on a general purpose or special purpose computer, such as a personal computer, workstation, minicomputer, mainframe, supercomputer, laptop, and/or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), etc., a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and/or peripheral integrated circuit elements, an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a hardware electronic logic circuit such as a discrete element circuit, and/or a programmable logic device such as a PLD, PLA, FPGA, or PAL, or the like, etc. In general any device on which resides a finite state machine capable of implementing the at least a portion of a method described herein may be used for information device  5000 . 
   Information device  5000  can include multiple interconnected components, such as one or more communication interfaces  5100 , one or more processors  5200 , one or more memories  5300  containing instructions  5400 , and/or one or more input/output (I/O) devices  5500 , etc. 
   In one embodiment, communication interface  5100  can be a bus, a connector, a telephone line interface, a wireless network interface, a cellular network interface, a local area network interface, a broadband cable interface, a telephone, a cellular phone, a cellular modem, a telephone data modem, a fax modem, a wireless transceiver, an Ethernet card, a cable modem, a digital subscriber line interface, a bridge, a hub, a router, or other similar device. 
   Each processor  5200  can be a commercially available general-purpose microprocessor. In certain embodiments, the processor can be an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or the like, that has been designed to implement in its hardware and/or firmware at least a part of a method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
   Memory  5300  can be coupled to processor  5200  and can comprise any device capable of storing analog or digital information, such as a hard disk, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, a compact disk, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, and any combination thereof. Memory  5300  can comprise data  5350 , such as one or more databases, tables, data repositories, archives, and/or any other data storage technique and/or form of stored data. Memory  5300  also can comprise and/or store instructions  5400  adapted to be executed by processor  5200  according to one or more activities of a method of the present invention. 
   Instructions  5400  can be embodied in software, which can take any of numerous forms that are well known in the art. Instructions  5400  can control operation of information device  5000  and/or one or more other devices, systems, or subsystems. 
   Input/output (I/O) device  5500  can be an audio and/or visual device, including, for example, a light, LED, monitor, display, keyboard, keypad, touchpad, pointing device, microphone, speaker, video camera, camera, scanner, and/or printer, including a port to which an I/O device can be attached, connected, and/or coupled. 
   Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerous variations, modifications and additional embodiments are possible, and accordingly, all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, references specifically identified and discussed herein are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.