Software platform for developing, delivering and managing data-voice applications operating on an internet protocol (IP) phone

A method for identifying a failed directory search of a contact performed by a user of an Internet Protocol (IP) phone comprising the steps of:

• sending an error message to said IP phone by a server indicating a directory search performed by said user of said IP phone failed to identify said contact with a phone number;
• receiving an alarm message from said IP phone indicating an improper graphic;
• incrementing a failure count for said searched contact;
• and
• flagging said directory search if said failure count exceeds a threshold.

A computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium for identifying phone numbers made by a user of an Internet Protocol (IP) phone that did not contact intended recipients comprising the programming steps of:

• sending an error message to said IP phone indicating a dialed phone number made by said user of said IP phone failed to connect;
• receiving an alarm message from said IP phone indicating a phone number that did not contact an intended recipient;
• incrementing a failure count for said phone number that did not contact said intended recipient;
• and
• flagging said phone number that did not contact said intended recipient if said failure count exceeds a threshold.

A computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium for identifying a failed directory search of a contact performed by a user of an Internet Protocol (IP) phone comprising the programming steps of:

• sending an error message to said IP phone indicating a directory search performed by said user of said IP phone failed to identify said contact with a phone number;
• receiving an alarm message from said IP phone indicating an improper graphic;
• incrementing a failure count for said searched contact;
• and
• flagging said directory search if said failure count exceeds a threshold.

A system, comprising:

• a memory unit operable for storing a computer program operable for identifying phone numbers made by a user of an Internet Protocol (IP) phone that did not contact intended recipients;
• and
• a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said computer program, comprises:
• circuitry for sending an error message to said IP phone indicating a dialed phone number made by said user of said IP phone failed to connect;
• circuitry for receiving an alarm message from said IP phone indicating a phone number that did not contact an intended recipient;
• circuitry for incrementing a failure count for said phone number that did not contact said intended recipient;
• and
• circuitry for flagging said phone number that did not contact said intended recipient if said failure count exceeds a threshold.

A system, comprising:

• a memory unit operable for storing a computer program operable for identifying a failed directory search of a contact performed by a user of an Internet Protocol (IP) phone;
• and
• a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said computer program, comprises:
• circuitry for sending an error message to said IP phone indicating a directory search performed by said user of said IP phone failed to identify said contact with a phone number;
• circuitry for receiving an alarm message from said IP phone indicating an improper graphic;
• circuitry for incrementing a failure count for said searched contact;
• and
• circuitry for flagging said directory search if said failure count exceeds a threshold.

A method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first wakeup call to an Internet Protocol (IP) phone from a server;
• receiving one or more of reminders, alerts, newspaper material and a list of information categories from said server if said first wakeup call is confirmed by a user of said IP phone;
• and
• receiving a second wakeup call after a particular time period specified in a profile of said user if said first wakeup call is not confirmed by said user of said IP phone.

A method for contacting a merchant of an advertisement displayed on an Internet Protocol (IP) phone comprising the steps of:

• receiving an advertisement on a webpage displayed on said IP phone, wherein said advertisement on said webpage includes session initiation protocol (SIP) based uniform resource identifiers (URIs);
• selecting said advertisement;
• passing a URI associated with said selected advertisement by a web browser of said IP phone to an application of said IP phone;
• and
• generating a call to a merchant associated with said selected advertisement based on said URI associated with said selected advertisement by said application of said IP phone.

A method for generating a conference call from an Internet Protocol (IP) phone comprising the steps of:

• creating a conference call meeting profile containing contact information for all conference participants in response to scheduling a meeting;
• sending said conference call meeting profile to a first phone application of said IP phone, wherein said first phone application is configured to maintain a calendar of a first user of said IP phone;
• executing said conference call meeting profile;
• and
• instructing said IP phone to generate a conference call to said conference participants identified in said profile.

A method for generating a conference call from an Internet Protocol (IP) phone comprising the steps of:

• scheduling a meeting for identified conference participants by a user of said IP phone;
• receiving profiles storing contact information for said identified conference participants;
• receiving a notification that a conference call should be established;
• and
• sending an invite message to each of said identified conference participants to establish communication with said IP phone.

A method for establishing a conference call with an Internet Protocol (IP) phone comprising the steps of:

• storing a conference call meeting profile containing contact information for all conference participants, wherein said conference call meeting profile comprises a set of instructions which are to be followed upon activation of said conference call meeting profile;
• receiving an indication to start a conference call associated with said conference call meeting profile;
• activating said conference call meeting profile;
• and
• inviting each of said conference participants to establish communication with said IP phone.

A method for controlling content distribution to and from an Internet Protocol (IP) phone comprising the steps of:

• storing profile preferences of a profile in a database, wherein said profile preferences of said profile comprises rules as to which telephone calls and content are allowed to be received by a user of said IP phone and which telephone calls and content are forbidden to be received by said user of said IP phone;
• associating said profile with a schedule, wherein said schedule enables different telephone calls and content to be received and forbidden at different times during the day;
• receiving a request to send content to said user of said IP phone;
• and
• determining if said user of said IP phone is allowed to receive said content based on said profile preferences of said profile.

A method for controlling content distribution to and from an Internet Protocol (IP) phone comprising the steps of:

• storing profile preferences of a profile in a database, wherein said profile preferences of said profile comprises rules as to which telephone calls and content are allowed to be received by a first user of an IP phone and which telephone calls and content are forbidden to be received by said first user of said IP phone;
• associating said profile with a schedule, wherein said schedule enables different telephone calls and content to be received and forbidden at different times during the day;
• receiving a request by a second user to telephonically connect to said first user of said IP phone;
• and
• determining if said first user of said IP phone is allowed to telephonically connect to said second user based on said profile preferences of said profile.

A method for a user to access content on an Internet Protocol (IP) phone from a hotel comprising the steps of:

• generating a content package to be displayed on said IP phone, wherein said content packages comprise customized content, wherein said content package comprises one or more of the following:
• check-in/check-out assistance and information, billing information, room service orders, and concierge services information;
• transmitting said content package to said IP phone;
• and
• providing a user of said IP phone with controls to access content of said generated content package.

A method for facilitating the management of directory updates comprising the steps of:

• generating a validation code in response to a vendor performing one or more of updating, correcting and setting up a contact information associated with a phone line of interest;
• sending said validation code along with a telephone number to call to an e-mail address of said vendor;
• generating one or more of an electronic mail and a facsimile;
• and
• sending said one or more of said electronic mail and said facsimile to said vendor indicating that said phone line contact information has been successfully updated.

A method for assigning content to Internet Protocol (IP) phones comprising the steps of:

• storing content created by an administrator on a database repository;
• assigning profiles to phone groups;
• reading content identifications from said database repository and assigning said read content identifications to said phone groups;
• and
• returning content corresponding to a requested identification.