Integrated chat client with receiving party choice
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsXiaofeng Gao, David Scott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Phone systems for an integrated chat client service are provided. A representative phone system includes a call processing system operable to check a chat server for accessibility of a calling party chat client associated with a calling party and coupled to the internet, the call processing system being further operable to prompt a called party to select to talk or chat. Methods to connect telephone calls and answer telephone calls are also provided.
Claims20
A method for inviting a sending party and a receiving party to conduct a chat communication comprising:
- checking preferences set by the receiving party as to whether the receiving party prefers to communicate using voice communications or chat communications;
- determining whether the receiving party is eligible to receive a prompt to select to communicate using chat communications based at least in part on the preferences set by the receiving party;
- and
- prompting the receiving party to select either a voice or chat connection type when the receiving party is determined to be eligible to receive the prompt.
A computer readable storage medium having a program with instructions for inviting a sending party and a receiving party to conduct a chat communication, the program, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform:
- checking preferences set by the receiving party as to whether the receiving party prefers to communicate using voice communications or chat communications;
- determining whether the receiving party is eligible to receive a prompt to select to communicate using chat communications based at least in part on the preferences set by the receiving party;
- and
- prompting the receiving party to select either a voice or chat connection type when the receiving party is determined to be eligible to receive the prompt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.