A method, system, electronic device, communication server and apparatus are provided for alerting a called party that the caller of an incoming call has urgent need to talk, to reach someone or in general to communicate. The alert is sent through the user-user information field of a call setup message, and it may override the audio and video settings of the called party apparatus and overcome the current outputs of audio and video signals, so that it can be seen by the called person before it answer the call. The alert may be accompanied by personal information of the caller, in order that the recipient can ascertain the caller identity.

A method, system, electronic device, communication server and apparatus are provided for alerting a called party that the caller of an incoming call has urgent need to talk, to reach someone or in general to communicate. The alert is sent through the user-user information field of a call setup message, and it may override the audio and video settings of the called party apparatus and overcome the current outputs of audio and video signals, so that it can be seen by the called person before it answer the call. The alert may be accompanied by personal information of the caller, in order that the recipient can ascertain the caller identity.

Methods and systems in which a portable electronic device can be voice activated are disclosed. The portable electronic device can be a multi-function electronic device. The voice activation can be robust and context sensitive. The voice activation can also be utilized without any preparatory user action with respect to the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device can also interact with a media system.

When an application server receives an invite message associated with a call from an originating user equipment (UE) to a terminating UE, the application server can determine if one of the originating UE or the terminating UE is associated with a scammer. If the originating UE is associated with a scammer, the application server can remove the scammer's caller identification (ID) information from the invite message, such that a user of the terminating UE cannot use that caller ID information to make a return call to the scammer. If the terminating UE is associated with a scammer, the application server can remove caller ID information associated with the originating UE from the invite message to hide the calling party's information from the scammer, and/or invoke playback of a scam announcement to the originating UE to warn the calling party that they are calling a scammer.

When an application server receives an invite message associated with a call from an originating user equipment (UE) to a terminating UE, the application server can determine if one of the originating UE or the terminating UE is associated with a scammer. If the originating UE is associated with a scammer, the application server can remove the scammer's caller identification (ID) information from the invite message, such that a user of the terminating UE cannot use that caller ID information to make a return call to the scammer. If the terminating UE is associated with a scammer, the application server can remove caller ID information associated with the originating UE from the invite message to hide the calling party's information from the scammer, and/or invoke playback of a scam announcement to the originating UE to warn the calling party that they are calling a scammer.

A method may include receiving indication of initiation of a call from a sender to a recipient, determining an amount of time left in an offer from the sender to the recipient, generating a sender-controlled media (SCM) data structure by adapting a portion of the SCM data structure based on the amount of time left, and configuring caller ID for the call with a link to the generated SCM data structure. In another aspect, a method may include configuring visual caller ID for calls initiated by a user including a temporary item of visual content, and, upon receiving an indication of an initiation of a call, providing the temporary (and/or a permanent) item of visual content as visual caller ID based on a relationship between a current time and a time-limited use parameter of the temporary item of visual content.

A method may include detecting initiation of a call that causes visual caller ID content to be accessible on a call-receiving device of the recipient, and pausing delivery of the call. While pausing delivery of the call, the method may further include presenting a visual caller ID configuration user interface on a call-originating device of the caller, the visual caller ID configuration user interface providing the visual caller ID content for the call by enabling selection from a plurality of visual caller ID content options to the caller. The visual caller ID content options may include existing content, at least one alternate content, and generation of content via a camera function of the call-originating device. The method may further include, responsive to a user selection of one of the visual caller ID content options, generating the call delivery signal for delivery of the call.

A sender-controlled media (SCM) platform may capture live content by a call-originating device (such as audio, video, and text input by a caller), process the live content to determine an intent, select a visual element based on the intent, and present the visual element on the call-originating device to produce a caller story that can be forwarded to a recipient. In another aspect, when a sender is not a participant of a SCM platform but a recipient is, content pertaining to the sender may be gathered for generating and delivering a SCM data structure. In yet another aspect, an SCM application may interface with phone screen controls so that content in a received SCM data structure can be presented on an electronic display of a phone while a phone call is in progress. Further, the SCM application may monitor user actions for updating the SCM data structure.

A method may include receiving an indication of a call from a caller who is not a participant in a sender-controlled media (SCM) platform to a recipient who is a participant, using caller ID information to gather content pertaining to the caller (e.g., from data stores of the platform and public number search information), generating a SCM data structure based on the gathered content, and delivering the SCM data structure to a call-originating device. In another aspect, a method may include gathering call context for an active call, and developing an understanding of one or more of a call intent, a call participant, and a participant action based on content exchanged between the caller and recipient. Content suggesting algorithms may then determine candidate items of content relevant to the participants of the call for presentation to at least one of the caller and the recipient during the call.

A call community contact firewall may include a caller ID capture function retrieving caller ID data for a call to a recipient who is a member of the call community, and a caller ID lookup function configured to retrieve a firewall status based on the retrieved caller ID data, where a firewall status database links caller ID data with call community ratings of prior calls. The call community contact firewall may also include a firewall action function implementing at least one call impacting action based on the retrieved firewalls status. In another aspect, a method may include accessing a secure sender-controlled media (SCM) data structure of a first contact participant in a digital exchange with a second contact participant, updating the instance with real-time content, and validating the first contact participant by comparing the real-time content with another portion of the secure SCM data structure.