An apparatus, system and method for call notifications to active communication devices are provided. At an apparatus comprising a processor and a communication interface, a call for a first device is received via the communication interface. When is determined that a second device is active, a notification of the call is transmitted to the second device.

A method for maintaining a media stream through a first network equipment while suspending the associated media stream connection in a communication network, comprising receiving within a second network equipment a trigger for suspending a media stream, sending a signalling command for maintaining the media stream and blocking the maintained media stream is provided.

A method for maintaining a media stream through a first network equipment while suspending the associated media stream connection in a communication network, comprising receiving within a second network equipment a trigger for suspending a media stream, sending a signalling command for maintaining the media stream and blocking the maintained media stream is provided.

Automated monitoring of a voice communication session, when the session is in an on hold status, to determine when the session is no longer in the on hold status. When it is determined that the session is no longer in the on hold status, user interface output is rendered that is perceptible to a calling user that initiated the session, and that indicates that the on hold status of the session has ceased. In some implementations, an audio stream of the session can be monitored to determine, based on processing of the audio stream, a candidate end of the on hold status. In response, a response solicitation signal is injected into an outgoing portion of the audio. The audio stream can be further monitored for a response (if any) to the response solicitation signal. The response (if any) can be processed to determine whether the end of the on hold status is an actual end of the on hold status.

A method including receiving an interrupt originating associated with an interrupting entity during an ongoing communication between a user and a current entity, determining if the interrupting entity has a higher priority than the current entity, interrupting the user if the interrupting entity has a higher priority than the current entity, and not interrupting the user if the interrupting entity has a lower priority than the current entity.

A method for telephone interaction includes establishing a voice channel for voice calls with a telephone agent system, establishing a data channel with the telephone agent system if the telephone agent system is in a busy state, and acquiring information provided by the telephone agent system via the data channel. The information is associated with an entertainment service. The method further includes providing the entertainment service to a user based on the information.

In one embodiment, an internet telephony apparatus includes a network interface, connectable to a communication network, for sending and receiving internet telephony signals over the communication network. The apparatus further includes a telephone interface, connectable to an analog telephone device, for sending telephone control signals to the telephone device and receiving telephone control signals entered through a keypad of the telephone device. The apparatus further includes a controller operably coupled between the network interface and the telephone interface, the controller implementing a private internet telephony feature server for directing telephone calls, intended for the telephone device, received as internet telephony signals over the network interface and managing telephone services on behalf of the telephone device based on the telephone control signals received from the telephone device over the telephone interface.

Systems and methods are described herein for handling video calls placed on hold or otherwise parked by one or more parties within the video call. The systems and methods can determine a video call has been placed on hold (or otherwise set to be parked), and transfer the video call to a call park server (CPS). The systems and methods can then access a content server, retrieve one or more content items (e.g., video clips, interactive content or advertisements, and so on), and present the content items within the on hold video call.

Described are call handling methods performed by a carrier network or client stations. A method performed by a carrier network includes designating rules for call handling for an account, receiving first and second voice calls for the account, wherein the voice calls may be either an incoming calls or originated calls and handling the first and second voice calls for the account based on the rules. A method performed by a client station includes receiving a first invitation to a first call, responding to the first invitation causing the first call to be active, receiving a second invitation to a second call while the first call remains active and responding to the second invitation causing the second call to be active and the first call to be on hold, the client station is prevented from originating a call when one call is active and one call is on hold.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for an automated calling system are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving audio data of an utterance spoken by a user who is having a telephone conversation with a bot. The actions further include determining a context of the telephone conversation. The actions further include determining a user intent of a first previous portion of the telephone conversation spoken by the user and a bot intent of a second previous portion of the telephone conversation outputted by a speech synthesizer of the bot. The actions further include, based on the audio data of the utterance, the context of the telephone conversation, the user intent, and the bot intent, generating synthesized speech of a reply by the bot to the utterance. The actions further include, providing, for output, the synthesized speech.