Methods and systems for visual voice calls

Abstract

In an exemplary method, at least one telephony attribute associated with a voice call directed from a client communication subsystem to a voice network identifier is detected. Visual content that has been predefined as being associated with the at least one telephony attribute is identified. A request for the visual content is initiated in response to the detecting step. The visual content is received, in response to the initiating step, for display at the client communication subsystem.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a set-top box in communication with a television, an index descriptive of a predefined association between visual content and a telephone number;   detecting, by the set-top box, an initiation of a voice call from a telephone to the telephone number;   querying, by the set-top box, the index to identify the visual content as being associated with the telephone number; and   displaying, by the set-top box, the visual content by way of the television.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displaying of the visual content comprises:
 sending a request for the visual content to a content server subsystem;   receiving the visual content from the content server subsystem in response to the request; and   directing the television to display the visual content.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 locally storing, by the set-top box, the visual content;   wherein the displaying of the visual content comprises directing the television to display the locally stored visual content.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the telephone comprises a mobile telephone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the telephone comprises a Public-Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”) device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual content comprises at least one of static visual content, dynamic visual content, and interactive visual content. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the set-top box, an update of the index in response to a change in the predefined association between the visual content and the telephone number. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing, by the set-top box, an introductory visual content page that is predefined as being associated with the telephone number; and   displaying, by the set-top box in response to the detecting of the initiation of the voice call, the introductory visual content page by way of the television.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the index is further descriptive of an association between the visual content and a predetermined geographic location, and wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting, by the set-top box, a geographic identifier descriptive of a geographic location of the telephone;   wherein the displaying of the visual content comprises displaying the visual content if the geographic identifier indicates that the geographic location of the telephone matches the predetermined geographic location.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the geographic identifier comprises at least one of an area code and a zip code. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual content comprises a menu. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a mobile telephone, an index descriptive of a predefined association between visual content and a telephone number;   detecting, by the mobile telephone, an initiation of a voice call from the mobile telephone to the telephone number;   querying, by the mobile telephone, the index to identify the visual content as being associated with the telephone number; and   displaying, by the set mobile telephone, the visual content within a display screen of the mobile telephone.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the displaying of the visual content comprises:
 sending a request for the visual content to a content server subsystem;   receiving the visual content from the content server subsystem in response to the request; and   providing the visual content for display within the display screen.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the visual content is stored locally by the mobile phone. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the visual content comprises at least one of static visual content, dynamic visual content, and interactive visual content. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving, by the mobile phone, an update of the index in response to a change in the predefined association between the visual content and the telephone number. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 storing, by the mobile phone, an introductory visual content page that is predefined as being associated with the telephone number; and   displaying, by the mobile phone in response to the detecting of the initiation of the voice call, the introductory visual content page within the display screen.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the index is further descriptive of an association between the visual content and a predetermined geographic location, and wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting, by the mobile phone, a geographic identifier descriptive of a geographic location of the mobile phone;   wherein the displaying of the visual content comprises displaying the visual content if the geographic identifier indicates that the geographic location of the mobile phone matches the predetermined geographic location.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the visual content comprises a menu. 
     
     
         20 . A set-top box comprising:
 a detection module configured to
 detect an initiation of a voice call by a telephone to a telephone number, and 
 query an index to identify visual content as being associated with the telephone number; and 
   a display module communicatively coupled to the detecting module and configured to display the identified visual content by way of a television communicatively coupled to the set-top box.