Generating a comfort indicator at an originating terminal

Abstract

A call request is sent to establish a telephony session over an Internet Protocol (IP) network between an originating terminal and a destination device. A message responsive to the call request is received from a node connected to the IP network. In response to receiving the message, local generation of a comfort indicator at the 5 originating terminal is performed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A communication device comprising:
 a user interface; and   at least one controller configured:
 to send a request to establish a communication session over an Internet Protocol (IP) network between the communication device and a destination device; 
 to receive a response to the request from a node of the IP network; and 
 in response to receiving the message, before indicating alerting at the destination device and before completing establishment of a communication path over the IP network to the destination device, to provide a comfort indication to a user via the user interface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the comfort indication comprises an audible indication. 
     
     
         3 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the comfort indication comprises a visual indication. 
     
     
         4 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the request to establish a communication session comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message. 
     
     
         5 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the response to the request comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message. 
     
     
         6 . The communication device of  claim 5 , wherein the response to the request comprises a SIP Trying message. 
     
     
         7 . The communication device of  claim 5 , wherein the response to the request comprises a SIP Progress message. 
     
     
         8 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the response to the request is a modified SIP message comprising at least one field that is not defined by SIP. 
     
     
         9 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured:
 to receive a message indicating that alerting is being performed at the destination device; and   to provide an alerting indication to the user via the user interface in response to the message.   
     
     
         10 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to provide the comfort indication to the user via the user interface in a time interval between sending of the request to establish the communication session and providing of the alerting indication to the user via the user interface. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory storage medium carrying instructions for execution by a controller of a communication device having a user interface, the instructions comprising instructions executable by the controller:
 to send a request to establish a communication session over an Internet Protocol (IP) network between the communication device and a destination device;   to receive a response to the request from a node of the IP network; and   in response to receiving the message, before indicating alerting at the destination device and before completing establishment of a communication path over the IP network to the destination device, to provide a comfort indication to a user via the user interface.   
     
     
         12 . The medium of  claim 11 , wherein the comfort indication comprises an audible indication. 
     
     
         13 . The medium of  claim 11 , wherein the comfort indication comprises a visual indication. 
     
     
         14 . The medium of  claim 11 , wherein the request to establish a communication session comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message. 
     
     
         15 . The medium of  claim 11 , wherein the response to the request comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message. 
     
     
         16 . The medium of  claim 15 , wherein the response to the request comprises a SIP Trying message. 
     
     
         17 . The medium of  claim 15 , wherein the response to the request comprises a SIP Progress message. 
     
     
         18 . The medium of  claim 11 , wherein the response to the request is a modified SIP message comprising at least one field that is not defined by SIP. 
     
     
         19 . The medium of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions executable by the controller:
 to receive a message indicating that alerting is being performed at the destination device; and   to provide an alerting indication to the user via the user interface in response to the message.   
     
     
         20 . The medium of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions executable by the controller to provide the comfort indication to the user via the user interface in a time interval between sending of the request to establish the communication session and providing of the alerting indication to the user via the user interface.