Systems and methods to disable caller identification blocking

• US 10,135,961 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2017
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: VanBlon, Russell Speight, Peterson, Nathan J., Mese, John Carl, Weksler, Arnold S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Di Prisco, German Viana
• Application Number:
  US15/480,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20180295224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72

Abstract

In one aspect, a first device includes a processor and storage accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to identify contact information for a person associated with a second device and determine, based on the identification, whether to disable a caller identification (ID) blocking function associated with making calls from the first device. The instructions are also executable by the processor to, responsive to a determination to disable the caller ID blocking function, disable the caller ID blocking function while facilitating a call from the first device to the second device.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising:

at least one processor;

a display accessible to the processor; and

storage accessible to the at least one processor and bearing instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

identify contact information for a person associated with a second device;

determine, based on the identification, whether to disable a caller identification (ID) blocking function associated with making calls from the first device;

responsive to a determination to disable the caller ID blocking function, disable the caller ID blocking function while facilitating a first call from the first device to the second device; and

present, on the display, a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising an indication that the caller ID blocking function is being disabled while facilitating the first call from the first device to the second device, the GUI further comprising an indication of at least one reason why the caller ID blocking function is being disabled while facilitating the first call from the first device to the second device.

2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to:

disable the caller ID blocking function while facilitating the first call by making, using the first device and while facilitating the first call, a phone number associated with the first device available for presentation at the second device.

3. The first device of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises data pertaining to at least one past communication, using a phone number associated with the first device, from the second device that is received at the first device.

4. The first device of claim 3, wherein the at least one past communication comprises a text message from the second device received at the first device in the past.

5. The first device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to:

identify the contact information responsive to receipt of a command to facilitate the first call from the first device to second device; and

disable the caller ID blocking function while facilitating the first call from the first device to the second device at least in part by transmitting a request to a telephone services provider to disable the caller ID blocking function for the first call from the first device to the second device, the request comprising a predetermined code.

6. The first device of claim 1, wherein the reason is indicated in text and wherein the reason indicates that the person already knows a telephone number for the first device.

7. The first device of claim 1, wherein the reason is indicated in text and wherein the reason indicates that the person and a user of the first device are associated with each other via a social networking service.

8. The first device of claim 1, wherein the GUI indicates how many past communications have occurred between first and second devices within a threshold period of time.

9. The first device of claim 1, wherein the GUI comprises a selector that is selectable to enable the caller ID blocking for the first call notwithstanding the determination to disable the caller ID blocking function.

10. A method, comprising:

identifying, using a first device, first information pertaining to a person associated with a second device;

determining, based on the identifying, to not block a phone number associated with the first device from being identified at the second device while a first call from the first device to the second device is facilitated;

permitting, responsive to determining to not block the phone number from being identified at the second device, data indicating the phone number to be presented at the second device while facilitating the first call; and

presenting, on a display, a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising an indication that the phone number is not being blocked for the first call, the GUI further comprising an indication of at least one reason why the phone number is not being blocked for the first call.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first information comprises data pertaining to at least one past communication, using the phone number associated with the first device, from the second device that is received at the first device.

12. The method claim 11, wherein the at least one past communication comprises a text message from the second device received at the first device in the past.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first information comprises social networking information associated with a user of the first device, wherein the social networking information comprises data pertaining to a social networking friend of the user, and wherein the determining is performed based at least in part on identifying that the social networking friend of the user is associated with the second device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the permitting comprises one or more of:

transmitting a predetermined code while facilitating the first call, preventing the first device from blocking the phone number from being identified at the second device while the first call from the first device to the second device is facilitated.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the reason is indicated in text and wherein the GUI indicates a number of past communications between first and second devices.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the GUI comprises a selector that is selectable to block the phone number for the first call notwithstanding the determining to not block the phone number from being identified at the second device.

17. A method, comprising:

facilitating a telephone call between a first device and a second device;

determining whether to block a phone number associated with the first device from being presented at the second device while facilitating the telephone call between the first device and the second device;

blocking the phone number so that the phone number is not presented at the second device, the blocking being performed responsive to determining to block the phone number from being presented at the second device while facilitating the telephone call;

presenting, on a display, a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising text indicating at least one reason why the phone number is being blocked for the telephone call.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method is performed by a third device operated by a telephone communications company.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the method is performed by the first device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the GUI comprises a selector that is selectable provide a command for the phone number to not be blocked for the telephone call notwithstanding the determining to block the phone number from being presented at the second device while facilitating the telephone call.