Identifying the cellular number on a cellular device capable of supporting multiple cellular numbers

• US 10,250,745 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Ravichandran, Vinod
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US15/687,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20190068778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/272 with provision for storing only one subscriber number at a time, e.g. by keyboard or dial
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42238 in systems with telephone lines with multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Technologies for displaying information about a number used to contact a cellular device is described herein. A customizable field in a contact is used to designate which number of plurality of numbers usable by the cellular device the originating device associated with the contact is using to connect to the cellular device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

on a cellular device capable of using a first cellular number and a second cellular number, receiving an input to open a contacts application to generate a contact, the contact including a name field indicating a name of the contact and a phone number field indicating a phone number of the contact;

displaying a customizable field in the contact, the customizable field associating a call received from the contact with the first cellular number or with the second cellular number;

receiving an input to modify the customizable field, the input identifying the first cellular number or the second cellular number;

storing the input as part of the contact;

receiving an incoming call from the contact; and

displaying on the cellular device in response to receiving the incoming call from the contact, the name field, phone number field, and the customizable field of the contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cellular number is a native number and the second cellular number is a virtual number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification of a connection request from an originating device; and

displaying the customizable field to indicate that the connection request is being handled using the first cellular number or the second cellular number.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input to originate a call at the cellular device;

accessing a plurality of contacts to determine a contact associated with a number for the call;

accessing the customizable field of the contact; and

displaying the customizable field to indicate that the call is being handled using the first cellular number or the second cellular number.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification of a connection request from an originating device;

determining that a contact has not been saved for a number associated with the originating device;

generating a temporary contact;

in a name field of the temporary contact, inserting a number of the originating device;

inserting into a customizable field of the temporary contact the first cellular number or the second cellular number; and

displaying the name field and the customizable field of the temporary contact.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cellular number and the second cellular number are handled over a voice channel.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a list of contacts;

analyzing the list of contacts;

determining, as a determination, which of the first cellular number or the second cellular number each of the contacts of the list of contacts will use; and

inputting, into the customizable field for each of the contacts of the list of contacts, the first cellular number or the second cellular number based on the determination as to which of the first cellular number or the second cellular number each of the contacts of the list of contacts will use.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by a processor of a cellular device, cause the cellular device to:

receive a notification of a connection request on the cellular device from an originating device, the cellular device capable of using a first cellular number and a second cellular number;

access a plurality of contacts to determine a contact associated with the originating device, one of the plurality of contacts including a name field, a phone number field, and a customizable field;

access the name field, the phone number field, and the customizable field of the one of the plurality of contacts associated with the originating device, the customizable field identifying a number used by the originating device to establish a call with the cellular device; and

display the name field, the phone number field, and the customizable field.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first cellular number is a native number and the second cellular number is a virtual number.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further cause the cellular device to:

display the customizable field to indicate that the connection request is being handled using the first cellular number or the second cellular number.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further cause the cellular device to display the customizable field to indicate that the call is being handled using the first cellular number or the second cellular number.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further cause the cellular device to:

receive a notification of connection request from an originating device;

determine that a contact has not been saved for a number associated with the originating device;

generate a temporary contact;

in a name field of the temporary contact, insert a number of the originating device;

insert into a customizable field of the temporary contact the first cellular number or the second cellular number; and

display the name field and the customizable field of the temporary contact.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first cellular number and the second cellular number are handled over a voice channel.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further cause the cellular device to:

receive a list of contacts;

analyze the list of contacts;

determine, as a determination, which of the first cellular number or the second cellular number each of the contacts of the list of contacts will use; and

input, into the customizable field for each of the contacts of the list of contacts, the first cellular number or the second cellular number based on the determination as to which of the first cellular number or the second cellular number each of the contacts of the list of contacts will use.

15. A cellular device capable of using a first cellular number and a second cellular number, the cellular device comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium; and

instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium, the instructions being executable by the cellular device to;

receive an input to open a contacts application to generate a contact, the contact including a name field indicating a name of the contact, a phone number field indicating a phone number of the contact, and a customizable field identifying a number used by an originating device to establish a connection with the cellular device;

display a customizable field in the contact;

receive an input to modify the customizable field, the input identifying the first cellular number or the second cellular number;

store the input as part of the contact;

establish a connection with the originating device from the contact; and

display in response to establishing the connection with the originating device from the contact, the name field, the phone number field, and the customizable field of the contact.

16. The cellular device of claim 15, wherein the instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium further cause the cellular device to:

receive a notification of a connection request from an originating device; and

display the customizable field to indicate that the connection request is being handled using the first cellular number or the second cellular number.

17. The cellular device of claim 15, wherein the instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium further cause the cellular device to:

receive an input to originate a call at the cellular device;

access a plurality of contacts to determine a contact associated with a number for the call;

access the customizable field of the contact; and

display the customizable field to indicate that the call is being handled using the first cellular number or the second cellular number.

18. The cellular device of claim 15, wherein the instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium further cause the cellular device to:

receive a notification of a connection request from an originating device;

determine that a contact has not been saved for a number associated with the originating device;

generate a temporary contact;

in a name field of the temporary contact, insert a number of the originating device;

insert into a customizable field of the temporary contact the first cellular number or the second cellular number; and

display the name field and the customizable field of the temporary contact.

19. The cellular device of claim 15, wherein the first cellular number and the second cellular number are handled over a voice channel.

20. The cellular device of claim 15, wherein the instructions stored in the non-transitory storage medium further cause the cellular device to:

receive a list of contacts;

analyze the list of contacts;

determine, as a determination, which of the first cellular number or the second cellular number each of the contacts of the list of contacts will use; and

input, into the customizable field for each of the contacts of the contact list of contacts, the first cellular number or the second cellular number based on the determination as to which of the first cellular number or the second cellular number each of the contacts of the list of contacts will use.