Audio caller identification

• US 20020196914A1
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services

Abstract

An audio caller identification system and method are provided. A caller identification device of a called party'"'"'s telephone, whether integrated with the telephone or stand-alone, includes a speaker for audibly alerting the called party to the nature of an incoming call. A speech synthesizer in concert with an audio caller ID program may audibly identify a name and/or number of the calling party displayed on the called party'"'"'s caller ID device, including descriptive terms for calling parties such as “private,” “unlisted,” or “out of the area.” When the called party'"'"'s telephone begins to ring, the called party may listen to the audio identification of the calling party for a quick screening without having to go to the telephone to read the caller ID.

Claims

1. A method of providing audio caller identification, comprising the steps of:

receiving a call, the call being associated with a directory number;

querying a database for caller identification information associated with the call;

sending the caller identification information to a caller identification device; and

synthesizing and playing an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call, and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

prior to the step of synthesizing and playing an audio message, saving a recorded audio message associated with a directory number;

comparing the directory number associated with the call with the directory number associated with the recorded audio message;

if the directory number associated with the call matches the directory number associated with the recorded audio message, playing the recorded audio message and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call; and

if the directory number associated with the call does not match the directory number associated with the recorded audio message, then performing the step of synthesizing and playing an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call, and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

wherein the step of sending the caller identification information to a caller identification device includes ringing a telephone to which the caller identification device is functionally connected;

wherein the step of playing the recorded audio message and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call includes suspending ringing the telephone while playing the recorded audio message; and

wherein the step of playing an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call includes suspending ringing the telephone while playing the recorded audio message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the steps of playing the recorded audio message and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call and playing an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call include playing the recorded audio message and playing the audio message related to the caller identification information over a speaker functionally connected to the caller identification device.

5. A method of providing audio caller identification in an Advanced Intelligent Network, including a switch, a service control point, a service node and a database of caller identification information, wherein the service control point and the service node are functionally connected to the switch, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:

receiving a call from a calling party at a calling party switch directed to a called party at a called party switch;

sending call information associated with the call to the service control point, the call information including the directory number of the calling party;

at the service control point, querying the database of caller identification information for caller identification information associated with the call;

causing the service node to synthesize and send an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call to a called party caller identification device via the called party switch; and

at the called party caller identification device, playing the audio message and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

prior to the step of synthesizing and sending an audio message, saving a recorded audio message associated with a directory number;

at the service node, comparing the directory number associated with the call with the directory number associated with the recorded audio message;

if the directory number associated with the call matches the directory number associated with the recorded audio message, sending the recorded audio message to a called party caller identification device via the called party switch;

at the called party caller identification device, playing the recorded audio message and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call; and

if the directory number associated with the call does not match the directory number associated with the recorded audio message, then performing the step of causing the service node to synthesize and send an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call to a called party caller identification device via the called party switch.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

after the step of receiving a call from a calling party at a calling party switch directed to a called party at a called party switch, receiving at the service node a recorded audio message from the calling party directed to the called party;

sending the recorded audio message from the calling party to a called party caller identification device via the called party switch;

at the called party caller identification device, playing the recorded audio message from the calling party and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call; and

if no recorded audio message is received from the calling party directed to the called party, then performing the steps of;

if the directory number associated with the call matches the directory number associated with the recorded audio message, sending the recorded audio message to a called party caller identification device via the called party switch;

at the called party caller identification device, playing the recorded audio message and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call; and

if the directory number associated with the call does not match the directory number associated with the recorded audio message, then performing the step of causing the service node to synthesize and send an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call to a called party caller identification device via the called party switch.

8. A system for providing audio caller identification, comprising:

a software module operative

to query a database for caller identification information associated with a call from a calling party to a called party, the call being associated with a directory number;

to send the caller identification information to a caller identification device;

the caller identification device, operative

to receive the caller identification information;

to synthesize and play an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call, and to display the caller identification information associated with the call.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the caller identification device is further operative

to save a recorded audio message associated with a directory number prior to synthesizing and playing an audio message;

to compare the directory number associated with the call with the directory number associated with the recorded audio message;

if the directory number associated with the call matches the directory number associated with the recorded audio message, to play the recorded audio message and to display the caller identification information associated with the call; and

if the directory number associated with the call does not match the directory number associated with the recorded audio message, then to synthesize and play an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call, and to display the caller identification information associated with the call.

10. A method of providing audio caller identification, comprising the steps of:

saving a recorded audio message associated with a directory number;

receiving a call, the call being associated with the directory number;

querying a database for caller identification information associated with the call;

sending the caller identification information to a caller identification device;

comparing the directory number associated with the call with the directory number associated with the recorded audio message;

if the directory number associated with the call matches the directory number associated with the recorded message, playing the recorded audio message and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call; and

if the directory number associated with the call does not match the directory number associated with the recorded message, synthesizing and playing an audio message related to the caller identification information associated with the call, and displaying the caller identification information associated with the call.