Method and system for providing enhanced caller identfication information including total call control for all received calls

• US 20030123631A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Tiliks, Dianna Inara, Book, Nancy Ann, McBlain, Thomas Joseph, Gruchala, Carol Shifrin, Crockett, Susanne Marie, Moss, John Wesley
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/210.02
• 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 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

All calls terminating to a customer'"'"'s directory number are intercepted. If caller identification information can be presented, the call is forwarded to a service node for disposition. The service node reconfigures signaling information of the call so that the call is not intercepted, then forwards the call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone. When the call is answered, the service node states the name or telephone number of the calling party which has been retrieved from the signaling information. The caller can decide whether to take the call, deny the call, send the call to voice mail or send a sales refusal message or other disposition option.

Claims

1. A call processing method in a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

receiving a call for a called communication station from a calling communication station;

suspending the call;

providing a caller identification indication and call disposition options to the called communication station;

detecting a call blocking option selected at the called communication station rejecting the call; and

in response to the call blocking option, adding information about the calling communication station to a blocking list associated with the called communication station so that completion of subsequent calls from the calling communication station is blocked.

2. The call processing method of claim 1 wherein adding information about the calling communication to the blocking list comprises:

detecting the calling directory number for the call; and

adding the calling directory number to the blocking list.

3. The call processing method of claim 2 further comprising:

at a service node of the telecommunications system, playing a message prompting a called party at the called communication station to select a call disposition option by entering a single key press;

at the service node, detecting signalling information due to the single key press; and

at the service node, adding the calling directory number to the blocking list at the SCP via a communication link when the signalling information corresponds to the call blocking option.

4. The call processing method of claim 3 further comprising:

at the service node, playing a message providing a first call disposition option to reject the call and a second call disposition option to reject the call and add the calling directory number to the blocking list.

5. The call processing method of claim 3 wherein detecting signalling information comprises detecting dual tone multi-frequency signals at the service node.

6. A service node operable in a telecommunications system, the service node comprising:

first computer code to detect caller identification information for a call routed to the service node;

second computer code to provide a caller identifier based on the detected caller identification information for a new call placed from the service node to a called communication station;

third computer code to detect a call disposition option entered as a single key press by a called party at the called communication station; and

fourth computer code to add a calling party directory number determined from the detected caller identification information to a blocking list associated with the called communication station.

7. The service node of claim 6 further comprising:

fifth computer code to translate text of the detected caller identification information to signals representative of audible speech and to play the signals representative of audible speech to the called communication station as the caller identifier.

8. The service node of claim 6 wherein the first computer code is configured to detect the caller identification information in caller name information passed with the call to the service node, if available, and otherwise in a calling party directory number passed with the call to the service node.

9. The service node of claim 8 further comprising:

fifth computer code to translate one of the caller name information and the calling party directory number to signals representative of audible speech to be played to the called communication station.

10. The service node of claim 6 wherein the second computer code if further configured to produce a setup message for a call, the setup message including a calling party identification field set to the calling party directory number, a called party identification field set to a directory number associated with the called communication station and a redirecting element field set to a predetermined directory number.

11. A telephone call setup message for processing a call, the call setup message comprising:

a calling party identification field set to a directory number associated with a calling communication station;

a called party identification field set to a directory number associated with a called communication station; and

a data field set to a value to indicate the call should not be suspended but should be presented to the called communication station.

12. The telephone call setup message of claim 11 wherein the data field comprises a redirecting element field set to a predetermined directory number.

13. The telephone call setup message of claim 12 wherein the predetermined directory number is associated with a call control service.

14. A call processing method comprising:

receiving a termination attempt query message for a call from a calling party at a calling communication station, the call intended for a called party at a called communication station;

determining from the termination attempt query message whether standard caller identification information can be provided for the call;

if standard caller identification information can be provided, determining whether predetermined data is present in the termination attempt query message;

if the predetermined data is not present, forwarding the call to a service node for processing;

receiving a subsequent termination attempt query message for the call;

detecting the predetermined data in the termination attempt query message; and

completing the call to the called communication station.

15. The call processing method of claim 14 wherein determining whether predetermined data is present comprises testing a value of a redirecting element of the termination attempt query message.

16. The call processing method of claim 14 further comprising:

if standard caller identification information can not be provided, routing the call to a privacy service.