Methods and systems for a call log

• US 20050117729A1
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Wurster, John, Zafar, Shadman, Rajagopalan, Mahesh, Reformato, John R., Reding, Craig L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,488,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/196
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• 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 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 : Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13224 : Off-net subscriber, dial in to/out from network, teleworking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A call log associated with outgoing calls originating from calling devices may be established and maintained. Filter parameters may be set to specify which outgoing calls to log. Outgoing call information associated with calls originating from a user'"'"'s calling devices may be obtained and transmitted to a service center. A server in the service center may determine whether or not to log the outgoing call information based on the filter settings. The outgoing call information may be stored in the call log, which may reside in a database in the service center. The user may access the call log from a user terminal and/or the calling devices. The call log may be used to add contacts to a contact list and facilitate data analyses.

Claims

1. A method for logging calls comprising:

receiving instructions that specify filter settings for logging outgoing calls;

obtaining outgoing call information associated with an outgoing call originating from a calling device and destined to a called device;

determining whether or not to log the outgoing call information based on the filter settings; and

storing the outgoing call information in a call log in response to a determination to log the outgoing call information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user with access to the call log.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining stage includes obtaining information associated with a user of the calling device and a user of the called device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining information associated with a user of the calling device and a user of the called device includes obtaining a calling party number and a dialed telephone number, respectively.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving contact-related information associated with a user of the called device using the outgoing call information; and

adding the contact information to a contact list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein retrieving contact-related information includes retrieving at least one of a name, a home address, a business address, and an e-mail address associated with the user of the called device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein retrieving contact-related information includes retrieving an image.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein retrieving contact-related information includes retrieving information included in a public record.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing at least one data analysis using the call log.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein performing at least one data analysis includes displaying outgoing call patterns.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving instructions from a user that specify filter settings includes receiving instructions that indicate at least one outgoing call to include in the call log.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving instructions from a user that specify filter settings includes receiving instructions that build an exclusion table indicating at least one outgoing call to exclude from the call log.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether or not to log the outgoing call information includes consulting the exclusion table.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling device is a landline telephone and wherein obtaining outgoing call information associated with a call originating from a calling device and intended for a called device includes:

setting a trigger on a communication line associated with the landline telephone;

querying a service control point in response to the trigger; and

initiating a service logic program in the service control point.

15. The method of claim 14 further including:

transmitting at least a dialed telephone number to a server from the service logic program.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling device is a programmable device and wherein obtaining outgoing call information associated with a call from a calling device to a called device includes:

capturing the outgoing call information by the programmable device.

17. The method of claim 16 further including:

transmitting at least a dialed telephone number to a server from the programmable device.

18. A method for logging calls comprising:

obtaining information associated with outgoing calls originating from each of a plurality of source communication devices and destined to at least one destination device; and

storing said information in a call log.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the outgoing calls includes information associated with a user of the source communication devices and information associated with a user of the at least one destination device.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

retrieving contact-related information associated with at least one party using the information associated with the outgoing calls; and

adding the contact-related information to a contact list.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

detecting the outgoing calls originating from each of a plurality of source communication devices and destined to the at least one destination device, prior to obtaining the information associated with outgoing calls.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining whether or not to store the information associated with the outgoing calls originating from each of the plurality of source communication devices prior to storing the information in the call log.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving instructions that specify filter settings for logging information associated with outgoing calls; and

prior to storing the information, determining whether or not to store the information associated with the outgoing calls based on the filter settings.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving instructions that specify filter settings includes receiving instructions to exclude from the call log information associated with outgoing calls originating from at least one of the plurality of source communication devices.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving instructions that specify filter settings includes receiving instructions to include in the call log information associated with outgoing calls destined to the at least one destination device.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving instructions that specify filter settings includes receiving instructions to include in the call log information associated with outgoing calls that do not successfully reach the at least one destination device.

27. A call log system comprising:

a first network providing telephony services;

a calling device input port, coupled to the first network, configured to interface a user with the first network;

a second network for facilitating data transfer;

a service center coupled to the first network and the second network, the service center comprising;

a first application function for generating a call log according to user-specified preferences, the call log including information associated with telephone calls originating from the calling device, and

a storage function for storing the call log; and

a user terminal input port, coupled to the second network and configured to interact with the server, for enabling the user to specify the preferences and access the call log.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first network is a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the first network is operable to perform Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the first network includes a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and wherein the calling device input port is an interface receiving information from a landline telephone.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the information associated with the telephone calls includes a dialed telephone number and wherein a service control point coupled to the PSTN transmits the dialed telephone number to the server.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the calling device input port is an interface receiving information from a programmable device.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the information associated with the telephone calls includes at least a dialed telephone number and wherein the telephone number is received by the service center.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the second network includes at least one of a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), an intranet, and the Internet.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the fist application generates a call log according to user-specified preferences that specify at least one criteria for logging the calls originating from the calling device.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein the fist application function includes program code for building an exclusion table, the exclusion table indicating the user-specified preferences.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the exclusion table includes at least one telephone number to exclude from the call log.

38. The system of claim 27, wherein the storage function includes at least one database.

39. The system of claim 27, wherein the application function includes program code for performing at least one data analysis using the call log.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the data analysis includes determining outgoing call patterns.

41. The system of claim 27, wherein the service center retrieves, via a second application function, contact information associated with recipients of the telephone calls originating from the calling device using the call log.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the information associated with the telephone calls includes at least dialed telephone numbers and wherein the second application function retrieves contact information associated with at least one of the dialed telephone numbers from an Internet-based service.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the contact information includes at least one of a name, a home address, a business address, and an e-mail address.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein the service center further comprises a contacts database function configured to store the retrieved contact information.

45. The system of claim 27, wherein the user terminal is one of a general purpose computer, a personal computer, a wireless device, a pager, a mobile phone having data access functions, and a Personal Digital Assistants (PDA).

46. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a system to perform a method, the system including at least one processor for executing the instructions, the method comprising:

receiving instructions that specify filter settings for logging outgoing calls;

obtaining outgoing call information associated with an outgoing call originating from a calling device and destined to a called device;

determining whether or not to log the outgoing call information based on the filter settings; and

storing the outgoing call information in a call log in response to a determination to log the outgoing call information.

47. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a system to perform a method, the system including at least one processor for executing the instructions, the method comprising:

detecting outgoing calls originating from each of a plurality of source communication devices and destined to at least one destination device;

obtaining information associated with the outgoing calls originating from each of the plurality of source communication devices; and

storing said information in a call log.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, the method further comprising:

receiving instructions that specify filter settings for logging information associated with outgoing calls; and

prior to storing the information, determining whether or not to store the information associated with the outgoing calls based on the filter settings.