Enhanced caller ID with recipient-selected caller information display

• US 20070036313A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Scott, Cansler, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.170
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card

Abstract

Enhanced caller ID display functionality is linked to Photo or image and/or address book or other database information elements associated with the caller by the call recipient to provide a richer Caller ID Display experience. The enhanced ID caller information is displayed on the call recipient'"'"'s television via, for example, a television set-top box. Advantageously, the call recipient selects the information to associate with the caller. This is advantageous because it is the recipient that is in the best position to know which information, including which image or images, is most useful to the recipient in relation to the caller.

Claims

1. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform:

receiving an incoming telephone call from a caller by a recipient;

identifying the caller; and

displaying on a screen an image selected by the recipient associated with the caller.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the image is displayed on a television screen.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the image is displayed on a telecommunications terminal screen.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform providing a user interface for the user to preselect an image associated with the caller.

5. The medium of claim 4, the instructions further cause the machine to perform determining whether the image is preselected.

7. The medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform, in the instance where the image is not preselected, providing a user interface for the user to select an image associated with the caller.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the image is selected from an electronic file.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the file resides on the recipient'"'"'s television set-top box.

10. The medium of claim 7, wherein the image is selected from the recipient'"'"'s electronic address book.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the file resides on a network server.

12. The medium of claim 1, wherein the image comprises a likeness of the caller.

13. The medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform displaying caller personal information selected by the recipient.

15. The medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform, in the instance where the information is not preselected, providing a user interface for the user to select information associated with caller.

6. The medium of clam 5, wherein the image is preselected by the recipient.

14. The medium of clam 13, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to perform determining whether the personal information is preselected.

16. A method for displaying enhanced caller ID information to a recipient of an in-coming telephone call, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from a caller by the recipient;

identifying the caller; and

displaying on a screen information selected by the recipient associated with the caller.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a user interface for the user to preselect information associated with the caller.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, in the instance where the information is not preselected, providing a user interface for the user to select information associated with the caller.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the information comprises an image associated with the caller.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the information comprises personal caller information.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein computer-readable instructions for execution of the method by a computer are contained in a computer-readable medium.

22. A system for displaying enhanced caller ID information to a recipient of an in-coming telephone call, the system comprising:

a telecommunications network that connects a caller terminal to a call recipient terminal and that provides caller ID service;

a television display connected to the network;

a database of caller information, wherein the information is displayed on the television; and

an user interface for the recipient to select information from the database and to associate the selected information with the caller, whereby recipient-selected information associated with the caller is displayed on the television display upon connection of the caller terminal and the recipient terminal.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the information comprises an image associated with the caller.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the information comprises caller personal information.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising a set-top box connected to the television display, and wherein the database resides in the set-top box.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the database resides on a server in the network.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the database resides on a remote computer-readable medium connectable to the network such that the recipient selects the information for display from the remote medium.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the remote medium comprises a hard drive.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the remote medium comprises a PDA.

30. The system of claim 22, further comprising a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform displaying caller information selected by the recipient on the recipient'"'"'s television screen.