Methods, systems, and products for providing communications services

• US 20070258567A1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/827,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20070258567A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.210
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53391 dependent on calling party
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing communications services. Caller identification information associated with a call to a called number is received. A profile database is queried for a profile associated with the called number. The profile is queried for the caller identification information. When the profile contains the caller identification information, then a customized message, associated with the caller identification information, is retrieved.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving caller identification information associated with a call to a called number;

querying a profile database for a profile associated with the called number;

querying the profile for the caller identification information; and

when the profile contains the caller identification information, then retrieving a customized message associated with the caller identification information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising routing the customized message to a calling party.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating the caller identification information associated with the call.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein retrieving the customized message comprises retrieving a recorded message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein retrieving the customized message comprises retrieving a computer generated message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein retrieving the customized message comprises retrieving a text-based, alphanumeric message.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein retrieving the customized message comprises retrieving an electronic greeting.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing a user interface that accesses the profile.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing email notification data in the profile.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing user configurations to the profile.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving identification information for the called number.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending an instruction to deliver the customized message, according to the profile.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending an instruction to link a port on a gateway to connect the call to the customized message.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the profile does not contain the caller identification information, then sending an instruction to link a port on a gateway to connect the call to a general message.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the profile does not contain the caller identification information, then sending an instruction to connect the call to the called number.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the caller identification information comprises receiving a calling number.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising linking the caller identification information to the customized message.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a password with the call to authenticate a calling party.

19. A system, comprising:

means for receiving caller identification information associated with a call to a called number;

means for querying a profile database for a profile associated with the called number;

means for querying the profile for the caller identification information; and

when the profile contains the caller identification information, then means for retrieving a customized message associated with the caller identification information.

20. A memory storing instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving caller identification information associated with a call to a called number;

querying a profile database for a profile associated with the called number;

querying the profile for the caller identification information; and

when the profile contains the caller identification information, then retrieving a customized message associated with the caller identification information.