System and method for anonymizing a telephone number

• US 20080084982A1
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chatterjee, Koushik
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• 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: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic

Abstract

A system and method for enabling a telephone number to be called in an anonymous manner by associating an identifier with the telephone number and providing for calling the number via the identifier. In one embodiment, the telephone call, including communication of the telephone number is performed using encryption. The identifier may be an email address or user identifier. Other users may call the telephone number via a website that operates as a virtual payphone, using software downloaded to a computer or other communication device, or by calling a voice portal, for example.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a user to receive telephone calls, said method comprising:

receiving a telephone number from a user;

receiving an identifier to be associated with the telephone number; and

storing the telephone number in association with the identifier to enable another user to call a telephone associated with the number of the user using the identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the telephone number includes receiving a telephone number configured to operate on the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or a mobile telephone network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier includes receiving an email address.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier includes receiving a user-established user ID.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing includes storing the telephone number and identifier in a database configured to enable the telephone to be looked up via the identifier.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing a password in association with the telephone number and identifier.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing personal profile information of the user in association with the telephone number and identifier.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing information to block particular users from calling the user in association with the telephone number and identifier.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing information to establish times during which the telephone number can be called using the identifier.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing at least one second identifier in association with the telephone number.

11. A system for establishing a user to receive telephone calls, said system comprising:

a server configured to host a website providing text input fields, the text input fields having indicia in relation thereto instructing a user to enter a telephone number and an identifier; and

a database in communication with said server, said database configured to store the telephone number in relation to the identifier to enable another user to call a telephone associated with the telephone number of the user using the identifier.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the telephone number is a telephone number configured to operate on the public switched telephone network.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the identifier is an email address.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the identifier is a user-established user ID.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said database is configured to enable a communication system to look up the telephone number via the identifier.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said database is further configured to store a password in association with the telephone number and identifier.

17. The system according to claim 11, further comprising storing personal profile information of the user in association with the telephone number and identifier.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said database is further configured to store information to block particular users from calling the user in association with the telephone number and identifier.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said database is further configured to store times during which the telephone number can be called using the identifier.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said database is further configured to store at least one second identifier in association with the telephone number.

21. A method for enabling a user to be called anonymously, said system comprising:

receiving a communication from a first subscriber of a first service provider to place a telephone call to a second subscriber of a second service provider, the communication including an identifier associated with the second subscriber;

looking up a telephone number of the second subscriber in response to receiving the identifier; and

establishing a telephone connection between the first and second subscribers of the first and second service providers using the looked up telephone number associated with the identifier.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein looking up a telephone number includes looking up a telephone number assigned to be utilized on the public switched telephone network.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein looking up a telephone number includes looking up a telephone number configured to be utilized on a mobile telephone network.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein receiving a communication including an identifier includes receiving an email address of the second subscriber.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein receiving a communication including an identifier which includes receiving a user-established user identifier by the second subscriber.

26. The method according to claim 21, further comprising announcing to the second subscriber at least one identifying attribute of the first subscriber.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein announcing at least one identification attribute of the first subscriber includes a name associated with a credit card of the first subscriber.

28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising providing the second subscriber with at least one option during the announcement.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein providing the at least one option includes not accepting the call and blocking the caller.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein providing the at least one option includes not accepting the call and connecting to an operator.

31. The method according to claim 21, wherein establishing the telephone connection includes communicating the looked up telephone number using encryption.

32. A system for enabling a user to be called anonymously, said system comprising:

at least one computing device configured to establish a first subscriber as a customer of a first service provider including associating a telephone number with the first subscriber; and

a database in communication with said at least one computing device and configured (i) to store an identifier with the telephone number of the first subscriber and (ii) to output the telephone number in response to said database receiving a request from a second subscriber of a second service provider with the identifier to look up the telephone number associated with the first subscriber, said at least one computing device configured to receive the looked up telephone number and establish a telephone connection between the first and second subscribers using the telephone number.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein said database is configured on a network to be accessible to the first and second service providers.

34. The system according to claim 32, wherein the telephone number is assigned to be utilized on the public switched telephone network.

35. The system according to claim 32, wherein the telephone number is assigned to a mobile telephone.

36. The system according to claim 32, wherein the identifier is an email address.

37. The system according to claim 32, wherein the identifier is a user-established user identifier.

38. The system according to claim 32, wherein said at least one computing device is further configured to establish a telephone connection between the first and second subscribers of the first and second service providers using the looked up telephone number associated with the identifier and to announce to the first subscriber at least one identifying attribute of the second subscriber.

39. The system according to claim 38, wherein the at least one identifying attribute of the second subscriber is a name associated with a credit card.

40. The system according to claim 32, wherein said at least one computing device is further configured to establish a telephone connection between the first and second subscribers and to provide the first subscriber with at least one option during an announcement.

41. The system according to claim 40, wherein the at least one option includes not accepting the call and blocking the caller.

42. The system according to claim 40, wherein the at least one option includes not accepting the call and connecting to an operator.

43. A method for receiving a telephone call anonymously, said method comprising:

registering, by a first subscriber of a first service provider, an identifier in association with a telephone number, the registering causing the identifier and not the telephone number to be available to subscribers of a second service provider; and

receiving a telephone call from a second subscriber of the second service provider using the identifier to place the telephone call.

44. The method according to claim 43, further comprising receiving an announcement with at least one option to be selected prior to the telephone call from the subscriber being connected to the first subscriber.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein receiving the announcement includes receiving an attribute associated with a credit card used to place the telephone call.

46. The method according to claim 44, further comprising selecting an option from the at least one option to be selected prior to the telephone call from the subscriber being connected to the first subscriber.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein selecting the option includes selecting an option to block the second subscriber.

48. The method according to claim 46, wherein selecting the option includes selecting an option to connect to an operator.