System and method for identifying a caller using associated sounds

• US 20090010402A1
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heimbecher Enterprises, LLC
• Original Assignee: Heimbecher Enterprises, LLC
• Inventors: Heimbecher, Reed
• Granted Patent: US 8,331,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.210
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability

Abstract

A system 10 and method for identifying a caller using associated voice or sound announcements is disclosed. An associated voice announcement or announcements may be in calling party'"'"'s own voice. The system 10 is capable of playing a different announcement in place of each ring. The different announcements may be played sequentially, randomly, or pseudo-randomly. Alternatively, a single announcement may be played in lieu of a single selected ring or in lieu of all rings after a specified ring.

Claims

1. A method of identifying an incoming caller, the method comprising the follow steps:

(1) identifying an assigned telephone number from which a telephone call originates;

(2) checking a storage location for a plurality of announcements associated with said assigned telephone number, wherein each announcement of said plurality of announcements is also associated with a call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone number;

(3) selecting a first associated announcement from said plurality of announcements associated with said assigned telephone number; and

(4) playing said selected first associated announcement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting step is performed by selecting each announcement from said plurality of announcements seriatim.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting step is performed by randomly selecting each announcement from said plurality of announcements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting step is performed by pseudo-randomly selecting each announcement from said plurality of announcements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each announcement of said plurality of announcements is recorded in the incoming caller'"'"'s own voice

6. A method of identifying an incoming caller, the method comprising the following steps:

storing a plurality of announcements in a first memory location;

associating said plurality of announcements with a particular caller'"'"'s telephone number;

associating said plurality of announcements with a call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line;

monitoring said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line for an incoming call from said particular caller'"'"'s telephone number;

selecting, upon receipt of the incoming call from said particular caller'"'"'s telephone number at said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line, a first announcement from said plurality of announcements associated with said particular caller'"'"'s telephone number and associated with said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone line; and

playing said first announcement in lieu of said call-receiving party'"'"'s telephone ringing.

7. A method of identifying a telephone caller to a call-receiving party, the method comprising the following steps:

identifying a telephone number of an incoming telephone call;

searching a memory location for at least three aural announcements associated with said identified telephone number and associated with the call-receiving party;

selecting a first aural announcement from said at least three aural announcements;

retrieving said first aural announcement from said memory location; and

playing said first aural announcement for the call-receiving party in lieu of said incoming telephone call generating a ring tone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first aural announcement is selected randomly or pseudo-randomly from said at least three aural announcements.

9. A system for announcing a particular communication sender of an incoming communication to a particular communication recipient, the system comprising the following:

a first storage device adapted to store parameters indicative of the particular communication sender;

a second storage device adapted to store a plurality of outgoing announcements associated with the particular communication sender when attempting to communicate with the particular communication recipient;

a receiver adapted to receive the incoming communication;

an identifier adapted to identify an identified parameter of the incoming communication;

a comparator adapted to compare the identified parameter of the incoming communication to said stored parameters in said first storage device and to thereby identify the particular communication sender;

a selector for picking a selected outgoing announcement from said plurality of outgoing announcements associated with the particular communication sender when attempting to communicate with the particular communication recipient; and

an output device adapted to output said selected outgoing announcement and aurally identify the particular communication sender.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said selector is adapted to pseudo-randomly pick said selected outgoing announcement from said plurality of outgoing announcements associated with the particular communication sender.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said selector is adapted to randomly pick said selected outgoing announcement from said plurality of outgoing announcements associated with the particular communication sender.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said parameters indicative of the particular communication sender are selected from the group consisting of a name of the particular communication sender, a telephone number of the particular communication sender, and an email address of the particular communication sender.