METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ROUTING TELEPHONY COMMUNICATIONS TOGETHER WITH MODIFIED CALLING PARTY IDENTIFIER INFORMATION

• US 20100158225A1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Rogers, Danica
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• 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: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A method, comprising causing a telephony communication originating from a calling party communication device to be routed to a first called party communication device together with calling party identifier information associated with the calling party communication device. The method further comprises receiving an identification of a second called party communication device to which the telephony communication should be routed, and generating modified calling party identifier information associated with the telephony communication on the basis of modification information received from the first called party communication device. Finally, the method comprises routing the telephony communication to the second called party communication device together with the modified calling party identifier information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a. causing a telephony communication originating from a calling party communication device to be routed to a first called party communication device together with calling party identifier information associated with the calling party communication device;

b. receiving an identification of a second called party communication device to which the telephony communication should be routed;

c. generating modified calling party identifier information associated with the telephony communication on the basis of modification information obtained from the first called party communication device;

d. causing the telephony communication to be routed to the second called party communication device together with the modified calling party identifier information.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein both the first called party communication device and the second called party communication device belong to a group of at least two communication devices having a common telephony identifier.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the calling party identifier information is retrieved from a database on the basis of a telephony identifier associated with the calling party communication device, the database comprising a plurality of entries, each entry including:

a. a telephony identifier associated with at least one communication device;

b. calling party identifier information associated with the telephony identifier.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising temporarily storing the modified calling party identifier information in a memory unit.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the modification information received from the first called party communication device is derived from DTMF signals.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the modification information received from the first called party communication device is derived from voice information.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the modification information received from the first called party communication device is derived on the basis of a telephony identifier associated with said first called party communication device.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the modified calling party identifier information comprises information associated with a user of the first called party communication device.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the information associated with the user of the first called party communication device includes ID information associated with the user.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the modified calling party identifier information comprises information associated with a user of the second called party communication device.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the information associated with the user of the second called party communication device includes ID information associated with the user.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the modified calling party identifier information comprises information indicative of an importance level associated with the telephony communication.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the modified calling party identifier information includes additional information associated with the calling party communication device.

14. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the telephony identifier is a telephone number.

15. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the calling party identifier information comprises a telephone number of the calling party communication device.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the calling party identifier information comprises a name of a user associated with the calling party communication device.

17. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device is received from a user of the first called party communication device.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device is received via dial tone signals.

19. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device is received via a voice input.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device includes a name of a user associated with the second called party communication device.

21. A system comprising:

a. a routing entity for routing a telephony communication from a calling party communication device to a first called party communication device together with calling party identifier information associated with the calling party communication device;

b. a processing entity for;

i. receiving an identification of a second called party communication device to which the telephony communication should be routed;

ii. generating modified calling party identifier information associated with the telephony communication on the basis of modification information received from the first called party communication device,

iii. causing said routing entity to route the telephony communication to the second called party communication device together with the modified calling party identifier information.

22. A system as defined in claim 21, further comprising a database, the database comprising a plurality of entries, each entry including:

a. a telephony identifier associated with at least one communication device;

b. calling party identifier information associated with the telephony identifier.

23. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein each entry in said database further comprises call processing information.

24. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the calling party identifier information associated with the calling party communication device is retrieved by the processing entity from said database on the basis of a telephony identifier associated with the calling party communication device.

25. A system as defined in claim 22, further comprising a memory unit, said processing unit being operative for temporarily storing the modified calling party identifier information in said memory unit.

26. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein both the first called party communication device and the second called party communication device belong to a group of at least two communication devices having a common telephony identifier.

27. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the modification information received from the first called party communication device is derived from DTMF signals.

28. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the modification information received from the first called party communication device is derived from voice information.

29. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the modification information received from the first called party communication device is determined on the basis of a telephony identifier associated with said first called party communication device.

30. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the modified calling party identifier information comprises information associated with a user of the first called party communication device.

31. A system as defined in claim 30, wherein the information associated with the user of the first called party communication device includes ID information associated with the user.

32. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the modified calling party identifier information comprises information associated with a user of the second called party communication device.

33. A system as defined in claim 32, wherein the information associated with the user of the second called communication device includes ID information associated with the user.

34. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the modified calling party identifier information comprises information indicative of an importance level associated with the telephony communication.

35. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the modified calling party identifier information includes additional information associated with the calling party communication device.

36. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the telephony identifier is a telephone number.

37. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the calling party identifier information comprises a telephone number of the calling party communication device.

38. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the calling party identifier information comprises a name of a user associated with the calling party communication device.

39. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device is received from a user of the first called party communication device.

40. A system as defined in claim 39, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device is received via dial tone signals.

41. A system as defined in claim 39, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device is received via a voice input.

42. A system as defined in claim 41, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device includes a name of a user associated with the second called party communication device.

43. A network entity, comprising:

a. a processing unit for;

i. causing a telephony communication originating from a calling party communication device to be routed to a first called party communication device together with calling party identifier information associated with the calling party communication device;

ii. receiving an identification of a second called party communication device to which the telephony communication should be routed;

iii. generating modified calling party identifier information associated with the telephony communication on the basis of modification information received from the first called party communication device;

b. an output for releasing the modified calling party identifier information to a routing entity such that the telephony communication is routed to the second called party communication device together with the modified calling party identifier information.

44. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein said processing unit is in communication with a database, the database comprising a plurality of entries, each entry including:

a. a telephony identifier associated with at least one communication device;

b. calling party identifier information associated with the telephony identifier.

45. A network entity as defined in claim 44, wherein the calling party identifier information associated with the calling party communication device is retrieved by said processing entity from said database on the basis of a telephony identifier associated with the calling party communication device.

46. A network entity as defined in claim 43, further comprising a memory unit, said processing unit being operative for temporarily storing the modified calling party identifier information in said memory unit.

47. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein both the first called party communication device and the second called party communication device belong to a group of at least two communication devices having a common telephony identifier.

48. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the modification information received from the first called party communication device is derived from DTMF signals.

49. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the modification information received from the first called party communication device is derived from voice information.

50. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the modification information received from the first called party communication device is derived on the basis of a telephony identifier associated with said first called party communication device.

51. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the modified calling party identifier information comprises information associated with a user of the first called party communication device.

52. A network entity as defined in claim 51, wherein the information associated with the user of the first called party communication device includes ID information associated with the user.

53. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the modified calling party identifier information comprises information associated with a user of the second called party communication device.

54. A network entity as defined in claim 53, wherein the information associated with the user of the second called communication device includes ID information associated with the user.

55. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the modified calling party identifier information comprises information indicative of an importance level associated with the telephony communication.

56. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the modified calling party identifier information includes additional information associated with the calling party communication device.

57. A network entity as defined in claim 47, wherein the telephony identifier is a telephone number.

58. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the calling party identifier information comprises a telephone number of the calling party communication device.

59. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the calling party identifier information comprises a name of a user associated with the calling party communication device.

60. A network entity as defined in claim 43, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device is received from the first called party communication device.

61. A network entity as defined in claim 60, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device is received via dial tone signals.

62. A network entity as defined in claim 60, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device is received via voice information.

63. A network entity as defined in claim 62, wherein the identification of a second called party communication device includes a name of a user associated with the second called party communication device.

64. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a program element for execution by a network entity, said program element comprising:

a. a first program code for identifying a calling party identifier associated with a calling party communication device;

b. a second program code for causing a telephony communication originating from the calling party communication device to be routed to a first called party communication device together with the calling party identifier information associated with the calling party communication device;

c. a third program code for generating modified calling party identifier information upon receipt of an identification of a second called party communication device to which the telephony communication should be routed;

d. a fourth program code for causing the telephony communication to be routed to the second called party communication device together with the modified calling party identifier information.