Caller Identification Using Social Network Information

• US 20120196581A1
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Papakipos, Matthew Nicholas, Walkin, Brandon Marshall
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking
• 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 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

In one embodiment, a social networking system determines a user identifier of a caller placing a call to a receiving user based on the call'"'"'s phone number, accesses one or more data stores for information associated with the caller, and present to the receiving user the information associated with the caller.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

responsive to an incoming communication, determining, at a computer system, identifying information of an initiating user of the incoming communication to a receiving user;

accessing one or more data stores for social network information associated with the initiating user based on the identifying information of the initiating user; and

presenting to the receiving user the information associated with the initiating user on a user interface display in connection with a notification of the incoming communication.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the incoming communication is an incoming call.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the determining, at a computer system, identifying information of the initiating user further comprises:

obtaining a phone number of the incoming call placed to the receiving user by the initiating user;

accessing a data store of identifying information of one or more users; and

determining the identifying information of the initiating user based on the phone number.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the identifying information is a user identifier maintained in a social networking system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing one or more data stores for social network information associated with the initiating user based on the identifying information of the initiating user, is controlled at least in part by one or more privacy settings of the initiating user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting to the receiving user the information associated with the initiating user further comprises:

constructing a frame containing the information associated with the initiating user; and

displaying the frame overlaying a user interface of the computer system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the incoming communication is a short message service (SMS) message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the incoming communication is an incoming video call.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the social network information comprises information obtained from a social graph that includes the initiating and receiving user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the social network information comprises current status information of the initiating user.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the current status information comprises one or more of a current location of the initiating user and a status message posted by the initiating user on a user profile page.

12. A system comprising:

a memory;

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory, storage medium storing computer-readable instructions operative, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to;

responsive to an incoming communication, determine identifying information of an initiating user of the incoming communication to a receiving user;

access one or more data stores for social network information associated with the initiating user based on the identifying information of the initiating user; and

present to the receiving user the information associated with the initiating user on a user interface display in connection with a notification of the incoming communication.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the incoming communication is an incoming call.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein to determine identifying information of the initiating user, further comprising instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to:

obtain a phone number of the incoming call placed to the receiving user by the initiating user;

access a data store of identifying information of one or more users; and

determine the identifying information of the initiating user based on the phone number.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the identifying information is a user identifier maintained in a social networking system.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein to access one or more data stores for social network information associated with the initiating user based on the identifying information of the initiating user, is controlled at least in part by one or more privacy settings of the initiating user.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein to present to the receiving user the information associated with the initiating user, further comprising instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to:

construct a frame containing the information associated with the initiating user; and

display the frame overlaying a user interface of the system.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the incoming communication is a short message service (SMS) message.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the incoming communication is an incoming video call.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the social network information comprises information obtained from a social graph that includes the initiating and receiving user.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the social network information comprises current status information of the initiating user.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the current status information comprises one or more of a current location of the initiating user and a status message posted by the initiating user on a user profile page.