Phone Number Identification Systems and Methods

• US 20160191708A1
• Filed: 12/31/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bailey Analytics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bailey Analytics, Inc.
• Inventors: Bailey, Kristoffer Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 9,756,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/26 Devices for calling a subscriber H04M1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system for initiating phone calls includes a database including records related to one or more second users, each of the second users being associated with an identifier and a phone number, a phone including a controller in communication with the database, and a memory in communication with the controller. The memory including program instructions executable by the controller that, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to provide a user interface that receives a phone call request from a first user, wherein the phone call request includes the identifier associated with a one of the second users and does not include the phone number associated with the one of the second users, and, in response to receiving the phone call request, initiating the phone call over a telephone network from the phone to the phone number associated with the one of the second users.

Claims

1. A system for initiating phone calls comprising:

a database including records related to one or more second users, each of the second users being associated with an identifier and a phone number;

a phone including a controller in communication with the database;

a memory in communication with the controller, the memory including program instructions executable by the controller that, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to;

provide a user interface that receives a phone call request from a first user, wherein the phone call request includes the identifier associated with a one of the second users and does not include the phone number associated with the one of the second users; and

,

in response to receiving the phone call request, initiating the phone call over a telephone network from the phone to the phone number associated with the one of the second users.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the database further includes one or more personal keys associated with one or more of the first and second users.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the database includes an identifier for a business having a plurality of locations and one or more location keys corresponding to each of the plurality of locations.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each location key is a zip code associated with each location.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller communicates with a global positioning system subsystem (GPS subsystem) of the phone, in response to receiving the identifier associated with the business having a plurality of locations the controller automatically includes a location key associated with a GPS location identified by the GPS subsystem in the phone call request, and in response to receiving the phone call request including the location key, the controller initiates a phone call from the phone to a phone number associated with the business location associated with the location key.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is in communication with a second user contact list for each of one or more of the second users, each of the second user contact lists including identifiers of a subset of the first and second users, wherein initiating the phone call further includes the controller blocking the identifier of the first user from the second user if the first user is not in the second user contact list associated with the one of the second users to which the call is directed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the phone is in communication with the database via a wireless communication network.

8. A method of initiating phone calls, comprising:

providing a system comprising;

a database including records related to one or more call-receiving users, each of the call-receiving users being associated with an identifier and a phone number; and

a phone including a controller in communication with the database;

receiving a phone call request from a call-initiating user, wherein the phone call request includes the identifier of the associated with a one of the call-receiving users and does not include the phone number associated with the one of the call-receiving users; and

initiating the phone call over a telephonic network from the phone to the phone number of the one of the call-receiving users.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of updating the phone number associated with the one of the call-receiving users.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the controller is in communication with a call-receiving user contact list for each of one or more call-receiving users, each of the call-receiving user contact lists including identifiers of a subset of the call-initiating and call-receiving users, further comprising the step of providing the identifier of the call-initiating user to the call-receiving user after the connecting step if the call-initiating user is on the call-receiving user contact list.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of blocking the identifier of the first user to the second user after the connecting step if the call-initiating user is not on the call-receiving user contact list.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein an additional user has a personal key, wherein the phone call request further includes the identifier of the call-initiating user and the personal key of the additional user, and further comprising the step of providing the identifier of the call-initiating user to the call-receiving user after the connecting step if the additional user is on the call-receiving user contact list.