Method and system for providing computer-network related information about a calling party

• US 5,946,684 A
• Filed: 02/18/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lund, Arnold M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US08/801,880
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.3, 395/200.48, 395/200.54, 395/200.57, 395/200.75, 395/200.33, 395/200.34, 395/200.59, 370/384, 370/396, 370/401, 370/522, 379/10, 379/14, 379/15, 379/16, 379/27, 379/5, 379/34, 379/67, 379/89, 379/201, 379/207, 379/220, 379/212, 379/230, 707/1, 707/5, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• 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 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4365 based on information specified by the calling party, e.g. priority or subject
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13039 Asymmetrical two-way transmission, e.g. ADSL, HDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 : Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A method and system for providing computer-network related information about a calling party. First, the called party receives a telephone number of a calling party. The called party'"'"'s customer premises equipment (CPE) or elements in a telephone network then use the telephone number to index a database, which contains combinations of telephone numbers and computer-network addresses. Once the calling party'"'"'s computer-network address is retrieved, calling-party-customized information present at the computer-network location specified by the computer-network address can be sent to and displayed on the called party'"'"'s CPE. Also, the calling party'"'"'s telephone number can be sent to an application in the computer network, causing the calling-party-customized information to be automatically displayed on the called party'"'"'s CPE.

Claims

1. A method for automatically displaying, on a called party'"'"'s customer premises equipment, a World Wide Web page customized by a calling party, the method comprising:

(a) automatically querying a database with a calling party'"'"'s telephone number to obtain a Universal Resource Locator associated with the calling party in response to a call from the calling party to a called party;

(b) sending the Universal Resource Locator to the called party'"'"'s customer premises equipment;

(c) retrieving the World Wide Web page associated with the Universal Resource Locator with the called party'"'"'s customer premises equipment; and

(d) displaying the World Wide Web page on the called party'"'"'s customer premises equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises automatically querying a database in a telephone network with a calling party'"'"'s telephone number to obtain a Universal Resource Locator associated with the calling party in response to a call from the calling party to a called party.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises automatically querying a database in a computer network with a calling party'"'"'s telephone number to obtain a Universal Resource Locator associated with the calling party in response to a call from the calling party to a called party.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises automatically querying a database in the Internet with a calling party'"'"'s telephone number to obtain a Universal Resource Locator associated with the calling party in response to a call from the calling party to a called party.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises automatically querying a database in the called party'"'"'s customer premises equipment with a calling party'"'"'s telephone number to obtain a Universal Resource Locator associated with the calling party in response to a call from the calling party to a called party.