Calling line identification with location icon

• US 6,226,367 B1
• Filed: 04/23/1997
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Colin Donald, Beaton, Brian Finlay
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N.
• Application Number:
  US08/842,019
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/265, 379/266, 379/118, 379/120, 379/127, 379/130, 455/93.17, 455/93.23, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 379/142.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

The system and method consistent with the present invention provides a graphical icon identifying the caller and the location of the call for a communication device.

Claims

1. A method of presenting information to a user of a communication device for a telephone network comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory of the communication device a directory of entries each including a name, a telephone number and one or more icons individually associated with the caller and defined by the caller to suggest a characteristic of the telephone number, wherein the name corresponds to at least one telephone number and associated icon;

receiving a call from the caller over the telephone network;

accessing the memory for the icon individually associated with the caller'"'"'s telephone number and the corresponding name; and

displaying the caller'"'"'s telephone number, the corresponding name, and the associated icon defined by the caller and suggesting the location of the caller from one or more of the telephone number and associated icon corresponding to the callers name, when said receiving step occurs.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

locating the entry corresponding to the caller'"'"'s telephone number in the directory stored in the memory of the communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step further includes the substep of:

storing the directory of entries in the memory of the telephone network.

4. The method of claim 3 further including the step of:

transmitting the icon associated with the caller'"'"'s telephone number from the telephone network to the user'"'"'s communication device.

5. The method of claim 3 further including the step of:

transmitting the icon associated with the user'"'"'s telephone number from the telephone network to the caller'"'"'s communication device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step further includes the substep of:

storing the directory of entries in the memory of the caller'"'"'s communication device.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of:

transmitting the icon associated with the caller'"'"'s telephone number from the caller'"'"'s communication device to the user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the receiving step further includes the substep of:

receiving the transmitted telephone number and the associated icon from the caller'"'"'s communication device.

9. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

receiving a manual input from the user to call another user of the telephone network, the manual input including a telephone number, and

associating the received telephone number with an icon representing the characteristics of that telephone number.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the step of:

storing in the memory the received telephone number and the associated icon.

11. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

storing in the memory of the communication device the displayed telephone number and the associated icon.

12. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

receiving a user input selecting an information icon corresponding to the caller, and

displaying to the user additional information about the caller.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step includes the substep of:

storing in the memory the directory of entries each including a telephone number and the associated icon for a GSM network.

27. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

accessing the memory for other ones of the telephone numbers and associated icons corresponding to the caller'"'"'s name; and

displaying the other ones of the telephone numbers and associated icons corresponding to the caller'"'"'s name.

29. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

presenting an option for storing the caller'"'"'s telephone number and the associated icon in response to the received call.

14. A system for presenting information to a user of a communication device for a telephone network comprising:

a database in the memory of the communication device storing a directory of entries each including a name, a telephone number and one or more icons individually associated with the caller and defined by the caller to suggest a characteristic of the telephone number, wherein the name corresponds to at least one telephone number and associated icon;

means for receiving a call from a caller over the telephone network;

means for accessing the memory for the icon associated with the caller'"'"'s telephone number and the corresponding name; and

a display for displaying the caller'"'"'s telephone number, the corresponding name, and the individually associated icon defined by the caller and suggesting the location of the caller from one or more of the telephone number and associated icon corresponding to the caller'"'"'s name, when said receiving step occurs.

15. The method of claim 14 further including:

means for locating the entry corresponding to the caller'"'"'s telephone number in the directory stored in the memory of the communication device.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the telephone network includes a memory, and

wherein the database resides in the memory of the telephone network.

17. The system of claim 16 further including:

means for transmitting the icon associated with the caller'"'"'s telephone number from the telephone network to the user'"'"'s communication device.

18. The system of claim 16 further including:

means for transmitting the icon associated with the user'"'"'s telephone number from the telephone network to the caller'"'"'s communication device.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the caller'"'"'s communication device has a memory, and wherein the database resides in the memory of the communication device.

20. The system of claim 19 further including:

means for transmitting the icon associated with the caller'"'"'s telephone number from the caller'"'"'s communication device to the user.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the receiving means further includes:

means for receiving the transmitted telephone number and the associated icon from the caller'"'"'s communication device.

22. The system of claim 14 further including:

means for receiving a manual input from the user to call another user of the telephone network, the manual input including a telephone number, and

means for associating the received telephone number with an icon representing the characteristics of that telephone number.

23. The system of claim 22 further including:

means for storing the received telephone number and the associated icon.

24. The system of claim 14 further including:

means for storing the displayed telephone number and the associated icon in the memory of the communication device.

25. The system of claim 14 further including:

means for receiving a user input selecting an information icon corresponding to the caller, and

means for displaying to the user additional information about the caller.

26. The system of claim 14 wherein the database includes:

means for storing the directory of entries each including a telephone number and the associated icon for a GSM network.

28. The system of claim 14, further including in means for:

accessing the memory for other ones of the telephone numbers and associated icons corresponding to the caller'"'"'s name; and

displaying the other ones of the telephone numbers and associated icons corresponding to the caller'"'"'s name.

30. The system of claim 14 further including:

means for presenting an option for storing the caller'"'"'s telephone number and the associated icon in response to the received call.