Determining and disclosing the indentity of telephone caller

• US 6,278,773 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Goldman, Phillip Y., Perlman, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US09/107,717
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.23, 379/93.24, 379/93.25, 379/93.17, 379/142, 379/90.01, 379/110.01, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.15, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21
• US Class Current: 379/93.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/064 Data transmission during pauses in telephone conversation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7464 Select transport technology for a given service, e.g. use for data connection WLAN rather than GSM/UMTS/GPRS or use company's communication network rather than a public network
• 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 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4281 when the called subscriber is connected to a data network using his telephone line, e.g. dial-up connection, Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• 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: H04N 19/46 : Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 : for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 : by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 : Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/637 : Control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A client is coupled to a modem pool and a server by a communication link in a wide area network. The client allows a user to browse the World Wide Web in response to user inputs entered entirely from a remote control device using a television set as a display device. The communication link to the client is shared by a telephone circuit at the client end of the link. A disruption in communication with the server may occur due to a Call Waiting signal caused by an incoming telephone call. The incoming call includes Caller ID information. In response to such a disruption, communication with the server is terminated. After pausing for a predetermined period of time, the client automatically re-establishes communication with the server if the line is clear. Upon reconnecting to the server, the client accesses a “White Pages” telephone directory Web site on a remote server. Using the number provided in the Caller ID information, the client looks up the name of the caller from the directory and stores the number and the corresponding name. Each time an incoming call is subsequently received from that number, the client displays the name of the calling party to the user as the call is received.

Claims

1. In a network system including a server and a client system capable of connecting to the server via a communication link, wherein the network system shares a segment of the communication link with a telephone system, a method of identifying a caller who makes an incoming telephone call over the segment of the communication link, the method comprising the acts of:

maintaining telephone number information stored in a memory device at the client system, wherein the telephone number information includes telephone numbers associated with names;

receiving, at the client system, an incoming telephone call with Caller ID information including a particular telephone number associated with the incoming telephone call and not including a name associated with the particular telephone number;

comparing the incoming telephone number to the telephone number information to determine whether the name associated with the particular telephone number has been stored in the telephone number information in the memory device;

if the name has been stored, displaying the name stored in the telephone number information to a user of the client system; and

if the name has not yet been stored, performing the acts of;

enabling the user to receive the incoming telephone call without displaying the name to the user;

after the incoming call is terminated, and when the client system connects to a server using the network system, automatically making a request to a telephone directory database server for the name associated with the particular telephone number; and

receiving and storing the name associated with the particular telephone number in the telephone number information in the memory device for future use.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of displaying the name comprises displaying the name on a display device of the client system.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising, after the act of displaying the name, the act of allowing the user of the client system to answer the incoming telephone call.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising, after the act of displaying the name, the act of automatically answering the incoming telephone call using the client system after a predetermined number of rings.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising the act of recording a message left by the caller.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the display device is a television set, the method further comprising the act of playing the message in real time using the television set.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the act of dispatching, by the client system, a message to a remote location with respect to the client system, the message indicating that the caller has made the incoming telephone call.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the act of dispatching the message comprises the acts of:

dialing, by the client system, a user-specified destination telephone number; and

playing the message to a person using a telephone associated with the destination telephone number.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of dispatching the message comprises the act of sending an electronic mail message to an electronic mail address provided by the user of the client system.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the client system connecting to a server using the network system comprises the act of the client system connecting to a server using the Internet.

11. In a network system including a server and a client system capable of connecting to the server via a communication link, wherein the network system shares a segment of the communication link with a telephone system, a method of identifying a caller who makes an incoming telephone call over the segment of the communication link, the method comprising the acts of:

maintaining telephone number information stored in a memory device at the client system, wherein the telephone number information includes telephone numbers associated with names;

receiving, at the client system, an incoming telephone call with Caller ID information including a particular telephone number associated with the incoming telephone call and not including a name associated with the particular telephone number;

determining that the name associated with the particular telephone number has not yet been stored in the telephone number information in the memory device;

after the incoming telephone call is terminated, and when the client system connects to a server using the network system, automatically making a request to a telephone directory database server for the name associated with the particular telephone number;

in response to receiving the name from the telephone directory database server, storing the name in the telephone number information in the memory device for future use;

receiving another incoming telephone call with Caller ID information including said particular telephone number and not including said name associated with said particular telephone number; and

retrieving the name associated with the particular telephone number from the telephone number information and displaying the name to a user of the client system.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the act of automatically making a request to a telephone directory database server comprises the act of communicating between the client system and an Internet server.

13. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising the acts of:

receiving a second incoming telephone call having Caller ID information including a second telephone number associated with the second incoming telephone call and not including a second name associated with the second telephone number;

identifying the second name associated with the second incoming telephone number from the telephone number information; and

displaying the second name on a display device of the client system.

14. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the client system connecting to a server using the network system comprises the act of the client system connecting to a server using the Internet.

15. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising, after the act of determining that the name associated with the particular telephone number has not yet been stored in the telephone number information, the act of displaying to the user a message indicating that the name is unknown.

16. A computer program product for implementing a method of identifying a caller who makes an incoming telephone call, wherein the method is implemented in a client system capable of being connected to a server using a communication link, the client system sharing a segment of the communication link with a telephone system, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying instructions capable of being executed by the client system, wherein the instructions comprise;

program code means for receiving, at the client system, an incoming telephone call with Caller ID information including a particular telephone number associated with the incoming telephone call and not including a name associated with the particular telephone number, wherein the incoming telephone call is made over the segment of the communication link;

program code means for determining whether telephone number information stored at the client system includes the name associated with the particular telephone number;

program code means for conducting, if the telephone number information includes the name associated with the particular telephone number, the acts of;

identifying, from the telephone number information, the name associated with the incoming telephone number; and

displaying the name on a display device of the client system program code means for conducting, if the telephone number information does not include the name associated with the particular telephone number, the acts of;

enabling the user to receive the incoming telephone call without displaying the name to the user;

after the incoming call is terminated, and when the client system connects to a server using a network, automatically making a request to a telephone directory database server for the name associated with the particular telephone number; and

receiving and storing the name associated with the particular telephone number in the telephone number information at the client system for future use.

17. A computer program product as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise program code means for automatically answering the incoming telephone call using the client system after a predetermined number of rings.

18. A computer program product as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise program code means for recording a message left by the caller after automatically answering the incoming telephone call.

19. A computer program product as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise program code means for communicating with a person at a remote location with respect to the client system, so as to indicate to the person that the caller has made the incoming telephone call.