Alpha enhanced paging and voice mail system and method

• US 6,397,059 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward Ernest Jr. Jungerman, Kenneth Ronald Vance
• Original Assignee: Edward Ernest Jr. Jungerman, Kenneth Ronald Vance
• Inventors: Jungerman, Edward Ernest Jr., Vance, Kenneth Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US09/580,104
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 455/415,458,563,414 379/88.16,88.19,88.2,88.21,118,120,127,183,245 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/415
• 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 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/185 Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices

Abstract

A wireless communications system, such as a paging system, that provides caller identification to a mobile unit. The paging system includes an IVR unit for prompting a caller to enter a call back number and a caller base number. The call base number is a number associated with the identity of the caller, such as the caller'"'"'s home number or main business number. The paging system further includes an interface unit for obtaining caller identification information from a telephone listing database in an external database, such as the line identification database (LIDB) in a public switched telephone network. In operation, the paging system first determines caller identification from the base number by accessing the LIDB database for a listing corresponding to the base number. The paging system may also perform other steps to determine the caller identification from the caller'"'"'s base number, such as searching a reverse look-up telephone directory. If the call base number is unavailable or fails to produce caller identification information, the paging system may use the call back number to determine caller identification information. The paging system may also include a voice recognition unit to obtain caller identification information. A voice mail system may also be connected to the paging system that stores a voice mail message from the caller and assigns queue information to the voice mail message. The paging system then transmits a message to the pager that includes the call back number, caller identification, and queue information. A cellular telephony system or personal communications services (PCS) system may also implement the paging system by transmitting the call back number, caller identification and queue information to a mobile station using short messaging services.

Claims

1. A method of communicating caller identification to a mobile unit in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming call from a caller;

prompting the caller to input a call back number and a base telephone number;

in response to receiving the base telephone number, determining an alphanumeric caller identification from the base telephone number;

assembling the alphanumeric caller identification into an alphanumeric paging message; and

transmitting the alphanumeric paging message, including the caller identification and call back number, to the mobile unit.

2. The method claim 1, wherein the step of determining the alphanumeric caller identification from the base telephone number comprises the step of:

accessing a database in an external network that includes telephone numbers and corresponding listings to locate a listing corresponding to the base telephone number.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of accessing a database in an external network that includes telephone numbers and corresponding listings to locate a listing corresponding to the base telephone number comprises the step of:

accessing a line identification database in an external public switched telephone network to locate a listing corresponding to the base telephone number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of prompting the caller to input a call back number and a base telephone number comprises the steps of:

prompting a caller to input a call back number; and

prompting a caller to input a telephone number that is associated with the caller'"'"'s identity.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

prompting the caller to enter a voice mail message for the called party;

generating queue information regarding the voice mail message for the called party; and

wherein the step of transmitting the alphanumeric paging message including the caller identification and call back number to the mobile unit further includes the step of transmitting the queue information regarding the voice mail message for the called party in the alphanumeric paging message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating queue information regarding the voice mail message for the called party includes the steps of:

transmitting the voice mail message for the called party to a voice mail system; and

receiving an assigned number for the voice message from the voice mail system.

7. A wireless communication system comprising at least one transmitter for transmitting messages to mobile units, said system comprising:

an IVR unit for prompting a caller to enter a call back number and a base telephone number;

an interface unit for obtaining an alphanumeric caller identification information from a telephone listing database in an external network; and

an assembly unit for assembling an alphanumeric paging message to be transmitted by the transmitter to a mobile unit, wherein the alphanumeric paging message includes the call back number of the caller and the alphanumeric caller identification information.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 7, further including:

a first memory unit for storing an exception list database that is programmable with a telephone number and a corresponding listing; and

a second memory unit for storing a reverse directory that includes a plurality of directory listings corresponding to telephone numbers.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 7, further including:

a voice messaging unit for storing a plurality of voice mail messages and communicating queue information for said voice mail messages to said assembly unit; and

and wherein the alphanumeric paging message assembled by said assembly unit includes the call back number of the caller and the alphanumeric caller identification information.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 9, comprising:

a paging terminal that includes said IVR unit, said interface unit, and said assembly unit; and

wherein said mobile units are pagers in the wireless communications system.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 9, wherein said mobile units are mobile telephones.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 7, further including a

voice recognition unit for collecting voice-based caller identification information from said caller and determining whether said voice-based caller identification information is accurate;

and

wherein said interface unit obtains alphanumeric caller identification information from a telephone listing database in an external database in response to said voice recognition unit determining that said voice-based caller identification information is not accurate.