System and method that provides specialized processing of communications based on automatically generated identifiers

• US 6,445,783 B1
• Filed: 07/14/1998
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: DiRubbo, Salvatore Richard Lawrence, Dalton, Gary R., Hisiger, Barbara A., Furman, Daniel Selig, Creswell, Carroll W., Goldman, Shelley B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/115,311
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 379/196, 379/197, 379/201, 379/207, 379/229, 379/230, 379/221, 379/114.26
• US Class Current: 379/207.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier

Abstract

A system and method that provides specialized processing based on the source of the communication and/or type of communication being made. The system includes at least one user device connected to at least one network through a communications link. The network includes a specialized processor that has access to at least one database and which determine the source and/or type of communication being made. The database stores information necessary for identifying the appropriate processing for the type of communication. The specialized processor performs the appropriate specialized processing based on the source and/or type of communication and the information obtained from the database. The method according to the invention includes automatically determining the source and/or type of communication being made. Based on the determined source and/or type of communication, information indicating the specialized processing that is to be performed for that source and/or type of communication is retrieved from the database. Based on the information retrieved, specialized processing identified by the retrieved information is performed on the communication. In this manner, specialized processing of the communication may be automatically performed based on the source and/or type of communication being made.

Claims

1. A method of processing a communication from a source device to a receiving device, comprising:

receiving a source device identifier signal;

retrieving first information from a database corresponding to the source device identifier signal;

receiving a destination address signal; and

retrieving second information from the database corresponding to the destination address signal; and

processing the communication based on the identifier signal and at least one of the first information and the second information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the source device identifier signal is at least one of a header on the destination address signal and a signal separate from the destination address signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the source device identifier signal is automatically generated when a user device is activated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the source device identifier signal is automatically generated when the destination address signal is generated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing step includes at least one of restricting the communication to a predetermined duration, preventing the communication from being completed, providing a separate report of the communication, recording the communication, providing customized billing of the communication, selecting the quality of the communication and selecting the format of the communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information includes at least one of billing information, call duration limitation information, address restriction information, time of day restrictions, recording information, approved destination address information, communication quality settings and restrictions and communication format settings and restrictions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the source device identifier signal identifies at least one of the source device and the type of communication.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is processed based on both the first and second information.

8. A specialized communications processor operating in at least one network, comprising:

a network interface coupled to at least one network;

a database interface coupled to at least one database; and

a controller coupled to the network interface and the database interface, wherein the controller receives an identifier signal containing an identifier of the source device through the network interface, retrieves first information corresponding to the identifier from a database through the database interface, receives a destination address signal containing a destination address, retrieves second information corresponding to the destination address from the database through the database interface and performs specialized processing based on the identifier and at least one of the first information and the second information.

9. The specialized communications processor of claim 8, wherein the controller receives the identifier signal from a user device and wherein the identifier signal is automatically generated when the user device is activated.

10. The specialized communications processor of claim 9, wherein the user device is one of a land-line telephone, a television device, a computer, a wireless telephone and a personal digital assistant.

11. The specialized communications processor of claim 8, wherein the identifier signal identifies at least one of a source of the communication and a type of communication.

12. The specialized communications processor of claim 8, wherein the specialized processing includes at least one of restricting the communication to a predetermined duration, preventing the communication from being completed, providing a separate report of the communication, recording the communication, providing customized billing of the communication, selecting the quality of the communication and selecting the format of the communication.

13. The specialized communications processor of claim 8, wherein the first information includes at least one of billing information, call duration limitation information, address restriction information, time of day restrictions, recording information, approved destination address information, communication quality settings and restrictions and communication format settings and restrictions.

20. The specialized communication processor of claim 8, wherein the specialized processing is performed based on both the first and second information.

14. A communications system operating in at least one network, comprising:

a specialized processor coupled to the at least one network;

a database coupled to the specialized processor; and

a source device coupled to the at least one network, wherein the specialized processor receives an identifier signal containing an identifier from the source device, retrieves first information corresponding to the identifier of the database, receives a destination address signal containing a destination address, retrieves second information corresponding to the destination address from the database and performs specialized processing based on the identifier and at least one of the first information and second information.

15. The communications system of claim 14, wherein the source device automatically generates the identifier signal when the source device is activated.

16. The communications system of claim 15, wherein the source device is one of a land-line telephone, a television device, a computer, a cellular telephone and a personal digital assistant.

17. The communications system of claim 14, wherein the identifier signal identifies at least one of the source device and a type of communication.

18. The communications system of claim 14, wherein the specialized processing includes at least one of restricting the communication to a predetermined duration, preventing the communication from being completed, providing a separate report of the communication, recording the communication, providing customized billing of the communication, selecting the quality of the communication and selecting the format of the communication.

21. The communications system of claim 14, wherein the specialized processing is performed based on both the first and second information.