Method and system for caller identification callback lists

• US 6,542,591 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraft, George IV, Amro, Hatim Yousef
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/627,030
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 379/127.01, 379/142-1-1, 379/164-165, 379/210.01, 379/268-269
• US Class Current: 379/142.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• 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 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48

Abstract

A caller identification callback list method and system. The system displays a callback list informing a user of a missed call received from a terminal on a central office telephone line from within an organization. The callback list includes the names and extension or branch telephone numbers for persons the user has defined exist within the organization. Once an indication that the user has missed a telephone call from within the organization appears on the user'"'"'s terminal, the user may choose from a list of names and extension or branch telephone numbers and return the call without having to search outside sources for the correct number. The return call may be accomplished by either an automatic callback feature or manually using the terminal. Additionally, the caller identification callback lists allow a user to select the people and associated extension or branch telephone numbers in advance without the prospective caller first calling the user.

Claims

1. A method for establishing caller identification callback lists comprising:

receiving caller line identification information for an originating terminal at a recipient terminal;

retrieving, from a set of caller identification callback lists, a caller identification callback list associated with the caller line identification information, wherein additional calling information is associated with each of the set of possible callers in the caller identification callback list;

allowing one of the set of possible callers to be selected for callback at the recipient terminal; and

placing a call using the additional calling information associated with the one of the set of possible callers such that the call is directed to the one of the set of possible callers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the one of the set of possible callers to be selected includes:

displaying the set of possible callers on a display as a scrollable list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the scrollable list includes an organizational identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to at least one of the set of possible callers being associated with at least one additional set of possible callers, displaying at least one symbol in association with the at least one set of possible callers to denote that the at least one of the set of possible callers is also associated with the at least one additional set of possible callers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the call includes use of at least one of an automatic call return feature and manual entry of a telephone number at the recipient terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein manual entry of the telephone number at the recipient terminal includes at least one of keying in digits and entering the telephone number via voice input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the caller line identification information for the originating terminal on a display linked to the recipient terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient terminal is at least one of a wire-connected communication crevice and a wireless communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller information identifying the set of possible callers is stored in at least one of the recipient terminal and a storage device located remotely from the recipient terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller information identifying the set of possible callers stores at least one of a name identifier and a telephone number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller information identifying the set of possible callers includes selected caller data that is stored in the caller identification callback list for a temporary period of time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identification of a caller associated with the caller line identification information;

receiving additional calling information associated with the caller; and

storing the additional calling information associated with the caller along with the identification of the caller in the caller identification callback list such that the caller is made a member of the set of possible callers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating an audible sound in response to storing the additional calling information associated with the caller along with the identification of the caller in the caller identification callback list such that the caller is made a member of the set of possible callers.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a listing instruction from the recipient terminal, wherein the listing instruction includes an identification of a selected caller identification callback list from the set of caller identification callback lists;

receiving a time period instruction designating a duration for which selected caller data is to be contained within the selected caller identification callback list; and

indicating on a display associated with the recipient terminal that the selected caller data has been added to the selected caller identification callback list.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional calling information associated with the one of the set of possible callers includes at least one of an extension and a branch number.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the call includes using the additional calling information associated with the one of the set of possible callers in conjunction with the caller line identification information.

17. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for establishing caller identification callback lists comprising:

first instructions for receiving caller line identification information for an originating terminal at a recipient terminal;

second instructions for retrieving, from a set of caller identification callback lists, a caller identification callback list associated with the caller line identification information, wherein additional calling information is associated with each of the set of possible callers in the caller identification callback list;

third instructions for allowing one of the set of possible callers to be selected for callback at the recipient terminal; and

fourth instructions for placing a call using the additional calling information associated with the one of the set of possible callers such that the call is directed to the one of the set of possible callers.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein allowing the one of the set of possible callers to be selected includes:

displaying the set of possible callers on a display as a scrollable list.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the scrollable list includes an organizational identifier.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

fifth instructions for, in response to at least one of the set of possible callers being associated with at least one additional set of possible callers, displaying at least one symbol in association with the at least one set of possible callers to denote that the at least one of the set of possible callers is also associated with the at least one additional set of possible callers.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein placing the call includes use of at least one of an automatic call return feature and manual entry of a telephone number at the recipient terminal.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein manual entry of the telephone number at the recipient terminal includes at least one of keying in digits and entering the telephone number via voice input.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

fifth instructions for displaying the caller line identification information for the originating terminal on a display linked to the recipient terminal.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the recipient terminal is at least one of a wire-connected communication device and a wireless communication device.

25. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the caller information identifying the set of possible callers is stored in at least one of the recipient terminal and a storage device located remotely from the recipient terminal.

26. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the caller information identifying the set of possible callers stores at least one of a name identifier and a telephone number.

27. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the caller information identifying the set of possible callers includes selected caller data that is stored in the caller identification callback list for a temporary period of time.

28. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

fifth instructions for receiving an identification of a caller associated with the caller line identification information;

sixth instructions for receiving additional calling information associated with the caller; and

seventh instructions for storing the additional calling information associated with the caller along with the identification of the caller in the caller identification callback list such that the caller is made a member of the set of possible callers.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising:

eighth instructions for generating an audible sound in response to storing the additional calling information associated with the caller along with the identification of the caller in the caller identification callback list such that the caller is made a member of the set of possible callers.

30. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

fifth instructions for receiving a listing instruction from the recipient terminal, wherein the listing instruction includes an identification of a selected caller identification callback list from the set of caller identification callback lists;

sixth instructions for receiving a time period instruction designating a durator for which selected caller data is to be contained within the selected caller identification callback list; and

seventh instructions for indicating on a display associated with the recipient terminal that the selected caller data has been added to the selected caller identification callback list.

31. The computer program product claim 17, wherein the additional calling information associated with the one of the set of possible callers includes at least one of an extension and a branch number.

32. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein placing the call includes using the additional calling information associated with the one of the set of possible callers in conjunction with the caller line identification information.

33. A communications system for establishing caller identification call back lists comprising:

a communications network;

a recipient terminal connected to the communications network, the recipient terminal including at least one user input device;

an originating terminal connected to the communications network; and

at least one storage device in communication with the recipient terminal,

wherein the recipient terminal receives caller line identification information associated with the originating terminal,

the recipient terminal retrieves, from a set of caller identification callback lists stored in the at least one storage device, a caller identification callback list associated with the caller line identification information, wherein additional calling information is associated with each of the set of possible callers in the caller identification callback list;

the recipient terminal allows one of the set of possible callers to be selected for callback via the at least one user input device; and

the recipient terminal placing a call through the communications network using the additional calling information associated with the one of the set of possible callers such that the call is directed to the one of the set of possible callers.

34. The communications system of claim 33, wherein allowing the one of the set of possible callers to be selected includes:

displaying the set of possible callers on a display as a scrollable list on a user output device associated with the recipient terminal.

35. The communications system of claim 34, wherein the scrollable list includes an organizational identifier.

36. The communications system of claim 33, wherein in response to at least one of the set of possible callers being associated with at least one additional set of possible callers, a user output device associated with the recipient terminal displays at least one symbol in association with the at least one set of possible callers to denote that the at least one of the set of possible callers is also associated with the at least one additional set of possible callers.

37. The communications system of claim 33, wherein placing the call includes use of at least one of an automatic call return feature and manual entry of a telephone number at the recipient terminal.

38. The communications system of claim 37, wherein manual entry of the telephone number at the recipient terminal includes at least one of keying in digits and entering the telephone number via voice input.

39. The communications system of claim 33, wherein a user output device associated with the recipient terminal displays the caller line identification information for the originating terminal.

40. The communications system of claim 33, wherein the communications network includes at least one of a wireless network and a physically connected network.

41. The communications system of claim 33, wherein the at least one storage device includes at least one of a storage device physically associated with the recipient terminal and a storage device located remotely from the recipient terminal.

42. The communications system of claim 33, wherein the caller information identifying the set of possible callers stores at least one of a name identifier and a telephone number.

43. The communications system of claim 33, wherein the caller information identifying the set of possible callers includes selected caller data that is stored in the caller identification callback list for a temporary period of time.

44. The communications system of claim 33, wherein

the recipient terminal receives, via the at least one user input device, an identification of a caller associated with the caller line identification information;

the recipient terminal receives, via the at least one user input device, additional calling information associated with the caller; and

the recipient terminal directs the at least one storage device to store the additional calling information associated with the caller along with the identification of the caller in the caller identification callback list such that the caller is made a member of the set of possible callers.

45. The communications system of claim 44, further comprising:

a sound-producing component, wherein the sound-producing component generates an audible sound in response to the recipient terminal'"'"'s storing the additional calling information associated with the caller along with the identification of the caller in the caller identification callback list such that the caller is made a member of the set of possible callers.

46. The communications system of claim 33, wherein

the recipient terminal receives, via the at least one user input device, a listing instruction, wherein the listing instruction includes an identification of a selected caller identification callback list from the set of caller identification callback lists;

the recipient terminal receives, via the at least one user input device, a time period instruction designating a duration for which selected caller data is to be contained within the selected caller identification callback list; and

the recipient terminal directs a user output device associated with the recipient terminal that the selected caller data has been added to the selected caller identification callback list.

47. The communications system of claim 33, wherein the additional calling information associated with the one of the set of possible callers includes at least one of an extension and a branch number.

48. The communications system of claim 33, wherein placing the call includes using the additional calling information associated with the one of the set of possible callers in conjunction with the caller line identification information.