Method and system for providing enhanced caller identification information

• US 6,748,068 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2000
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stuckman, Bruce E., Myers, Theodore J., Walsh, Patrick J., Rauch, John G., Cruz, Jose M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US09/535,333
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/142.02, 379/142.03, 379/142.15, 379/142.18, 379/142.04, 379/142.05, 379/142.09, 379/142.14
• US Class Current: 379/142.03
• 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 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• 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 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party

Abstract

A method and apparatus permit handling of unwanted calls from callers such as telemarketers, when caller identification is provided. In one embodiment, the called party adds the caller identification information for the telemarketer to a personal list after receiving the unwanted call. Subsequent calls from the telemarketer are intercepted. In a second embodiment, the called party identifies the telemarketer by detecting the caller identification information before answering the call. By providing a screen listing indication, the caller identification information is added to the called party'"'"'s personal list before the call is completed, permitting the call to be intercepted and while future calls from the telemarketer to be intercepted.

Claims

1. A method for processing calls in a communications system, the method comprising:

(a) at a service control point (SCP) of the communications system, detecting a Termination Attempt query from a terminating switch processing a received call from a calling party at a calling communication station to a called party at a called communication station;

(b) in response to the Termination Attempt query, determining at the SCP if standard caller identification information for the calling communication station can be provided to the called communication station;

(c) if standard caller identification information cannot be provided, communicating a Forward Call message to a service node, the Forward Call message including an identifier for the called communication station and a presentation indicator and

(c1) at the service node, in response to the Forward Call message, transmitting a request for spoken caller identification information to the calling communication station,

(c2) at the service node, storing the spoken caller identification information when provided,

(c3) at the service node, playing the spoken caller identification information to the called party, and

(c4) completing the received call only if the called party accepts the call; and

(d) if standard caller identification information can be provided,

(d1) obtaining the standard caller identification information,

(d2) comparing the standard caller identification information to a stored intercept list for the called communication station, and

(d3) communicating a Termination Attempt response message from the SCP to the terminating switch to complete the received call to the called party only if the standard caller identification information does not match an entry on the intercept list;

(e) if the standard caller identification was provided and the call was completed, detecting signaling from the called communication station indicating the standard caller identification for the calling communication station should be added to the intercept list for the called communication station; and

(f) if the signaling is detected, adding the standard caller identification for the calling communication station to the intercept list for the called communication station.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(d4) if the standard caller identification information matches an entry on the intercept list, transmitting a call rejection message to the calling communication station.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(d4) if the standard caller identification information matches an entry on the intercept list, routing the call to an automated answering system associated with the calling communication station.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting signaling comprises:

determining if a data entry was received from the called communication station; and

determining if the received data entry corresponds to a screen listing indication.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein adding the standard caller identification for the calling communication station to the intercept list comprises:

storing a directory number for the calling communication station in the intercept list.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein adding the standard caller identification for the calling communication station to the intercept list comprises:

storing name information associated with a directory number for the calling communication station in the intercept list.

7. A call processing method for a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

processing a call in the telecommunications system between a calling communication station and a called communication station, including

determining if standard caller identification information can be provided for the calling communication station,

completing the call to the called communication station only if the standard caller identification information can be provided for the calling communication station to the called communication station, otherwise intercepting the call before completion;

upon termination of the call, detecting data entry from the called communication station;

if the data entry corresponds to a screen listing indication, adding information about the calling communication station to an intercept list associated with the called communication station;

subsequently, upon processing a subsequent call from the calling communication station to the called communication station,

determining if standard caller identification information can be provided for the calling communication station,

determining if the intercept list associated with the called communication station includes previously stored information about the calling communication station;

in response to presence of information about the calling communication station on the intercept list, intercepting the call before completion even though the standard caller identification information can be provided for the calling communication station.

8. A call processing method for a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

processing a call in the telecommunications system between a calling communication station and a called communication station, including

determining if standard caller identification information can be provided for the calling communication station,

ringing the called communication station only if the standard caller identification information can be provided for the calling communication station to the called communication station, otherwise intercepting the call before completion;

prior to completion of the call, while the called communication station is still on-hook and ringing, detecting data entry from the called communication station;

if the data entry corresponds to a screen listing indication, adding information about the calling communication station to an intercept list associated with the called communication station;

providing a reject call message to the calling communication station without completing the call;

subsequently, upon processing a subsequent call from the calling communication station to the called communication station,

determining if standard caller identification information can be provided for the calling communication station,

determining if the intercept list associated with the called communication station includes previously stored information about the calling communication station, and

in response to presence of information about the calling communication station on the intercept list, intercepting the call before completion.