Personalized caller identification in a telephone network

• US 6,771,755 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Benhov GmbH, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simpson, Anita Hogans
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Barry W
• Application Number:
  US09/727,321
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/211.01, 379/221.08, 379/207.02, 379/207.13, 379/142.03, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/142.09, 379/142.17
• US Class Current: 379/142.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• 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 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber

Abstract

A personalized caller ID service is provided. A subscriber to the service who is calling his own telephone line from a remote location may enter a personal identification number (PIN) after dialing the subscriber'"'"'s telephone number. A database within the telephone network stores a text message along with the PIN, where the text message is preferably composed by the subscriber at the time of enrollment in the personalized caller ID server. When the PIN is entered, the text message is retrieved from the database and transmitted to the subscriber'"'"'s caller ID equipment during call termination for display on that equipment. The invention may be embodied in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN), wherein a termination attempt trigger (TAT) is provisioned on the subscriber'"'"'s line. Upon actuation of the trigger, the service control point within the AIN instructs the service switching point that services the caller'"'"'s line to prompt the caller for a PIN and collect the PIN digits.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a call from a first telephone station to a second telephone station comprising the acts of:

intercepting said call before said call is terminated to said second telephone station;

receiving an identification number from said first telephone station;

providing, to said second telephone station, a text string based on said identification number, the text string being durably associated with said second telephone station so as to be available to provide to said second telephone station only when said call is terminated to said second telephone station and not when said call is terminated to a telephone station other than said second telephone station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of:

querying a database to retrieve said text string, said text string being indexed in said database based on said identification number.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the acts of:

retrieving a record from said database, the retrieved record being associated with said second telephone station; and

retrieving a text string from the retrieved record, said text string being identified in the retrieved record based on said identification number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said text string is further indexed in said database based on the directory number of said first telephone station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a party operating said first telephone station provides said identification number using a touch tone device on said first telephone station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of:

terminating said call to said second telephone station after receiving said identification number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of:

creating a data structure having a name field; and

inserting said text string into the name field of said data structure; and

wherein said providing act comprises;

transmitting said data structure to said second telephone station.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of:

determining that said identification number is associated with said second telephone station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of:

generating a ringing tone while said identification number is being provided.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of:

generating an audible confirmation following the receipt of said identification number.

11. A system for processing a call from a first telephone station to a second telephone station comprising:

a first node communicatively connected to said first telephone station and said second telephone station, said first node hosting a trigger which actuates when a call is placed from said first telephone station destined for said second telephone station; and

a second node communicatively connected to said first node, said second node comprising or communicating with a database which stores a text string and an identification number indexed by a directory number associated with said second telephone station, wherein said second node includes;

logic which instructs said first node to prompt said first telephone station to enter a number;

logic which looks up said text string in said database based on said directory number; and

logic which instructs said first node to provide said text string to said second telephone station according to whether the entered number matches the identification number in said database, said logic instruction said first node to provide said text string to said second telephone station only if said call is terminated to said second telephone station, and not if said call is terminated to a telephone station other than said second telephone station.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a third node, said first telephone stating being communicatively connected to said first node through said third node.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said database stores a plurality of text string and identification number pairs, each of the plurality of pairs being indexed by said directory number, and wherein said second node further includes:

logic which selects a particular one of said text strings from said database according to the entered number.

14. A caller ID device adapted to be used with a telephone line subscribed to a personalized caller ID service, said caller ID device comprising:

a display comprising a first field which displays the directory number of a calling party telephone station, a second field which displays a name associated with said directory number, and a personalized text string associated with a caller who places a call from said calling party telephone station, said personalized text string further being associated with the telephone line, said personalized text string being retrieved from a data store arrangement that provides said personalized text string for display on a caller ID device only when a call is terminated to said telephone line, and not when a call is terminated to any line other than said telephone line; and

a telephone line interface which communicatively connects said caller ID device to said telephone line.

15. In an advanced intelligent network comprising a service switching point communicatively coupled to a first telephone station and a second telephone station, said service switching point hosting a termination attempt trigger which actuates when a call is placed to said second telephone station, a method of processing a call from said first telephone station to said second telephone station, comprising the act of:

actuating said termination attempt trigger;

said service switching point transmitting a prompt to said first telephone station;

said service switching point receiving an identification number from said first telephone station;

said service switching point querying a database to retrieve a text string associated with said identification number and with said second telephone station, said database providing said text string only when a call is being terminated to said second telephone station and not when a call is being terminated to any telephone station other than said second telephone station; and

transmitting the retrieved text string to said second telephone station.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of transmitting a prompt comprises generating a ringing tone.

17. The method of claim 15, where the act of receiving an identification number from said first telephone station comprises waiting for DTMF input.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said advance intelligent network further comprises a service control point which hosts or is associated with said database, wherein said method further comprises the acts of:

notifying said service control point that said termination attempt trigger has been actuated;

said service control point instructing said service switching point to prompt said first telephone station for input;

and wherein said act of querying a database comprises;

said service switching point providing said identification number to said service control point;

said service control point retrieving the text string from said database and providing the text string to said service switching point.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said service switching point transmits a data structure to said second telephone station when terminating a call at said second telephone station, said data structure comprising a CNAM field which stores a name associated with said first telephone station, said second telephone station having a caller ID device associated therewith which displays said CNAM field when a call is terminated to said second telephone station, and wherein said act of transmitting said text string comprises:

inserting the name in said CNAM field with said text string.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the connection between said first telephone station and said service switching point comprises a second service switching point.

21. In an advanced intelligent network comprising a service switching point communicatively coupled to a first telephone station and a second telephone station, said service switching point being further coupled to a service control point associated with a database which stores data, the improvement comprising:

a data structure stored in said database which contains a text string indexed by an identifying number and a directory number associated with said second telephone station;

logic stored at said service control point which retrieves said text string based on said identifying number and said directory number, which communicates said text string to said service switching point, and which instructs said service switching point to provide said text string to said second telephone station upon termination of a call to said second telephone station, but not upon termination of said call to a telephone station other than said second telephone station.

22. In the advanced intelligent network of claim 21, the further improvement comprising:

logic stored at said service control point which instructs said service switching point to prompt said first telephone station to enter a number, and which compares the entered number with said identifying number with the entered number.