Audio calling name and number delivery

• US 6,868,268 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levine, David A., Zhang, Zhiqiang Zeeman, Patterson, Greg N., Worsham, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US09/896,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20030003927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.24, 379/211.03, 379/142.01, 379/88.19, 455/417, 455/415, 455/433, 455/435, 204/275
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

An audio calling name and calling number delivery method is disclosed. When a call is made from a calling party telephone to a called party telephone, a message is sent from an originating service switching point (SSP) associated with the calling party telephone to a terminating mobile switching center (MSC) associated with the wireless called party telephone. Typically, the message comprises the directory number of the calling party telephone. A wireless trigger is tripped at the terminating MSC and, in response, a query is sent to a service control point (SCP). A home location register (HLR) associated with the wireless telephone is queried to determine whether the wireless telephone is available. If the wireless telephone is available, then a name and a number associated with the calling party telephone is forwarded to a service node. The service node places a call to the wireless telephone and an audio annunciation of the name and the number is played to the called party.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system comprising an advanced intelligent network (AIN) wireline network connected to a wireless network, a method for providing an audio calling name and number feature to a wireless telephone in association with a telephone call from a calling party telephone to the wireless telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a message from an originating switch associated with the calling party telephone to a terminating switch associated with the wireless telephone, wherein the message comprises the directory number of the calling party telephone;

tripping a wireless trigger at the terminating switch and, in response, sending a query to a service control point (SCP);

querying a home location register (HLR) associated with the wireless telephone to determine whether the wireless telephone is available;

if the wireless telephone is available, then querying a database of subscriber information connected to the SCP to determine a calling name associated with the directory number of the calling party telephone;

forwarding the calling name and the directory number associated with the calling party telephone to a service node;

placing a call from the service node to the wireless telephone; and

playing an audio annunciation of the calling name and the directory number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the calling name and the directory number are retrieved from the database by the SCP.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining that the called party has rejected the call; and

dropping the outgoing call and playing an announcement to the calling party.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the rejection is an audible rejection from the called party.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the rejection comprises a keypad input from the keypad of the wireless telephone.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining that the called party has accepted the call; and

connecting the call to the wireless telephone.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the acceptance is an audible acceptance from the called party.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the acceptance comprises a keypad input from the keypad of the wireless telephone.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining that the called party has sent the call to voicemail; and

connecting the call to the voicemail service of the wireless telephone.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the sending is an audible order from the called party.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the sending comprises a keypad input from the keypad of the wireless telephone.

12. An audio calling name method for audibly announcing to a calling party a calling name of a calling party in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) in association with a call from the calling party to the called party, wherein the AIN includes a switch, a service node, and a service control point (SCP), wherein the service control point is functionally connected to the switch and the service node, wherein the service control point is connected to a database of subscriber information including a list of calling names associated with directory numbers, and wherein the audio calling name method comprises the steps of:

sending a calling party number associated with the calling party in a message to a terminating mobile switching center (MSC) associated with a wireless telephone of the called party;

sending a query from the MSC to the SCP;

retrieving, from the database of subscriber information connected to the SCP, the calling name associated with the calling party number;

forwarding the calling name and calling party number to the service node;

placing an outgoing call from the service node to a directory number associated with the called party; and

playing an announcement to the called party, wherein the announcement comprises an audible annunciation of the calling name associated with the calling party number.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the announcement further comprises an audible announcement of the calling party number.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of determining whether the wireless telephone of the called party is available by querying a home location register (HLR) associated with the wireless telephone and if not, then playing a busy signal to the calling party.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the announcement further comprises a list of possible ways for the called party to direct the call from the service node.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the list comprises a rejection choice which allows the called party to reject the call and wherein a signal will be connected between the calling party and the called party.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the list comprises an acceptance choice which allows the called party to answer the call and wherein a call will be connected between the calling party and the called party.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the list comprises a voicemail choice which allows the called party to reject the call and wherein the calling party will be connected with the voicemail service for the called party.

19. A telecommunications system for providing an audio calling name and number associated with a calling party to a called party, comprising:

a database of subscriber information including a list of calling names associated with directory numbers;

a service node;

a service control point connected to the database of subscriber information, the service control point operative to

receive a query including a calling party number associated with the calling party;

query the database of subscriber information to determine a calling name associated with the calling party number;

forward the calling name and the calling party number to the service node; and

the service node operative to

place a call to the called party; and

play an announcement to the called party, wherein the announcement comprises an audio annunciation of the calling name and the calling party number associated with the calling party.

20. The telecommunications system of claim 19, wherein the service control point is further operative to determine whether presentation of the calling name and the calling party number to the called party is allowed.