Method and apparatus for caller ID system

• US 6,970,544 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Morris Reese
• Original Assignee: Morris Reese
• Inventors: Reese, Morris
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US10/889,153
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/142.17, 379/207.02, 379/207.15, 379/207.16, 379/201.01, 379/201.04
• US Class Current: 379/201.04
• 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 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for accessing telephone or cellular originating central office equipment to control the disclosure of a calling party directory telephone number or, if applicable or available, directory telephone number and name to a called party who subscribes to a Custom Local Area Signaling System (CLASS) service including Caller Identification (Caller ID), which discloses the calling party directory telephone number or directory telephone number and name to the called party, by performing a desired one of a plurality of automatic and/or manual operations. Method is disclosed for connecting to a called station idle or busy telephone line with ringing signals or a call-waiting tone signal and then transmitting the calling party directory telephone number or, if applicable or available, directory telephone number and name to the called station during a silent interval between the ringing signals or after the call-waiting tone signal responsively to receiving the calling party directory telephone number flagged as public from originating central office equipment of the calling party indicating that the directory telephone number or the directory telephone number and name are to be disclosed at the called station. An apparatus and method are also disclosed for receiving, displaying and storing at a called station during a silent interval between ringing signals or after a call-waiting tone signal a calling party directory telephone number or directory telephone number and name from telephone or cellular company terminating central office equipment. In addition, an apparatus and method are disclosed for permitting recall of a stored directory telephone number or directory telephone number and name of a previous caller from memory for visual display, and for permitting automatic dialing of the stored directory telephone number to return a call.

Claims

1. A method for receiving at a telephone station a directory phone number (DN) of a calling party during a silent interval between ringing signals from a telephone or a cellular company terminating central office (TCO), said TCO sending said DN of the calling party to said called station during the silent interval between said ringing signals, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at said telephone station said DN of the calling party from said TCO during the silent interval and displaying said received DN in a display;

(b) producing an identifier and associating the identifier to said received DN; and

(c) storing said received DN in memory for later recall, visual display and or redialing.

2. A method as forth in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the step of recalling the calling party stored DN from said memory and displaying said recalled DN and its associated identifier in a display if a recall button is pressed at said telephone station.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the calling party'"'"'s DN identifies a cellular mobile telephone.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the step of receiving a corresponding name along with said DN and displaying said received name with said DN in the display.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a numeric digit(s) or number that identifies and distinguishes or sets apart said received DN of the calling party from other received DNs.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said TCO is telephone or cellular company switching office equipment.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said telephone station is a cellular mobile phone.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said telephone station is a pushbutton telephone or other receiving and sending equipment.

9. Apparatus for receiving and displaying at a called station having a Custom Local Area Signaling System (CLASS) service including Caller Identification (Caller ID) a directory phone number (DN) of a calling party from a telephone or a cellular company terminating central office (TCO), said TCO sending ringing signals toward the called station, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving at said called station having said CLASS service including said Caller ID said DN of the calling party from said TCO during a silent interval between said ringing signals and displaying said received DN in a display;

(b) means for creating an identifier and associating the identifier to said received DN; and

(c) means for storing said received DN in memory for later recall display and redialing.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 9, in which said apparatus further comprising:

(d) means for recalling the calling party stored DN from said memory and displaying said recalled DN and its associated identifier in a display on said apparatus if a user presses a recall button on said apparatus;

(c) means for responding to initiation of an off-hook condition at the called station to receive dial tone from a telephone or a cellular company originating central office if the user causes said apparatus to go into an off-hook mode;

(f) means for responding to the user pressing on said apparatus keypad said identifier associated to said displayed DN to initiate an automatic calling operation if the off-hook condition has occurred at the called station; and

(g) The automatic calling operation including automatically dialing said displayed DN.

11. A method for sending to a called station having a Custom Local Area Signaling System (CLASS) service including Caller Identification (Caller ID) a directory telephone number (DN) of a calling party, ping the steps of:

(a) receiving at a telephone or a cellular company terminating central office (TCO) serving said called station having said CLASS service including said Caller ID the calling party DN flagged as public from an originating central office of the calling party, indicating that said DN is to be disclosed at said called station;

(b) said TCO sending intermittent signals to said called station; and

(c) said TCO then transmitting said DN of the calling party to said called station during a silent interval between said ringing signals.

12. A method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(d) receiving by an apparatus at said called station said DN of the calling party from said TCO during the silent interval and displaying said received DN in a display;

(e) generating and assigning a number to said received DN; and

(f) storing said received DN in memory for later recall, visual display and or redialing.

13. A method as set forth in claim 11, wherein step (c) comprises the step of transmitting a corresponding name along with said DN.

14. A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein step (d) comprises the step of receiving a corresponding name along with said DN and displaying said received name and said DN in the display.

15. A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said method further comprises the step of recalling said stored DN of the calling party from said memory and displaying said recalled DN along with its assigned number in the display if a recall button is pressed on the apparatus.

16. A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the number identifies and distinguishes or sets apart said received DN of the calling party from other received DNs.

17. A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the apparatus is a cellular mobile telephone.

18. A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the apparatus is a pushbutton telephone or other receiving and sending equipment.

19. A method for transmitting to an idle called station a directory number (DN) of a calling party, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at a telephone or a cellular company local switching office (LSO) said called station having a Custom Local Area Signaling System (CLASS) service including Caller Identification (Caller ID) the calling party DN flagged as public from an originating central office of the calling party, indicating that said DN is to be disclosed at said called station;

(b) said LSO sending intermittent ringing signals to said called station having said CLASS service including said Caller ID;

(c) said LSO transmitting the calling party DN to said called station having said CLASS service including said Caller ID during a silent interval between said ringing signals;

(d) receiving by an apparatus at said called station the calling party DN from said LSO during the silent interval and displaying said received DN in a display;

(e) generating a number and assigning the number to said received DN; and

(f) storing said received DN in memory for later recall, display and or redialing.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein step (c) comprises the step of transmitting a corresponding name along with said DN of the calling party.

21. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein step (d) comprises the step of receiving a corresponding name along with said DN of the calling party and displaying said received name and said DN in the display.

22. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said method further comprises the step of recalling said stored DN of the calling party from said memory and displaying said recalled DN along with its assigned number in the display if an user presses a recall button on the apparatus.

23. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the apparatus is a cellular mobile telephone.

24. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the apparatus is a pushbutton telephone or other receiving and sending equipment.

25. A method for sending to a called station during a silent interval between ringing signals a telephone number (DN) of a calling party from a terminating central office (TCO) after receiving the calling party DN flagged as public from an originating central office of the calling party, indicating that said DN is to be disclosed at the called station, said TCO sending said ringing signals to the called station, comprising the steps of:

(a) said TCO transmitting said DN of the calling party to the called station during the silent interval between said signals after receiving said DN flagged as public from the originating central office of the calling party;

(b) receiving by an apparatus at the called station during the silent interval said DN from said TCO and displaying said received DN in a display on the apparatus;

(c) producing a number and associating the number to said received DN; and

(d) storing said received DN in memory for later recall, visual display and or redialing.

26. A method as set fort in claim 25, wherein step (a) comprises the step of transmitting a corresponding name along with said DN of the calling party.

27. A method as set forth in claim 25, wherein step (b) comprises the step of receiving a corresponding name along with said DN of the calling party.

28. A method as set fort in claim 25, wherein said method further comprises the step of recalling the calling party stored DN from said memory and displaying said recalled DN along with its associated number in a display on the apparatus after a recall button is pressed on the apparatus.

29. A method as set forth in claim 25, wherein said TCO is telephone or cellular company switching office equipment.

30. A method as set forth in claim 25, wherein said associated number identifies and distinguishes or sets apart said received DN of the calling party from other received DNs.

31. A method as set forth in claim 25, wherein said apparatus is a cellular mobile telephone.

32. A method as set forth in claim 25, wherein said apparatus is a pushbutton telephone or other receiving and sending equipment.

33. A method for connecting to a called station idle telephone line with intermittent ringing signals from a terminating central office (TCO) and transmitting a calling party directory telephone number (DN) to the called station during a silent interval between said ringing signals after receiving the calling party DN flagged as public from an originating central office (OCO) of the calling party, comprising the steps of:

(a) said TCO connecting to the called station idle telephone line with said ringing signals;

(b) said TCO then transmitting the calling party DN to the called station during the silent interval between said ringing signals after receiving the calling party DN flagged as public from said OCO of the calling party indicating that said DN is to be disclosed at the called station;

(c) receiving by an apparatus at the called station during the silent interval the calling party DN from said TCO and displaying said received DN in a display on the apparatus;

(d) creating a number and associating said created number to said received DN of the calling party; and

(e) storing said received DN of the calling party in memory for later recall, visual display and or redialing.

34. A method as set forth in claim 33, wherein said method further comprises the step of recalling said stored DN of the calling party from said memory and displaying said recalled DN along with its associated number in the display on the apparatus after a user presses a recall button on the apparatus.

35. A method as set forth in claim 33, wherein step (b) comprises the step of transmitting a name along with the calling party DN.

36. A method as set forth in claim 33, wherein step (c) comprises the step of receiving a name along with the calling party DN.

37. A method as set forth in claim 33, wherein said created number identifies and distinguishes or sets apart said received DN of the calling party from other received DNs.

38. A method as set forth in claim 33, wherein the apparatus is a telephone or other receiving and sending equipment.

39. A method for connecting a called station idle telephone line with intermittent ringing signals from a terminating central office (TCO) serving the called station and transmitting a calling party directory phone number (DN) to the called station during a silent interval between said ringing signals after receiving the calling party DN flagged as public from an originating central office (OCO) of the calling party, comprising the steps of:

(a) said TCO connecting the called station idle telephone line with said ringing signals;

(b) said TCO then transmitting the calling party DN to the called station during the silent interval between said ringing signals after receiving the calling party DN flagged as public from said OCO of the calling party indicating that said DN is to be disclosed at the called station; and

(c) receiving by an apparatus at the called station during the silent interval the calling party DN from said TCO and displaying said received DN in a display on the apparatus.