Rating parties according to party identities

• US 7,092,508 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winters, Scott Lee, Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Weaver, James Mark, McIntyre, Joseph Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Benny Quoc
• Application Number:
  US10/081,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-2661, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/309, 370/352, 704/273, 707/10, 707/205, 713/155
• US Class Current: 379/265.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• 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 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier

Abstract

A method, system, and program for rating parties according to party identities are provided. A second party to a call may rate the first party to the call. For subsequent calls by the first party, the rating by the second party of the first party may be displayed to subsequent called parties. In addition, the ratings by subsequent called parties may be accumulated for the first party. Ratings may be stored according to the identity of the individual representing the first party, according to the identity of the business representing the first party, or according to the context of a call.

Claims

1. A method for rating a party to a call comprising:

detecting, at a context rating service accessible via a packet switching network communicatively connected via a secure gateway to a call supported within a trusted telephone network, an identity of a first party to said call with an identification of a device that performed a voice authentication of said identity of said first party and a context of said call;

requesting a second party to said call to rate said first party to said call and said context of said call through a communication from said context rating service to said second party;

responsive to receiving at said context rating service said rating entered by said second party, selecting at least one relevant context rating database for a type of said rating from among a plurality of context rating databases each for storing a separate selection of types of ratings and each accessible to one of said context rating service and a plurality of separate context rating services accessible across said packet switching network; and

storing said rating by said second party, said identification of said device that performed said voice authentication of said identity of said first party, and said context of said call in association with said identity of said first party to said call in said at least one relevant context rating database.

2. The method for rating a party to a call according to claim 1, wherein detecting an identity further comprises:

detecting at least one from among a name of said first party, a line number utilized by said first party, a business represented by said first party, a location of said first party, a subject of said call initiated by said first party, and a billing plan for said first party.

3. The method for rating a party to a call according to claim 1, wherein requesting a second party further comprises:

prompting said second party, through said communication from said context rating service, to rate at least one from among an individual representing said first party, a business representing said first party, and a context of said call.

4. The method for rating a party to a call according to claim 1, wherein storing said rating further comprises:

storing said rating for retrieval by only said second party to said call.

5. The method for rating a party to a call according to claim 1, wherein storing said rating further comprises:

storing said rating, said identification of said device that performed said voice authentication of said identity of said first party, and said context of said call for accumulation with other ratings for said identity of said first party in said at least one relevant context rating database.

6. The method for rating a party to a call according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, at said context rating service, an identity of said second party to said call with an identification of a second device that performed a voice authentication of said identity of said second party;

selecting said at least one relevant context rating database for storage of said rating in association with said second party from among said plurality of context rating databases; and

storing said rating by said second party of said first party and said identification of said second device that performed said voice authentication of said identity of said second party in association with said identity of said second party in said at least one relevant context rating database.

7. The method for rating a party to a call according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting said at least one relevant context rating database from among said plurality of context rating databases for storage of said rating in association with said context of said call, wherein said context comprises a separate identifier of a type of each of a first telephony device used by said first party and a second telephony device used by said second party, a separate location of each of said first telephony device and said second telephony device, and a subject of said call.

8. The method for rating a party to a call according to claim 7, wherein said context of said call comprises at least one from among a subject of said call, a billed transaction completed during said call, a product purchased during said call, a location of said first party and said second party during said call, a billing plan for said call, an identity of said first party to said call, a length of said call, a path of said call, and an identity of said second party to said call.

9. The method for rating a party to a call according to claim 1, wherein said first party is a caller and said second party is a callee.

10. The method for rating a party to a call according to claim 1, wherein said first party is a callee and a second party is a caller.

11. A method for identifying a party to a call comprising:

detecting, at a particular context rating service from among a plurality of separate context rating services accessible via a packet switching network communicatively connected via a secure gateway to a call supported within a trusted telephone network, an identity of a first party to said call with an identification of a device that performed a voice authentication of said identity of said first party;

compiling, at said particular context rating service, a current rating for said first party according to previous ratings for said first party retrieved from at least one from among a plurality of context databases each comprising at least one previous rating entry associated with said identity of said first party and stored by at least one from among said plurality of separate context rating services, wherein said plurality of context databases are each accessible to one of said particular context rating service only and separate selections of said plurality of separate context rating services; and

controlling output of said current rating to a second party to said call.

12. A system for rating a party to a call comprising:

a context rating service accessible via a packet switching network communicatively connected via a secure gateway to a call between a first party and a second party enabled by a trusted telephone network;

said context rating service further comprising;

means for detecting an identity of said first party to said call with an identification of a device that performed a voice authentication of said identity of said first party and a context of said call;

means for requesting said second party to said call to rate said first party to said call and said context of said call through a communication from said context rating service to said second party;

means, responsive to receiving said rating entered by said second party, for selecting at least one relevant context rating database for a type of said rating from among a plurality of context rating databases each for storing a separate selection of types of ratings and each accessible to one of said context rating service and a plurality of separate context rating services accessible across said packet switching network; and

means for storing said rating by said second party, said identification of said device that performed said voice authentication of said identity of said first party, and said context of said call in association with said identity of said first party to said call in said at least one relevant context rating database.

13. The system for rating a party to a call according to claim 12, wherein said means for detecting said identity further comprises:

means for detecting at least one from among a name of said first party, a line number utilized by said first party, a business represented by said first party, a location of said first party, a subject of said call initiated by said first party, and a billing plan for said first party.

14. The system for rating a party to a call according to claim 12, wherein said means for requesting said second party further comprises:

means for prompting, through said communication from said context rating service, said second party to rate at least one from among an individual representing said first party, a business representing said first party, and a context of said call.

15. The system for rating a party to a call according to claim 12, wherein said means for storing said rating further comprises:

means for storing said rating for retrieval by only said second party to said call.

16. The system for rating a party to a call according to claim 12, wherein said means for storing said rating further comprises:

means for storing said rating, said identification of said device that performed said voice authentication of said identity of said first party, and said context of said call for accumulation with other ratings for said identity of said first party in said at least one relevant context rating database.

17. The system for rating a party to a call according to claim 12, said context rating service further comprising:

means for detecting, at said context rating service, an identity of said second party to said call with an identification of a second device that performed a voice authentication of said identity of said second party;

means for selecting said at least one relevant context rating database for storage of said rating in association with said second party from among said plurality of context rating databases; and

means for storing said rating by said second party of said first party and said identification of said second device that performed said voice authentication of said identity of said second party in association with said identity of said second party in said at least one relevant context rating database.

18. The system for rating a party to a call according to claim 12, said context rating service further comprising:

means for selecting said at least one relevant context rating database from among said plurality of context rating databases for storage of said rating in association with said context of said call, wherein said context comprises a separate identifier of a type of each of a first telephony device used by said first party and a second telephony device used by said second party, a separate location of each of said first telephony device and said second telephony device, and a subject of said call.

19. The system for rating a party to a call according to claim 18, wherein said context of said call comprises at least one from among a subject of said call, a billed transaction completed during said call, a product purchased during said call, a location of said first party and said second party during said call, a billing plan for said call, an identity of said first party to said call, a length of said call, a path of said call, and an identity of said second party to said call.

20. The system for rating a party to a call according to claim 12, wherein said first party is a caller and said second party is a callee.

21. The system for rating a party to a call according to claim 12, wherein said first party is a callee and a second party is a caller.

22. A computer program product for rating a party to a call comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for detecting, at a context rating service accessible via a packet switching network communicatively connected via a secure gateway to a call supported within a trusted telephone network, an identity of a first party to said call with an identification of a device that performed a voice authentication of said identity of said first party and a context of said call

means, recorded on said recording medium, for requesting a second party to said call to rate said first party to said call and said context of said call through a communication from said context rating service to said second party;

means, recording on said recording medium, responsive to receiving at said context rating service said rating entered by said second party, for selecting at least one relevant context rating database for a type of said rating from among a plurality of context rating databases each for storing a separate selection of types of ratings and each accessible to one of said context rating service and a plurality of separate context rating services accessible across said packet switching network; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for storing said rating by said second party, said identification of said device that performed said voice authentication of said identity of said first party, and said context of said call in association with said identity of said first party to said call in said at least one relevant context rating database.

23. The computer program product for rating a party to a call according to claim 22, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for detecting at least one from among a name of said first party, a line number utilized by said first party, a business represented by said first party, a location of said first party, a subject of said call initiated by said first party, and a billing plan for said first party.

24. The computer program product for rating a party to a call according to claim 22, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for prompting said second party to rate at least one from among an individual representing said first party, a business representing said first party, and a context of said call.

25. The computer program product for rating a party to a call according to claim 22, wherein said means for storing said rating further comprises:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for storing said rating for retrieval by only said second party to said call.

26. The computer program product for rating a party to a call according to claim 22, wherein said means for storing said rating further comprises:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for storing said rating storing said rating, said identification of said device that performed said voice authentication of said identity of said first party, and said context of said call for accumulation with other ratings for said identity of said first party in said at least one relevant context rating database.

27. The computer program product for rating a party to a call according to claim 22, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for detecting, at said context rating service, an identity of said second party to said call with an identification of a second device that performed a voice authentication of said identity of said second party;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for selecting said at least one relevant context rating database for storage of said rating in association with said second party from among said plurality of context rating databases; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for storing said rating by said second party of said first party and said identification of said second device that performed said voice authentication of said identity of said second party in association with said identity of said second party in said at least one relevant context rating database.

28. The computer program product for rating a party to a call according to claim 22, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for selecting said at least one relevant context rating database from among said plurality of context rating databases for storage of said rating in association with said context of said call, wherein said context comprises a separate identifier of a type of each of a first telephony device used by said first party and a second telephony device used by said second party, a separate location of each of said first telephony device and said second telephony device, and a subject of said call.

29. A method for independent party ratings comprising:

monitoring a context of a call by an independent party of said call, wherein said party monitors said context of said call from an independent service via a packet switching network communicatively connected via a secure gateway to said call supported within a trusted telephone network, wherein said context of said call comprises at least one identity of at least one party to said call with at least one identification of a device that performed a voice authentication of said identity;

identifying, at said independent service, a rating for said call assigned by said independent party; and

storing, by said independent service, said rating by said independent party in association with said context in at least one context rating database from among a plurality of context rating databases each accessible to one of said independent service and a plurality of separate services accessible across said packet switching network, wherein said rating is retrievable by a subsequent party to at least one portion of said call.

30. The method for independent party ratings according to claim 29, wherein said rating is from a scale comprising at least one from among a numerical rating scale and an alphanumeric rating scale.

31. The method for independent party ratings according to claim 29, wherein said context further comprises at least one from among a schedule of said at least one party to said call, a billing plan for said at least one party to said call, a subject of said call, and a content of said call.

32. A system for independent party ratings comprising:

an independent service accessible via a packet switching network communicatively connected via a secure gateway to a call enabled by a trusted telephone network;

said independent service further comprising;

means for enabling an independent party to monitor a context of a call without participating in said call, wherein said context of said call comprises at least one identity of at least one party to said call with at least one identification of a device that performed a voice authentication of said identity;

means for identifying a rating for said call assigned by said independent party; and

means for storing said rating by said independent party in association with said context in at least one context rating database from among a plurality of context rating databases each accessible to one of said independent service and a plurality of separate services accessible across said packet switching network, wherein said rating is retrievable by a subsequent party to at least one portion of said call.

33. The system for independent party ratings according to claim 32, wherein said rating is from a scale comprising at least one from among a numerical rating scale and an alphanumeric rating scale.

34. The system for independent party ratings according to claim 32, wherein said context comprises at least one from among a schedule of said at least one party to said call, a billing plan for said at least one party to said call, a subject of said call, and a content of said call.

35. A computer program product for independent party ratings comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for monitoring a context of a call by an independent party of said call, wherein said party monitors said context of said call from an independent service via a packet switching network communicatively connected via a secure gateway to said call supported within a trusted telephone network, wherein said context of said call comprises at least one identity of at least one party to said call with at least one identification of a device that performed a voice authentication of said identity;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for identifying a rating for said call assigned by said independent party; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for storing said rating by said independent party in association with said context in at least one context rating database from among a plurality of context rating databases each accessible to one of said independent service and a plurality of separate services accessible across said packet switching network, wherein said rating is retrievable by a subsequent party to at least one portion of said call.